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West Bromwich Albion are set to rival fellow Championship outfit Hull City for the signing of Chelsea goalkeeper Nathan Baxter this summer, according to TEAMtalk.

What’s the story?

The Baggies are reportedly keen to lure the 23-year-old to The Hawthorns, despite the Blues ‘keeper spending the season on loan at Hull, who are interested in keeping the Englishman on.

Baxter, who joined Chelsea as an eight-year-old, has endured numerous loan spells as the shot-stopper has worked his way up the English football pyramid.

The Englishman currently finds himself in the Championship and is approaching the end to what has proven to be a mixed loan spell in East Yorkshire.

With Matt Ingram the Tigers’ first choice in between the sticks, opportunities have been hard to come by at the MKM Stadium for Baxter.

The Chelsea loanee was called upon for almost three months between November and January, with the ‘keeper making 12 appearances in the Championship and impressively kept six clean sheets during that spell.

However, just one appearance has followed that run with a 2-1 defeat at Millwall last time out.

With Baggies number one Sam Johnstone set to depart the West Midlands club this summer, West Brom will undoubtedly need to add a goalkeeper to their ranks and Baxter could certainly be a decent option.

West Brom can replace Johnstone with Baxter

Labelled a “top professional” by former Aston Villa teammate Micah Richards, Johnstone will certainly leave a major gap to fill with the goalkeeper set to depart as a free agent this summer, having kept 15 clean sheets in 36 Championship appearances this term.

Granted, having not been the first-choice at Hull the likeliness of Baxter taking the number one shirt immediately at West Brom is unlikely, with the experienced David Button still at the club, although his contract is also set to expire this summer.

However, at just 23 the £270k-rated Chelsea youth product already has an abundance of first-team experience with 148 senior appearances to date across a variety of clubs.

Whilst on loan at National League side Woking during the 2017/18 season, the 23-year-old was praised by then-manager Anthony Limbrick for a strong performance against Eastleigh, which saw the goalkeeper save a penalty.

“Nathan made a great penalty save, he’s a good shot-stopper, and he also made a good save in the first half to keep us in it,” said Limbrick.

“Even though he’s a young keeper he’s still learning. He was really good and you fancy him to save penalties, as he’s really agile.”

Having proven he can make the grade in the second-tier, Baxter could certainly prove to be a shrewd addition to West Brom’s squad and, whilst still being young, could potentially work his way up to become the Baggies’ number one for years to come.

AND in other news: WBA now eye swoop for 19 y/o “huge talent” who’s like “Maradona”, Bruce will love him

Manchester City have not been shy when it comes to buying players from Spanish clubs over recent years such as Ferran Torres, Rodri and Aymeric Laporte among others.

Looking ahead to the next summer transfer window, it seems as though the Manchester club have set their sights on securing another one of La Liga’s star figures.

What’s the news?

According to a recent Twitter post from journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, City are “interested” in signing Villarreal defender Pau Torres this summer.

As a product of Villarreal’s youth system, the centre-back has made a combined total of 194 appearances for their senior and youth teams, prior to their Champions League semi-final clash against Liverpool this evening.

In those appearances, the 25-year-old has chipped in with 12 goals and four assists along the way.

In terms of his defensive capabilities, the Spaniard has the second-highest number of interceptions (39) and clearances (103) out of anyone in Unai Emery’s squad for this La Liga campaign.

Also, with a combined number of 57 tackles and blocks, Torres is clearly a very capable defensive figure.

Supporters will be thrilled

Having been described as a player that “fits perfectly in teams which want to play out from the back, with coaches who think that way,” by Paco Lopez, this would make the Spain international a seemingly good fit for Pep Guardiola’s side.

To put that into perspective, only nine other players in La Liga have completed more passes than the Villarreal centre-back this season (1562).

Taking into account how three of the Premier League’s top five passers this season are City defenders, this shows just how suitable a player like Torres could be for the reigning league champions at the back.

With that in mind, it would surely be a massive positive for the City fans to hear that Guardiola has his eyes on bringing another defender that can play his type of football to the Etihad Stadium.

Moving forward, securing a deal for the Spaniard this summer could be a great bit of business from the Manchester club and further strengthen what is already a rather strong defence.

In other news: “Man City have discussed…”: Romano drops exciting summer update, Pep will be buzzing

Leeds United are still interested in signing Ryan Kent from Rangers, according to 90Min. 

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Phil Hay noted last August that Leeds and their former manager Marcelo Bielsa had ‘liked Ryan Kent for a long time’.

The Rangers winger is now approaching the final year of his £18,000-per-week contract at Ibrox.

