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Aston Villa target Calvin Bassey looks set to make a decision on his Rangers future after he returns from international duty.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Daily Record who claim that Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard is keen on a reunion with the 22-year-old former Leicester City youth prospect, with the player set to decide before returning to Rangers for pre-season.

Amidst Gerrard’s desire to coax Bassey out of Ibrox, the report states that the Nigerian is attracting interest from across Europe, after what was an impressive end to the season with a stellar performance in the Europa League final.

As per a report from Birmingham Mail, it is said that a £25m asking price could be enough to dissuade Villa from a deal, with the club weighing up other options for the man who is rated at £900k as per Transfermarkt.

Best business of the window

The signing of Bassey could be Aston Villa’s best piece of business of the entire summer window.

He’s an astute and versatile defender who has shared duties as a left-back and a centre-back this season, playing the most vital game in the Europa League final as a left centre-back, and doing so extremely well.

Defensively speaking, he is more than sound, hence being dubbed “The Great Wall”, offering up numbers that place him in and around the elite category amongst positionally similar players, with his average of 2.45 tackles and 8.11 pressures in the defensive third further evidence of the stability he offers.

Whilst he could turn out to be the long-term successor of Tyrone Mings, he will most certainly provide much-needed competition for Lucas Digne at left-back after the sale of Matt Targett to Newcastle.

His versatility is attractive, but his defensive dominance is what has made him the sought after prospect we see today.

The Villans have landed the signings of Boubacar Kamara, Philippe Coutinho and Diego Carlos but such is the potential of Bassey and his familiarity with Gerrard that this could well be their most shrewd deal yet.

In other news: Lange could land the new James Milner as AVFC plot bid for “athletic” £14.4m-rated gem

Everton and, in particular, Farhad Moshiri have a reputation for making bad transfer decisions with over £500m spent over the last six years and their most recent relegation battle proves they have nothing to show for it.

The Toffees now find themselves in reported financial turmoil as they attempt to pump money into their new riverside Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium whilst trying to keep the club’s neck above water in the top flight, with the side a game away from losing their Premier League status.

As a result, Moshiri, Frank Lampard and the powers at Goodison Park have work to do to ensure they can identify the right players at the right price this summer as they are in no position to be continuing on the path of reckless spending that once was, and instead should be making smart business decisions when it comes to improving the team.

One player that has been recently linked with a move to the blue side of Merseyside is Adama Traore in a deal believed to be worth £20m, and if the reports are true then Everton could be heading for yet another disaster next season.

The 26-year-old Wolves outcast who was slammed for his “poor decisions” by journalist Muhammed Butt, was shipped off to La Liga via Barcelona for the second half of the most recent campaign on loan after failing to make little impact on the team down in the Midlands.

In Traore’s 20 league appearances for Bruno Lage’s side, the Spaniard scored just one goal and delivered no assists to his teammates, hardly living up to his “unstoppable” tag in the words of Darren Bent.

He also lost possession of the ball every 3.1 touches on average per game and missed three big chances, proving that he is not effective in delivering an end product when deployed in the forward line.

One thing Everton are desperate for next season are goals, as Frank Lampard’s side scored 23 fewer than they conceded this season which contributed to putting them in a dangerous position at the bottom of the table. In fact, Richarlison was the side’s top goal-scorer with just 11 strikes in all competitions.

Everton cannot afford to make mistakes of the past, and Moshiri should consider the weaknesses found in Yannick Bolasie that could quickly become a similar scenario with Traore. Bolasie was a prolific dribbler just like the Wolves winger but similarly had no end product when it came to goal contributions.

Bolasie scored just two goals and contributed four assists in 32 appearances for the Toffees after signing a five-year deal with a transfer fee of £25m back in 2016, and after seeing out his contract on various loan deals left the club in 2021 on a free transfer.

With that being said, Moshiri must learn from his mistakes and avoid making any more signings that can’t deliver a reliable impact on the team going forward, otherwise Everton could find themselves in a similar situation as they were last season or worse.

AND in other news: Offer accepted: Everton closing in on 1st summer signing, Lampard will be ecstatic

Leeds United could now receive an approach from Liverpool for midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to The Sunday Mirror’s chief sports reporter Tom Hopkinson.

The lowdown

The England midfielder made 23 appearances for Leeds in the 2021/22 campaign, which for him was heavily disrupted by a serious hamstring injury.

