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Manchester City’s rivals in the Premier League top six would be interested in Jack Grealish if he were to be made available for transfer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Grealish leaving Man City?

As per Calciomercato, AC Milan are interested in a move for the 27-year-old, with Pep Guardiola wanting to generate the necessary funds to launch a bid for Borussia Dortmund starlet Jude Bellingham. Football Insider added that the English champions could be willing to sell Grealish in order to land his teenage international colleague.

However, it is not only clubs from abroad who would seemingly be keen on a move for the former Aston Villa playmaker, with Premier League clubs also sure to contemplate a deal if he is on the market.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke detailed that any potential sale of Grealish would be contingent on the transfer fee, in light of the 27-year-old’s £100m price tag when he signed for Man City in 2021.

The journalist said: “Obviously, it would all depend on price and what Manchester City might want for him having spent £100m on his signature from Aston Villa in the first place.

“But I’m sure the rest of the top six would be very much interested if Jack Grealish did become available.”

The Verdict: Too soon

Given that Grealish has only been at the Etihad Stadium for one full season, it is too soon to be thinking about selling him, although it could be useful to gather some of the money for a possible Bellingham swoop.

Guardiola hailed the former Aston Villa man as ‘unbelievable’ earlier this season in light of a terrific performance against FC Copenhagen, for which he received an 8.0 SofaScore rating as he registered a 92% pass completion rate.

In that 5-0 victory, the £300k-per-week earner received high praise from his manager despite not getting a goal or an assist, highlighting that he still offers a lot to the team even when he is not directly contributing to their attacking output.

If City were to part with the maestro, they would also be strengthening a direct rival significantly if they allow him to go to another ‘big six’ Premier League club, and they should give him until the end of the season at the very least to prove his worth to the manager.

Boasting a wealth of talent in their youth ranks, West Bromwich Albion certainly have plenty of youngsters knocking on Carlos Corberan’s door for more opportunities.

Many will have seen the meteoric rise of Taylor Gardner-Hickman, from academy graduate to first-team starter, and will believe they can be the next big thing at the Hawthorns.

Despite having endured a miserable season, the 20-year-old has been one of the few shining lights.

Forced to deputise in a number of positions, he outlined his maturity and confidence in his ability as he featured at right back under Steve Bruce.

Only when Richard Beale took over was he moved to his favoured position, where he could go on to win them the game against Reading with a goal and an assist.

These experiences in different positions will certainly aid him in the long run, as his knowledge of the game will only be boosted, but his future is one which clearly lay in the engine room.

He boasts too much attacking flair and a relentless spirit that should not be confined to defence.

Gardner-Hickman’s rise through the ranks has unsurprisingly led to an increase in his value, which will come as a pleasing outcome for the hierarchy at the club who have seen talents such as Saido Berahino and Chris Wood pass through for a big profit.

Only in May of 2022 was he valued at just €600k (£528k), however as recent as October of 2022 this had increased by 98% to an impressive €1.2m (£1.04m).

To see such a growth in just five months bodes well for the rest of his career, which is only just getting started at the Hawthorns.

With performances last season that drew journalists Joe Ellis and Alex Dicken to label him “a cut above the rest” and “menacing”, it is clear that with each season he seems to improve on the last.

Should he continue his impressively upward trajectory, the sky really is the limit for Gardner-Hickman and his seemingly ever-increasing value.

Glasgow Rangers return to Scottish Premiership action this afternoon, welcoming Livingston to Ibrox for what is a must-win tie.

The Light Blues secured a drab 1-0 victory over Dundee in the League Cup on Wednesday evening, however, the performance was lethargic and generally uninspiring as the supporters continue to put pressure on Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his bewildering team selection at times.

The Dutchman will surely ring changes ahead of today’s match, with James Tavernier a player that should be given a rest due to claims he isn’t fit, despite Van Bronckhorst insisting that “he is fine” and a big decision needs to be made.

On the chalkboard

Regardless if the captain is fit or not, he has been a peripheral figure over the previous few weeks, especially in the Champions League. The right-back has an average rating of just 6.5/10 via Sofascore in the competition and was part of the side that shipped seven goals against Liverpool.

His last Premiership match against Motherwell saw the Englishman lose possession a whopping 30 times during the encounter, working out at once every three minutes and many supporters expected Van Bronckhorst to rest him against Dundee.

