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A key update has emerged on West Ham target Nikola Maksimovic, regarding where he wants to go this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to The Sunday Mirror (03/07, p77), as transcribed by Hammers News, West Ham transfer target Nikola Maksimovic is eyeing a transfer to the Premier League this summer as he wants to test himself in England. He is currently a free agent after leaving Serie A side Napoli and is available to speak with any interested parties.

The Hammers have been touted with the Serbian defender in recent weeks, with David Moyes eyeing additions to this squad ahead of next season.

He won’t cost a penny

Moyes must sanction a deal to land Maksimovic following this latest update on his future. The defender is seemingly gunning for a switch to England and West Ham, of course, would be able to provide him with that by offering him a contract at the London Stadium.

This news could be a key boost to the club’s chances of being able to bring him in ahead of clubs in leagues outside of England, whether that be remaining in the Serie A or teams in the Bundesliga or La Liga, for example.

His availability on a free transfer could also make it an attractive prospect for the London-based outfit. The Serbian’s contract at Napoli expiring means that West Ham will avoid having to pay a transfer fee for his services and will only need to worry about his wages and signing on fee, which could save them money which can then be used on other areas of the squad.

He also has the quality to potentially thrive at the Premier League level and be an asset for Moyes. Former Torino manager Giampiero Ventura lavished praise on the centre-back earlier this summer, claiming that he is an important player with “great potential” to improve.

He told FCInter1908:

“I really liked Maksimovic, although he needed a bit of time to establish himself.

“He didn’t play for the first four months (after joining from Spartak Moscow) because he needed to adapt to Italian football, but once he was in the team, he never came out again.

“Maksimovic was a very important player for us, a defender with great potential.”

The £36k-per-week powerhouse did not enjoy the best of seasons with Napoli last term, as he was restricted to 12 starts and came off the bench five times. However, in the 2019/20 campaign, he averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.79 in 21 starts for the Italian giants and has enjoyed six seasons in the Serie A averaging a score of 6.79 or higher for Napoli and Torino.

This shows that he has the ability to play at the top level and that he could be a beast at the heart of West Ham’s defence.

AND in other news, West Ham must avoid £50m error over “tremendous” powerhouse following transfer claim…

A number of Wolves supporters have been hailing their players after a club post showed them receiving their booster jab on Monday.

Wanderers picked up a solid 0-0 draw at home to Champions League holders Chelsea on Sunday afternoon as their resolute form continues. That result followed the 1-0 win away to Brighton last week, leaving Wolves sitting eighth in the Premier League currently and dreaming of European football next season.

Away from the field of play, Bruno Lage and his players have been leading by example, with the club’s official Twitter channel sharing photos of them all receiving their booster jab as an extra layer of protection against the global pandemic.

The manager had recently stated that every member of the squad was keen to get the job, with Wolves having one of the best vaccination uptake rates of any Premier League club (Daily Mail).

It is great to see at a time when all footballers are being urged to get vaccinated, helping to ensure that the Premier League schedule continues as normal for as long as possible amid a spate of recent postponements.

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Wolves fans hail players

These Wolves fans took to Twitter to hail the players for getting their booster jabs.

“My club – leading by example!!!”

Credit: @Kingwolf84

“Leading the way”

Credit: @TheKevinLeslie

“Well done Wolves”

Credit: @cassie2195

“I love my team”

Credit: @carlos_alpuche_

“Top, top Football Club WWFC. COYW”

Credit: @Philip_wwfc

“Leading by example. Well done”

Credit: @kerry337

In other news, some Wolves fans have been reacting to a Tim Spiers tweet. Read more here.

Bill Young was critical of the build-up play from Glasgow Rangers despite their 4-0 away win in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Convincing win for Rangers

It was a convincing win for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team in the end, which ensured that they kept up the pace with their Glasgow arch-rivals at the top of the Premiership table.

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Unfortunately for them, the Hoops won even more convincingly, thumping St Johnstone 7-0 at home on Saturday, and in this kind of form they look very difficult to catch right now.

