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Swansea City are interested in a deal to bring Sory Kaba to the Liberty Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claim that Steve Cooper’s side, along with Watford and Middlesbrough, have the FC Midtjylland centre-forward on their radar ahead of a potential move in the upcoming transfer window.

The report goes on to claim that the 25-year-old is seen as an affordable option for all three sides, each of whom are looking to clubs bolster their attack this summer.

Cooper must move

It is easy to see why a number of Championship clubs are interested in a move for Kaba, as the Guinea international has highly impressed in Denmark this season.

Over his 27 Superligaen appearances, the striker scored 11 goals, registered three assists and created five big chances, as well as taking an average of 2.3 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

These returns saw the 25-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.08, ranking him as Brian Priske’s fourth-best performer in the Danish top flight.

The striker also impressed in the Champions League this season, earning a SofaScore match rating of 7.0 for his performance against Ajax, and a 7.2 rating for his display against Liverpool.

And, with Swansea being heavily reliant on the goals of both Andre Ayew and Jamal Lowe this season – with the pair scoring 17 and 14 Championship goals respectively this season, while no other player managed more than five league goals – additions in the attacking department would appear to be a priority for Cooper this summer, particularly if the club go on to secure promotion in the play-off final this Saturday.

As such, if the £2.25million-rated Kaba is indeed available at an affordable price in the upcoming transfer window, as The Telegraph suggest, he would appear to be a very fine addition to the 41-year-old’s attacking arsenal at the Liberty Stadium.

However, Cooper must act quickly, as the lure of guaranteed Premier League football with Watford could well give the Hornets the upper hand in any ongoing negotiations for the Midtjylland man.

In other news: Huge Swansea City exit claim emerges that will surely leave fans furious – opinion

Celtic have reportedly had a bid rejected for Caen striker Alexandre Mendy, according to a reputable French outlet L’Equipe. 

The lowdown: Career so far

The 28-year-old has spent his entire career in France so far, becoming somewhat of an eternal loanee, racking up 54 senior goals in 207 appearances across numerous spells out on loan as well as permanent stints at Bordeaux, Nice and Guingamp.

Mendy arrived at his current club Caen from Bordeaux in 2020 on a free transfer and has since shone for the Normandy based Ligue 2 outfit.

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Now the Guinea-Bissau international could be set to leave for domestic action elsewhere for the first time…

The latest: Bid made

As per reputable French source L’Equipe, Celtic have seen an initial offer of €3million (£1.5million) rejected by Caen.

The report claims that a number of other clubs are vying for the seven-cap ace’s signature but it’s the Hoops who have made the first move ahead of the summer transfer window.

It’s stated that the side currently sitting eighth in the French second tier would negotiate ‘in the event of a higher offer’ for their talismanic frontman, who was hailed as ‘very strong’ by former Bordeaux manager Jocelynn Gourvennec.

The verdict: Ange not messing around

This season, Mendy, who can also operate as an attacking midfielder and out wide, has scored 16 times and provided one assist in 30 Ligue 2 outings, all while earning an impressive 7.04 average rating and winning an outstanding 4.7 aerial duels on average per game (Sofascore). To put that in perspective, that’s more goals and headers won than Giorgos Giakoumakis.

However, unproven outside of the lower reaches of French football and already 28, upping the current offer would enter the realm of taking a risk with a portion of Ange Postecoglou’s summer budget.

Whilst the Bhoys must find suitable recognised centre-forward backup for Giakoumakis and Kyogo Furuhashi, the Greek-Australian boss has already proven to be a shrewd operator in the transfer market, so upping the bid on a player with plenty of unknowns could be a questionable decision.

Either way, to see the boss and club chiefs acting so decisively with summer targets is a positive, giving supporters hope that whatever the result of these talks, plans for the transfer window are already in action.

In other news, Frank McAvennie is in awe of one Celtic player’s development. Find out who it is here.