This didn’t happen and his performance didn’t exactly do much for the club, as they struggled to break down a resolute Dundee side. Youngster Adam Devine must come in against Livingston and be trusted from the start.

The £24k-per-week Light Blues captain has been a wonderful player for the club over the previous few seasons, even being described as a “physical machine” by The Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell.

With the player turning 31 in nine days, injuries and niggles might become more commonplace and blooding youngsters like Devine to deputise makes sense.

The Dutchman must look through loyalty and play the side that is fit and hungry to achieve success, and some of the Rangers players at the moment look a little bit lost.

Whatever happens, securing three points against Livingston is what matters and the Ibrox side will hopefully put on a more positive performance than what was on show in midweek.

Brentford are ‘braced’ for an approach from Aston Villa for their manager Thomas Frank, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Frank a front-runner for Villa job

The Dane is doing an excellent job in west London, turning them into an established Premier League team and playing high-tempo football along the way.

Frank has been linked with replacing Steven Gerrard as Villa manager in recent days, with the Midlands club seeing the 49-year-old as a front-runner for the role.

It looks as though their interest isn’t going away any time soon, judging by one update.

The Latest: Brentford braced for Villa approach

According to Football Insider, Brentford are already ‘braced’ for Villa making a move for their boss, with the 49-year-old having a ‘relatively low release clause’ of £3m in his contract.

It is even stated that the Bees are ‘putting out early feelers’ for potential replacements for the Dane, seemingly planning for the future should he depart the Gtech Community Stadium.

The Verdict: Favourite to take over?

With each passing day, it feels increasingly as though Frank could be Villa’s number one target to become the new manager, which would be a positive decision.

He has shown what a superb job he can do with a limited budget, both in the Premier League and the Championship, so he could really flourish if he has greater funds at his disposal at Villa Park.

The lure of joining a club which arguably has a better chance of long-term success, given the investment from the ambitious NSWE, must surely appeal to Frank, who may feel as though he has come as far as he can at Brentford.

Coincidentally, today could be something of an audition for the Villa job if he is interested in it, with the two teams meeting in the Premier League this afternoon.

Mikel Arteta has led Arsenal to six Premier League wins from seven matches so far this season, as the feel-good factor appears to be returning to the club following years of stagnation.

They currently sit atop the league table, and although it’s too early to suggest a title challenge, securing a Champions League place should be the main priority.

Sealing summer signings such as Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arteta clearly knows how to get the best from the transfer market, however, it was a Norwegian player who he really hit the jackpot with.

Arsenal hit the jackpot on Odegaard

Martin Odegaard was regarded as one of the finest young talents in Europe when Real Madrid signed him aged just 16, and his career has been full of twists and turns ever since.

Loan spells at Heerenveen and Vitesse Arnhem did little to suggest the youngster was on the verge of greatness, with many believing he was just another player to show promise before being destroyed at Real Madrid and moving to a lower level to build themselves back up.

A loan move to Arsenal changed all this in January 2021. Two goals and two assists in £30m.

The £115k-per-week star is now valued at €70m (£62.4m) by CIES Football Observatory, which is an incredible 108% increase on his original fee.

Last season, the 23-year-old scored seven goals and registered five assists in 40 matches, again a solid campaign but nothing out of the ordinary, but it appears this season might be the year where he really moves to the next level.

Odegaard’s rating on SofaScore is 7.37 after six league matches this season and has seen him score three goals register 2.2 shots per match and make 1.7 key passes each game.

These performances have been a big factor in Arsenal beginning the season like a steam train, scoring plenty of goals and dominating teams.

Yannick Bolasie has described Odegaard as a “baller” and it finally looks like the player has gotten the perfect platform to shine on in the Premier League.

Arteta certainly hit the jackpot in making his move permanent back in January last year, it could be the best signing he will ever make at the club.

Everton are considering a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Hwang Hee-chan, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Goalscorers wanted

As widely reported this summer, the Toffees are keen to add firepower to Frank Lampard’s squad following the £60m departure of Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Brazil international ended the last Premier League season as the Blues’ top scorer with ten goals in 30 appearances.