The Latest: Young unhappy with build-up play

Taking to Twitter, Scottish football journalist Young was critical of Rangers’ general build-up play during the game against St Mirren, despite going 2-0 up at half-time through a brace from Kemar Roofe.

The reporter stated: “Rangers 2 up through Roofe, Rangers have dominated the ball but not the game.

“The midfield is MIA and the build-up play is nothing short of ponderous which allows St. Mirren to get men behind the ball.

“Distribution has been poor and it’s all becoming a bit too predictable sadly.”

The Verdict: Win is a win

After winning 4-0 in the end, many Light Blues supporters will not be too worried about how well they played, as getting the three points was the most important thing.

However, for all of the possession that Rangers had (71% in total) they only mustered eight shots on target from 22, around 36% (SofaScore). They actually lost the ball more than the hosts as well, implying that their passing was not always clean and crisp.

Nonetheless, getting the three points was all that mattered, but the Gers will want to play better in their crucial second leg against Braga at Ibrox in the Europa League quarter-final on Thursday night.

In other news, Rangers have been hit by an injury setback

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted positively to a transfer rumour linking the Reds with a move for Chelsea attacker Christian Pulisic.

Jurgen Klopp’s men delivered an emphatic performance last weekend, dispatching Arsenal 4-0 at Anfield and overcoming the defeat to West Ham in their previous game.

It was a win which once again highlighted Liverpool’s title credentials, although they are set to be in a tough battle with Chelsea and Manchester City.

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The one thing the other Premier League title contenders arguably have over the Reds is squad depth, with Klopp not enjoying the luxury of having as many attacking options.

According to Calciomercato [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Liverpool are interested in signing Chelsea winger Pulisic, with the American managing just one league start all season.

He has shown that he can thrive at Premier League level, though, with nine goals and four assists in the 2019/20 season. One of those goals opened the scoring against Manchester City on the night that Liverpool were finally crowned champions of England.

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Liverpool fans welcome Pulisic transfer link

Whether or not a move happens remains to be seen, but these Liverpool fans reacted positively to the Pulisic links on Twitter.

“If you are offloading Origi and getting Pulisic I reckon it’s good business”

Credit: @Rajani_Meet

“It’s still a rumour. But if it happens, Klopp finally gets his boy!”

Credit: @zubinofficial

“I would explode with excitement if this happened”

Credit: @ZachsEleven

“Yessssss”

Credit: @avesamra

“Now this I would be on board with”

Credit: @JwilliamC89

“Wouldn’t mind this if he stays fit tbh”

Credit: @Jaden08959312

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited by an injury update provided by one player. Read more here.

Newcastle United reportedly now ‘want’ to make Darwin Nunez their ‘marquee’ signing this summer.

The Lowdown: Highly sought after

Nunez seems to be the name on everyone’s lips at the moment after he scored yet another goal for Benfica in their 3-3 draw away at Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.

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Incredibly, that was the 32nd goal that he scored in just 37 games in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt), and there is plenty of room left for more.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed the player will leave Benfica this summer for a fee of around €80m (£66m), and it’s just a matter now of who wins the race.

The Latest: Wanted man

There is seemingly no doubt that Nunez is a wanted man this summer, and the St. James’ Park faithful are just one of the clubs on that list, as per iNews journalist Mark Douglas.

Taking to Twitter, Douglas revealed that they ‘want’ the ‘hot property’ as their marquee signing, but clubs in the Champions League are also ‘circling’ for his signature.

Expanding in his article, an executive from the Premier League has told Douglas that Nunez is ‘tailor-made’ for English football, while Jeremy Steele, the CEO of data company FC Analytics, believes that he could even be worth £100m.

The Verdict: Move on

Given the calibre of clubs that are likely to be in for Nunez, the North East outfit should just forget about trying to sign him this summer and move on to other targets.

Of course, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium would likely be able to offer the right financial package, but it seems too early in the project for them to able to snatch the likes of Nunez off of bigger and better suitors, likely forcing the club to pay over the odds and risk harming what has so far looked like a shrewd approach in the transfer market.

Nonetheless, the Uruguay international is still only 22 years of age, and so there may be an opportunity for the Magpies in the future, when trophies and Champions League football will hopefully be on the agenda.