Marcel Brands could hand Carlo Ancelotti a second Richarlison-type player by signing rumoured Everton target Cyle Larin from Besiktas this summer.

What’s the word?

According to FotoMac, the Black Eagles have slapped a €9m (£8m) price tag on Larin ahead of the summer market, having doubled his value in less than a year.

The Turkish giants considered the Canadian international to be worth €4m (£3.5m) at the start of the season after an impressive campaign on loan with SV Zulte Waregem saw Larin score nine goals and offer 11 assists across all competitions for the Belgian side.

He has since carried that form with him back to Istanbul, with Larin offering Sergen Yalcin 19 goals and four assists – including a role in 19 Super Lig goals (15 scored) in 33 games to help the Vodafone Park side sit atop the table.

But Besiktas are vulnerable to losing Yalcin as the 26-year-old will enter the final 12-months of his contract in June, so intend to entertain approaches if reasonable offers are made.

That will come as a huge boost for Everton after FotoMac credited the Goodison Park outfit with an interest in Larin earlier this month, but claimed the Premier League’s side proposed player-plus-cash swap deal involving Cenk Tosun failed to appeal to the Black Eagles.

Tosun had re-joined the Istanbul powerhouse on loan in January, three years after being sold to the Toffees for £27m, but only featured four times before rupturing his patella tendon and requiring surgery.

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The more recent claims coming out of Turkey offer Brands an additional boost, as well, as it was thought Besiktas valued Larin at €15m (£13m) just a season after Zulte Waregem passed on a €2.5m (£2m) option to buy the forward.

Should Everton sign Besiktas’ Larin?

Given the contrasting valuations by the same publication, the precise fee Everton may have to pay Besiktas for Larin remains to be seen but that should not prevent their Director of Football Brands from launching a pursuit.

Everton are likely to be in the market for a new centre-forward this summer if Moise Kean is sold, and are also on the hunt for additional wide options with the Blues keen to acquire a player aged between 20-25/6.

Larin could solve both those problems in one, potentially £8m, swoop, by seeing Brands acquire Ancelotti a second Richarlison type capable of playing across the front line and provide a goal threat in each position.

Of Larin’s 19 goals across all competitions this term, eight have come from the left-wing, six on the right-flank and five through the centre while offering each of his four assists from wide positions.

Richarlison has similarly spread his goal contributions across left-wing and striker roles this season, with eight strikes and two assists from the side and four goals through the centre, along with one assist as an inside forward.

Larin has also been lauded by Canada head coach John Herdman as “an absolute predator,” after the Ontario-born forward added his 11th of 12 international goals with a hat-trick against Bermuda in a World Cup qualifier last month.

So, if Everton are to target a new centre-forward this summer, Larin should certainly be one on Brands’ radar to improve Ancelotti’s options.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti could have Everton’s next Idrissa Gueye on his hands in a “terrific” academy talent…

Many Sunderland fans have been left buzzing over some transfer news that has emerged on Jermain Defoe.

As per The Chronicle journalist James Hunter, Lee Johnson has ‘not ruled out’ a move for the striker in the January transfer window.

They are ‘aware’ of his situation, after Defoe departed Glasgow Rangers earlier this week, but ‘a million and one things’ would have to happen for a move to go through.

Nonetheless, what an exciting deal it would be. Yes, Defoe is 39 years of age now, but Black Cats have fond memories of him during his previous spell at the Stadium of Light, especially the memorable goal that he scored against rivals Newcastle United in the Premier League back in 2015 to give them a 1-0 win.

Defoe scored a total of 37 times in 93 games in all competitions over three seasons (Transfermarkt), and so bringing back as a squad option would be a dream.