Kent may only have scored three goals for the Gers this season, but he’s also provided a team-high 19 assists.

For context, Leeds’ most prolific creator this season is Dan James with just five.

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The latest

Rangers are planning to offer Kent a new contract but they know that they won’t be able to match the money on offer in the Premier League, report 90Min.

They’re also wary of losing him for nothing in 2023, and sources have told the outlet that a number of clubs are looking to capitalise on the situation.

Leeds ‘remain keen’ on the signing, with Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Championship winners Fulham providing domestic competition.

He’s also grabbed the interest of RB Leipzig after meeting the Bundesliga outfit in the Europa League semifinal. The former Liverpool man also ‘destroyed Dortmund’ in the Round of 32, in the words of sports journalist Josh Bunting.

The verdict

Leeds may be keen observers of the UEL final in Seville later this month.

Of course, they’ll have the opportunity to watch Kent in action against Eintracht Frankfurt, but he’s not the only reported target on show.

A recruitment source revealed to Football Insider that Frankfurt’s Daichi Kamada is also admired at Elland Road.

Leeds may actually be more likely to land the player on the losing side, with the winner’s team qualifying for the group stages of next season’s UEFA Champions League.

In other news, Leeds have made contact over this Wolves star.

Aston Villa will be without Jacob Ramsey for tonight’s Premier League clash against Liverpool due to injury.

The Lowdown: Ramsey a regular for Villa

The midfielder, who Steven Gerrard labelled a ‘top talent’, has been a regular for the Villans this season, making 32 appearances in all competitions.

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The 20-year-old has scored six times in the Premier League and has missed just three top-flight games, with the latest coming in the 3-1 win at Burnley on the weekend.

Gerrard was hoping to have Ramsey back in the squad for the visit of Jurgen Klopp’s side to Villa Park, but it doesn’t look as if that will prove to be the case.

The Latest: Groin problem for Ramsey

As reported by Birmingham Live, the 20-year-old will miss the clash against the Reds due to a groin problem.

Gerrard said there is an ‘outside chance’ that Ramsey could return against Crystal Palace this weekend, but the youngster will be forced to watch on from the sidelines tonight alongside Leon Bailey and Kortney Hause.

The Verdict: Options for Gerrard?

Calum Chambers, Douglas Luiz and John McGinn linked out in a three-man midfield on the weekend, with Emiliano Buendia in an advanced role behind Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins.

The trio may all keep their places in the starting line-up, although Gerrard does have options even with Ramsey missing once again. Teenagers Carney Chukwuemeka and Tim Iroegbunam were on the bench against the Clarets last time out, along with more experienced midfielders Morgan Sanson and Marvelous Nakamba.

Therefore, even with Ramsey out, Gerrard still has plenty of midfielders available to shake things up, but after a 3-1 win at the weekend, he may resist making wholesale changes to his team.

In other news: Gregg Evans reveals shock Aston Villa exit is on the cards this summer after NSWE call

Wolves could allow Ruben Neves to leave the club if a £50m offer is tabled this summer, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Neves exit likely

The future of the Portuguese midfield maestro has been a big talking point of late, with Barcelona among the clubs linked with snapping him up.

It feels as though Neves is more likely to leave Wolves than stay put, and the 25-year-old may simply feel that he has come as far as he can at Molineux.

Wanderers will only entertain big-money offers for the Premier League midfielder in order to use those funds on replacing him with a similarly top-class player.

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The Latest: Jones drops £50m Neves claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones provided an update on the matter, saying that a bid in the region of £40m to £50m for Neves could be accepted by Wolves, despite reports of a £70m price tag. He claimed:

“I think £70million is unrealistic for Ruben Neves and Wolves will know that, but I can see it settling out at £40million to £50million.

“Manchester United will definitely be in the conversation. They will be linked with him again.”

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The Verdict: Time to say goodbye?

The idea of Neves leaving Wolves is a depressing one – he has been lauded as an ‘amazing’ player by team-mate Jose Sa – but it is a scenario for which the Old Gold faithful should be prepared.

The lure of playing for a club of Barcelona’s size and stature is too great to turn down for many players and that could be no different for the 25-year-old, as he looks to play in the Champions League.

It is imperative that Wolves fill the void that Neves will leave once he goes, spending the money wisely on an adequate replacement. Wanderers-linked Joao Palhinha could be one such candidate to pick up wherever his fellow countryman leaves off.

In other news, a new player is now reportedly a Wolves transfer target. Find out who it is here.

It looks like Newcastle United versus Aston Villa in the race to sign Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United, according to a source at Football Insider.

The lowdown

Phillips and Leeds are scrapping for Premier League survival as the season enters its final week.

