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Wolves have had a slow start to the summer transfer window, with Bruno Lage yet to add to his squad from the 2021/22 season.

Hwang Hee-Chan coming in on a permanent basis, after his loan spell at the Molineux last term, is the only first-team signing that the club have completed so far.

It was recently reported that they are looking to bolster their attack with the signing of AS Monaco centre-forward Wissam Ben Yedder.

They are said to be plotting a bid to sign the France international before the end of the transfer window, although it remains to be seen how much it would cost to complete a deal. He joined the Ligue 1 side in a €40m (£34m) move from Sevilla in 2019 and still has two years left to run on his contract.

Wolves must now do whatever it takes to snap up the 31-year-old, as he has the quality to be Lage’s own Robert Lewandowski.

FBRef lists the Bayern Munich superstar as one of the most similar players to Ben Yedder in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days.

Lewandowski scored 35 goals in 34 Bundesliga matches (from 32.6 XG) and the Monaco marksman plundered 25 goals in 37 Ligue 1 outings (from 17.3 XG).

Whilst the Frenchman did not score at the same rate as the Poland international, his finishing was seemingly at a higher level than the Bayern gem, as he outperformed his XG by a greater margin.

Journalist Zach Lowy dubbed him “underrated”, and his statistics in the 2021/22 campaign suggest that he is deserving of plenty of praise…

This sublime showing came off the back of him scoring 20 goals and setting up another seven in 32 starts the previous campaign, proving that he is not a one-season wonder.

Over the course of his career, he has scored 200 goals in 376 games as a striker, playing for Toulouse, Sevilla and Monaco. Meanwhile, Lewandowski has scored 446 goals in 533 matches as a number nine throughout his club career.

Both players are clinical, consistent goalscorers – albeit that the Bayern star has done it over a longer run of matches – and Wolves would benefit from having a player of Ben Yedder’s quality in their team.

After scoring just 38 goals in as many Premier League games last term, Lage will surely want a reliable number nine – something like Lewandowski – at the top of the pitch, and the statistics suggest that the Monaco sharp-shooter is the man for the job.

AND in other news, Wolves could land their own De Jong as Lage plots bid for “aggressive” £180k-p/w ace…

Aston Villa forward Trezeguet appears to be edging closer to a departure from the Premier League outfit, according to the latest reports.

What’s the word?

As per journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Midlands side have “reached an agreement” with Turkish champions Trabzonspor regarding a deal for the 27-year-old, albeit with the Egypt international still to agree on personal terms.

Writing on Twitter about the 56-cap playmaker’s future, the transfer guru stated: “Aston Villa and Trabzonspor have reached an agreement for the transfer of Trezeguet. Paperworks and personal terms remaining in order to complete the deal.

“Negotiations will continue in the coming days.”

The former Kasimpasa man – who joined Villa on an £8.75m deal back in 2019 – had spent the second half of last season on loan in the Super Lig with Istanbul Basaksehir, having only returned from a lengthy injury absence towards the end of 2021.

Supporters buzzing

While the £9m-rated gem has perhaps been unfortunate to have suffered that significant knee injury – which ruled him out for almost eight months – he had hardly pulled up many trees prior to that, showing just glimpses of his talent during his three-year stay in England.

A promising debut campaign had seen the £47k-per-week ace net six times in 34 Premier League games, including a pivotal winner against Arsenal to help stave off the drop, yet he followed that up with just two league goals the following year, having failed to earn a regular starting berth for the Villans.

In truth, supporters won’t be shedding any tears over his departure, with his exit perhaps a sign of the impressive squad revamp that manager Steven Gerrard is currently undertaking, as the ambitious club bids to improve upon last season’s 14th place finish.

With the likes of Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and now Philippe Coutinho among the Englishman’s impressive attacking options, it is unsurprising that Trezeguet has become surplus to requirements, with the one-time Anderlecht man not perhaps at the level that was needed.

