Journalist Andy Sixsmith has said that Chelsea youngster Armando Broja would be ‘another superb signing’ for Newcastle United, and that a deal with Thomas Tuchel’s side ‘could move quickly’.

The Lowdown: Broja linked with Newcastle

According to The Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson, the Magpies are confident of being able to beat West Ham to the signing of the 20-year-old.

The Chelsea manager will soon make an assessment of the former Southampton loanee as he weighs up whether to take the Albania international on the Blues’ upcoming tour of the United States.

According to a report by The Northern Echo, Broja is valued at between £20m and 25m by the Stamford Bridge outfit.

The Latest: Sixsmith’s claim

Sixsmith has been left impressed by the rumours linking Newcastle with a possible move for Broja, given the youngster’s fantastic potential.

Taking to Twitter, the freelance journalist claimed: “This would be another superb signing for #NUFC Broja is Premier League proven, an excellent finisher & provides a different option to Callum Wilson. Chelsea not far off making a decision on him so things could move quickly.”

The Verdict: Great prospective addition

When analysing the striker’s statistics against positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, Broja’s potential shines through to the forefront.

As per FBRef, the 20-year-old ranks in the 86th percentile for aerial duels won, the 82nd percentile for interceptions and the 81st percentile for dribbles completed.

With such a wide range of attributes, it is easy to see why Eddie Howe’s side are so keen on the Chelsea youngster, as he would add a hugely promising option to the Toon’s frontline.

Therefore, if Newcastle manage to secure Broja as their next signing, following the impressive £35m arrival of Sven Botman from Lille, these would be two fantastic additions to enhance the Magpies’ summer transfer activity.

According to an Italian source, Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to sign Fenerbahce defender Kim Min-Jae this summer.

The Lowdown: Registering an interest

Antonio Conte has already made a rapid start to the transfer window, having secured the signings of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet and soon-to-be Djed Spence, but the boss is showing no signs of stopping there.

The 25-year-old Kim was the bright spark in what was a disappointing season for the Turkish outfit last season, and the Lilywhites must have been impressed with what they saw, having been credited with an initial interest last month.

In a fresh update, it sounds as though the colossus would be keen on a move to the Premier League…

The Latest: Kim wants to join Spurs

In an article published by Italian outlet Corriere del Mezzogiorno (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed Napoli are ‘showing an interest’ in Kim after identifying him as their ‘main target’, but they are ‘joined’ in the race by Tottenham.

The source reports that the Serie A giants must ‘beat the competition’ from Spurs, Everton and Rennes if they want any chance at signing the man nicknamed the ‘monster’ for his imposing physical style.

It’s stated that the 40-cap international is ‘looking to leave’ Fenerbahce to seek a new challenge and ‘has been hoping’ for his chosen destination to be north London, though Antonio Conte has so far ‘made other choices’ in defence.

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The Verdict: Son influence?

Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon have both been linked with a move away from Tottenham, so it’s understandable that Conte will be wanting a further addition alongside Lenglet to provide himself with some squad depth at the back next season.

The 6 foot 2 Kim, once dubbed ‘the best’ player in Super Lig by former Turkey and Fenerbahce star Ridvan Dilmen, had an outstanding campaign last term, averaging 4.1 clearances, 2.3 interceptions and 1.5 tackles per league game, via WhoScored.

The fact that he is a compatriot of Son Heung-Min having played alongside each other in South Korea’s national team could well be the reason he wants to join, and this could be a huge contributing factor when it comes down to the ace deciding his next move.

Celtic are reportedly set to secure a free transfer for Australian midfielder Aaron Mooy.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post from journalist Mike McGrath, the midfielder is about to “disappoint a host of Championship clubs to secure a dream move” to Celtic.

He then added that “talks have progressed” over the potential deal that would see the 31-year-old make a move to Parkhead this summer.

After making a combined total of 152 appearances for Huddersfield Town and Brighton & Hove Albion, in which he scored 13 goals and delivered 17 assists, the midfielder made a move to China and joined Shanghai Port back in 2020.

Since then, Mooy has found the net six times and supplied three assists in 31 appearances for the Chinese club, where he was picking up a weekly wage of £52k-per-week.

Postecoglou will be buzzing

Securing a free transfer for the former Huddersfield star would not only be a great deal for the Hoops from a financial point of view, but also for many footballing reasons as well.