The Whites currently sit in 17th place, a point ahead of Burnley, but they have played a game more.

The Daily Mail’s Matt Hughes recently claimed that Phillips is one of the players with a release clause that will become active if Jesse Marsch’s side drop.

It’s thought to be in the region of £30million, half the £60million figure quoted by The Times’ Jonathan Northcroft earlier in the year.

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The latest

The publication report that Phillips’ future is very much ‘up in the air’ amid the risk of Leeds being relegated.

Talks between the player and the club over a new deal have also stalled, adding to the uncertainty around the plummeting price tag.

A ‘recruitment source’ has told FI that Newcastle and Villa are ‘leading the race’ for Phillips, having each identified him as a ‘top target’.

They currently have the edge on Manchester United in the battle for his signature.

At this stage, they’re laying the ‘groundwork’ for a potential deal.

The verdict

Phillips, England’s reigning player of the year, could form part of an excellent midfield trio at St James’ Park.

In theory, he may play alongside Newcastle’s newly-crowned POTS Joelinton and £37.9million January addition Bruno Guimaraes, who has himself been dubbed ‘different class’ by journalist John Gibson.

Given Phillips’ credentials – he was also named in The Guardian’s Euro 2020 Team of the Tournament – this is the kind of trio that can elevate Newcastle to another level.

This is a player who left Xavi ‘extremely impressed’ after his ‘superb’ showings on the run to the Wembley final, and so signing him at a 50% discount would be something to celebrate on Tyneside.

In other news, Newcastle are ‘confident’ of landing this forward.

Former Scotland defender Alan Hutton believes Celtic are in danger of missing out on the permanent capture of Cameron Carter-Vickers this summer. 

The lowdown: Deal on the table

Following the completion of a successful season-long loan spell at Celtic Park from Tottenham Hotspur, the Hoops are now faced with an initial £6million option to buy the 24-year-old centre-back.

However, amidst interest from the likes of Southampton, Fulham, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Everton, the USA international was non-committal on where his future may lie when discussing a ‘special season’ in Glasgow.

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Now as the 2021/22 season prepares to draw to a close once and for all this weekend, one recognised pundit has delivered his own verdict on whether the deal will get done, seemingly going against previous reports that a deal is almost done.

The latest: Permanent switch a ‘big question mark’

Speaking to Football Insider, former Rangers man and regular BBC contributor Hutton suggested that Celtic face a battle to get bring Carter-Vickers to Parkhead permanently.

The 37-year-old said: “The big one for me is what happens with Carter-Vickers? That’s the big question mark.

“He’s been a rock at the back, he’s made Carl Starfelt a better player. If he goes, that’s an almighty gap that you are going to have to fill.

“That’s the biggest, interesting point for me with this team moving forward. The Carter-Vickers one is the big one.”

The verdict: Spot on

The eight-cap America international trends closely alongside star names such as Villarreal stalwart Raul Albiol, Wolves ace Max Kilman and Leicester City favourite Caglar Soyuncu when using the FBref player comparison tool, highlighting the powerful defender’s rise to prominence.

From a Celtic perspective, Carter-Vickers earned the sixth-highest average Sofascore rating with an impressive 7.33 in the Scottish Premiership, behind only Ryan Christie, David Turnbull, Jota, Matt O’Riley and Anthony Ralston.

Keeping a player of Carter-Vickers’ evident talent would be a huge feather in the cap of Celtic and indeed Ange Postecoglou, perhaps rubber-stamping the development and a sign of things to come at Parkhead under the Greek-Australian boss.

In other news: Celtic are now eyeing ‘very exciting’ youth international, read more here

Leeds United have reportedly reignited their interest in Dinamo Zagreb attacking midfielder Luka Ivanusec.

The Lowdown: Ivanusec profiled

Ivanusec, a Croatia international, is 23 years of age and has been with Dinamo since 2019.

Primarily an attacking midfielder, Ivanusec can also play on the wing and has contributed to 32 goals in 119 games for his current employers.

He scored five times and provided eight assists in 42 games last season, penning a contract extension through to 2026 last August.

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Brenden Aaronson became Leeds’ first summer signing after he penned a five-year deal at Elland Road on Thursday, and it looks as if Ivanusec could follow suit over the coming months.

The Latest: Whites interest

According to Croatian news outlet Germanijak, relayed by MOT Leeds News, the Whites have reignited their interest in Ivanusec.

They claim that Leeds were willing to pay up to £12.7m in January and are now ready to go back in for the attacking midfielder after securing their Premier League status.

The report adds that Ivanusec would leave Dinamo for a multi-million figure.

