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An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their chances of landing Nathan Ake in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, Manchester City have decided that they will cash in on the Netherlands international if an acceptable offer comes in for him in the coming weeks.

The report claims that Tottenham, the Magpies, Chelsea, Aston Villa and West Ham are among the teams now keen on a deal for the gem.

It is stated that the Cityzens will not allow him to leave on loan and will only green light a permanent exit for the £41m defender, giving Dan Ashworth the chance to snap him up.

Imagine him & Sven Botman

The former Brighton chief can land a solid defensive duo for Eddie Howe by signing Ake to partner him with Botman, who recently joined from Ligue 1 side Lille.

Newcastle confirmed the arrival of the Dutchman on Tuesday and they can find an excellent partner for him in a deal to sign his fellow countryman.

The versatile Manchester City machine is a proven performer in England and would be a superb addition to the squad next season. His international teammate Virgil van Dijk dubbed him “underrated” and his statistics in the Premier League certainly suggest that he deserves to be recognised for his performances.

In the top-flight last term, he averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.08 in 14 outings. He won 66% of his individual duels and completed 91% of his attempted passes as he showcased both his defensive strength and his reliability in possession.

Ake has played in nine Premier League seasons throughout his career and – in the seven years the data is available for – a SofaScore rating of 6.82 is the lowest his performances have ever dipped. This shows that he has delivered quality displays on a remarkably consistent basis over the years, which is why he would be a star for the Toon.

Meanwhile, Botman averaged a score of 7.10 in Ligue 1 for Lille. He completed 88% of his passes and won 66% of his individual duels, after averaging a scoring of 7.08 and winning 68% of his battles in the 2020/21 title-winning campaign for the French outfit.

Now, imagine both of them dominating opposition attackers and then building play up from the back to develop a progressive, attacking, style of play at St. James’ Park next season.

It is an exciting prospect and Ashworth has the chance to make it a reality after being given the green light by Manchester City to make a move for Ake happen.

AND in other news, Ashworth eyeing NUFC swoop for “dangerous” £30m dynamo, just imagine him & Wilson…

Leeds United’s move for Red Bull Salzburg midfielder is reportedly ‘imminent’ after a breakthrough in talks over the weekend.

The Lowdown: Adams and Sinisterra

Victor Orta doesn’t appear to be hanging around this week, looking to bring in more players ahead of Leeds’ pre-season trip to Australia on Sunday.

Reports have suggested that RB Leipzig midfielder Tyler Adams and Feyenoord winger Luis Sinisterra are close to making the move to Elland Road.

They look set to replace Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha respectively, and it looks as if another midfielder could soon be on his way to Leeds in Camara.

The Latest: Austrian outlet shares big update

Austrian outlet Kronen Zeitung provided a major update on Camara and Leeds on Sunday evening. They claimed that there was a breakthrough in talks over the weekend, with the 22-year-old agreeing a move to Elland Road.

The Whites may need to pay Salzburg a total of €35m (£30.1m) including bonuses in a deal which would be a record sale for the Austrian champions.

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The Verdict: Quiet elsewhere…

The news from Austria makes it sound like a deal is all but wrapped up, although it has been extremely quiet elsewhere from the likes of Phil Hay and Fabrizio Romano, reporters who have been on the ball across the summer when it comes to movement in Yorkshire.

The pair have both covered the interest in Adams and Sinisterra, so it will be interesting to see over the coming days if anything materialises with Camara.

There appears to have been a breakthrough in talks for the Mali international, so it could be one to watch, and who knows, perhaps both Adams and Camara will arrive to bolster Jesse Marsch’s midfield options.

Aston Villa’s 2022/23 campaign will see Steven Gerrard take charge for his first full term at Villa Park, and he will be well aware of just how important pre-season is. It gives him the chance to decide his strongest 11, whilst also handing new signings the chance to fully integrate themselves into the squad.

A good pre-season can lead to an excellent Premier League campaign – something that those at Villa Park will be desperate for after an underwhelming 14th-place finish last season. As they prepare for the new Premier League season, the Midlands club will have five games to get up to speed.

Aston Villa’s pre-season schedule

Saturday 9 July 1pm BST: Walsall vs Aston Villa 

Aston Villa kick off their pre-season with a trip to the Poundland Bescot Stadium, where they will face League Two outfit Walsall, with kick off taking place at 1pm BST.

