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Chelsea are currently in pole position to sign Birmingham City forward Trevan Sanusi, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Sanusi profiled

The Blues winger has worked his way up through the academy ranks at St. Andrew’s but his future is uncertain, having turned down multiple new scholarship contract proposals.

The Midlands starlet is 15 years old but will turn 16 next month, when he is reportedly hoping to move onto pastures new, and it sounds like there are two suitors waiting to snap him up in the Premier League.

The Latest: CFC leading the race

According to Football Insider, Chelsea and Arsenal are ‘battling’ it out to secure the services of Sanusi when he’s allowed to depart.

The London giants are both ‘hot on the trail’ of the teenager, but it’s believed that Graham Potter and his side are in ‘pole position’ at this stage having pushed ‘hard’.

The SW6 outfit’s scouts have ‘closely watched’ their target in multiple matches, where he has received ‘rave reviews’.

The Verdict: One for the future

Sanusi has been hailed an ‘exciting’ player by Birmingham’s U21s manager Steve Spooner and he would be a great signing for the future of Chelsea.

The talented prospect naturally operates on the left wing but offers wonderful versatility having also operated down the right and as a centre-forward throughout his career so far.

Sanusi is also an England youth international having been capped for both the U16s and U15s sides, so has a bright future ahead of him, quite possibly at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni, with the Red Devils a ‘concrete threat’ to the Serie A side.

The Lowdown: Bastoni superb for Inter

The 23-year-old is arguably one of Europe’s most exciting young defenders currently, producing a string of influential performances for Inter in recent years.

Bastoni has made 19 appearances in Serie A so far this season, averaging 1.7 tackles per game in the competition, as well as 2.5 clearances in the Champions League, as per WhoScored.

The Italian is out of contract at Inter at the end of next season, however, meaning there could be potential suitors eyeing up his signature this summer.

The Latest: United linked with move

According to Inter Live [via Sport Witness], United are a ‘concrete threat’ to Inter with regards to Bastoni, as the Serie A giants desperately try to keep hold of one of their star men.

The Red Devils could reportedly ‘go as high as’ offering the young centre-back €8million (£7m) a year at Old Trafford, which is ‘triggering a new alarm’ at the Nerazzurri.

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The Verdict: Could be an outstanding signing

Bastoni could be a magnificent signing by United, considering what a formidable defender he already is, despite having most of his career ahead of him still.

The 17-cap Italy international could be viewed as a long-term successor to Raphael Varane at the heart of United’s defence, with the Frenchman turning 30 next month and never too far away from an injury layoff.

Bastoni and Lisandro Martinez could forge a wonderful long-term centre-back partnership at Old Trafford – one that may have the potential to match great pairings of the past, from Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, to Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister.

Whether or not Inter allow one of their most prized assets to move on remains to be seen – he won the league title in 2020/21 – but the player himself may jump at the chance to join the Erik ten Hag revolution.

Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has been reacting to the club’s reported talks with sporting director Antonio Cordon.

The Lowdown: Cordon for Lange?

Johan Lange is the current sporting director at Villa Park and has been since 2020. The 43-year-old has worked alongside Dean Smith, Steven Gerrard and now Unai Emery, but reports towards the end of 2022 said that his job is hanging by a thread.

Villa have now been linked with a move for Cordon and have held discussions with the sporting director after he announced he was to step down from his role at Real Betis.

The Latest: Preece reacts

Preece took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon to share the news on Cordon. The Birmingham Live reporter described it as ‘quite a big deal’ and said Cordon is ‘the man behind Real Betis’ incredible success in recent seasons’, adding that there could be competition from Barcelona.

“Quite a big deal this as AVFC hold talks with Antonio Cordon, the man behind Real Betis’ incredible success in recent seasons, after he stepped down from his sporting director role this week. Villa face competition from Barca.”

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The Verdict: All change…

Christian Purslow is expecting an extremely busy summer at Villa in regards to incomings and outgoings, and it looks as if Cordon could help oversee those changes in place of Lange – he may have been in contact with Villa just last month in the transfer that took Alex Moreno from Real Betis to the Midlands.

As Preece mentions, Cordon signed a number of impressive players during his time at Betis, including Villa-linked Luiz Henrique, so it doesn’t come as a complete shock that Villa are in talks over a move to England, especially following speculation over Lange’s future in recent months.

