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The agent of Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman is reportedly in talks with Manchester United over a potential move ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to German outlet Bild, super-agent Pini Zahavi has been ordered to negotiate with Premier League clubs as the 24-year-old considers a move away from the Bundesliga giants.

Manchester City and Chelsea are also named among possible destinations for Coman, although the report states that a move is unlikely to occur until the summer of 2022.

Ole must avoid

The France international has just helped Bayern to their ninth consecutive top-flight title in a row, producing one of his best-ever season’s numbers-wise.

Coman scored just five league goals for Hansi Flick’s side, but his impressive haul of 12 assists in 29 league games was by far his best return throughout his senior career.

Nevertheless, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer must avoid this tempting transfer and concentrate solely on getting the Jadon Sancho deal over the line.

While Coman has failed to ever bag over six league goals in a single campaign despite playing for the division’s best side each season, the England international has hit totals of 12, 17 and eight for Borussia Dortmund since 2018/19.

Added to the fact that the 21-year-old has also been far more creative on the pitch than his Bayern counterpart, laying on an incredible 47 league assists in the same timeframe compared to the former Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain star’s haul of 21, it’s clear to see the difference in quality between the two forwards.

United finished second in the recently concluded Premier League campaign, 12 points behind champions Man City.

The sizeable gap was down to many reasons, but a significant one was due to the fact that Pep Guardiola’s men outscored their local rivals by 10 goals.

If Solskjaer is faced with a choice between Coman and Sancho when trying to close the gap to the Cityzens, then the Norwegian boss has an obvious answer to his dilemma.

The Frenchman’s persistent injury issues make him a liability too, and the ridiculous output of Sancho makes him a far more attractive target who could potentially help United overhaul their domestic rivals with his outstanding ability.

It would, quite simply, be a mistake to sign Coman instead of Sancho.

And, in other news…Get it done: United could seal their next Fernandes in “outstanding” £19.8m-rated gem 

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes that Michy Batshuayi could be a great signing for the Whites, with Marcelo Bielsa possibly getting the best out of him.

The Lowdown: Bamford backup required

Leeds could make additions across several positions this summer, with an additional striker an area which needs addressing.

Patrick Bamford has too often been the Whites’ main source of goals, with no other player in the squad managing to reach double figures in the Premier League last season – Jack Harrison and Stuart Dallas were joint-second top scorers with eights goals apiece.

Batshuayi has been linked with a move to Leeds, with Chelsea keen to offload the Belgian striker following a stint on loan at Crystal Palace in 2020/21.

[freshpress-quiz id=“355458″]

The Latest: Whelan keen on Leeds signing Batshuayi

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan claimed the Whites should take a punt on the 27-year-old, particularly as he played under Bielsa at Marseille. The ex-Leeds striker said:

“I think last season, there were rumblings about maybe getting him on loan as well.

“Sometimes, managers that have worked with players before, where it’s not worked out at other clubs for this particular player, I do believe that there’s a certain element of knowing that player.

“Knowing his character, having that trust in a player, that he can go and do a job. Also, knowing you can change the fortunes of that player in a certain league.

“Marcelo Bielsa’s improved everybody at Leeds United. Absolutely no shadow of a doubt about that one. Maybe he could do the same.

“There’s a player lying deep inside (Batshuayi) that we’ve not seen yet. Maybe Bielsa could bring the animal out.”

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The Verdict: Talented, but a risk

Batshuayi has undoubted pedigree as a player, notching 22 goals in 34 appearances for Belgium and being hailed for his “incredible knack” of scoring by Chelsea legend Pat Nevin back in 2017.

Despite this praise, his career has gone stagnant in recent years – he only scored twice for Palace last season – so Leeds making a move for him could be deemed a risk.

If Bielsa believes he can get the best out of Batshuayi, the 27-year-old could be an excellent signing, but there is a niggling feeling that the Whites should look elsewhere for someone to provide competition for Bamford.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a big update on a key Leeds player’s future. Find out who it is here.

Sheffield Wednesday reportedly face competition for the signing of Josh Griffiths this summer, with Portsmouth and Lincoln City also keen on a move for the goalkeeper.

The Lowdown: Owls show Griffiths interest

The Owls are getting ready for life in League One, following their hugely disappointing relegation from the Championship last season.

Darren Moore will be keen to bring in his own players this summer and West Brom goalkeeper Griffiths is someone Wednesday have been linked with.

The 19-year-old impressed on loan at Cheltenham Town last season, starting 44 games in League Two as they gained promotion to the third tier of English football, winning the league in the process.

The Latest: League One pair also keen

The Owls face competition for Griffiths’ signature, however, with journalist Alan Nixon taking to Twitter to claim that Portsmouth and Lincoln are both eyeing up loan moves for the teenager.

It remains to be seen how serious Wednesday’s interest is, but it looks as though they won’t be able to sign him easily.

The Verdict: Exciting long-term prospect

With Keiren Westwood leaving Hillsborough this summer, the need for a new ‘keeper is clear and Griffiths is someone very much at the other end of his career.

He looks like an exciting prospect who will be full of confidence after last season’s success, so Moore would be sensible to try and snap him up.

Granted, experience isn’t necessarily on Griffiths’ side, but he has already shown he can shine for a promotion-chasing team – something Wednesday will intend to be in 2021/22.

In other news, Sheff Wed have been tipped to sign an attacker this summer – find out who it is here. 

Fabio Paratici’s next task at Tottenham Hotspur will be to offload some of the club’s unwanted players, according to Football London journalist Alasdair Gold.

The lowdown

Tottenham confirmed Paratici’s appointment as the club’s managing director of football on Saturday.