Without Richarlison, goals are expected to come from Everton number nine Dominic Calvert-Lewin. However, with the England international’s history of injury, he is not always the most reliable striker to base a team around.

For example, the 25-year-old played just 17 league games last season, contributing on a minimal five occasions.

The Latest: Interest in Hwang Hee-chan

According to Ornstein’s most recent report for The Athletic, Everton are considering Hwang as a potential addition at striker.

The 26-year-old has also been receiving strong interest from Premier League rivals Leeds United.

It is also claimed however that a Toffees move may require Conor Coady’s loan at Goodison Park to be made permanent, possibly throwing this proposition in doubt.

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The Verdict: Risky move?

Despite having scored 76 senior goals throughout his career, including eight for the South Korea national team, Hwang has netted just five times in 36 appearances for Wolves.

This could prove to be worrying for Everton fans as it appears the 26-year-old hasn’t adapted well to life in the Premier League.

Whilst playing for Red Bull Salzburg, the versatile forward bagged an impressive 45 goals and 29 assists in 126 games.

As a result, former Salzburg head coach Peter Zeidler sung his praises, having exclaimed: “He’s exceptional, has a brutal dynamism. I’ve rarely seen anything like it.”

If Lampard can get him back firing like he used to in Austria, this could be a strong addition to the Toffees’ squad, but it certainly feels like a risky one.

Manchester City have a significant track record when it comes to signing players from fellow Premier League clubs over recent years.

One recent deal that saw the Citizens make a big investment to sign one of the top-flight’s brightest stars came during the previous summer transfer window when they splashed out a club-record fee of £100m to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa.

With the Manchester club already bringing in another English talent this summer in the shape of Kalvin Phillips, the remaining weeks of the transfer window could see the league champions continue their track record of signing homegrown talent from Premier League clubs and bring in what would be their next version of Grealish.

It was claimed in a recent report by The Times that Pep Guardiola is a big fan of Everton winger Anthony Gordon, who has been linked with a £50m move away from the Merseyside club this summer.

As a wide player that has worked through the youth ranks at Everton, this certainly mirrors the journey that Grealish took at Villa to get him to where he is now as one of the country’s elite talents.

Having made 121 appearances for the Toffees across their senior and youth sides, the Englishman has netted 28 times and supplied 18 assists in the process.

Despite only starting three more league games than the City star last season, the 21-year-old completed more successful dribbles (44 v 34), delivered more crosses (71 v 36), made more interceptions (36 v 16) and won more tackles (36 v 15) than Grealish, highlighting his usefulness in an offensive and defensive capacity.

Specifically, both players racked up an identical number of touches in the midfield third of the pitch (461) and successfully completed over 50% of their dribbles, showing clear similarities when it comes to carrying the ball into dangerous positions.

Hailed as a player that has a “fearless attitude” by Alan Shearer, Gordon currently has more shots at goal (4) than any other Everton player from their opening two league games of the campaign, which shows just how dangerous he is and how important he is for the Toffees.

Taking into account how City have seen Raheem Sterling wave goodbye to the club this summer, this could pave the way for them to add a player like Gordon to their ranks in order to supply them with an extra bit of strength and depth in the squad.

Thus, should Guardiola feel the need to add another English talent to his side that could be the club’s next version of Grealish, then making a move to sign Gordon or somebody likeminded would be a smart investment for the Citizens.

Liverpool return to Premier League action at Craven Cottage in the lunchtime kick-off this afternoon against Fulham, and it hasn’t been plain sailing for Jurgen Klopp so far this summer, with a number of injury issues already hindering the team.

In his pre-match press conference, the Reds manager shared some insight into the ongoing injury problems at the club ahead of their first league game of the season, with Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Caoimhin Kelleher, Kostas Tsimikas, Diogo Jota, Calvin Ramsey and Ibrahima Konate all ruled out of the squad for today.

One player who has been knocked back with injury issues in the past but is currently fit and ready to go ahead of the new season is Joe Gomez, who has also signed a new contract with the club this summer.

With Konate injured, it could be a great opportunity to give the 25-year-old the opportunity to take his place in the team again and re-establish his centre-back partnership with Virgil Van Dijk which contributed to Liverpool’s first Premier League title win in 2019/20.

