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Everton are stepping up their attempts to bring Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye back to the club.

What’s the word?

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Toffees are pressing on with negotiations to re-sign the 32-year-old this summer, having sold the Senegal international to the Ligue 1 giants three years ago in a £30m deal.

Writing on Twitter about that potential move for the 94-cap star, the transfer guru stated: “Talks advancing for Gana Gueye to Everton, PSG want him to go; could be loan or permanent.”

Romano had revealed prior to that that the player himself is interested in making a return to Goodison Park before the September deadline, with the Merseysiders having already wrapped up deals for James Tarkowski, Ruben Vinagre and Dwight McNeil thus far.

Supporters buzzing

News that the move is edging ever closer will come as a source of great delight to the Everton faithful, with supporters no doubt buzzing to welcome back a player who had hugely impressed during his first spell at the club.

Signed from Aston Villa for just £7.1m back in 2016, the 5 foot 9 gem went on to rack up 107 appearances for the club in all competitions over the next few years, proving himself a hugely integral figure in the centre of the park.

Amongst the star-studded names at the Parc des Princes the £99k-per-week ace has continued to impress in the years since his Goodison exit, scoring seven goals and providing six assists in 111 games for the Parisien outfit.

The most recent campaign saw the £10.8m-rated machine also catch the eye as he scored three times and provided one assist in 26 league games from his holding midfield berth, notably averaging 2.3 tackles per game and recording a mightily impressive 93% pass accuracy rate.

He thus unsurprisingly ranks in the top 2% for pass completion among those in his position across Europe’s big five leagues, as well as in the top 6% for pressures made and the top 7% for successful tackles.

That latter metric is where the combative warrior particularly shined during his previous spell in England, ranking first for tackles made in the top-flight in the 2016/17 campaign (135), before finishing behind only Wilfred Ndidi over the next two seasons – recording 117 tackles in 2017/18 and 142 in 2018/19.

Although no longer perhaps at his peak, the one-time Lille man will add instant quality to a midfield department that has been sorely scrutinised in recent times, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher having previously berated the “lack of athleticism” in Lampard’s side.

Gueye’s arrival will undoubtedly change that, with supporters set to relish the prospect of seeing the all-action destroyer work his magic in the coming years.

AND in other news: “Still keen..”: Journo drops big Everton transfer update that’ll worry supporters

Wolves star Ruben Neves now looks ‘increasingly likely’ to remain a Wanderers player beyond the transfer window, according to reliable journalist Liam Keen.

The Lowdown: Neves’ future unclear

The 25-year-old looked to have potentially played his final game for Wolves last season, having waved an emotional goodbye to the supporters after their final home game.

Neves has been continually linked with moves away from Molineux throughout the summer, with Barcelona and Manchester United both backed to sign him.

Now, a huge update has emerged that could bode well for Bruno Lage, following their Premier League opener against Leeds United.

The Latest: Keen delivers positive update

Taking to Twitter, The Express & Star‘s Keen claimed that a Neves stay now looks on the cards, in what is a significant claim:

“Ruben Neves looks increasingly likely to stay.”

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The Verdict: Massive news, if true

Many Wolves supporters may have been resigned to the idea of Neves moving on this summer, so this will come as an enormous boost just as the season gets underway.

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The Portuguese maestro is arguably the first name on Lage’s team sheet these days, given his quality in the middle of the park – he enjoyed an 84% pass completion rate in the league last season – and the best years of his career should still be ahead of him.

Neves staying would lessen the need to bring in another midfielder, even if a new signing wouldn’t go amiss, and it would give the entire club a lift, suggesting they are still capable of keeping hold of talismanic figures, not succumbing to the lure of elite clubs.

Reliable journalist Alan Nixon has dropped a promising Glasgow Rangers transfer claim following their 3-0 win at Ibrox on Tuesday night.

The Lowdown: Rangers through

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team are through to the UEFA Champions League play-off round after an emphatic 3-0 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise.