Despite that body blow, among Whites players who started at least five matches, he had the best points-per-game record at 1.2. That suggest that he is clearly a key figure at Elland Road, but ‘with the player failing to agree a new deal, his future is very much ‘up in the air’ at the moment.

His potential sale could be the most lucrative in Leeds’ history, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s £30m move to Manchester United in 2002.

The latest

According to The Sunday Mirror (5 June, 07:00), Leeds want to hold on to Phillips but they recognise that the ‘lure of Champions League football’ may prove too powerful for him to resist.

The Whites are bracing themselves for interest from Premier League champions Manchester City as well as runners-up Liverpool.

The Reds had hoped to sign Aurelien Tchouameni from AS Monaco, but he is seemingly bound for Real Madrid. Phillips has been identified as an alternative, and he’s expected to cost around £60m.

It’s not just the Premier League’s top two who are interested, with Manchester United and West Ham also thought to have considered moves for the 26-year-old.

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The verdict

Leeds will need to start planning for possible replacements if Phillips is lured away, and one candidate would appear to RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams, who worked with Jesse Marsch at the Red Bull Arena.

USA national team ‘insider’ Tom Bogert has suggested that Leeds will ‘try’ to land Adams during the summer transfer window, while journalist Jacques Talbot believes that the American would be a ‘great addition’ and a ‘statement’ signing.

Adams is still pretty young at just 23 and he would bring excellent work-rate and ball-carrying ability to Marsch’s team, if his most recent seasonal figures are anything to go by.

In other news, read this journalist’s significant Phillips claim.

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has now shared a behind-the-scenes Christian Eriksen transfer update for Lilywhites supporters.

The Lowdown: Spurs in mix…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte, after electing to stay for the 2022/2023 Premier League season, is reliably believed to be eyeing a reunion with midfield creator Eriksen (The Telegraph).

Leave current club Brentford on a Bosman deal at the end of this month as things stand, the 30-year-old is currently set to be one of the big name free agents up for grabs.

His fairy-tale return to the grass after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 serves as a timely reminder of the beautiful game’s magic at times with Spurs now discussing a blockbuster reunion.

The Latest: Gold makes behind-scenes Eriksen claim…

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Backing these reports, Gold says that the Lilywhites have indeed ‘discussed’ re-signing Eriksen with the move potentially ticking a ‘lot of boxes’ for Conte.

He explained (via football.london):

“Spurs have discussed bringing Christian Eriksen back and for someone who is a free agent, has worked with Conte before, knows the club inside out and has looked back to his old self in recent months, he ticks a lot of boxes. For the Dane though, he will have plenty of offers and he may well feel loyalty to Brentford for taking the chance on him after his recovery from his cardiac arrest.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

For zero transfer cost, the north Londoners could seal a return for a ‘very special’ player in the eyes of supporters whilst also landing a proven attacking threat.

According to WhoScored, the Denmark international legend finished 2021/2022 as Thomas Frank’s highest rated player per 90 whilst also managing to rack up the largest number of key passes per 90 for them in England’s top flight.

Eriksen clearly still has plenty to offer in the final third and we believe he could be a real snip for Conte.

In other news: Alasdair Gold also suggests that a £122,000-per-week ‘genius’ is open to joining Spurs! Find out more here.

Aston Villa are reportedly amongst the Premier League clubs interested in signing 19-year-old Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards.

What’s the story?

That’s according to The Sun, who claim that the English youngster is valued at £10m despite being relegated to League One with the Posh this term.

Grant McCann couldn’t steady the ship after replacing Darren Ferguson in February with the Cambridgeshire side finishing 22nd after just one season back in the second tier.

However, Edwards has caught the eye of numerous clubs, including Villa, with his impressive displays, making 38 appearances across all competitions this season.

Villa should sign Edwards

Although £10m for a player relegated from the Championship seems seriously steep, at just 19 Edwards has already shown maturity well above his age group.

The centre-back deemed an “incredible talent” by former manager Ferguson now has the experience of playing regular first-team football at a high level and could certainly be moulded into a Premier League-quality defender.

With four caps for England U19s whilst being set to compete at the U19 European Championship this summer, Edwards’ stock is rising at a rapid rate amid top-flight interest and it appears as though there is very little doubt that the Posh starlet won’t be playing in League One next season.

Although, the report claims that McCann’s side could look to sell the defender and have him return next season on loan, however, playing in the third tier could slow down his development.

It was also insisted by Peterborough’s director of football Barry Fry that the club would only allow Edwards to depart for a record fee with the Posh’s record sale the £6.2m departure of Britt Assombalonga in 2014.

