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West Ham look set to get their summer transfer business up and running with a deal for Atletico Mineiro left-back Guilherme Arana.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola (via Sport Witness), who has stated that the Hammers have made contact ahead of a potential swoop for the 25-year-old. Although no bid has yet been submitted, the Premier League club have made Arana’s staff aware of their interest in the player.

Atletico Mineiro insider Fred Augusto has claimed that the fee to sign Arana will be around €19m (£16m).

Could be a huge coup for West Ham

Moyes led West Ham to a wonderful 2021/22 campaign and he will be looking to build on that over the summer by improving his squad.

Signing a top-class left-back will likely be one of the Scot’s main priorities this summer. Aaron Cresswell is 32 and, with his peak years behind him, perhaps it’s time for a replacement to be sought.

At 25 years of age, Arana still arguably has his peak years to come, and signing him for £16m would likely represent an excellent coup by the Irons.

The Brazilian has scored an impressive 19 goals and registered 28 assists in his career so far, which indicates that he loves to get forward and contribute in an attacking sense, and this is something that Moyes will love.

Arana represented Brazil at the Olympic Games last year, where his nation won the gold medal and he ranked as the squad’s fourth-best performer, with a ranking of 7.17 on SofaScore.

These performances translated into the defender making his senior international debut against Venezuela last October, and he has gone on to win two more caps in the meantime.

A move to the Premier League could well suit the left-back. He was described as “spectacular” by Brazil’s Olympic coach Andre Jardine following his performances in Tokyo, and his figures in an attacking sense appear to back up that compliment.

With the World Cup approaching later this year, Arana knows that there is a chance he could make the Brazil squad as they hope to end a 20-year wait to lift the trophy. The onus is now on Moyes to try and bring the 25-year-old to England and allow him to showcase his talents to a wider audience, while also giving West Ham a top-quality long-term successor to Cresswell at left-back.

AND in other news, West Ham eyeing deal for “exceptional” £35k-p/w monster, he’s the perfect Noble heir

West Ham United are believed to have been offered the chance to sign Cagliari striker Giovanni Simeone, as the club’s hunt for a new centre-forward continues.

What’s the word?

According to club insider ExWHUemployee, the Argentine striker is a player that has been offered to the Hammers in the past, with the Serie A side seemingly keen to cash in on the 26-year-old after his impressive form on loan at Hellas Verona last term.

Following a report from The Times that suggested the east London outfit could have the opportunity to sign the Madrid-born gem this summer, the trusted source took to Twitter to corroborate those claims, having been asked about their validity: “Yeah we have been offered him in the past too”.

There has been suggestion that David Moyes is unwilling to break the bank to secure a new centre-forward in the current window, although previous reports have suggested that the former Fiorentina man could cost as little as €15m (£12.8m).

Supporters will love it

That news will no doubt go down well with the Irons’ faithful, with supporters seemingly desperate for the club to bring in a new striker this summer, having seen the current squad left far too reliant on Michail Antonio in recent times.

The presence of Jarrod Bowen – who netted 12 league goals last term – has undoubtedly helped to add additional firepower from the flanks, although a prolific number nine still appears the top priority, particularly with Antonio having never scored more than ten league goals in a top-flight campaign.

In Simeone then, GSB could well secure a player who plundered 17 goals in Serie A last term, with the £47k-per-week marksman – who is the son of Atletico Madrid boss, Diego – putting in career-best figures during his temporary spell in Verona.

While not typically prolific, the £15.3m-rated man proved in the 2021/22 campaign just what a lethal presence he can be in front of goal when given the opportunity, with the five-cap star set to take a great deal of momentum into next term.

He also appears a Moyes striker in the making due to his impressive work ethic, as he ranks in the top 7% for blocks and the top 16% for pressures made among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, proving himself willing to do the hard yards when leading the line.

West Ham supporters would no doubt worship a player who not only gives his all but also knows where the goal is, with the aforementioned Antonio having at times been lacking in the latter regard.

IN other news, “A chance…”: Ex drops exciting West Ham transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Jota will complete a permanent summer move to Celtic when he returns from his summer holiday, former Hoops hero Frank McAvennie has claimed.

The Lowdown: Jota sparkles at Celtic

The Portuguese forward joined Celtic on loan from Benfica last summer, as Ange Postecoglou guaranteed him more regular playing time than at his parent club.

Jota excelled throughout the 2021/22 campaign, helping the Hoops to win the Premiership and Scottish League Cup, scoring 13 goals and registering 14 assists overall.

The hope is that the 23-year-old joins permanently in the coming weeks, and with Celtic reportedly in talks with the player over personal terms for an outright transfer, there is a strong chance of a deal being struck.

The Latest: McAvennie confident of Jota deal

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie claimed that the transfer will hopefully be completed once Jota is back for pre-season.