Goals from James Tavernier, Antonio Colak and Malik Tillman were enough to overturn the 2-0 deficit from the first leg, as the Gers edge one step closer to the Champions League group stages.

The Latest: Nixon claim

Asked by a fan on Twitter if there is any action on the transfer front, Nixon claimed that qualifying for the Champions League ‘means so much financially’, hinting there could be more to come if they can make it…

“Need to make Champions League … means so much financially.”

The Verdict: Promising

Of course, it is promising to hear of the potentially mega financial benefits for the Teddy Bears if they were to beat PSV and reach the Champions League group stages.

They have been linked with moves for the likes of Patrick Cutrone and Dimitar Mitov, and new Champions League money could help fund those deals.

The club also have plenty of first-team players who have contracts expiring at the end of the season, including the likes of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos, and so an extra influx of cash would certainly help towards tying them down to new deals and fending off any transfer interest in the process.

Manchester City have been involved in some big-money transfer deals over recent years.

One deal which grabbed headlines and broke the British transfer record at the same time was last summer’s £100m swoop for Jack Grealish.

Throughout his debut season at the Etihad Stadium, the England international scored three goals and provided three assists in 26 league appearances.

Despite his sporadic goal contributions, Grealish ended the campaign with only Kevin De Bruyne (139) and Bernardo Silva (127) recording more shot-creating actions than him (110) among the Premier League champions’ squad.

This shows just how much of a danger the former Villa star can pose and why he will likely be seen as an important figure for Pep Guardiola’s side this season following the departures of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling.

With the end of the current summer transfer window in sight, the next three weeks could not only see City strengthen one area of their squad which needs some extra depth, but also give Guardiola the chance to form a significant partnership with Grealish.

Having seen Oleksandr Zinchenko moving to Arsenal and reported target Marc Cucurella join Chelsea in this summer, one left-back who has been talked about with a move to City is Benfica’s Alejandro Grimaldo.

In 248 appearances for the Lisbon club, which has produced players such as current Etihad trio Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias and Ederson, the full-back has scored 19 goals and provided 51 assists in the process.

To further highlight his attacking prowess, no other Benfica player delivered as many crosses last season as the 26-year-old (172), while only three team-mates had more shots on target than him (14).

With that in mind, it’s easy to see why journalist Rafael Brayan claimed that it is “incredible” that the defender is still a Benfica player for the time being.

Taking into account his clear attacking talent, having a player like him behind Grealish – who had more touches (41) in the attacking third during City’s 2-0 win over West Ham United on Sunday – would surely create a formidable attacking pairing for the Citizens.

With a reported price tag of €20m (£16.8m), securing a deal for Grimaldo would be an ideal way for the Premier League champions to top off their summer transfer window and ensure that they have enough depth in the squad to be successful in all competitions this season.

Pep Guardiola is reportedly a big fan of Everton winger Anthony Gordon and the 21-year-old could be an excellent addition at Manchester City.

What’s the word?

According to The Times, Guardiola is a keen admirer of the Toffees winger, who is also attracting serious interest from Chelsea after breaking onto the scene last season.

The report claims that Everton have turned down a £45m offer from Thomas Tuchel’s side for the academy graduate, but that £50m could be enough to see them sell the England U’21 international this summer.

Therefore, if Guardiola is keen on bringing in the youngster, he may have to act quickly, or he risks losing out on another player to the Blues, having already seen Marc Cucurella favour a move to London over Manchester this summer.

A perfect signing

With the above report in mind, it is evident that the Man City boss would love to add the Evertonian to his side.

City have already sold Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus this summer, with only Julian Alvarez arriving as an option on the wing, so you could argue that Guardiola could do with some extra depth out wide.

Riyad Mahrez will also turn 32 this season, so Gordon could be a perfect long-term heir to the Algerian out wide if he is moved on in the next couple of seasons.

