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West Ham United can 'play on' Leicester City's financial state and their relegation to the Sky Bet Championship as they attempt to sign Harvey Barnes this summer, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Harvey Barnes?

According to 90min, Barnes is believed to be one of West Ham United's key transfer targets this window and talks are advancing over a potential transfer for the 25-year-old to the London Stadium.

Said Benrahma, Maxwel Cornet and Pablo Fornals are among the options David Moyes has to choose from on the left-hand side of attack; however, the Scot would be willing to offload players this off-season to freshen things up.

The Guardian report that Newcastle United are 'leading the race' to bring in Barnes while Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur also hold an attraction towards the £35k-a-week ace.

Leicester City would hope to demand a fee of around £50 million for the England international, though they acknowledge that they may be forced to sell for a lower price due to being relegated to the English second tier.

Following the sale of Declan Rice, West Ham United will have the financial capability to attract Barnes alongside the fact they will feature in the Europa League. On the other hand, Newcastle United's involvement in Champions League football could tempt Barnes to move to the North East over other options, as per The Daily Mail.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that West Ham United will try to haggle with Leicester City to land Barnes at a cheaper fee than £50 million.

Jacobs told FFC: "The challenge with Barnes, who West Ham have looked at as well because they want more quality on the left, is price, with Leicester potentially asking for £45 or £50 million, but they were pushing for a higher number with James Maddison and eventually, there was a fee settled on for £40 million plus add-ons. Suitors are going to be able to play on the fact that Leicester's finances aren't great and they've been relegated as well."

Would Harvey Barnes be a good fit for West Ham United?

However, this could all mean nothing as Newcastle are supposedly closing in on the attacker.

It's hard to argue that Barnes wouldn't be a good fit for a club like West Ham United, especially taking into account his consistent displays in the Premier League over the course of the last few years.

Last term, the 25-year-old enjoyed a productive time of things on the left flank for Leicester City, registering 13 goals and three assists in 40 appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

Being able to lay on opportunities on a plate for his teammates is a big part of Barnes' game and he managed to record 63 successful shot-creating actions in 2022/23 in the Premier League, as per FBRef.

WhoScored also show that Barnes averaged around 2.1 shots on goal per match in the English top flight over the course, proving to be a difficult presence for opposition backlines to keep at bay.

West Ham United boss Moyes will be keen to build on his side's Europa Conference League triumph this season as he aims to make strides in the Europa League and bringing in someone like Barnes would help to continue the Hammers' upward trajectory.

Arsenal could be set to tie up their latest transfer of this busy summer window, according to reports…

What's the latest on Jurrien Timber to Arsenal?

The latest on Mikel Arteta's pursuit of Jurrien Timber is detailed by Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter to update fans on the Gunners' progress. It seems like the completion of such a deal is just around the corner.

Detailing in a short tweet, the Italian journalist would write: "Jurrien Timber deal, now at final stages as revealed earlier. But no medical has been scheduled yet and there are still some details to clarify between clubs. Looks like a matter of time and then Mikel Arteta will have one more top signing."

This added to a prior announcement, in which he suggested a fee of around €48m (£41m) had been submitted by the north London outfit, who are doing all they can to close the gap to Manchester City.

Could Jurrien Timber copy John Stones?

As a ball-playing centre-back, there are few across Europe as technically gifted in his role as Timber. However, unfortunately for Arteta, one of those few features under Pep Guardiola.

John Stones captured the imagination last season with his mesmeric work in advancing the play, as his Spanish boss even sought to employ him in a midfield role as an inverted full-back to maximise these talents.

He recognised the elite skillset the 29-year-old boasted and made the necessary changes to elevate the England international to new levels. He starred in the heart of a side that would go on to claim a famous treble, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

As per FBref, it was clear to see that such a tactical shift was destined for success. When compared to other centre-backs across Europe, he ranked in the top 10% for passes attempted, the top 4% for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes and the top 8% for progressive carries.

This helped him maintain a 7.03 average rating in the league, in which he offered another calming and controlling presence beside Rodri in the engine room.

Having not been afraid to copy his former mentor on occasion, given his current philosophy greatly resembles the revolutionary style of the former Barcelona boss, Arteta could now be set to secure his own version of Stones through Timber.

After all, the Netherlands international actually ranks in the top 1% for all of the aforementioned categories when compared against the same group. He would be more than capable of operating in a similar role, with Rafael van der Vaart even noting: "Timber is so quick, light feet, always sharp, never panicking on the ball. Almost like a great midfielder in defence."