Having scored six goals and provided four assists in just 13 league games during his recent loan stint, the 5 foot 11 winger has showcased he is not a lost cause, although simply does not have a future in Gerrard’s squad moving forward.

It could also prove smart business to generate some extra funds with any sale, with the player set to be available for free next summer, with just a year remaining on his existing deal.

His exit will also spark hope among supporters that a new attacking incoming could potentially be on the way, an eventuality that would no doubt leave Villa Park buzzing.

AND in other news, Lange eyeing Villa move for £30m “goalscoring machine”, he’d be their own Darwin Nunez

Everton are reportedly now eyeing up a shock move to sign former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum this summer.

The Lowdown: Liverpool great…

Wijnaldum will go down as one of the greats at Anfield, after helping them secure both the UEFA Champions League and Premier League titles.

Dubbed a ‘sensational’ player by Jurgen Klopp just before he left to join PSG last summer, it has not quite worked out for him in France, as he has been limited to bit-part appearances, playing the full 90 minutes on just eight occasions.

The Latest: Everton interest

Writing in his latest piece for 90min, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has revealed that the Goodison Park outfit are now ‘keeping close tabs’ on Wijnaldum’s situation, although so are Leicester City, Wolves and West Ham United.

PSG already want to sell him after only signing him last summer, but a loan move looks more likely at this stage.

The Verdict: Smart move?

Given Wijnaldum’s experience in the top flight and his added winning mentality, signing him on loan could prove to be  a smart piece of business from the Merseyside club.

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Of course, there may be some grumblings from supporters due to his Liverpool connections, but the Toffees need to focus on bringing in players that will help them climb up the table next season and avoid another relegation scrap.

The fact that PSG want to move him on should also help with their pursuit of the Netherlands international.

The summer transfer window is in full swing and Tottenham have been the pacesetters in the Premier League with three incomings wrapped up already.

Yves Bissouma, Fraser Forster and Ivan Perisic have all joined Spurs ahead of the 2022/23 campaign as Fabio Paratici has seemingly placed importance on getting transfers done quickly.

The club’s business may not be done yet, though, as they are still being linked with multiple players in multiple positions.

CalcioMercatoWeb recently reported that Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu is a player on the head coach’s radar as the midfielder contemplates an exit from the San Siro.

The Turkish international could be available for a fee in the region of €30m (£26m) and the report claims that Davinson Sanchez and Gio Lo Celso are options for a possible swap deal between the two teams.

Tottenham’s own Kevin de Bruyne

Conte can find his own version of Manchester City’s Belgian talisman by securing a deal to sign Calhanoglu from Inter this summer.

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In the Premier League last season, de Bruyne – who was named the division’s Player of the Season – produced 15 goals and eight assists for Pep Guardiola’s side. This came after he managed six goals and 12 assists in 25 games the previous campaign.

He is a proven, top-end, performer at this level who can score and assist goals regularly from a central midfield position.

Calhanoglu, meanwhile, is in the same bracket in the Serie A. In 2021/22, the 28-year-old magician scored seven goals and provided 12 assists – creating 2.6 chances per game and 13 ‘big chances’ in total.

His former manager Stefano Pioli, who once lauded him as “generous and exceptional” previously hailed the gem, saying:

“Calhanoglu is a leader of this team. He’s a leader on the pitch, he’s an intelligent player. Lately, we have faced teams that have closed the spaces and therefore, sometimes, I have had to lower him even though I want to keep him high.

“He knows how to marry perfectly with the game of his teammates. I have great respect for him and with intelligent players, you can play great games. He has the qualities to have some more goals.”

These quotes suggest that he is the type of player to make the team tick with his intelligence on the pitch, which has translated into his excellent numbers in the final third.

FBRef list him and de Bruyne as similar players and the statistics back that up as both of them are sublime midfielders who can score and assist at will whilst being the heartbeat of their respective teams.

Therefore, Conte can land his own version of the City superstar, which is why Spurs must sign Calhanoglu from Inter before the end of the window.