Monday 17 July 5:35am BST: Aston Villa vs Leeds United

Next up for Gerrard’s side in pre-season is a game against fellow Premier League outfit Leeds United. And it’ll be an early start for Villa fans, with kick off scheduled for 5:35am. The game is set to take place at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.

Wednesday 20 July 10:45am BST: Brisbane Roar vs Aston Villa 

Three days after playing Leeds, Aston Villa take on Brisbane Roar at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium, with the kick off set for 10:45am BST as Gerrard’s side continue their tour of Australia. 

Saturday 23 July 10:45am BST: Aston Villa vs Manchester United

Whether it’s a friendly or competitive game, Steven Gerrard vs Manchester United in some capacity is always entertaining. In this instance, it is a friendly with Aston Villa taking on Manchester United at the Optus Stadium in Perth to close their trip to Australia. 

Saturday 30 July 5pm BST: Rennes vs Aston Villa 

To end their pre-season, Villa take a trip to France to face Rennes at Roazhon Park, with the kick off time set for 5pm BST. Fans will be hoping that, by this point, the players are back to full fitness and sharpness ahead of the start of the Premier League season. 

How to watch Aston Villa’s pre-season fixtures online

On Villa TV, fans have the option to buy a five-match package, which will come with 12 months of access to VillaTV+ for £44.99. Meanwhile, a match pass for the one Walsall game is £4.99. Or you can buy an Australia match pack, which comes with 12 months of VillaTV+, for £27.99. There’s also the option of a four-match pack for £36.99. You can subscribe to Villa TV here.

Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott is set to play more of a starring role for the Reds during the 2022/23 season, according to journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Elliott’s disrupted rise

The 19-year-old was a regular in the early weeks of last season as he impressed in a midfield role, particularly in a high-profile clash against Chelsea at Anfield, when he came close to scoring with one long-range effort.

Sadly, Elliott’s season was badly disrupted by a broken ankle suffered at Leeds United in September, and he ended up missing five months of action in total.

Upon his return, the Englishman failed to earn regular playing time, with more experienced midfielders preferred for a string of big matches across four competitions.

The Latest: Pearce makes Elliott prediction

However, taking to Twitter on Monday, Pearce claimed that Elliott is expected to play a far bigger role in 2022/23 season as he looks to go up another gear under Klopp at Liverpool.

The Athletic journalist tweeted:

“Clear from listening to Jurgen Klopp that he expects Harvey Elliott to play a big role in 2022-23. The teenager worked hard over the summer to ensure he was in the best possible shape for the start of pre-season.”

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The Verdict: Breakthrough campaign?

For all the calls for Liverpool to sign a new midfielder this summer, Elliott could be the man who makes the number eight spot to the right of Fabinho his own, having been hailed as ‘fearless’ by Klopp.

Jordan Henderson is now 32 and arguably not quite the player he was before, while Naby Keita continues to divide opinion among Reds supporters, often blowing too hot and cold. Similar applies to Curtis Jones, while James Milner is 36.

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At 19, Elliott remains a very young player, but he may feel that this is his moment to become a bona fide regular starter for Liverpool as he looks to reach his vast potential.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for Serge Gnabry this summer, and a significant update on the player’s future has been revealed by a reliable source.

What’s the latest?

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has given an update on the Bayern Munich star’s future.

The Italian journalist tweeted: “Serge Gnabry signs new Bayern deal until June 2027. Full agreement now in place as expected. Extending with Bayern has always been player’s priority, very good relationship with his agents after Mané deal.”

It was reported last month that Liverpool had held talks with Gnabry following the uncertainty on Mohamed Salah’s contract extension, which has since been resolved.

Supporters surely gutted

Despite the Egyptian extending his deal until 2025, Liverpool supporters will surely be gutted that they have missed out on the opportunity to sign a very talented forward in Gnabry who could have further strengthened their already highly impressive forward line.

The German’s versatility in his positioning would have been a huge boost for the Merseysiders in their pursuit to continue competing on all fronts. The 27-year-old can play effectively along the front three, and also in advanced midfield role.

He scored 14 goals, delivered five assists and created a whopping 17 big chances, making 1.4 key passes and 1.4 tackles per game and winning the majority of his duels (51%), while he successfully completed the majority of his dribble attempts (61%) over 34 Bundesliga appearances last season.

Gnabry has proven that he is the perfect all-rounder who would be an asset in any team, and his improvement and talents haven’t gone unnoticed by the football world.