Last season saw Gordon make 35 appearances in the Premier League for Frank Lampard’s side, in which he contributed four goals and two assists, averaging a solid 6.70 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Of Everton’s remaining squad, only Demarai Gray and Dominic Calvert-Lewin would contribute more goals and assists, so it is clear to see how important he has become to the Toffees, and they will be desperate to keep hold of him as they look to avoid another relegation battle this season.

Not only is Gordon a threat going forward, but he also has an impressive defensive work rate, something that would make him a perfect fit when considering the high-press City operate with.

The young Everton winger scores above the 90th percentile for tackles, blocks and pressures per 90 when compared to other players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, demonstrating why Boreham Wood boss Luke Garrard dubbed him a “frightening” prospect.

Alan Shearer is also a fan of him, showering the 21-year-old with praise last season, saying:

“A young man that has been causing quite a bit of excitement is Anthony Gordon. Everton fans have really gotten behind the winger who has shown passion and plenty of ability in what has been a tough season for the Toffees.

“I’ve personally been impressed by his fearless attitude, he’s not afraid to get stuck in and he tries to make things happen going forward, putting plenty of crosses into the box.”

At such a young age, the Everton man is only going to get better and with Guardiola as his manager, there is no reason why he couldn’t establish himself as a top talent at the Etihad.

Nottingham Forest are reportedly considering a move for Leicester City midfielder Boubakary Soumare and the Frenchman could be an excellent addition to Steve Cooper’s side.

What’s the word?

According to Foot Mercato, both Palace and Forest are keeping an eye on the midfielder’s situation, with Leicester open to selling the 23-year-old after a disappointing first season at the King Power Stadium.

The Foxes signed the player for £23m and the Daily Mail claims they’d be open to selling should any team meet their valuation.

Cooper would love him

Cooper has already spent big on midfielders so far this summer, with Orel Mangala, Lewis O’Brien, Remo Freuler, Morgan Gibbs-White, Cheikhou Kouyate and Jesse Lingard all making the move to the City Ground.

While Soumare struggled in his debut season in Brendan Rodgers’ side, making just 12 starts in the Premier League and averaging a poor 6.41 rating from WhoScored, his performances at Lille suggest that he could be a stellar addition to Cooper’s side, one he would surely love to have available to him.

The young Frenchman made 32 appearances for Les Dogues in their title-winning season, winning an impressive 1.4 tackles per game, the highest of any midfielder in their squad. That tough-tackling nature won him plenty of plaudits from pundits for his performances.

Ligue 1 expert Ian Holyman was full of praise for the midfielder when he made the move to Leicester, saying: “He was a bit in and out of the side but when he first came into the team he looked very, very good indeed.

“As I said, he’s a powerful guy, 6ft 2ins, really athletic, but he’s also got ability on the ball. He’s not just about being a midfield destroyer.”

Soumare hasn’t been offered many first-team opportunities at Leicester and with regular football at Forest, he could rediscover the form he showed at Lille.

Rodgers was highly complimentary of Soumare when he made his debut in a win against Manchester City, saying: “He’s very good on the ball, but he’s physically good as well.”

With that in mind, Cooper would surely love to arm himself with Soumare. Indeed, he has also shown a preference for working with younger players in his career, winning the World Cup with England U17s, so the Leicester man would fit that mould as a youngster with the potential to become a first-class performer.

While his first season at Leicester didn’t go to plan, he would add more depth as a defensive-minded midfielder in the manager’s squad, and with the right coaching and game time, there is no reason why Soumare can’t realise his potential in a Forest shirt.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have reached a verbal agreement with Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic ahead of a proposed move to Molineux, according to reliable journalist Florian Plettenberg.

The Lowdown

Bruno Lage’s side have experienced a difficult start to the new Premier League season, having gained just one point from their first three games.

More worryingly, the Old Gold have scored just one goal, with Daniel Podence netting in their opening fixture against Leeds United three weeks ago.