Sunderland fans on Defoe transfer news

These SAFC supporters buzzed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter:

“So there’s a chance”

Credit: @kieranwiIson

“Don’t tease me”

Credit: @flaptingss

“So we’re trying, omds”

Credit: @SunlunnWill

“Bring him home”

Credit: @danstewart1234

“Please @LeeJohnsonCoach I’m on my knees”

Credit: @conorsafc_

“Offer him £1,000,001 a week”

Credit: @WearsideRoar

In other news, find out what other transfer update has Black Cats fuming here!

Celtic have held talks over a possible loan move for Manchester City defender Ko Itakura, according to Express Sport reporter Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Itakura profiled

Itakura, primarily a centre-back who can also play as a holding midfielder, joined City back in 2019 from Kawasaki Frontale in a deal worth £990,000.

Since then, the 24-year-old has spent the last two seasons on loan with FC Groningen, making 59 appearances for the Dutch side.

Itakura’s Etihad deal still has 12 months left to run, with his Transfermarkt valuation now the highest it has ever been at £3.15m.

The Japan international is currently at the Olympics, and it seems as if the Hoops have taken the first steps over a potential move for the 6ft 1 defender.

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The Latest: Talks held

According to Taylor on Tuesday, Celtic have held discussions with City over a loan move.

The Premier League champions don’t see Itakura in their immediate plans, with Taylor claiming that Ange Postecoglou would love to bring the defender to Parkhead.

City are demanding a substantial loan fee for Itakura, though, which could force Celtic into looking elsewhere for reinforcements unless the Premier League champions are willing to negotiate.

The Verdict: City relationship to pay off?

Celtic appear to have built a strong relationship with Manchester City in recent years after signing the likes of Olivier Ntcham and Jeremie Frimpong.

The relationship between the two clubs could potentially help the Hoops when it comes to lowering any loan fee for Itakura.

Initial talks have been held, so it will be interesting to see if a move goes further or if Celtic decide to look elsewhere.

In other news: Pundit drops verdict on left-back Celtic want to sign.

Celtic rejected a bid from a German club back in January 2020 for midfielder Ryan Christie, it has been revealed, via the Scotsman.

The Lowdown: Christie’s contract

Christie has been a regular for the Hoops this season, however, he could well end up leaving the club for nothing in less than 12 months’ time.

That’s because his contract, which Transfermarkt has down to expire in May 2022, actually runs out in January 2022.

That’s according to the Daily Mail, cited by the Daily Record, who revealed the Scotland international could use this summer’s European Championship’s as a shop window opportunity.

Should his situation remain the same, Christie can speak to club’s outside of Scotland in the summer and pen a pre-contract agreement for a free transfer in January 2022.

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The Latest: Celtic rejected Christie bid

The Scotsman recently ran a story on the midfielder and dropped a claim that the Hoops actually turned down a bid from a German suitor back in January 2020.

It is thought that, at the time, a move to Germany appealed to Christie, and it seems as if Celtic may live to regret that decision.

The news comes as a shock, as, at the time, a bid from Europe for the £7,700-a-week midfielder never came out from the club or in the media.

The Verdict: Peter Lawwell made a huge mistake

In our opinion, looking back, Peter Lawwell made a big transfer blunder.

Since the bid came in, Celtic only had a few months remaining of the 2019/20 season before the national lockdown, and they haven’t exactly thrived with Christie in the side this season.

He’s been criticised regularly by some Hoops fans for his displays, so accepting the bid last year could have been the better move in hindsight.

Unfortunately, now, it looks as if there is a real chance the Hoops may end up receiving nothing for Christie’s services and may have to work out what to do with him during the first half of the 2021/22 season, should he pen a pre-contract agreement elsewhere.

In other news: Alan Nixon shares what’s holding up Eddie Howe deal, find out more here. 

An update has emerged on Charlton’s summer transfer plans, regarding Wigan forward Viv Solomon-Otabor.

What’s the talk?

According to Nigerian Soccer, as relayed by the Sunderland Echo, Charlton are one of the clubs eyeing up Wigan forward Viv Solomon-Otabor. The forward is out of contract at the end of the month and the Addicks are weighing up a move to sign him on a free transfer, along with their League One rivals Sunderland and Portsmouth.