The Verdict: Like London buses…

Aaronson was Leeds’ first permanent midfield signing since Adam Forshaw back in January 2018. It now looks as if Ivanusec could follow Aaronson to Yorkshire, and it would make sense for more central midfielders to come in ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge.

Marsch had just four central midfielders available and a number of injury issues to deal with after he replaced Marcelo Bielsa at the end of February. He mainly used a 4-2-3-1 system as a result and went with more width in the final few games of the campaign, however, he could now look to implement a more narrow formation with a number of central signings.

In other news: Leeds and Orta also working to sign £59m-rated star; he’s been offered to Man Utd

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Tottenham Hotspur are now ‘going after’ Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni after being highlighted as the ‘one they would want’ in defence heading into the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Top of Conte’s wish list

It has been claimed that bringing in a new left-sided central defender is a priority for the Lilywhites this summer, and the 23-year-old was one of just several names who had been linked with a move to the Premier League giants last month.

However, as reported by the Evening Standard earlier this week, Spurs appear to have suffered a huge blow in the race for the Italian, who is seemingly be keen to remain at the San Siro. This hasn’t shut down any interest from N17, though, with the defender believed to be at the very top of Antonio Conte’s wish list.

The north London club aren’t the only ones wanting to secure Bastoni’s signature, with top-flight rivals Manchester United also considering a move for the centre-back, despite him still having two years remaining on his current contract with Inter.

The Latest: Jones confirms Spurs’ Bastoni interest

Jones has now claimed that Tottenham are completely focused on completing a deal for Bastoni in the coming weeks.

He told GiveMeSport: “Bastoni is clearly the one they’re going after at Tottenham at the moment.

“It’s hard to look beyond that and it’s clearly a prime position that they’re looking to fix quickly. Bastoni is the one they would want.”

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The Verdict: Reunion on the cards?

It comes as no surprise to see that Conte is targeting a move for the 13-cap Italy international given that they worked alongside each other in Serie A, where Bastoni made 74 appearances under the 52-year-old during his Inter reign.

This season, Ben Davies has typically been the man to regularly feature as Spurs’ left-sided centre-back following Conte’s arrival in N17 last November, but you could argue that the £122k-per-week Inter starlet is viewed as an upgrade on the starting XI.

In their respective 2021/22 league campaigns, the Italian won more tackles, made more pressures and put in more crosses than the Wales defender (via FBRef).

Bastoni, who was once dubbed a “tenacious” tackler by talent scout Jacek Kulig, might well be tempted into reuniting with his former boss. Also, considering that Spurs will be playing Champions League football next season, this could be a huge factor when it comes down to the 23-year-old deciding where his next destination will be.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has reacted to this transfer update on one Spurs player

In a Q&A for football.london, reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has dropped a fresh claim about the future of former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen, amid the latest rumours linking him with a return to Spurs.

The Lowdown: Eriksen’s career so far

The Denmark international arrived at Hotspur Way in the summer of 2013 after making the move from Dutch side Ajax. The 30-year-old spent six-and-a-half years in north London, where he amassed more than 300 appearances and 159 goal contributions for the club before leaving for Italian outfit Inter Milan.

However, Eriksen’s career in Serie A was suddenly cut short when the Dane was not allowed to play in the division after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, which required a cardioverter-defibrillator implant device. As a result, the former Lilywhites playmaker was released by the Nerazzurri.

Despite this major setback, Eriksen made a sensational return to football after signing a short-term contract with Brentford in January.

The Latest: Gold’s claim on Eriksen

With the 30-year-old’s contract in west London set to expire at the end of June, rumours have arisen linking Eriksen with a stunning return to Tottenham.

In a Q&A for football.london, Gold was asked about the midfielder’s future, to which he responded: “As for Eriksen, it’s all down to him really and whether he feels loyalty to Brentford for taking that chance on him or that the pull of Spurs, Conte and the Champions League is stronger. There will be other interested parties although I understand he would like to remain in London.”

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The Verdict: He’d be welcomed back

Considering Eriksen’s vast experience playing in a Lilywhites shirt, Antonio Conte would be getting a leader back in the Spurs dressing room if he were to sign the 30-year-old.

Having made 11 appearances for Brentford in the Premier League, the midfielder has had time to get back up to speed and familiarised with the intensity of the English top flight. Therefore, he should be able to come into Spurs’ team and make an instant impact.

Whilst it is likely that he could favour remaining with Brentford, who gave him a route back into football after the horror of 2021, there is still a chance that Eriksen could return to Tottenham, which would be a marvellous signing on a free transfer for Conte, and one which would surely be welcomed by many of the N17 faithful.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops significant transfer update on another Spurs target