The 62-year-old stated:

“There is a lot of speculation about Jota. If you look on social media the boy is all over the place, he’s away on holiday.

“I’m just hoping he has said he will sign it when he comes back. I think that is what it will come down to. I really want him to sign because he really is a talent.

“Hopefully he is just away and he has told Ange he will sign when he comes back.”

The Verdict: Brilliant summer addition

Much like Cameron Carter-Vickers, another 2021/22 loanee who has now signed for Celtic permanently, bringing in Jota for good this summer could feel more significant than any other new signing, given his influence last season.

He brought so much quality and end product from wide areas, with no other Hoops player matching his tally of 27 goal contributions; and given his tender years, he is someone who could become a hero at Parkhead for many years to come.

Signing players of Jota’s quality will be vital to Celtic’s hopes of dominating the domestic scene over the next few years, not to mention trying to make their mark in their return to the Champions League.

In other news, Celtic are believed to be eyeing up a move for one player. Find out who it is here.

Celtic have been linked with a summer move for Liverpool defender Ben Davies.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Liverpool Echo, both the Hoops and Middlesbrough have made contact with the Merseyside club over a potential move for the centre-back.

The Premiership champions were previously linked with a move for Davies in the summer of 2020 before he made his move to Liverpool from Preston North End the following winter.

Despite seeing the Reds pay £1.6m to secure the defender’s signature, the 26-year-old has not made a single appearance for the club, which makes it easy to see why he has been linked with a move away from Anfield this summer.

Last season saw him spend the campaign on loan back in the Championship with Sheffield United.

During his time with the Blades, the centre-back made 22 appearances in total. In that time, the Englishman made 29 interceptions, won 18 tackles and ended the campaign with an average of 2.6 clearances per game.

Labelled a “Rolls Royce” of a player by Preston chief Peter Ridsdale, Davies would warrant an overall financial package of £4m to get him out of Anfield for good this summer according to the Liverpool Echo.

Postecoglou’s next Carter-Vickers

Taking into account how Celtic have a track record when it comes to signing players who have not been given a chance to shine with Premier League clubs, a recent example being Cameron Carter-Vickers, Davies could well be the next in line at Parkhead in that regard.

Following numerous loan spells away from Tottenham Hotspur, the north London club finally sold the American to Celtic this summer after his successful loan stint with the Bhoys last season.

Having ended the 2021/22 Premiership campaign with 43 interceptions, 22 tackles won and an average of 4.2 clearances per game, the 24-year-old certainly showed the defensive credentials to warrant a permanent move to Parkhead.

If Ange Postecoglou feels the need to strengthen the defensive area of his squad and add what could be another version of the former Spurs figure to his ranks, then securing a deal to sign Davies could be a smart move by the club.

In other news – After Siegrist: Ange can form a “deadly” duo as Celtic eye “exceptional” 37-goal gem

La Liga giants Barcelona are ‘fully convinced’ they can sign Manchester City star Bernardo Silva this summer with Jorge Mendes running messages behind the scenes.

The Lowdown: Wanted to leave

The 27-year-old wanted to leave Man City last summer and revealed later that the pandemic had made him homesick, as opposed to it having anything to do with his affection for the club (via Manchester Evening News).

The Sky Blues did not receive any bids deemed acceptable for the player though, so the Portugal international remained at the Etihad this season.

The attacking-midfielder went on a fantastic run for Pep Guardiola’s side, having featured in 35 Premier League games this campaign, earning an average match rating of 7.28 – fifth out of the entire City squad (via WhoScored).

The Latest: Update from Catalonia

According to an update in the last 48 hours from Spanish journalist Helena Condis (via Football365), Barcelona are ‘fully convinced’ they will sign Silva this summer, using super agent Mendes to inform the player, who is expected to remain patient.

City are said to have placed an £80m price tag on the midfielder are not interested in any swap deals.

The Verdict: Huge loss

When compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 27-year-old impressively ranks in the 99th percentile for progressive carries, touches in the attacking penalty area and progressive passes received (via FB Ref).

Having featured 11 times in the Champions League for City this season alongside his top flight heroics, Silva’s importance to Guardiola’s side cannot be overlooked, consistently relied upon to convert defence into attack.

If Silva pushes for a move away this summer, this will come as a heavy blow to City ahead of next season, as he has become one of the few mainstays in Guardiola’s often rotated starting XI.

In other news: Romeo Lavia could also leave this summer…

West Ham United are believed to be keen on bringing Everton defender Michael Keane to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the word?

As per 90min, the Hammers have been linked with a move for the 29-year-old in the current transfer window as David Moyes seeks to add further additions to his squad ahead of next term.