However, a lack of goals is not a new issue for Wolves, with 2021/22 top scorer Raul Jimenez hitting the back of the net just six times in the league last season and the team overall scoring just 38 in as many top-flight matches.

The Latest

After recent news revealed that Wolves have had a bid rejected for Kalajdzic, Plettenberg has now shared an update on the club’s pursuit of the Stuttgart frontman.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday afternoon, the reliable journalist claimed: “News #Kalajdzic: He is out of the squad for tomorrow’s game. It’s getting hot with his departure. @Wolves are still in & Stuttgart is expecting a new offer. VfB still wants a total package of €25m. The player has a verbal agreement with Wolverhampton in principle. @SkySportDE”

The Verdict

With Wolves lacking a truly dependable target man, the arrival of Kalajdzic at Molienux would add a quality alternative to Jimenez in Lage’s squad.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 25-year-old ranks in the top 5% for expected assisted and the top 6% for aerial duels won – the latter comes as no surprise given the Austrian’s hulking 6 foot 7 frame.

Kalajdzic is no mere battering ram up top either, with a haul of 22 goals over the last two Bundesliga seasons illustrating that he can be considered a reliable presence to find the net consistently, a trait for which Lage is crying out.

Therefore, if Wolves are able to get a deal done in time to secure the 15-cap international before Thursday’s transfer deadline, this could be a brilliant addition to Lage’s forward options, with the squad appearing to miss a clinical goalscorer in the final third.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have begun the season with little more than a whimper, losing twice and drawing twice as they have accumulated only two Premier League points thus far.

Bruno Lage really needs to inject a spark of life into his side if they want to finally claim their first league win of the season. He will be hoping that new signings Matheus Nunes and Goncalo Guedes can back up their £42.2m and £27.5m price tags respectively.

With their attacking woes evident this season, and with only two goals having been scored in the league, they need to rejuvenate their attack and Lage should be looking to ditch Hwang Hee-Chan as Austrian striker Sasa Kalajdzic edges ever closer to a move to Molineux.

Lage needs to change his attack

The South Korean forward joined Wolves on loan from RB Leipzig last season before making the move permanent this summer, but he has flattered to deceive. In 36 matches for the club, he has only scored five goals and added a further two assists.

Having been described as “poor” by journalist Liam Keen during the draw against Newcastle United on Sunday, Lage could well be tempted to sell him to Leeds United, who are interested in a move for the player.

The Old Gold values him at £25m and this fee could fund the transfer of Kalajdzic, for who Wolves have agreed an €18m (£15.3m) fee with Stuttgart for the striker.

The “invaluable” – in the words of Pellegrino Matarazzo – 6 foot 7 titan can be the answer to all of Wolves’ attacking problems, especially with his recent goalscoring record.

In 60 matches for the Bundesliga side, he has netted 24 goals and added 14 assists too, proving he can add that extra dimension to Lage’s side.

While also giving a direct goal threat, Kalajdzic also can present plenty of chances to teammates over the course of a season. Last year, he created six big chances while also averaging 1.5 key passes per match, showing his all-around game is excellent.

All of the aforementioned numbers are better than that of Hwang, who only managed five league goals in 2021/22, while registering 0.5 key passes a game and fashioning just two big chances for his teammates.

The last few days of the window will be a tense and exciting time for the Molineux faithful, but with a deal for the 25-year-old Austrian close to being sealed, it would make sense for Lage to move on Hwang with an upgrade seemingly on the cards.

Everton are looking to complete a deal quickly after hitting a stumbling block in their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Everton’s pursuit

Back at the end of July, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed the Toffees had approached the Ligue 1 giants over a potential move for the 32-year-old, with the club keen to sell him this summer.

Just a few days later, Romano shared an update on the progress of the transfer, in which he claimed Everton were closing in on a deal with PSG to sign the Senegal international on a permanent basis.