Firstly, having seen the likes of Tom Rogic, Nir Bitton and Ismaila Soro wave goodbye to the Parkhead club in recent weeks, this highlights the need for Celtic to bring a new midfielder in.

Then, with Mooy’s clear knack for being an attacking nuisance in front of goal, this shows what he’d be able to offer the team.

Additionally, having made a decent number of appearances for Australia under the management of Ange Postecoglou, this will give him an idea of what the Bhoys manager will want from him on the pitch, which could make it easier for the player to settle in at Celtic Park.

Bearing in mind how McGrath mentioned that numerous clubs in the Championship were reportedly after Mooy’s signature, this also shows what a great bit of business it could be from the Hoops and why seeing him at Parkhead will surely have Postecoglou buzzing.

Hailed as an “extraordinary” player by David Wagner, the Australian would surely add some serious quality to Celtic’s squad and strengthen their midfield.

If the Bhoys can wrap up this reported deal for the 31-year-old as soon as possible, this will then give them the opportunity to focus on other potential deals they may want to secure before the summer window ends.

AND in other news: Postecoglou could unearth the next Wanyama with Celtic bid for “complete” £5.5m target

A big claim has emerged on Leeds United and their thoughts on potential outgoings in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that he is expecting Jack Harrison to remain at the club beyond the end of August.

Newcastle United are reportedly ready to bid for the attacker but Romano has revealed that the Whites plan on retaining their current squad.

When asked about a potential transfer for the Englishman, he told GIVEMESPORT: “I think it’s not easy. I think Leeds are happy with the team they have right now and they have already sold Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha.

“I don’t see them selling one more player this summer, but never say never. It depends on the proposal but, as of now, Leeds want to keep the same team.”

Supporters will be delighted

Supporters of the Whites will be delighted by Romano’s update as keeping hold of Harrison would come as a major boost to Jesse Marsch heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

The club have, as Romano stated, lost Raphinha to Barcelona and he was the club’s top goalscorer in the Premier League last term. He racked up 11 goals from the wing as the team struggled to find the back of the net consistently enough – hitting the back of the net just 42 times over 38 league fixtures.

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His exit means that Harrison is the current Leeds player with the most league goals (eight) for the club last term and one of only two players – alongside Rodrigo – with more than four league goals in 2021/22. This suggests that Marsch will be keen to keep him as he is one of the few goal threats in the team.

The former Manchester City man is a proven performer in the top-flight who has the quality to be a difference-maker in the final third, as he has shown that he can score and assist goals at that level.

Since Leeds won promotion to the Premier League, Harrison has racked up 16 goals and nine assists from a wide position. These statistics suggest that he will, once again, be a big player for the club next season as he is a known quantity, whereas the new signings are untested and it remains to be seen whether they will be able to adapt to Premier League football.

Therefore, the fans will be buzzing to learn that Victor Orta does not want to cash in on any more first-team players after selling Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips.

AND in other news: Orta could land Marsch his very own Scamacca in Leeds swoop for 56 G/A “wonderkid”

Celtic are ‘in talks’ with free agent Aaron Mooy over a move to Parkhead in the summer transfer window, according to reliable journalist Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Mooy without a club

The 31-year-old made a name for himself at Huddersfield Town, helping them to reach the Premier League, before moving to Shanghai Port in 2020 after playing for Brighton in between.

Mooy’s contract has ended at the Chinese club, though, and he is currently unattached, having recently helped Australia to qualify for the World Cup later this year.

It appears as though Celtic are the strong favourites to sign the midfielder, following an update from a respected source.

The Latest: Celtic ‘in talks’ over move for Mooy

Taking to Twitter on Sunday evening, Sky Sports reporter Joseph claimed that the Hoops are edging towards the signing of Mooy.

He tweeted:

“Celtic are in talks with Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy. He’s a free agent after leaving Shanghai Port and discussions with the Scottish champions are said to be progressing well. He’s also held talks with EFL Championship clubs, including Norwich, Middlesbrough & Swansea.”

The Verdict: Worthy Rogic successor

Midfield is an area which needs reinforcement at Celtic this summer, with Tom Rogic’s departure leaving a void after nearly 10 years of serving the club with distinction.

Mooy is someone who could be an ideal replacement for his compatriot, possessing similar levels of experience and technical quality in the middle of the park, while he has previously been hailed as “top class” by his former Huddersfield boss David Wagner.