It should come as no surprise to see the 22-year-old also branded a "special, special talent" by journalist and U23 scout Antonio Mango.

As a couple of technically-exceptional defenders, both with the physicality to compete at the highest level too, the Gunners could once again emulate the success of their rivals in the hope it can push them even closer to the levels needed to truly end their monopoly over English football.

Mikel Arteta could be a crucial factor in Arsenal's pursuit of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.

Are Arsenal signing Rice?

Despite having two bids rebuffed by West Ham already, Arsenal are still confident of getting a deal done for Declan Rice. The Hammers want more than the £75m upfront and £15m in add-ons that the Gunners proposed in their most recent bid.

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, however, a key factor in any deal for Rice could be Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who is incredibly eager to add the midfielder to his already impressive squad.

"There is a crucial part of the story to mention," said Romano. "There is the player. At the moment the player, Declan Rice, has been very clear from what I understand. He wants to be open, and to see what Arsenal and Manchester City will do."

The Italian added: "We know one crucial point on this story: Mikel Arteta. Arteta is pushing at the best level to sign Declan Rice. Arteta is trying in every single way. Of course, it doesn't depend on him, it depends on the owners and how much they want to spend on the deal."

"But Mikel Arteta is trying his best. He's really pushing for Declan Rice to join Arsenal. So, Arteta could be crucial. If Declan Rice will be an Arsenal player, trust me, Arteta would be a crucial factor."

This will come as good news to Arsenal fans now that treble winners Manchester City have entered the race to sign the 24-year-old.

Declan Rice has been allowed to leave West Ham this summer following the club's Europa Conference League victory, and the Hammers are holding out for a bid closer to their £120m valuation. The club's captain has 245 appearances under his belt, as well as 42 England caps.

Have Man City bid for Rice?

Romano insists that Man City "have always been informed" about Rice's situation but are yet to launch an official bid for the player. With the finances of the deal a potential stumbling block for Arsenal, the Premier League champions could hijack the transfer.

One of City's current defensive-midfield options, Kalvin Phillips, has already been linked with a move to West Ham, and it is understood that David Moyes is keen on bringing Rice's international teammate to London.

While this could give the reigning champions an edge over Arsenal in the hunt for Rice, it is unclear whether or not City would be willing to let Phillips leave the club, especially considering he has only been at the Etihad for one season.

Either way, Rice's future is in the balance as the Premier League's top two do everything in their power to land the midfielder.

Tottenham Hotspur have been "offered" Roma defender Roger Ibanez after Roma sporting director Tiago Pinto's trip to London for talks, according to reports out of Italy.

Who could Spurs sign this summer?

Defensively, Spurs endured a very tough season over 20222023, shipping more goals than any other side in the Premier League above Bournemouth in 15th.

These make for alarming numbers and it's a problem that new manager Ange Postecoglou must attempt to resolve very quickly, especially if they're to qualify for Europe next season.

Luckily for Spurs supporters, all the noises suggest that a central defensive signing or two is certainly on the agenda. Posteocoglou, according to recent reports, has already given the green-light for his side to capture a star defender this summer.

This has lead to links with the likes of Ibanez and Wolves defender Max Kilman, among others, while Tottenham are also on the hunt for a new goalkeeper to replace Hugo Lloris.

Elsewhere, there have been suggestions that Spurs are targeting Leicester City star James Maddison and talks have apparently been opened. Maddison's teammate, Harvey Barnes, is also said to be attracting real interest from the north Londoners.

Going back to the defensive position, there has been an update on their chase for Ibanez of Roma, after claims thar Tottenham are "above all" attempting his signing alongside Atletico Madrid.

Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, via Sport Witness, claim Spurs have now been "offered" Ibanez with London rivals Chelsea handed the same opportunity.

Roma chief Pinto has travelled to London in an attempt to negotiate incomings and outgoings, and during his visit, he has apparently gifted Spurs the chance to go for Ibanez.

His price tag is set at around €30 million (£26m), contrary to previous suggestions that Roma are willing to part company for less.

Who is Roger Ibanez?

Called "outstanding" by members of the press, Ibanez starred for Roma last season, having made more interceptions per 90 than anyone in their squad (WhoScored).

He also ranked in their top two for tackles and clearances per 90, showcasing his true ability, with Mourinho even calling him "untouchable".

"When we went to Seville to face Real Betis earlier this season, the morning of the game I saw him [Ibanez] and thought it was going to be impossible for him to play. And yet he played. He’s one who always fronts up.

“When we win, we all win together. When we lose, we all lose together. For me he is untouchable."