West Ham United could be set to make another move for Leeds United winger Raphinha, having failed in their pursuit of the Brazilian back in January.

What’s the word?

As per 90min, the Hammers are believed to be ‘considering’ whether to make another bid for the 25-year-old this summer, with reports back in the winter suggesting that GSB were willing to fork out a club-record fee to prise him from Elland Road, although were ultimately rebuffed by the Yorkshire side.

That doesn’t appear to have put David Moyes and co off as they eye another swoop in the current window, with the latest suggestion being that he could command an asking price of around £45m.

The east Londoners are likely to face fierce competition for his signature, however, with both Arsenal and Tottenham believed to be keen on striking a deal.

He’d be a superstar for West Ham

The arrival of the nine-cap international to the London Stadium would represent a major coup for the club, with the former Rennes man – who signed for Leeds in a £17m deal two years ago – having proven himself something of a “superstar” in recent times, in the words of one journalist.

The £63k-per-week gem – who has also been dubbed “a really special player” by Statman Dave – has lit up the Premier League over the last two years, notably registering 29 goal contributions over the last two seasons combined.

That included 11 goals in the most recent campaign to help drag Jesse Marsch’s side to safety, the £40.5m-rated magician bagging a vital goal from the penalty spot in the dramatic final day victory away at Brentford to secure the visitors’ top-flight safety.

A player of his talents, however, simply doesn’t belong in a relegation dogfight, with West Ham able to offer him the chance to steal the limelight in European competition, even if it is only the Europa Conference League that they will be competing in next term.

Described as a “baller” by teammate Tyler Roberts, Raphinha possesses that rare ability to produce something out of nothing with a sheer moment of genius, with such mercurial talents having often thrived for the Hammers – namely Paolo Di Canio and Dimitri Payet.

Not that he shirks his defensive duties, however, with the 5 foot 9 playmaker ranking in the top 9% for blocks made and the top 21% for interceptions made among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, showcasing his willingness to do the dirty work.

That trait will undoubtedly go down well with Moyes and if he can combine that with a regular supply of goals and assists, then the club could well have a real superstar on their hands.

IN other news, West Ham now nearing “first major signing” of the summer, Moyes will be delighted

Wolves are finally on the cusp of signing Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha, having been linked with him countless times in the past six months.

The Lowdown: Palhinha a long-time target

Wanderers are expected to make a number of new signings in the summer transfer window but no player has been tipped to move to Molineux more often than Palhinha.

Links dating all the way back to last June have suggested that Bruno Lage would make a move for the 26-year-old, eyeing him up as Ruben Neves’ natural replacement in Wolves’ midfield.

Now, the deal looks like it is closer than ever to going through, after transfer reporter Pete O’Rourke confirmed earlier this week the midfielder is a ‘long term target’.

The Latest: Transfer set to go through?

According to Correio da Manha on Thursday evening, Palhinha will be a Wolves player next season, with the transfer on the verge of being completed.

An agreement is believed to have been reached over a €20million (£17m) move, with another €5m (£4.2m) in achievable add-ons.

Wolves have already secured their first summer signing in the permanent capture of Hwang Hee-chan, so Palhinha looks set to become addition number two.

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The Verdict: Perfect Neves replacement

Neves is clearly going to leave a gaping hole in Wolves’ team if he goes, but this update is hugely exciting, with Palhinha appearing to be a tailor-made replacement, having been hailed as a ‘very good’ player by Jorge Jesus.

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Classy with the ball at his feet, the Sporting CP man enjoyed an 87.8% pass completion rate this season in both the Primeira Liga last season and in World Cup qualifying for Portugal, which is actually higher than Neves’ in England.

A hugely impressive average of 4.5 tackles per game at Euro 2020 last summer also proves that he is tenacious off the ball, so Wolves are getting themselves a strong all-round package.

In other news, a transfer insider has made a key Wolves claim. Read more here.

According to Sky Sports injury expert Ben Dinnery, Manchester City could have an agreement in place with Gareth Southgate to make sure that right-back Kyle Walker isn’t too heavily involved whilst on duty with England this month.

The Lowdown: Walker’s injury concerns

The 32-year-old veteran sustained an ankle injury earlier in the season during the Sky Blues’ Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid. Pep Guardiola at one point even confirmed that the £150k-per-week star had been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Despite these fears, the defender managed to make a comeback and was named on the bench for City’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Aston Villa on the final day of the season, which clinched the Manchester outfit the Premier League title in dramatic style.