AND in other news, Contact made: Spurs eyeing “extraordinary” £80m “tank”, Conte can now forget Bastoni…

Leeds United ‘have an interest’ in signing Belgian youngster Romeo Lavia in the summer transfer window, according to reliable journalist Mike McGrath.

The Lowdown: Lavia an emerging talent

The 18-year-old is currently on Manchester City’s books, having joined the reigning Premier League champions from Anderlecht back in 2020.

Lavia has won ten caps for Belgium’s Under-18s side, as well as one for the Under-21s, catching the eye with his performances in midfield with 60 appearances across the various levels at City.

With the Belgian unlikely to make a quick breakthrough at a club packed with world class superstars though – his current deal expires in 2024 – it could be that he moves on to pastures new this summer, in order to continue his development.

The Latest: Leeds keen on move

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, McGrath confirmed that Leeds are interested in acquiring Lavia’s signature:

“LUFC have an interest in Belgium U21 midfielder Romeo Lavia, who was part of the MCFC 1st team squad last season, as they look to strengthen that area of squad for Jesse Marsch next season”

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The Verdict: One for the future

While Lavia wouldn’t arrive as an immediate key player at Leeds – he is yet to make a single Premier League appearance – he would come in as an exciting one for the future – Sam Lee of The Athletic even says there are some within the Etihad who believe he could be a first-team regular there.

Jesse Marsch could initially deploy the ‘highly rated’ (Lee) talent in the Under-23s, allowing him regular football, before eventually blooding him as a regular part of his squad.

Planning for the long-term future is vital at Elland Road, ensuring the club continues to build for many years to come and doesn’t end up fighting relegation again, and players of Lavia’s quality are key to that happening.

In other news, Victor Orta has stepped up his chase for one Leeds signing. Find out who it is here.

One of the many ways to describe Liverpool’s Premier League history of goalkeepers wearing the number one shirt is the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good, or in this case, world class, includes Alisson Becker.

Meanwhile, the bad looks at Mike Hooper and Diego Cavalieri, before we get to the ugly of Loris Karius and Brad Jones. The fact is, Liverpool struggled to find a consistent, game-changing number one of Alisson’s level until the Brazilian arrived at Anfield in 2018.

It’s no coincidence that since Alisson has arrived from AS Roma, Liverpool have had most of their success in the Premier League. He has been one of many difference-makers. By the time he calls it a day on Merseyside, the number one may go down as exactly that in Liverpool history.

With that said, we wanted to see where the current shot-stopper ranked for clean sheets amongst previous number one wearers for Liverpool in the Premier League. You can see what we found out below, as revealed by TransferMark.

David James – 71 clean sheets

Alisson Becker – 45 clean sheets

Jerzy Dudek – 34 clean sheets

Sander Westerveld – 28 clean sheets

Loris Karius – 13 clean sheets

Brad Jones – 3 clean sheets

Mike Hooper – 2 clean sheets

Diego Cavalieri – 0 clean sheets

Sitting at the top currently is David James on 71 clean sheets. The Englishman was at Liverpool for seven years, accumulating the impressive number of goal-less games in the process. It must be said, however, with Alisson sitting on 45 in just three seasons wearing the number one shirt, James’ record is unlikely to stand for very long.

It’s difficult to look back in Liverpool’s history of number ones in the Premier League and pick out any other goalkeeper that is anywhere near the level of Alisson – particularly when looking at those just before him.

As it turned out, Karius was the final straw between Liverpool settling for average and aiming for world class. That dreadful night in Kyiv, which saw the German make two errors as Liverpool lost the 2017/18 Champions League final 3-1 against Real Madrid, resulted in Alisson’s arrival.

A season later, with Karius frozen out and Alisson in between the sticks, Jurgen Klopp’s side claimed redemption by winning the 18/19 Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur. A season later, the same side lifted the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history.

Some turnaround and a testament to the theory that goalkeeper is one of the most important positions on the pitch.