Erling Haaland has shown he doesn’t save all of his goals for games, scoring an unbelievable volley during training for Norway.

What’s the latest on Erling Haaland?

The 22-year-old had an explosive first season in England, scoring 52 goals and creating nine assists across all competitions after joining Manchester City last summer.

His goalscoring prowess isn’t just saved for club football, though, with Haaland scoring for Norway during the nation’s recent 2-1 loss to Scotland, and now he’s shown that he keeps finding the back of the net, even in training as a video of him scoring a spectacular volley has surfaced on Twitter.

After the ball was played in his direction, the forward controlled it with his chest, before letting it bounce. Then he took aim and unleashed a ferocious effort that struck the inside of the post before sailing into the back of the net.

No keeper in the world would have been able to keep it out, and it serves as a reminder of just how good Haaland is in front of goal. The striker has, at times, been accused of only scoring from close range, so the goal will silence the critics and prove he is capable of scoring from anywhere.

Check out the effort in all its glory below.

Here are some of the best fan reactions on Twitter to the sublime finish…

The plaudits kept coming, with fans comparing Haaland to a certain Transformer, an extraterrestrial and even an ancient Norse warrior…

One fan was quick to point out the goal was quite different to the close-range finishes he’d become known for, while another questioned why we don’t see more of those from the forward in games…

Celtic former manager Brendan Rodgers has been lined up for a sensational return to Parkhead and it would be 'interesting' to see if the 50-year-old could 'get things back on track' at the club following his controversial exit in 2019 to Leicester City, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Celtic and Brendan Rodgers?

According to The Daily Mail, Celtic chiefs Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay flew to Majorca by private jet to hold 'face-to-face' discussions with Rodgers over a sensational return to Parkhead as the Scottish giants hunt for a new manager to replace Ange Postecoglou.

The report states that the 50-year-old has 'reservations' about taking on the role for a second spell in charge; however, Celtic's major shareholder Dermot Desmond has thrown his support behind Rodgers and the former Leicester City coach is now said to be weighing up a move with further talks expected later this week.

As per The Daily Record, Rodgers has not dismissed the possibility of coming back to Glasgow despite initially planning to take a break from football before returning to either a Premier League club or a stint abroad.

Manchester City coach Enzo Maresca, out-of-work manager Daniel Farke, Bodo/Glimt's Kjetil Knutsen and former Alanyaspor boss Francesco Farioli have also been linked with the managerial vacancy at Celtic.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that despite the sour ending when Rodgers left Celtic for Leicester City back in 2019, the Hoops may look to 'rekindle' their relationship with their ex-manager ahead of 2023/24.

Jones told FFC: "Rodgers himself has always said he would be open-minded to this, but you think about the way it played out after he left. It wasn't pretty the way it ended and it wasn't that long ago. It'd be interesting to see how open he really was to a situation like this and if he's the man they want. He's obviously at the moment getting his head around the fact that things went sour at Leicester and he's got to find his feet again and get back into a challenge. I'm not sure, to be honest, that it's a great idea to go back and I think that if Brendan Rodgers bides his time, there are going to be some other really exciting opportunities for him, but if they can put their little trouble behind them that they did have at the end there, then, who knows? Celtic and Rodgers could look to rekindle and see if they can get things back on track again."

Would Brendan Rodgers be the right fit for Celtic?

When he was at Celtic last time, Rodgers, who was hailed as a "genius", had an unblemished domestic record and won seven domestic trophies from seven available and established himself as a serial winner in Scotland, as per Transfermarkt.

His European achievements at the Hoops can be quantified in different ways depending on what the general public deem as successful. However, he did manage to achieve qualification to the Champions League group phase twice from the qualifying route and took Celtic to a third-place finish in 2017/18 at the expense of Anderlecht on goal difference and a subsequent passage to the knockout rounds of the Europa League.

In terms of recruitment, Rodgers did make some excellent signings at Celtic, especially the likes of Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair in his first season at the club, who both went on to be major players in the Scottish giants' invincible treble in 2016/17.

To summarise, Rodgers being appointed as Celtic boss probably wouldn't yield the same fanfare as he did in 2016; however, he is about as safe a bet as you can get to continue delivering domestic dominance in Glasgow's east end.

The Premier League is an exciting league, some would say the best league in the world. Each year many sports news channels are reporting new records being set as teams perform better, transfer records are broken, or the teams doing badly set another record (they probably didn’t want to). In the 2021/2022 season, a few records have already been broken – Paul Pogba became the first Premier League player in history to provide four assists in an opening week fixture. Pep Guardiola managed to get to the 500-point milestone in just 213 games, the quickest by any manager. And Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk sets the Premier League record for most home games unbeaten since his debut.