The attacker has been the recipient of high praise with Rio Ferdinand dubbing the player “world-class” on BT Sport following Bayern’s progression to the Champions League final in 2020.

The former England defender said of Gnabry (via Daily Mail): “His stats are phenomenal. He’s sitting in the top level, world class. From where he was, being discarded by Arsenal and West Brom, to where he is now. Wow.”

With that in mind, the signing of the 27-year-old would have been a major coup for Liverpool to add even further depth to their talented squad, but supporters will now be gutted to have missed out on bringing him to Anfield, although Salah’s recent contract extension at least softens the blow.

AND in other news: Klopp could land his own Mahrez with LFC swoop for £60m “winner”, FSG already in talks

Crystal Palace are reportedly battling it out with West Ham United to sign Burnley winger Dwight McNeil this summer, and the 22-year-old could be an excellent addition at Selhurst Park.

What’s the word?

Following Burnley’s relegation to the Championship, McNeil was perhaps always likely to be targeted by Premier League clubs this summer and it seems as if a potential exit from Turf Moor is now gathering pace.

According to Sky Sports, both Palace and West Ham are in talks with Burnley about a move for McNeil.

They said: “Crystal Palace and West Ham are both in talks with Burnley over winger Dwight McNeil. The 22-year-old has made 134 appearances in the Premier League and is seen as a prime target because of his experience of top-level football, despite his age. McNeil himself is keen to return to the Premier League and is currently considering a number of options.

“However, Burnley are in a strong bargaining position despite relegation. McNeil has two years remaining on his current deal and the club have the option to extend that contract by a further year. They are likely to demand a fee in excess of £15m.”

Vieira would love him

Considering Palace have lined up with a target man striker for the vast majority of Vieira’s reign, he would surely love to have a player such as McNeil, who excels at taking the ball down the line and putting in top-quality crosses.

Odsonne Edouard, Jean Philippe Mateta and Christian Benteke could all benefit from his ability out wide, and to sign a 22-year-old for £15m could represent excellent business if he can live up to his potential and build on an impressive spell with Burnley.

McNeil is a hard worker and would also contribute in defence, as is emphasised by his stats from last season, which placed him in the 99th percentile of wingers for blocks, 98th percentile for interceptions and 88th percentile for tackles.

Therefore, the French manager will be doing all he can to convince the Burnley man to pick South London over east London when he decides on his new club this summer.

AND, in other news: Vieira can finally axe £120k-p/w dud with “no confidence” as CPFC eye £10.2m “talent”…

Nottingham Forest are eyeing up a move for Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara this summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Kamara a key player for Rangers

The 26-year-old has stood out as one of the Gers’ most important players in recent years, playing his part in them winning the Premiership title in 2021 and reaching last season’s Europa League final.

Kamara has made 159 appearances for Rangers in total, registering 18 goal involvements (eight goals and 10 assists) and once being hailed as ‘fantastic’ by former Ibrox manager Steven Gerrard.

He is reportedly open to a new challenge this summer, though, and Forest could be in the mix to snap him up.

The Latest: Forest eyeing up move for Kamara

According to 90min, Forest have made ‘enquiries’ about Kamara, although Bournemouth and Brighton are also mentioned as potential suitors.

The player himself is open to moving to the Premier League, even though his current Rangers deal does not expire until the summer of 2025.

The Verdict: Another great midfield option

Forest have made huge strides throughout the summer transfer window, strengthening all over the pitch to ensure that they can compete in the Premier League.

Kamara could be a brilliant addition, complementing fellow new signing Jesse Lingard by starring in a slightly more disciplined midfield role, using his intelligence and technical quality to good use.

The 46-cap Finland international enjoyed a hugely impressive 90.8% pass completion rate in the Premiership last season, along with averaging 1.1 tackles per game, which shows what he could bring to Cooper’s side if he moves to the City Ground.

Wolves will definitely look to sign a replacement for outgoing striker Fabio Silva in the summer transfer window, according to reliable journalist Steve Madeley.

The Lowdown: Silva departs on loan

The 20-year-old has undoubtedly been a disappointment for Wanderers to date, scoring just four goals in 62 appearances since his big-money arrival from Porto in 2020.

Silva still has time on his side to develop though and has been sent out on loan to Belgian side Anderlecht for the 2022/23 season, as he looks to find some form and confidence before returning to Wolves.