The Scotsman has already acted swiftly to bring in centre-back Nayef Aguerd from Ligue 1 side Rennes and has recently secured the permanent capture of Alphonse Areola after his successful loan move last term, although the belief is that the former Manchester United manager is still targeting multiple new signings for the Irons.

Previous reports have also suggested that the east London outfit are keen on bringing in the 12-cap Toffees defender as one of those reinforcements, with Moyes said to be a ‘big admirer’ of the Englishman.

Championship level

With excitement building amid the prospect of a huge summer of transfer activity at the London Stadium, a move for the 6 foot 3 giant could be viewed as something of a step backwards by the supporters, with the £18m-rated centre-back perhaps not the calibre of player that the Irons faithful are hoping to see at the club.

The Hammers may point to the remarkable success story of Craig Dawson, who arrived to little fanfare only to quickly become something of a cult hero. However, the former Watford man is a hard-nosed, old-school defender who’s willing to put his body on the line, while Keane has looked shaky both in possession and in his defensive duties on Merseyside.

The £69k-per-week Everton dud endured a particularly gruelling campaign at Goodison Park last time out, with Frank Lampard’s side only narrowly staving off the drop in the penultimate game of the season.

While finding the net had been an issue for the Toffees – netting just 43 league goals in the 2021/22 season – it was arguably in defence where the biggest issue lay, with Keane and his comrades at the back shipping 66 goals in total, the fifth-worst record in the Premier League.

Following one particularly dismal defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur in March, when Antonio Conte’s side ran out 5-0 victors, the former Burnley man was part of a defence which was berated by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, with the Liverpool legend slamming Everton’s “Championship” level back four.

The “clumsy” defender – as dubbed by Samuel Luckhurst – did manage to chip in with three goals and two assists last term, but was largely something of a liability for his side in truth, making two errors leading to goals and, ironically, picking up a reckless red card away to West Ham in April.

Already on a yellow card, the Stockport native needlessly ploughed through the back of Michail Antonio and was duly handed his marching orders.

That rash mistake leading to stinging criticism from talkSPORT pundit Perry Groves, who stated: “He looks like he’s always struggling. He’s always a little bit nervy and not having a clear thought process. His positional play hasn’t been great.

“I know Everton as a team haven’t been particularly brilliant and haven’t been particularly been well structured but as you get older and more experienced you get better in terms of your positional play, he’s actually got worse, he’s gone the other way.

“If you’re sat down in the dressing room and say to him: ‘Explain to me what was going through your head’, he wouldn’t be able to. It’s mind-blowing. He’s not a young player any more, he’s experienced.”

That assessment should surely serve as a warning sign to those calling the shots at the London Stadium, with supporters unlikely to be best pleased about the prospect of signing a player who played so poorly against them last term.

If that clash had been an audition for a summer move, the assumption would be that Keane failed it.

AND in other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

An update has emerged on Newcastle and their pursuit of Armando Broja in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to iNews, the Chelsea centre-forward is open to making the switch to St. James’ Park ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the Magpies have made an enquiry over a potential deal for the striker and have now been given the green light to pursue a deal as the player is receptive to the idea of a transfer.

It is not stated how much the Blues would want for his services, but it has previously been reported that it may take a whopping £58m to snap him up.

Imagine him & Callum Wilson

Newcastle would have an excellent set of options at the top end of the pitch if they secured a deal to bring Broja to Tyneside.

They already have the experienced and clinical Callum Wilson, so the English-born Albanian international would be able to learn from him and improve over time.

Broja scored nine goals in all competitions on loan at Southampton last term. He has shown signs of promise at Premier League level, at such a young age, and has the potential to be a sublime signing for the Magpies in the long term.

The 20-year-old’s impressive form last term led to Albania’s assistant Sergio Porrini saying: “From last year to this he has grown a lot and at Southampton, he has exploded.

“His greatest qualities are in his progression, especially the ball and chain. . Less good on the other hand with his back to the goal, in the construction of the action, but in the spaces it is devastating.”

He is a promising youngster who is still developing and in need of experience at the top level, which is why having him alongside Wilson in training – and potentially in matches – would be a perfect situation for him.

The 30-year-old Englishman has been around the block and knows exactly how to score goals in the Premier League, with 20 goals in 39 starts in the division since arriving at Newcastle, showing that he is a reliable number nine for the Toon.

Wilson can take Broja under his wing and help the 20-year-old to fulfill his potential, hopefully helping him to become a consistent goalscorer in the top-flight – as his statistics suggest that he has the scope to achieve that.

AND in other news, Howe can land dream Ekitike alternative as NUFC plot bid for “powerful” £8.5m dynamo…

A big Rangers transfer claim has dropped regarding one of the most sought-after talents in the European game.

What’s the news?

The claim is regarding Borussia Dortmund youngster Gio Reyna, with journalist Manuel Veth tweeting: “Whispers that #USMNT midfielder Gio Reyna could be loaned by #BVB to Scottish side Rangers.