It was then revealed by the club’s media team just last week that the Sheffield-born talent had been included in the Three Lions squad for their upcoming Nations League games.

The Latest: Dinnery’s agreement claim

Speaking during an interview with Football Insider, Dinnery revealed that he thinks Southgate will be very sensible when it comes to Walker’s game time. He told correspondent Adam Williams:

“He is a very, very fit player.

“We saw that when he returned in the Champions League semi-final. He had done very little training with the group but he put his body on the line.

“Then, after being ruled out for the season, he made a surprise inclusion on the bench for the final day. The time between then and now will certainly have helped him.

“I’m sure Gareth Southgate will have agreed with clubs that he won’t be pushing players unnecessarily. I can’t see Kyle Walker playing every minute of every game.”

The Verdict: An integral England starter

The City gem first made his England debut under Fabio Capello 11 years ago and has since gone on to become an integral part of the Wembley outfit’s starting XI, having been capped 65 times to provide eight assists across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Walker has been equally as effective in and out of possession for Southgate’s team, where he averages 1.3 tackles and clearances apiece along with 6.5 long balls per game, via WhoScored, showing the impact he can have at both ends of the pitch.

The Three Lions are set to face Germany, Italy, and Hungary in their forthcoming fixtures over the next few weeks as they begin their preparations for the start of the World Cup in November.

In other news… a Manchester City first-team star has been told he is free to leave the club this summer.

Aston Villa are closing in on the permanent signing of goalkeeper Robin Olsen, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the word?

As per the transfer insider, the Midlands outfit appear keen to exercise the buy option in the Swede’s loan deal, with the 32-year-old having joined the club on a temporary switch from Serie A side AS Roma back in January.

Writing on Twitter about the situation regarding the 56-cap international, Romano revealed that an agreement is close: “Aston Villa are getting closer to find full agreement with AS Roma on Robin Olsen deal. Buy option clause for €3.5m expected to be triggered soon, as Aston Villa want to keep Olsen at the club. Talks in progress, the deal could be completed soon.”

The £1.8m-rated giant had spent the first half of the 2021/22 season on loan at Championship outfit Sheffield United, prior to moving to Villa Park, having also played the role of understudy to Jordan Pickford at Everton the year prior.

Supporters delighted

It may not prove to be quite as exciting as the club’s other summer business – having already snapped up Boubacar Kamara, Diego Carlos and Philippe Coutinho – yet supporters will no doubt be delighted to see the proactive attitude to Steven Gerrard’s squad rebuild, with the former Rangers boss seemingly wanting to get his transfer dealings done swiftly.

With further additions also in the pipeline, amid links to soon-to-be free agent Luis Suarez, the former England skipper appears to be receiving substantial backing in order to put his stamp on the squad, with expectations for next term now likely to have sky-rocketed.

As for Olsen, there may not be too many fireworks over a player who was technically already at the club and had made just a solitary Premier League appearance during his six-month loan stint, although he will no doubt provide quality cover to undisputed first-choice, Emi Martinez.

The 6 foot 5 stopper’s solitary top-flight outing came in that remarkable final-day defeat to eventual champions Manchester City at the Etihad, with the visitors squandering a two-goal to help hand Pep Guardiola’s men the title.

The one-time Malmo man had hardly been culpable for any of City’s excellently crafted goals – nor did he deserve to be on the receiving of an awful, post-match assault from a home supporter – with Villa’s problems this term having largely been among the defence, rather than between the sticks – shipping 54 goals in the most recent campaign.

A veteran at international level, Olsen also provides valuable experience to a dressing room that is beginning to overflow with top-class talent, with his presence in the dressing room potentially set to prove vital next term.

As for supporters, they will likely be glad to see the deal wrapped up quickly, so that the club can prioritise other areas of need.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Leeds United chiefs have ‘discussed’ signing Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz this summer, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: 22 goals

Brereton Diaz, described as the ‘face of Pepsi’ in Chile due to massive marketing campaigns following his international success, enjoyed a fine 2021/22 campaign in the Championship. The 23-year-old played on the left and through the middle, ending the season with 22 goals in 37 league games.

Tony Mowbray has hailed the forward as an ‘extraordinary talent’, and it seems as if the South American is still on Leeds’ radar following links during the January window.