Gomez and the Dutchman were the Reds’ most-used central defensive pairing as Klopp’s team romped to the title, winning a combined 7.5 headers per game as they presented a formidable two-pronged obstacle to opposition attackers.

The defensive duo could now be given the opportunity to spark that winning formula once more, especially now that Gomez is clearly in Klopp’s plans after having his future secured until 2027.

The 25-year-old, who was dubbed “sensational” by his manager, suffered a long-term patella injury which left him sidelined for 231 days and 39 fixtures over the 2020/21 campaign, but last season he was eased back into the team, tallying 21 appearances.

Over seven Champions League appearances in 2021/22, Gomez was successful in 100% of his dribble attempts, along with winning 74% of his duels and delivering a 92% pass completion rate, but the Englishman only played an average of 37 minutes per game.

With that being said, Klopp must find opportunities to give the 25-year-old more game-time, with the new season the perfect time to offer that to the £75k-per-week defender following Konate’s injury blow.

The game against Fulham today presents a great opportunity to give Gomez a chance to prove that he is still worthy of his place in the team.

Journalist and reliable source Daniel Taylor of The Athletic has now backed a ‘surprise’ Nottingham Forest transfer twist involving former Man United star Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: Reds make move…

The Englishman seems set to be one of the biggest free agent deals of this window as he continues to attract interest from a host of clubs both in the Premier League and abroad.

ESPN recently claimed that alongside Everton, Tottenham and West Ham, clubs from the USA, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi have all expressed interest in signing Lingard this summer.

A man in demand, the ex-Red Devils star is now also a major target for Forest and manager Steve Cooper with Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian recently breaking news that they’re advancing in negotiations.

The Latest: Taylor backs ‘surprise’ news…

Taking to Twitter, reporter Taylor of The Athletic has now backed this ‘surprise’ transfer twist out of the City Ground.

He explained:

“It’s true: Nottingham Forest really are trying to sign Jesse Lingard.

Talks underway and #NFFC willing to break pay ceiling for former Man Utd and England player. Lingard has been speaking to West Ham but Forest trying to close surprise deal.”

The Verdict: Ambition…

Having already completed ten major signings this summer, it appears Forest’s ambition is showing no sign of stopping after their long-awaited promotion back to the big time.

Signing Lingard on a Bosman, especially when factoring in his brilliant spell on loan at West Ham over 20/21, would come as a really shrewd piece of business and may well be the cherry on top of a fantastic window.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Arnaud Kalimuendo in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth are plotting a swoop for the attacker as the club have made contact over a potential deal for him.

He Tweeted: “Told Leeds, Newcastle, Ajax and Atalanta have all made enquiries to PSG about Arnaud Kalimuendo. Jesse Marsch wants a striker but that won’t be Charles De Ketelaere, who is getting nearer to a Milan move.”

The reporter added: “Kalimuendo would be a bargain at around £20 million. PSG open to a sale despite impressive loan with Lens. He’s technically gifted and always seems to find space. Fits Newcastle strategy, as per failed Hugo Ekitike bid, of trying to find a young talent to support Callum Wilson.”

Imagine him & Bruno Guimaraes

Howe can form an exciting duo through the middle of the park by signing Kalimuendo to partner him with their January signing from Lyon.

Journalist Jacque Talbot has described the PSG man as “disgustingly good” and his statistics show that he has been excellent in the last two seasons on loan at RC Lens.

In two Ligue 1 campaigns for the club, the 20-year-old racked up 19 goals and three assists in 41 starts. This means that he has averaged almost a goal every other game in his career at the top level in France so far, despite not turning 21 until next year.

He has proven that he can score goals on a consistent basis at such a young age and this suggests that he has immense potential. Imagine what he could be capable of with two or three more years of experience under his belt if he is already a lethal goalscorer at 20.

In Guimaraes, Newcastle have another attacking talent who can link-up with Kalimuendo in the Premier League next term. The Brazil international scored five goals and created three ‘big chances’ for his teammates in 11 starts for the Magpies in 2021/22 and has shown that he has the quality to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

Now, imagine Bruno and the French U21 international bursting forward in attack next season to score and create goals for Howe’s team. It is an exciting prospect and one that can become a reality if the club secure a deal with PSG before the end of the window.

AND in other news, PIF could land their own Aguero as NUFC eye deal to sign “exceptional” £13m phenomenon…