While the youngster was not a key starter for Bruno Lage’s side, his exit does leave a hole in terms of squad depth, highlighting the need for a new attacker to come in this summer.

The Latest: Madeley expects new signing

Responding to a question from a fan on Twitter, Madeley said he expects to see Wolves sign a new player in the coming weeks, in order to make up for the loss of Silva:

“Only that I’m sure there will be one (a replacement), so no worries about that. But who or when is less certain.”

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The Verdict: Needed

Wolves may have been renowned for their defensive excellence last season but they were also profligate in front of goal, scoring just 38 times in as many Premier League matches.

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Incredibly, Raul Jimenez and Daniel Podence were Wanderers’ joint-top goalscorers with just six apiece, further highlighting their lack of threat in the final third.

At least one new striker needs to be signed after Silva’s temporary exit but it could even be that two make sense, in order for Lage to have enough ammunition at his disposal this season.

Derby County have been dealt an injury blow ahead of their League One clash against Charlton Athletic on Saturday after Liam Rosenior confirmed that James Chester will not be involved.

The Lowdown: Chester’s setback

The 33-year-old was released by Championship side Stoke City earlier in the summer, with the Rams quick to snap him up and add the free agent to their defensive ranks on a one-year deal.

The defender enjoyed some promising performances throughout pre-season, but has consistently been affected by an achilles injury which saw him miss last weekend’s curtain-raiser vs Oxford United, and it sounds like the boss will have to be without his new summer signing once again.

The Latest: Rosenior’s injury update

Speaking during his pre-match interview with RamsTV, Rosenior revealed that Chester will not be part of the match-day squad against Charlton, but gave a more promising update on David McGoldrick.

As quoted by Derby’s official website, he said:

“James Chester and David McGoldrick are back on course. Didzy is doing really well in terms of his recovery. He is ahead of schedule which makes me happy but I’m not going to rush them both. As much as you want to win every game and have them involved, I want us to put us in the strongest position in March.

“James Chester is a no for Saturday, Didzy is touch and go but I won’t risk him unless it’s 100% right for him and us.”

The Verdict: Massive loss

Rosenior has been busy in the transfer market this summer, making a real statement of intent by signing the likes of Conor Hourihane and James Collins, but Chester, hailed a ‘fantastic athlete’ by former Wales manager Chris Coleman, not coming into contention for the Addicks fixture will come as a hammer blow.

The 38-year-old will want all of his new additions at his disposal so that the team can start gelling as quickly as possible to get on the front foot, but this is now a setback in his plans.

The interim manager will now be hoping that his side can build on last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Oxford by putting in another solid display without Chester at The Valley.

Southampton are not likely to secure another transfer deal for Chelsea striker Armando Broja.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to journalist Ryan Taylor who had the following to say about the striker’s situation when speaking to GIVEMESPORT:

“From what I understand, Southampton have accepted that Broja’s moved on now.

“That said, never say never. It was obviously a great move for him because he really put himself in the shop window and started to show what he could do; Hasenhuttl could build around him.

“Obviously, as I mentioned, Southampton need goals. So why not? If a loan move is something that Chelsea grant because, at the moment, from what I understand it’s not going to happen.”

A big blow for Hasenhuttl

The Saints signed Broja on a season-long loan deal during the previous summer transfer window and with 38 appearances under his belt last season across all competitions, the Albanian racked up nine goals in total. With that in mind, not being able to re-sign him should come as a gutting blow to the manager.

He was incredibly dangerous inside the penalty box, something that was further highlighted by his productivity, with only James Ward-Prowse (51) and Che Adams (49) attempting more shots at goal than the 20-year-old (48).

Since the striker made his return to Stamford Bridge following his loan spell at St. Mary’s, the south coast club have brought in another centre-forward in the shape of Sekou Mara from Bordeaux.

Even with this signing, Hasenhuttl has spoken about how he wants to see another striker brought in before the window closes.

That’s precisely why this will come as a blow to the boss. His goals won’t just be a miss to Southampton, but Hasenhuttl knows the Chelsea figure can do a productive job for the team. Crucially, he already knows the Austrian’s tactics and the surroundings at St Mary’s so would have been the perfect addition to their forward line this summer.

With the Broja ship now looking to have left the harbour and set sail, the best thing Southampton could do is to focus on other potential striker targets that they can bring in before deadline day. It’s time to move on from the Albanian for good.