The Latest: Whites talks

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones shared a Leeds transfer update on Tuesday afternoon, mainly focusing on the club’s interest in FC Salzburg right-back Rasmus Kristensen.

However, the journalist also leaked inside talks regarding Brereton Diaz, stating that Leeds officials, presumably Victor Orta, have held discussions about signing the forward in recent months, as well as Lewis O’Brien from Huddersfield.

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The Verdict: Forward required

A striker is certainly needed for Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge, with the American relying on Joe Gelhardt for the final games of the recent season.

Star forward Patrick Bamford was limited to just seven league stats due to a number of injuries, so Brereton Diaz could be a shrewd signing following an impressive campaign.

Phil Hay has stated that the Whites would prefer a forward with Premier League experience, something Brereton Diaz doesn’t have, but following his best season in front of goal and offering great versatility, he may well be a smart alternative.

In other news: After Kristensen: Radz & 49ers now ready to write Leeds cheque for ‘really exciting’ midfielder. 

Leeds United could revive their move for Noa Lang after securing Premier League survival. 

The lowdown

Leeds snatched 17th place and safety from Burnley on the final day of the season as they beat Brentford 2-1 and the Clarets lost 2-1 to Newcastle United.

It emerged last August that Leeds were interested in Lang, but he wound up making his loan from Ajax to Club Brugge permanent instead.

And Football Insider reported earlier this month that the Whites have held fresh talks over the potential deal.

Lang is predominantly a left winger but he’s showcased some impressive versatility in the early years of his career, featuring as a second striker, attacking midfielder, central midfielder and right winger too.

He has three years left on the contract he signed last summer with the Jupiler Pro League champions, and is valued at £19.8million by Transfermarkt.

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The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport on Saturday, journalist Pete O’Rourke said Leeds’ fate in the relegation battle would likely determine whether a move for Lang was realistic.

“A lot depends on where Leeds are next season. If they’re in the Premier League they might have a chance of signing Noa Lang, but if they get relegated to the Championship, it’s not going to happen because he will be looking to play at the highest level as possible.”

Now that they are safe, it follows that they may well ‘have a chance’ of landing the Dutchman.

The verdict

If Lang does join Leeds, it will be intriguing to see where he slots into the side.

He’ll certainly be pushing for a starting spot, having combined nine goals with 15 assists this season and making his debut for the Netherlands, a top ten international side.

Analyst Filip Joos has described him as ‘the best player in the [Belgian] league’, while retired Dutch player Pierre van Hooijdonk likened him to Robin van Persie.

Lang could compete with Jack Harrison for a place on the left-hand side, but The Athletic’s Phil Hay has also raised the possibility that he could replace Barcelona-linked Raphinha.

And there’s even a chance Jesse Marsch might seek to utilise him through the middle, as he did with Rodrigo and Dan James.

His versatility opens up a whole host of possibilities.

In other news, read this journalist’s key Laurens De Bock claim. 

Frank Lampard is reportedly plotting a move for Barcelona star Memphis Depay in order to bolster Everton’s attacking options ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

According to reports from Spanish outlet Sport, the Toffees are among the clubs who are interested in the 28-year-old, with Arsenal and Newcastle United also keen on securing the services of the Dutchman.

His contract expires at the end of next season, and Lampard could be tempted to lure him to Everton as part of a possible summer rebuild.

However, valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt and with a wage of £158k-p/w, Depay won’t come cheap.

Depay would be a great coup for Everton

Everton narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League with a stunning 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace on Thursday, but Lampard won’t want to be in that position again, and his squad could be in need of an overhaul during the summer.

Signing Depay would be a solid piece of business, with his first season in Spain seeing him score 13 goals in 37 appearances despite Barcelona experiencing some considerable struggles during the campaign.

With Richarlison (11) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (five) struggling for goals this season in comparison to 2020/21, it’s clear that a new centre-forward is needed to improve the Toffees’ attack for next term.

Over the course of the 2021/22 season, Depay has generated more shot-creating actions (76) in La Liga than both Richarlison (62) and Calvert-Lewin (26) in the English top flight. The Dutchman is also effective from wide areas, putting in 61 crosses, with the Everton duo only managing 31 between them.

This vast skill set would no doubt please Lampard, and with former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman describing Depay as a “joy to watch”, Everton could do a lot worse than bringing the former Manchester United forward back to the Premier League.

AND in other news, Everton handed huge injury lift as early Arsenal team news emerges