A haul of 53 caps for Australia is a testament to his quality and durability – in comparison, Rogic has 51 – and the fact that the 31-year-old scored nine goals and registered six assists in the Premier League shows that he can make and impact at a very high level.

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has been blown away by the ‘brutal’ scenes in the team’s pre-season training sessions.

The Lowdown: Pre-season in South Korea

Antonio Conte and the Spurs squad hopped on the plane and made the journey to South Korea on Saturday as they kicked off their pre-season tour ahead of the new Premier League season.

On arrival at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, the players were made to complete an intense two-hour training session in the soaring temperatures, which included multiple drills, game situations and two-touch and multi-touch matches.

That wasn’t the end of it though, as the boss unveiled a challenge of his own, making his team do 42 pitch-long runs with limited breaks to see who could push themselves to the brink.

The Latest: Gold’s ‘brutal’ reaction

Taking to Twitter, Gold, who’s travelled to Korea and is watching the action from the sidelines, reacted to the vigorous routines he’d seen the Tottenham players involved in. He wrote:

“You know it was brutal when you’ve even got the England captain being sick by the side of the pitch. Without doubt the most gruelling training session I’ve seen in the flesh, especially for those who have just joined up with the squad after their holidays.”

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The Verdict: Positive in the long term

Whilst these training regimes will be unimaginably tough and difficult to deal with in the short term, it’s this kind of work that will set Spurs up for a successful campaign ahead.

Conte has already made five summer signings in Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison and Clement Lenglet, and with this calibre of players, he clearly has high ambitions in terms of what he wants to achieve next term.

The obvious aim for the boss will be to maintain a top-four place in the Premier League at the very least, but also to get his hands on some silverware as the team prepare for a return to the Champions League, where the mid-week games and packed schedule will require an immense level of fitness.

Newcastle United have seen Sven Botman and Nick Pope make moves to St. James’ Park during the current summer transfer window as Eddie Howe looks to take charge of his first full season as the Toon manager.

One other deal that has surrounded the Tyneside club over the past few weeks is one including Stade Reims striker Hugo Ekitike.

However, it has since been reported that the Magpies have pulled out of a potential deal for the attacker due to negotiations with the player’s agent going awry, despite a deal with Reims and personal terms with the player were apparently already agreed.

With that in mind, another player that has been mentioned with a move to Newcastle this summer that could be their dream alternative to Ekitike is Bayern Munich’s Joshua Zirkzee.

After scoring 50 goals in 98 appearances for the German club across their senior and youth sides, the 21-year-old enjoyed a rather successful loan spell with RSC Anderlecht in Belgium last season.

In 47 appearances across all competitions, the youngster found the net 18 times and supplied 13 assists in the process.

With 64 shots at goal in total in the league last season, 30 of which were on target, Zirkzee ended the campaign with a higher rate of goals per shot (0.23) than any other player at Anderlecht.

To further highlight what sort of player he is, Bayern’s academy manager Holger Seitz had this to say about the striker.

“He’s the kind of player who is highly sought-after: a powerful striker who keeps his cool and doesn’t let himself be caught out. He has a great understanding of football and reacts quickly to different situations.”

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that were the Magpies able to bring the young striker to St. James’ Park this summer, it would put to bed any thoughts about their doomed move for Ekitike.

With Bayern reportedly looking to get a fee of €10m (£8.5m) for the attacker, this is something that Newcastle should not think twice about completing, especially after the disappointment of not landing the Reims striker.

AND in other news: Newcastle get green light to sign £24.3m-rated star with “three lungs”, he’s Kante 2.0

Southampton journalist Jacob Tanswell has shared an update regarding the current fitness situation of James Ward-Prowse.

What’s the news?

In a recent tweet prior to the Saints’ 0-0 pre-season draw against Austria Klagenfurt, The Athletic journalist shed some light on the matter.

He said: “No James Ward-Prowse again for #SaintsFC this evening as he sits out through injury. Coaches felt it was best not to take the risk. Understand the injury isn’t too bad and he is likely to start training in the coming days, either tomorrow or when the team return home.”

Last season once again showed just how vital Ward-Prowse is to Southampton on the pitch. With 36 Premier League appearances to his name and more minutes played than anyone else in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad, the Englishman also ended the campaign with more goal contributions (15) than any of his team-mates.

In fact, the 27-year-old also topped the list for the number of shots at goal (51), shot-creating actions (113) and progressive passes (135) at the south coast club.