So what records could be broken in the coming 2022/2023 premier league season or the season after that? Below we look into some of the records currently set and whether they may be beaten in the coming seasons.

Most Premier League points in a season

Currently, Manchester City (much to Manchester United’s misery) sits on the throne for the most Premier League points in a single season. In 2017/2018, Manchester City managed to get an impressive tally of 100 points.

With the Premier League becoming more competitive each year, can this be beaten in the years to come? It’s going to be challenging, especially with even more talented players joining lower ranked clubs than they used to. This could be a record that is going to be in the record books for many years to come.

Most Premier League titles

Man United have won the most Premier League titles since it’s been called the Premier League. At the moment their record stands at 13 titles, with Chelsea and Manchester City currently at five and Arsenal have won 3 titles

This record is here to stay for a few more years at least. With 5 being the closest to Man United’s 13, we will be waiting for another 10 years or so until we start talking about this record being broken. Manchester City is performing incredibly well at the moment and with the transfers they are doing, are showing that they are here to stay. Maybe they will be the team to hold the record one day.

Fewest Premier League points in a season

You have to feel sorry for whoever holds this record but at the moment it is Derby County with 11 points in the 2007/2008 season. Sunderland is second with 15 points in 2005/2006 and Huddersfield is third with 16 points in 2018/19.

Will the record be broken in the seasons to come? We will have to wait and find out! 11 points are particularly low and would require a very disastrous season to be on less.

Most Premier League points in a season without winning the title

In the season where Man City made the record for most points in one season at 100, Liverpool came very close in second. In the 2018/19 season, Liverpool managed to achieve a total of 97 points, falling just 3 off City. This was agonisingly close and in many other seasons would have won Liverpool the title. The consolation prize is that they won the award for most Premier League points in a season without winning the title.

Could this point tally be beaten in the years to come? Liverpool and Manchester City are still very close and competing at the highest of levels. It’s possible but the teams around the two of them are strengthening each year making the competition even harder. Some would argue the Premier League is the hardest it has ever been.

Most consecutive Premier League wins

The record for most consecutive Premier League wins is currently a draw with both Manchester City (26 August 2017 – 27 December 2017) and Liverpool (27 October 2019 – 24 February 2020) both on 18.

Deep down both teams would love to beat this record. Both Liverpool and City are at a very similar level and competing for all the trophies at the moment. If they could win this record, it’s another thing they can boast about and take away from their rival. That said, with the overall standard of all the teams in the league improving, this record is only going to get harder as the years go by. Could the new transfers that Pep Guardiola wants help them reach new heights? They have already signed Erik Haaland who is bound to be a big success for City just like Jack Grealish currently is.

The Premier League is full of statistics which get broken each year. What statistics do you think will be broken in the years to come? Are there any which you particularly want to see broken? Have we missed some that you think should be added? Let us know in the comment box below.

Photo by Unsplash

Aston Villa have been name-checked with an interest in AS Roma attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan by journalist Alfredo Pedulla.

The Lowdown: Mkhitaryan at Roma

Mkhitaryan has impressed in recent seasons after leaving Arsenal for Roma back in 2019. The Armenia international made a loan move permanent as a free agent and has turned out on 119 occasions for the Serie A giants.

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The 33-year-old has scored 29 times in a Roma shirt, taking his tally for club and country to 201, however, he is out of contract with the club at the end of June, leading to rumours of a possible Premier League return.

The Latest: Pedulla’s post

Pedulla took to Twitter on Wednesday evening to share an update on Mkhitaryan’s future.

He stated that Roma wants to renew the 33-year-old’s deal, but said ‘watch out’ for a possible ‘surprise’ move to Villa. Inter Milan, Napoli and Tottenham were also name-checked alongside Villa in regards to a potential swoop.

The Verdict: Avoid?

Although Mkhitaryan has impressed in Italy, contributing to 24 goals in 34 league games last season, Villa could be better off avoiding a free transfer.

They have now secured a permanent deal for Phillipe Coutinho and also have club-record signing Emiliano Buendia on the books, two high quality attacking midfield options. Therefore, if Steven Gerrard wants another this summer, the club may benefit from looking to land a younger player who can learn from Coutinho and Buendia and will be happy to be a bit-part player.

You’d expect that Mkhitaryan would want regular game time in the final years of his career, something Villa may not be able to offer, but it could still be one to watch closely.

In other news: ‘Incredible…’ – Sky Sports man buzzing at major Villa news after ‘speaking to the players’. 