The report claims that the 25-year-old has resisted the temptation to sign a contract extension with Wigan as he is hoping that he can get a better deal, either from his current club or one of the teams interested in prying him away from the DW.

Earlier this year, Wigan boss Leam Richardson revealed that Solomon-Otabor has been struggling with a knee injury, which has caused him to play through pain. He told Wigan Today:

“Viv’s got an issue with his knee, where he’s got a couple of floating bones in there.

“Fair credit to the kid, he wants to play through the pain, and he’s having to be injected to allow him to do that.”He’s obviously only firing at a certain percentage, but he wants to be involved in the fight and you can only respect him for that.” Forget him

Thomas Sandgaard should retract Charlton’s interest in the winger and look elsewhere to strengthen Nigel Adkins’ squad this summer, as the Wigan man may not be a particularly wise choice to bolster the ranks.

Earlier this week, London News Online claimed that Charlton are keen on a deal to sign Liam Millar from Liverpool for a second spell and that should be a move the club prioritise over Solomon-Otabor instead.

Millar provided two goals and six assists in 23 League One starts for Charlton, averaging an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.90. Solomon-Otabor, meanwhile, scored twice and assisted four goals in 25 starts for Wigan, averaging a disappointing WhoScored rating of 6.55.

This suggests that Millar is able to perform consistently to a higher level than Solomon-Otabor, whilst also being directly involved in more goals than the 25-year-old Wigan man. Millar is also four years younger, which could mean that he has more potential to develop as a player and improve.

The £1.5k-per-week flop, Solomon-Otabor, should, therefore, not be a player Charlton sign this summer.

Sandgaard should sign Millar, if possible, or scour the country for another target to give Adkins the best chance of securing promotion next season. Charlton fans would be livid if the club failed to get Millar through the door and replaced him with an underperforming Solomon-Otabor, who is also an injury doubt with his knee issue.

AND in other news, Sandgaard must avoid major Charlton howler over £7k-p/w disaster, fans would be fuming…

Leeds winger Raphinha won just his second cap for Brazil on Sunday in a 0-0 draw with Colombia in a 2022 World Cup Qualifying match.

The 24-year-old has finally been recognised at international level for his impressive form for Leeds in the Premier League, since joining from Rennes for £16.74m last summer.

Raphinha produced six goals and nine assists in 30 league appearances for Marcelo Bielsa’s side last term, proving that he has the quality to regularly contribute to goals in the English top-flight. This has continued into the current campaign, with the winger on three goals in seven games so far.

So, how did he get on during his debut for the Seleção? He watched on from the bench in the first half as £54m-rated Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus lined up in Raphinha’s favoured right-wing role.

Pep Guardiola’s gem failed to showcase his talent as he came off the pitch with a rating of 6.5. Per SofaScore, he lost 100% of his duels and created zero chances, whilst also failing to register a single shot. Jesus also lost possession of the ball 12 times from 32 touches as he completed 73% of his passes.

Raphinha was then given an opportunity to shine off the bench and he eclipsed Jesus with an excellent showing for his country. Per SofaScore, he completed 66.6% of his attempted dribbles (2/3), won 60% of his duels (3/5) and completed 85% of his passes.

Along with that, he created one ‘big chance’ and registered two shots, one being on target, in just 29 minutes on the field, recording a SofaScore rating of 7.2. This shows that he was able to provide a higher quality of end product in comparison to Jesus, whilst he also offered a reliable outlet in possession that the Man City man was unable to do against Colombia.

A glowing review from Chelsea’s Thiago Silva shows just how big of an impression he made for his country: “The boys showed a quality that I have hardly seen in more than ten years with the Brazilian national team [of newcomers]. It’s really cool to see Raphinha and Antony showing personality.”