Celtic have seen some prominent midfielders wave goodbye to Parkhead in recent memory, such as Scott Brown and Tom Rogic.

The club also announced that they have released young midfield talent Luca Connell after his recent loan spell with Queen’s Park.

Now that the summer transfer window is set to open, this will give Ange Postecoglou the chance to potentially replace some of these recent departures and strengthen his squad in other areas as well.

One fresh-faced midfielder with whom the Hoops have been linked recently is Aberdeen youngster Connor Barron.

A product of the Pittodrie youth system, the 19-year-old has made 15 senior appearances for the club, 13 of which came during the second half of this latest Premiership season.

This highlights just how much faith Jim Goodwin has in the youngster and how highly he is rated at the club.

In fact, Goodwin said about the teenager in March: “He’s brave on the ball and, for a small lad, he wants to get stuck in as well. Connor is a very good player with great potential. He has so much to learn and improve on which he knows and he is not getting above his station at all.”

In terms of what sort of player he is, Jacek Kulig described the £68k-rated starlet as being similar to Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante. The Twitter football scout also listed Barron’s pace, passing, tackling, positioning, work rate, energy, pressing and tenacity as the youngster’s main strengths.

Taking into account how successful Kante has been for club and country in terms of the trophies he’s lifted and individual awards he’s won, the prospect of having their own version of the Frenchman in the shape of the Aberdeen starlet is one that Celtic should not let slip.

While the Dons would presumably be keen to retain their teenage talent and give him the chance to develop his game at Pittodrie, the chance to join the reigning Scottish champions and potentially lift silverware and play in Europe with the Hoops would surely be tempting for Barron.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops big behind-the-scenes transfer claim, it’s bad news for Celtic

Manchester United have already had a taste of Erik Ten Hag’s wrath in terms of the changes that he could make to the squad this summer, after reports emerged that the defensive duo of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Eric Bailly are not in the Dutchman’s plans.

One other player who we feel should not be a part of the 52-year-old’s plans for the Red Devils moving forward is Fred.

Signed from Shakhtar Donetsk four years ago in a deal worth a reported £52m, the £120k-per-week Brazilian has failed to repay that hefty price tag.

With 157 appearances under his belt for the Red Devils across all competitions, the 29-year-old has only netted eight goals and delivered just 13 assists in the process.

Just over a year after he made the move to Old Trafford, the midfielder was questioned by Gary Neville over what sort of player he is, what he offers the team and why the club’s decided to pay such a big fee for him.

In fact, in a poll ran by Football FanCast, 92% of participants claimed that United paid too much money for the midfielder.

Now that Fred’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2023, the upcoming transfer window could be the ideal time for United to cash in on the Brazil international and give Ten Hag the chance to totally refresh the midfield.

In terms of who the Red Devils could look to as a replacement for the 29-year-old misfit, one player with whom they have been linked recently and who could fit the bill is Wolves star Ruben Neves.

Having made 212 appearances for the Midlands club, the 25-year-old has scored 24 goals and delivered 12 assists along the way. With 142 Premier League games under his belt, Neves could be an ideal younger replacement for Fred with plenty of top-flight experience to his name as well.

Labelled a “maestro” by Tim Spiers, the journalist also described one of the Portugal midfielder’s goals in 2018 as “stunning.”

To compare the duo’s most recent league campaign with their respective clubs, Neves recorded more passes, shots, dribbles and crosses than the Brazilian, showing how impressive the Wolves midfielder is on the ball.

Off the ball, the Portugal international made more interceptions, won more tackles and made more successful pressures than Fred (FBRef), highlighting his all-round strengths and attributes in midfield.

With a reported price tag of £50m, signing Neves and getting rid of Fred could be the move which gets Ten Hag’s period in charge of United off to a flying start.

In other news: MUFC eyeing £50m dynamo who’s “a nightmare for defenders”, he’s better than Rashford

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Giorgi Mamardashvili to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Marca, who claim that Fabio Paratici has now joined the race to sign the Valencia goalkeeper, with Manchester United having already made contact with the LaLiga side regarding a deal for the 21-year-old.