His overall performances in the league earned him a solid season rating of 7.01/10, making him the highest-rated player at Southampton according to WhoScored.

Now that this update has emerged regarding the Saints captain and his current fitness situation, it will surely be great news for Hasenhuttl and Southampton fans to hear that the injury is not serious.

Bearing in mind how the Saints will begin the upcoming Premier League season with a tough away fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, having Ward-Prowse fit and ready to play could be crucial for them in potentially getting their campaign off to a positive start.

Before that, Southampton still have two pre-season friendlies left to play at St Mary’s against Watford and Villarreal.

If the England international can get some minutes under his belt in either of those two matches, this should put him and the rest of the team in a good place to attack their opening league game of the season in north London.

Moving forward, the best thing that everyone at Southampton can hope for is that Ward-Prowse overcomes his current injury issue and gets up to speed in terms of his fitness ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign.

AND in other news – “Southampton have…”: Teasing summer claim should leave Saints supporters excited

Journalist Dean Jones, speaking to GiveMeSport, has made a promising Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Leicester City playmaker James Maddison.

The Lowdown: Paratici eyeing attacker?

After sealing a plethora of deals already this summer transfer window, despite seemingly focusing on outgoings this week, it is believed that Spurs may not be done in trying to bring more players through the door.

Indeed, The Evening Standard suggest that while sales are currently priority, sporting director Fabio Paratici could yet target another central defender and creative attacker for manager Antonio Conte.

Foxes star Maddison has been mooted as a Premier League target recently with reporter Jones now hinting that the Lilywhites could well pull a deal off before deadline day.

The Latest: Jones drops Maddison hint…

Speaking to GMS, the journalist claims Spurs have made contact over Maddison, who would come at a marquee cost, but a deal for the player ‘would not be impossible’.

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He explained:

“I’m told Spurs have touched base over Maddison and a deal would not be impossible but it would cost them a lot of money. Probably more than they would want to spend. But you never know, the door isn’t closed.”

The Verdict: Make the move?

Described as ‘unplayable’ on his day by pundit and former Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves, the Englishman would be a stellar capture for Spurs on top of an already impressive window.

According to WhoScored, Maddison stood out as manager Brendan Rodgers’ best-performing regular over 2021/2022 whilst making more key passes per 90 than any of his teammates.

The 25-year-old’s productivity in the final third is further backed by his 12 goals and eight assists last campaign, and depending on the specific price tag, Maddison may well be worth the effort to sign.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has delivered his verdict on the Wolverhampton Wanderers’ transfer plans after the injury suffered by Chiquinho.

The lowdown: Cruel loss

This comes after Chiquinho picked up an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a 3-0 behind-closed-doors friendly win over Burnley last Saturday at the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground.

The 22-year-old winger scored in the match before being involved in a collision that caused the Portugal youth international to require surgery and face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Having completed the first summer signing in the shape of Nathan Collins from Burnley, one well-informed onlooker has suggested that Chiquinho’s injury could force Bruno Lage to enter the market once again…

The latest: ‘Huge blow’

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery – who runs the Premier Injuries site and contributes for Sky Sports – has claimed that Wolves may need a replacement for the one-cap Portugal Under 21 starlet for the entire upcoming season.

He said: “This will really smart for them. He is a player with a big reputation and they expect big things from him in the upcoming season. Potentially, this may alter any transfer plans that they had.

“As we know with ACL injuries, we’re looking at a minimum of six or seven months, but that can extend to nine or ten months. That’s if things go really, really well in that rehab and recovery process.

“So, they are losing a player in July who may not play again for the whole of the season. That’s a huge blow for them.”

The verdict: Signing needed

Signed from Portuguese top-flight outfit Estoril in January, Chiquinho provided three assists in eight Premier League outings for the Old Gold to add to the four goals and six assists yielded prior to making the switch to Molineux.

The impact made by the dynamic wide-man was clear for all to see and his lengthy absence leaves Lage with only Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence and an out-of-favour Adama Traore to call upon in the wide areas heading into the 2022/23 campaign after Francisco Trincao returned to Barcelona before signing for Sporting CP.

Not replacing Chiquinho is therefore a non-starter as at least one addition is required for a depleted squad, and Fosun should have no issues sanctioning any moves given the lack of activity in terms of incomings so far and the potential financial windfall from the sales of Morgan Gibbs-White and Ruben Neves on the horizon.