The Leeds man was able to outshine Jesus and show Tite that he deserves more caps for his country moving forward, potentially from the start instead of from the bench. With the World Cup coming up next year, performances like this could be beneficial to his chances of featuring in a major international tournament for Brazil.

Bielsa will surely be delighted with this impressive cameo from the winger as it could build his confidence ahead of Leeds’ upcoming Premier League fixture.

It was the ideal scenario for the Whites head coach as Raphinha enjoyed a positive performance that will keep up his positive momentum while not being overplayed during the break, something that may have led to fatigue.

AND in other news,  Bielsa masterstroke: Leeds warrior has seen value soar 600% since Argentine’s arrival…

A Bola has revealed that Glasgow Rangers and Porto are close to agreeing a fee of €17m (£14.6m) for the transfer of Alfredo Morelos.

The Lowdown: Morelos heavily linked with move

Colombia international Morelos has been heavily linked with a move to the Portuguese outfit.

The 25-year-old is said to have already agreed personal terms ahead of a move (Antena 1), and now there has been an update in regards to an agreement between the clubs.

The Latest: Fee said to be close

Now, this report has revealed how much the Gers could receive from the sale of Morelos.

The fee would include a down-payment of €12m (£10.3m), with €5m (£4.3m) available to the Gers in add-ons.

The Verdict: Cheap

Of course, Steven Gerrard, Ross Wilson and the rest of the Gers hierarchy will not want to see Morelos leave the club. He has scored 94 goals in 182 matches for them (Transfermarkt), and has often been their most important player.

However, having previously stated that he wants to play in a more competitive league (Goal.com), it will come as little surprise that he could now move on.

When he does go, though, the Gers must make sure they get a good deal – and in this case, it feels as though they could be left a little short-handed.

It had previously been stated they were looking for £20m last summer (The Daily Mail) for his services. Now, it seems they will barely get half of that as a down-payment, and there is no guarantee Morelos will match the requirements needed for the Gers to get the add-ons either. The 55-time Scottish champions should really be looking for more than what is being reported.

In other news, Rangers fans were delighted by news on this four-goal ace.

Aston Villa could sign their new Christian Benteke in Sheffield United starlet Daniel Jebbison.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Dean Smith’s side are one of several Premier League teams interested in signing the 18-year-old from the Blades this summer, with Everton already having a bid rejected for him.

Villa’s new Benteke

In the 101 games that he ended up playing for Villa, Benteke more than showed that he was worth every penny that the club spent on him. He scored a very impressive 49 times and even provided another twelve assists too, and was involved in some spectacular individual and team goals – the back-heel to set up Andreas Weimann’s strike in a 3-1 win against Liverpool at Anfield still lives long in the memory.

Former Villa boss, Paul Lambert, said at the time of his signing: “Christian is only 21 but already he’s an established Belgian international and he’s had a terrific time at Genk. He’s something very different to what we have here and that added dimension will enhance the football club. A young lad he may be, but he’s definitely a handful. He’s tall, powerful, he has pace and we’ll be stronger with him in the side.”

And, just like Benteke, the £900k-rated Jebbison is a real “handful” up front and could give Villa another battering ram-like striker.

The 6 foot 3 ace has certainly got the raw physical frame to pose a problem for opposition defences, and given that he’s still only 18, will surely look to fill out a bit more over the coming years.

The coach who had Jebbison at his academy back in Toronto, Bassam Naim, called him “a force to be reckoned with”, adding: “Athletic, strong. Always creative when he was with us. Lots of energy? He loves to go forward. He loves to take on players.”

As per Whoscored, the teenager averaged one shot per game in the Premier League in the brief amount of time he was on the pitch, while he showcased his ability as a real threat for defenders by also making 1.5 tackles per match and winning 1.3 aerial duels per game too.

That’s exactly the kind of physical presence that Benteke really made a name for at Villa Park, and one Smith will be hoping to bring back to Villa Park.

Meanwhile, Villa are plotting a late swoop for this star…