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte could be looking to repeat his success at Inter Milan amid links to Victor Osimhen…

What’s the word?

According to Italian journalist Niccolo Ceccarini to Radio Kiss Kiss, Spurs are among the teams interested in signing the Napoli striker during the summer transfer window (via Sport Witness).

He said: “Victor Osimhen’s situation is very clear, if great offers arrive Napoli would listen to them without thinking twice. But it will take a very high amount to snatch him from Neapolitan society, it will not be easy.

“There are clubs from England like Newcastle and Tottenham that could go on the assault in the summer.”

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It remains to be seen how much the 23-year-old would command this off-season, though he is currently valued at €70m (£60m) by CIES Football Observatory, who assess the transfer value of professional footballers on a scientific basis.

Imagine him and Harry Kane

It’s also believed that this move wouldn’t be down to any Harry Kane departure, so the pair could well emerge as a potential partnership under the Italian head coach heading into the 2022/23 season.

Conte ended Inter’s 11-year wait for a Scudetto by winning the Serie A title last season and he did so by deploying a two-man attack, in which Romelu Lukaku – now at Chelsea – partnered Lautaro Martinez.

In this case, Kane can fill the Belgian’s role, albeit at a far greater level, given his ability to drop deeper as a playmaking option, whilst Osimhen could be the pacier and trickier player to nip in behind the defence.

The prolific Nigeria international has averaged a goal contribution once every 95 minutes across all competitions this term, having registered a total of 17 goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Compared to his positional peers in Europe across the last 365 days, the Napoli marksman is in the top 4% for shots (3.85 per 90) and the top 6% for non-penalty goals (0.65 per game), proving that he isn’t relying on a gifted spot-kick and can generally form chances himself, via FBRef.

“Osimhen is a thoroughbred bomber. He can become a super striker over time. He has to understand a few things, and then he can become a world-class centre forward,” once claimed his manager Luciano Spalletti.

Meanwhile, former Manchester United loanee Odion Ighalo has previously waxed lyrical about Osimhen’s work rate for the team to Elegbete TV (via Goal.com), claiming the 6 foot 1 marksman has a “lion’s heart” as he “has the mentality of a winner.”

He is also blessed with searing pace – during his time in Ligue 1, only Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe could match his speed numbers.

Just imagine him playing in off Kane in the Premier League, his skillset could be an ideal fit, not just for the English top-flight but also in Conte’s proven and successful system.

Osimhen and Kane could strike fear into many a defence for the next few years and as such, chairman Daniel Levy must approve any move for the free-scoring £60m-rated animal.

AND in other news, Forget Kane: Spurs’ £72m-rated “dream” who won 83% of his duels gave Arteta nightmares…

A major Newcastle United transfer claim has emerged on their interest in signing Philippe Coutinho this summer.

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed that the Magpies will make an offer to the Brazilian in the upcoming window if given the opportunity to do so.

He is currently on loan at Aston Villa from Barcelona and they will need to fight the Villans to land his signature ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “Steven Gerrard still wants Villa to sign Coutinho, but Newcastle are watching this with interest.

“At the end of the month Villa have to tell Barcelona whether they intend to take up the option to buy him – and if they hesitate I’m told Newcastle will look to make a proposal to the player.”

PIF’s best deal yet

Bringing Coutinho in on a permanent deal in the summer would be PIF’s best piece of business so far since taking over the club in 2021.

They brought in a host of players in the January window to bolster Eddie Howe’s squad, including Dan Burn, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes, Matt Targett and Kieran Trippier.

This deal, however, would be their biggest statement to date as they would be signing a top-class player in what should be the peak years of his career at the age of 29. He was previously valued at a whopping £135m by Transfermarkt and this shows how much potential he has.

The Brazilian would also come in with a wealth of Premier League experience. Coutinho has played 167 matches in the English top-flight throughout his career, scoring 45 goals and providing 40 assists as he has proven that he can regularly contribute in the final third.

In his last campaign for Liverpool, he averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 8.01 across 14 matches in the division as he scored seven goals and provided six assists – creating 2.9 chances per game. If Newcastle can get him playing anywhere near this level then they will have an extremely special player on their hands.

He has proven his quality in England and still has plenty left to give at his age. This means that he would be a sublime signing for Eddie Howe’s team and one that would represent a major coup for PIF because of his pedigree.

It would send out a statement to other teams as it would show them that Newcastle mean business in the market and will be able to attract mercurial talents, like Coutinho.

AND in other news, Forget Dubravka: £23k-p/w NUFC lightweight who lost 75% duels let Howe down badly…