In other news, find out who the Magpies have now sent officials to watch here!

Pundit Kevin Campbell has heaped praise on Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi for his impact at Parkhead, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: With and without Furuhashi

Ange Postecoglou has been able to call upon the 26-year-old prior to the international break, with Furuhashi signing off with a first-half strike against Aberdeen in a 2-1 win.

He also featured against Bayer Leverkusen, but prior to that, had missed five games with a knee injury.

The Hoops lost to Livingston and failed to beat Dundee United without the Japan international, and the £4.86m summer signing has clearly impressed Campbell.

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The Latest: Campbell reacts

Celtic TV shared a ‘unique angle’ on Monday following the win at Aberdeen, which included Furuhashi’s smart finish.

Campbell, who regularly appears on Sky Sports, was asked by Football Insider for his thoughts on the goal, to which he said:

“Wow, what a phenomenal impact he is having on that football club.

“When a player has confidence he can produce goals like that.

“Let’s be honest, he has been the difference for Celtic this season. They are a different team when he plays. They need him fit and available every week.

“He can carry the team and that is what he has done. He has been nothing short of awesome since he has signed. You have to give Postecoglou credit.”

The Verdict: Kyogo key?

Celtic showed signs of promise against Aberdeen, with Furuhashi netting his eighth goal in 11 games for the Hoops.

His versatility has helped Postecoglou already this season by turning out as a left-winger and through the middle, and he appears to be a key figure in Glasgow already.

The Hoops managed just four points from a possible nine in the Scottish Premiership without him recently, and you could argue that if he was fit, it may have been nine from nine.

In other news: Coach with 17-honours may be open to replacing Postecoglou; he’s a Celtic fan. 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang endured a nightmare display as Arsenal were held by Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday evening.

The Gunners still head into the international break unbeaten in five matches across all competitions, also seeing a major improvement defensively, having conceded just one goal in that run.

However, the performance from the skipper was cause for concern as he struggled to have any sort of impact on the game, meaning Mikel Arteta’s side rarely ever threatened the Seagulls.

The 32-year-old striker failed to register a single shot, on or off target, which is way below his average of 2.6 for the 2021/22 campaign.

Aside from the fact that he could not score or even threaten the opposition’s goal, the Gabon international could only muster up 23 touches of the ball – the fewest of any starter – and just six passes at an accuracy rate of 55%, as per SofaScore.

Furthermore, he did not complete a single dribble, was caught offside once by referee Jon Moss and could not create a single key chance, so not only did he struggle personally but he too was equally poor for his teammates.

That’s not what you want from your captain and it’s really no wonder he was hooked for Alexandre Lacazette after 72 minutes.

Aubameyang was weak in his battles, winning just one of six duels (16%), and thus struggling to cope with the physical threat of Graham Potter’s towering back three of Dan Burn, Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk.

It continues a worrying trend for the Gunners talisman as questions could be asked of him considering he’s only scored twice in their opening six league matches.

The £22.5m-rated star was lambasted as “poor” by Arsenal legend Ian Wright on BBC’s Match of the Day (as relayed by the Metro).

Martin Odegaard, who was withdrawn after just an hour, received plenty of flak from the media, with the Evening Standard rating him poorly in their post-match column and commentator Alan Smith echoing such sentiments during the game.

But it was Aubameyang that badly let Arteta and the Gunners down on the south coast this weekend.

AND in other news, Forget Lokonga: Arsenal’s £14.4m-rated “Rolls-Royce” can fill Arteta’s huge Xhaka void…

Former Premier League footballer Carlton Palmer believes Manchester United re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo is a “great bit of business”.

The Red Devils confirmed that they had reached an agreement with Juventus to bring the Portuguese superstar back to Old Trafford subject to agreement of personal terms, visa and medical.

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo returns to Manchester United after spells with Real Madrid and Juventus. In his previous spell at Old Trafford, Ronaldo scored an unbelievable 118 goals in all competitions and provided a further 69 for his teammates.

Throughout his career, Ronaldo has scored 674 goals and provided 229 assists in all competitions and Palmer believes it’s a great bit of business by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to bring him back as the club look to challenge for the Premier League title and in the Champions League.