With an average of 43.6 passes a match with an 88% accuracy whilst making 60.3 touches and providing 1.8 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 3.7 clearances, the 19-year-old has shown quality well above the expected standard of a bottom-three Championship outfit.

Breaking into the Aston Villa side now would be an incredibly big ask, especially after the West Midlands outfit announced the £26m capture of Diego Carlos this week.

However, Steven Gerrard could certainly nurture the teenager whilst also allowing him to develop out on loan with the centre-back certainly one for the future.

AND in other news: Forget Carlos: AVFC must now seal swoop for “astonishing” £25m star, Gerrard needs him…

Phil Hay has dropped an update on reported Leeds United transfer target Calvin Ramsay.

What’s the talk?

In a recent article for The Athletic, the Leeds United correspondent revealed that, alongside a deal for RB Salzburg attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson, Victor Orta has also been working on a move to bring the Aberdeen right-back to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

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In his piece, Hay wrote: “The club have agreed a fee for Aaronson from RB Salzburg, and have also been working on Aberdeen defender Calvin Ramsay.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how talented a prospect Ramsay quite clearly is, the news that Orta and his Leeds United transfer team have been working on the transfer of the defender behind the scenes is sure to be an update that will have left the Whites faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 24 Scottish Premiership appearances this term, the £540k-rated talent enjoyed a spectacular breakthrough season for Aberdeen, bagging one goal, providing five assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 1.8 key passes, 0.8 interceptions, 0.8 tackles and winning 3.4 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per game.

These returns saw the £880-per-week 18-year-old average a quite extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as Jim Goodwin’s joint fifth-best player in the Scottish top flight.

And, with Luke Ayling looking as if he will be ruled out of the start of the Whites’ 2022/23 campaign after undergoing knee surgery, the argument that Jesse Marsch and Orta could do with signing a new right-back this summer is an easy one to make.

As such, considering his age, undoubted ability and huge potential for future growth, it would appear an extremely wise move for the Spanish sporting director to do everything he can to secure a deal for the Dons teenager in the coming weeks, as Ramsay could quite easily prove to be the next big thing to come out of Scottish football.

AND in other news: Forget Raphinha: Radz now set for LUFC disaster on £20m talent, he’s “one of the best”

Rumoured Celtic transfer target Mohanad Jeahze would be ‘a great fit’ at Parkhead this summer, according to The Athletic’s Hoops correspondent, Kieran Devlin.

The Lowdown: Jeahze linked with Celtic move

Ange Postecoglou is certain to be eyeing up new signings during the summer transfer window, as he looks to take his squad up another level and compete on multiple fronts next season.

One player who Celtic have been linked with signing is Jeahze, with the 25-year-old shining at left-back for Hammarby this season, even being hailed as the best in Sweden in his position by Darijan Bojanic.

It looks like a move that could come to fruition in the coming months – Bhoys officials even visited Hammarby recently – and someone who clearly approves is Devlin.

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The Latest: Devlin excited by signing

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic journalist claimed Jeahze would be a ‘great’ addition at Celtic:

“Watched a lot of Jeahze last few days, and spoke to Frida Fagerlund (Swedish journalist), for background and tactical profile of the kind of player Celtic would get if he signed. No transfer is guaranteed to work out, but on paper he’d be a great fit.”

The Verdict: Sign him up, Hoops

Left-back is certainly an area where more depth is required at Celtic this summer, providing more competition for playing time for the likes of Josip Juranovic and Greg Taylor.

Jeahze looks like an exciting option to come in, with 25 an ideal age for a new signing and four caps for Iraq outlining his credentials as an international footballer.

The fact that Devlin sees him as an ideal tactical fit also means the transfer makes even more sense, with Postecoglou looking to bring in players ideally suited to his system rather than just quality individuals.

In other news, a Celtic signing could reportedly be announced soon. Read more here.

West Ham United are interested in signing Bologna midfielder Jerdy Schouten, according to a report from the Daily Mail.

The lowdown: Schouten profiled

Having made the grade in Holland, the 25-year-old left his homeland in 2019 to head to Italy, where he has since made 71 outings for Serie A side Bologna.

In that time, Schouten – predominantly a defensive midfielder – has garnered attention from Italian giants AS Roma, AC Milan and Napoli following an impressive rise to prominence.