“Source told me that that is extremely unlikely. Terzic is hopeful to get the American back on track this season and Reyna has worked hard on his fitness in the offseason.”

Although the tweet clearly explains that Dortmund plan on keeping the player around next season, never say never.

Reyna would be a wonderful addition

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been busy over the last few days, adding striker Antonio Colak to his Rangers side and reportedly winning the race to sign Tom Lawrence.

After a few weeks without any new signing announcements, it is a bit of relief to the Ibrox faithful that there will be at least a couple of new faces heading through the door.

A move for Reyna might just be a tad unrealistic, though the American is named after the Rangers manager as the Dutchman and Claudio Reyna formed a close bond during their spell at the club and Gio Reyna appears to be extremely gifted.

Reyna suffered an injury-plagued campaign last season, missing 32 of Dortmund’s 46 matches as his excellent progress was dented. He missed the entire first half of the season with a muscle injury which undoubtedly weakened Dortmund as they looked to battle it out with Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title.

He did feature for Dortmund in the Europa League first-leg clash against Rangers in February, which ended in a 4-2 defeat for the German heavyweights.

A move to Glasgow, however, would surely send the supporters into a frenzy.

Look at what happened when Aaron Ramsey touched down from Italy in January and walked out to a rapturous crowd at Ibrox as the club signed him on a six-month loan deal.

The Ibrox faithful can only dream.

AND in other news: Bid prepared: Rangers eye 6 figure swoop for 17 y/o sensation, he can be Jack 2.0

Everton are going after Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, according to French newspaper Var-Matin (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

Everton have already signed one centre-back this summer, with James Tarkowski moving to Goodison Park after leaving Burnley.

And Frank Lampard already has the likes of Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate on his books.

But it seems he’s still keen on bolstering his defence further, with Todibo linked as well as Chelsea’s Levi Colwill.

Barcelona picked up Todibo from French outfit Toulouse in January 2019, but after loan spells with Schalke and Benfica, he would settle with Nice, who paid £7.65million to sign him last summer.

Still only 22 years old, he has a full four years left to run on his contract with the Europa Conference League outfit.

The latest

Todibo, the report states, ‘is the subject of much interest’ from across the continent.

It then goes to list his suitors, which include Everton, Manchester United, Newcastle, AC Milan, Napoli and Sevilla.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-7/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict

Todibo has really blossomed at Nice, with Squawka’s James Lorenzo hailing him as a ‘rock’ at the heart of their defence in 2021/22.

Lorenzo also compared him to Chelsea’s Thiago Silva because his comfort and composure on the ball.

And talent scout Jacek Kulig also regards him very highly indeed, referring to him as ‘The French Wall’.

You can see why Lampard might be seeking out multiple defensive upgrades after seeing his side ship 66 goals last season, their worst record since 1975/76.

But it might be very difficult to beat off the competition this time, with Champions League and Europa League sides in the frame.

Celtic have seen several players make moves away from the Parkhead club throughout this latest summer transfer window.

Names such as Tom Rogic, Nir Bitton and Ismaila Soro have all waved goodbye to Glasgow over recent weeks for moves elsewhere.

Another name that could be following in the footsteps of these departed players this summer is Christopher Jullien.

After being linked with a proposed move to Schalke back in June, the deal fell through and the Frenchman still remains a Celtic player, for now.

Bearing in mind how the defender only made one appearance for his side across all competitions last season, despite recovering from his long-term knee injury in February, it’s easy to see why the player has been linked with an exit.

Should the centre-back find himself eventually leaving Ange Postecoglou’s ranks in the coming weeks, one player that the Bhoys have been linked with that could be a perfect heir for the 29-year-old is Malick Thiaw.

With 142 appearances to his name for Schalke across their senior and youth sides, the defender, who is currently valued around the €15m mark (£11m) according to CIES, has scored 14 goals and provided five assists for the club, showing how useful he can be in front of goal.

This is similar to Jullien, who has ten goals and four assists under his belt in 62 appearances for the Hoops.

Last season saw the 20-year-old top the list for interceptions made (55) and tackles won (45) at the German club, highlighting how much of a capable defender he is.

As for Jullien, with 136 domestic appearances to his name from the start of the 2016/17 season, he has made 129 interceptions and won 84 tackles in the process.

Hailed by Christian Gross as an “excellent” player that has “great potential” to improve, Thiaw certainly has the talent to be an ideal heir for the Celtic defender or even a potential replacement for him this summer if he does end up leaving.

If an opportunity to sign the young German arises before the summer transfer window ends, this is something that the Bhoys should not think twice about pouncing, regardless of what happens with Jullien.

AND in other news: “Definitely going to..”: Ange drops transfer claim that Celtic supporters will love – opinion