Nearly a full month later however and the deal is still not complete…

The Latest: Ornstein’s news

In his latest transfer roundup for The Athletic ahead of Thursday’s deadline, Ornstein dropped a fresh update on Everton’s pursuit of Gueye, revealing his arrival at Goodison Park remains a priority for Frank Lampard.

According to his report, an agreement has been in place with the player and PSG for some time but there is still no movement between all the parties to actually finalise his move.

The Toffees want a quick resolution to the situation, otherwise they will move on to pursuing other targets ahead of Thursday’s transfer deadline.

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The Lowdown: Get it done

Having left Goodison Park in 2019 to join the French outfit, the midfielder’s return to Merseyside would certainly be welcomed by Blues fans.

During his three-year stint as a Toffee, Gueye made 108 appearances in an Everton shirt, quickly becoming a fan favourite with his ability to win the ball back in the middle of the park.

Despite worries about his age damaging his effectiveness as a holding midfielder, his underlying stats indicate he still has the attributes needed to succeed in the Premier League.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 32-year-old incredibly ranks in the 98th percentile for pass completion, in the 96th percentile for pressures and in the 88th percentile for tackles.

Hailed as a ‘machine’ with ‘breathtaking’ stamina by pundit Micah Richards, this certainly seems to be a strong addition to Lampard’s squad, so let’s hope the club can get the deal over the line in time.

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed an impressive record with regards to developing youth talent over the years, with the likes of Glenn Hoddle, Ledley King and Harry Kane having all gone from academy talents to first-team stars in north London.

One man who was unable to make that leap from emerging prospect to prominent figure was Andros Townsend, with the Englishman having failed to nail down a regular starting berth in his brief stint in the senior set-up.

To his credit, the dynamic winger had shown great persistence in an attempt to force his way into the first-team reckoning with Lilywhites, having endured a succession of spells out on loan in his early playing career.

Having made his Tottenham debut in January 2011, it wasn’t until the 2013/14 season that the 5 foot 11 forward truly become a first-team player for the club, having earned wider attention after starring during a temporary stint at Queens Park Rangers in 2013, scoring two goals in that six-month spell at Loftus Road.

A promising breakthrough campaign under Tim Sherwood – in which he made 25 Premier League appearances – was followed by a frustrating 2014/15 season under Mauricio Pochettino, as the Leytonstone-born dud was restricted to just ten top-flight starts.

The 13-cap, England international notably irked the Argentine following a row with fitness coach Nathan Gardiner in November 2015 after failing to make it off the bench in a clash with Aston Villa, subsequently receiving a ban from first-team training as a result.

Having made just three substitute appearances in the top-flight at the start of the 2015/16 season under Pochettino, Townsend opted to make the switch to Newcastle United in January 2016, having scored just 11 goals and provided 15 assists in 93 games at his former club.

That sale ultimately saw Daniel Levy and co pull off something of a blinder, as they were able to recoup a fee of around £12m for a player who had cost them nothing after coming through the academy.

After just a brief stint at St James’ Park, the wide man ultimately moved on to Crystal Palace in a £13m deal in the summer of 2016, going on to score 16 goals and lay on 28 assists in 185 games during his time at Selhurst Park.

While there were notable high points during his time with the Eagles – including his stunning effort in a shock win over Manchester City in December 2018 – the 31-year-old has done little to truly leave Spurs regretting their decision to sell, with the player himself having admitted he simply wasn’t “playing well enough” during his time at Tottenham.

The £2.7m-rated man secured a move to Everton on a free transfer last summer, although after a fine start to life with the Toffees – registering 11 goals in all competitions in the first half of last term – he has since been on the sidelines after sustaining an ACL injury back in March.

The £21.5k-per-week playmaker has enjoyed a respectable, albeit unremarkable, Premier League career since his north London departure just over six years ago, although it proved a real astute piece of business for the club to sanction his exit.