He told Football FanCast: “Trust me, there is no danger he scores goals in the Premier League, no danger whatsoever so it’s a great bit of business. 

“He can play in the number nine role, you can play him out wide, you can play him off the top, you know, he’s an unbelievable fit player.

“It’s just a magnificent bit of business, a feelgood factor. I went for Man United before the league started, I went for them to win it and I’m still sticking with that, if they can get the Pogba deal done which I’m sure they will do, I think they’ve got a great chance this season.”

Solskjaer’s team have made an unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign heading into the international break. The Red Devils opened up with a 5-1 thrashing of Leeds United at Old Trafford, before drawing 1-1 with Southampton at St Mary’s and then beating Wolves 1-0 at the weekend.

Alongside Ronaldo, Solskjaer has also made three additional signings in Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Tom Heaton this summer, and will be hoping that his side can remain undefeated and challenge for major honours this season.

Ashley Young will replace Emiliano Buendia in Aston Villa’s starting line-up for their Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has predicted.

The lowdown

Villa travel to south London on Saturday looking to make it back-to-back wins at the start of Steven Gerrard’s reign. Young came off the bench to set up an 84-minute Ollie Watkins goal which broke the deadlock in the 2-0 win over Brighton last weekend.

The 36-year-old, who joined from Inter Milan on a free transfer in the summer, has only made one league start since August.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans wrote earlier this week that Gerrard had been so impressed by Young in training that he strongly considered starting him in the number 10 position against the Seagulls. The new manager said that the £50,000-per-week veteran had been ‘absolutely outstanding since we walked through the door’.

The latest

Off the back of his ‘strong cameo’ against Brighton, Preece reckons that Gerrard will select Young in the line-up. That would mean making the ‘ruthless call’ to drop Buendia to the substitutes’ bench when he’s ‘desperately trying to spark into some kind of form’.

Elsewhere, Preece thinks that Aston Villa will be unchanged. Douglas Luiz is back fit again, but ‘it’d be hard to see’ Marvelous Nakamba, John McGinn or Jacob Ramsey making way.

The verdict

Would it be harsh to drop Buendia? The statistics suggest that he didn’t make a particularly glowing first impression on Gerrard.

He managed only one shot (which was blocked) against Brighton and he didn’t produce any key passes. He won only two of his six ground duels and all of his crosses were inaccurate (via SofaScore).

As ex-Villan Gabriel Agbonlahor has said, perhaps it’s best for the ‘struggling’ Argentine to sit this one out and be given the incentive to ‘win his place back’.

In other news, many Villa fans react to this piece of pre-Palace news.

West Brom are still working on re-signing midfielder Okay Yokuslu this summer, following an impressive spell at the Hawthorns last season.

The Lowdown: Yokuslu shines for West Brom

The Baggies were relegated from the Premier League last season, but Yokuslu was one of the few positives to come out of the campaign.

The 27-year-old joined West Brom on loan in the January transfer window and went on to make 16 league appearances, ranking as the club’s best player during that period (Whoscored).

Yokuslu has returned to permanent club Celta Vigo for the time being, but another move may be on the cards.

The Latest: Baggies working on deal

According to AS, West Brom are trying to make progress in their attempts to bring back the 37-time capped Turkey international.

Watford are also thought to be interested in a move, however, with their Premier League status potentially working in their favour.

The Verdict: Exciting news for supporters

Yokuslu became a popular figure at West Brom last season, so this update is sure to excite some supporters, as Valerien Ismael looks to bolster his squad.

The fact that the Turk shone in the top-flight despite his side’s struggles suggests he could be a real force in the Championship, dominating midfield battles with his tenacity and ability.

Yokuslu enjoyed an average of 2.6 aerial duels, 2.4 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game in the Premier League last season, showing what a strong defensive presence he is, not to mention averaging 1.2 dribbles per match.

That combination of physicality and quality on the ball could make a huge impact in the heart of the Baggies’ midfield.

In other news, one West Brom player is thought to be a ‘prime target’ for one club. Find out who it is here.