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Now a source closer to home has suggested that the Hammers could be weighing a move for the Dutchman…

The latest: Hammers manoeuvre into pole position

As per the Daily Mail, West Ham are ‘keeping close tabs’ on the Bologna ace and have been ‘manoeuvring themselves into a position’ to win the race ahead of the likes of Jose Mourinho’s Roma.

It’s claimed that the Irons are ‘monitoring’ Schouten as Mark Noble edges towards retirement and head of recruitment Rob Newman and boss David Moyes consider replacements.

The report also states that officials from Rush Green have ‘extensively’ watched the uncapped star who was tipped as the ‘ideal player’ for the national side by Dutch legend Ruud Gullit.

The verdict: Shrewd move

Previously available for a reported €15million (£12.7million) amidst interest from Inter Milan, Schouten certainly presents an affordable option to succeed Noble at the London Stadium following the failed loan spell of Alex Kral.

Despite suffering an injury-hit 2021/22 campaign, the Dutchman, who has been likened to Barcelona ace and Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong, has still managed to earn a 6.98 Sofascore rating this term and recently returned to top form with a standout display against Venezia, scoring once, making three key passes, completing four interceptions and tackles.

With Noble set to retire and Declan Rice’s long term future remaining on the agenda, bringing Schouten to east London would be a smart move from the West Ham hierarchy.

In other news: Talks held: West Ham offered five players as club chief meets them in London! Find out more here.

Manchester United are plotting a bid for Sporting Lisbon centre back Goncalo Inacio as Erik ten Hag aims to bolster his new side’s defence for next season.

That’s according to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness), who suggests Man Utd have been interested in the defender for some time now.

Newcastle were also linked to the player, who can also play left-back if required, ahead of the summer transfer window.

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With a release clause of €45m (£38.5m) then the price is known, and the club can make their move before too late.

Man Utd could bolster their backline

The club have had a horrendous season so far, with the 4-0 defeat to Brighton the icing on the cake and new manager Erik ten Hag has a major rebuilding job in the summer in order to put Man Utd back on their perch.

At just 20-years-old, Inacio looks like a superb prospect, with Zach Lowy describing him as “underrated” and with the club in urgent need of a solid centre back, he could well be a massive upgrade on the calamitous Harry Maguire.

Inacio offers more of a goalscoring threat, something that United have lacked this season amongst their defenders, with the Portuguese player netting four times, plus grabbing an assist too, while Maguire only has the one goal.

His temperament is also first class, with only one booking in 27 league matches, compared to Maguire’s nine cautions and one sending off. If it’s a disciplined and calm individual the Red Devils are looking for, then Inacio appears mature for his age.

He also makes slightly fewer fouls than Maguire (18 to 20) which could contribute to goal scoring chances for the opposition.

The stats suggest Inacio would be an excellent signing, and at such a young age, the potential for a major profit.

AND in other news, Man Utd plot bid to sign £29.8m “freight train”, it’s an instant ten Hag masterclass

Liverpool youngster Neco Williams will leave the club permanently during the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell.

The Lowdown: Williams excellent on loan

The Wales international traded the Reds for Fulham in January, joining the Championship side on loan until the end of the season.

Williams has excelled for the Cottagers, chipping in with two league goals and assists apiece and helping them gain promotion back to the Premier League.

He was also hailed a ‘majestic’ by Wales Online after one performance for his country and he will return to Liverpool in the summer.

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The Latest: Summer exit predicted

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell tipped Williams to leave Anfield permanently, however, in order to enjoy regular minutes elsewhere and kick on in his career:

“Neco Williams has been playing at Fulham and doing well. He wants to play now. He wants to start every week now he has a taste of it. Why would he want to come back to Liverpool and sit on the bench? Yes, he has tasted success at Liverpool but he has been more involved at Fulham.

“I think the writing is on the wall here, especially if Liverpool are looking at other right-backs. He will leave because his priority will be to play regularly.

“If Jurgen Klopp is shuffling his pack he might be able to recruit a replacement. The key will be who they recruit. Klopp has the knack of getting the right players.”

The Verdict: Right time to leave

While Williams is clearly a talented young right-back, it does make sense for him to consider leaving Liverpool, considering Trent Alexander-Arnold should be ahead of him for many years to come.

Barring a serious injury to Alexander-Arnold, it is hard to see how the Welshman is going to fit into Jurgen Klopp’s plans and he is too good to be warming the substitutes’ bench every week.

A permanent move to Fulham could be absolutely perfect, especially as they are now in the Premier League, allowing Williams to prove himself at the top level week in, week out.

In other news, a key Liverpool transfer update has emerged. Read more here.