The report goes on to state that, with Los Che needing to raise around €70m (£60m) from player sales in order to balance their books, Jose Bordalas’ side would be open to the sale of the Georgia international this summer – with the shot-stopper reported to have a €20m (£17m) release clause written into his contract at The Mestalla.

The next Jan Oblak

Considering the sheer amount of potential Mamardashvili undoubtedly possesses, it is easy to see why Paratici would be interested in a deal to bring the ‘keeper to north London this summer – especially for a figure of just £17m.

Indeed, the £4.5m-rated talent highly impressed over his 18 LaLiga appearances this season, keeping eight clean sheets and making an average of 3.1 saves per game – the joint fifth-most in the league.

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These returns saw the £13k-per-week shot-stopper who Xisco Munoz claimed can have “brutal growth” and Jacek Kulig dubbed Jan “Oblak-esque” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking him as Bordalas’ fourth-best performer in the Spanish top flight.

Furthermore, according to FBref data, the 21-year-old also ranks in the top 8% of goalkeepers in Europe’s big five leagues for saves made per 90, as well as the top 4% for clean sheets, the top 23% for goals conceded, the top 9% for goal-kick distance, the top 24% for crosses stopped and the top 29% for defensive actions outside of the penalty area over the last 365 days.

As such, with the 35-year-old Hugo Lloris being no spring chicken, and Mamardashvili clearly being an exceptionally talented young goalkeeper, it would appear highly advisable for Paratici to do everything he can to land the Georgian ahead of Manchester United this summer.

Indeed, should the Valencia starlet continue his extraordinary rate of development following a £17m switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Italian sporting director could well have sealed a player who could go on to become the next Oblak – the Atletico Madrid number one who had a £70m asking price last year – for Spurs.

AND in other news: “Understood to be keen”: Gold drops big Spurs transfer claim that supporters will love

A major Sunderland update has emerged regarding their interest in Nathan Broadhead heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Kristjaan Speakman has confirmed that the Wearsiders will be holding talks with the 24-year-old’s parent club Everton with a view to bringing him back for another spell at the Stadium of Light, after spending the 2021/22 campaign on loan from the Premier League outfit.

The Black Cats chief told The Northern Echo: “We will have a conversation with Everton this week, to see where they are at with it and where we are at with it, and see if that’s aligned.

“We have to respect the fact that he is an Everton player. We have seen him as our player for the year, because we had to get the best out of him but now that the season is finished he unfortunately goes back to being an Everton player.”

Alex Neil will be excited

The Sunderland head coach will surely be left feeling excited by these quotes from Speakman, as Broadhead returning next season would be a huge boost for the 40-year-old.

The Welsh attacker was lethal in front of goal in the 2021/22 League One campaign as he produced an eye-catching 10 goals in 15 starts for the club. He averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.91, remaining consistent with his performances whenever he was available during an injury-hit time on Wearside, which illustrates the big impact he had when he was on the pitch.

The youngster has also been backed to step up to the mark in the second tier as Speakman said: “Look, he’s had some incredible moments and he’s been an inspiration in many respects in terms of some of the goals he’s scored. It has been harder for him of late because of injury but you can’t take away from the fact that he has got all the attributes to go and play at Championship level.”

Neil will therefore be excited by the prospect of working with the 24-year-old next season, as he is a talented player with the potential to improve even further. He has the scope to develop into an excellent option for the club in 2022/23, as suggested by Speakman’s comments and his form in League One, and the Sunderland manager would surely enjoy attempting to get the best out of him if the Black Cats can obtain him for another season.

This is why the ex-Norwich and Preston manager will be thrilled by the club’s efforts to bring Broadhead back to the Stadium of Light, and he will now be hoping that a deal can be agreed for the Welshman.

AND in other news, Speakman confirms exciting Sunderland news that will leave supporters delighted…