The former Juventus executive doesn’t officially start in his new role until 1st July, but he has already identified Paulo Fonseca as his preferred managerial candidate.

And Spurs are now closing in on the appointment of the former Roma boss, which could be announced this week.

The latest

Gold reports that, with the managerial appointment all but finalised, Paratici’s attentions will now turn to sales.

Spurs are said to be in need of funds to ‘revamp’ their squad after losing £200million in revenue as a consequence of the pandemic.

He adds that a number of players’ agents have already been told to seek out new clubs for their clients.

Paratici will be working with technical director Steve Hitchen on player recruitment, and the pair are ‘believed to be friends’.

He’s expected to take advantage of Hitchen’s ‘knowledge of the English game’ and Spurs’ current group of players.

The verdict

Spurs’ apparent sell-to-buy plan looks to be off to a strong start, with Serge Aurier reportedly set to join PSG for a healthy €20million. They’ve arguably got the better end of that deal.

If they’re serious about this ‘revamp’, they should now look to the likes of Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Harry Winks and Erik Lamela as potential sources of funds.

They’ll want to wrap up these deals swiftly so Fonseca isn’t left waiting on the green light to move for his own targets.

In other news, could this be a possible Serge Aurier replacement?

Tottenham Hotspur’s Ben Davies is a potential left-back target for Napoli, according to Ciro Venerato.

RAI journalist Venerato dropped the news while speaking on Radio Kiss Kiss (via Napoli Magazine).

The lowdown

Davies, who has been with Spurs since 2014 when he joined from Swansea, made 14 Premier League starts last season.

Sergio Reguilon, a summer signing from Real Madrid, was favoured in the left-back position.

The Welshman, who has helped his country progress to the Round of 16 at the European Championships, still has three years left on his Spurs contract.

His sale could net Spurs a healthy fee, given that contract situation and Transfermarkt valuing him at £14.4million.

The latest

Venerato reports that Chelsea’s Emerson Palmieri remains Napoli’s primary left-back target.

But if they fail to land the Italian, they are expected to turn their attention to Davies.

Napoli are tipped to use their ‘good relations’ with Fabio Paratici, Tottenham’s new director of football, to ‘snatch’ the 28-year-old.

The verdict

Spurs shouldn’t sell Davies because of his versatility. He played as a centre-back on six occasions last season and is well suited to the role on the left of a three. In fact, the Euro 2020 star can play anywhere on the left side of defence from centre-back to left-midfield, making him tailor-made for Paratici.

Paratici’s preference is thought to be a back three system, so much so he ‘changed course’ in negotiations with Paulo Fonseca when he learned of the Portuguese’s intention to play 4-2-3-1.

It would make little sense to sell a ready-made option for this new shape, even if a reasonable bid arrived, especially while the Lilywhites do not even know who their new manager will be – a boss who is on the same page as Paratici will surely see the benefit in keeping the versatile Davies around.

In other news, Spurs have struck an agreement with this Liga NOS outfit.

Marcus Bent insists that Gary Cahill cannot be allowed to leave Crystal Palace this summer.

The central defender is poised to depart the club upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the month.

The 35-year-old moved to in 2019 and made a total of 47 appearances for the Eagles following his free transfer from Stamford Bridge.

Even last season, Cahill played 20 times in the Premier League, scoring once, and Bent believes that the ex-England international should be retained by the club.

Indeed, he cited the example of former Leicester City defender Matty Elliott, who played for the club until the age of 36.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I find it harsh that he went from Chelsea at that time because they made him captain. I found it harsh but Jose decided to bring in other players. Gary lives down the road, he’s still fit, he looks fit, he’s 30, will he drop down the leagues?

“I’d like to think not because he’s still got a lot of quality to bring to the Premier League, and he’s got a lot of quality to bring to Crystal Palace.

“I think if anything, I think Palace need to bring in someone that needs to play around him because his brain, his legs, his body are still working really well, he reads the game well, his experience, you need a centre-half.

“I played with the likes of Matty Elliot, he played until he was 36 at Leicester, being the captain, as long as you’ve got players around him and that experience around them and that quality around them, I think they can give everything back, doesn’t mean they’re going to start every game or play every game throughout the season but you still need to have that within the dressing room, still need to have that within the squad.

“To let him go would be a disaster for me.”

Cahill has enjoyed a long and storied career and is a seasoned winner, lifting two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, two Europa Leagues, the Champions League and the League Cup.

He also won 61 caps for England, playing at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016.

Dean Windass believes that Tammy Abraham would snap up the chance to return to Aston Villa this summer.

The 23-year-old spent the 2018-2019 campaign on loan at Villa Park, scoring 25 Championship goals, including a crucial one in the play-off semi-final to help Dean Smith’s men return to the Premier League.

His fine loan spell clearly impressed then Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, who quickly made Abraham his first-choice striker at Stamford Bridge following their transfer ban.

And the Abraham repaid the faith shown in him by scoring 18 goals in all competitions to guide the west London outfit to a top four finish.

But since Lampard was sacked back in January, Abraham’s opportunities have been limited, and having been left out of the squad for both the FA Cup final and Champions League final, his days at Stamford Bridge would appear limited.

With that in mind, several Premier League clubs have been linked with the £40m-rated striker, with Villa in the running.

And Windass exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that following his affiliation to the club, a return to Villa Park would make sense:

“Tuchel has come in and didn’t fancy Tammy, so if Dean Smith, if Villa come calling he’ll say yes because he’s been there before.”

Glasgow Rangers have suffered a blow to their pre-season plans as it was revealed by The Scottish Sun that Ryan Kent is not training at the moment as he struggling with an injury.

The Lowdown: Kent not pictured at training

The Gers returned to pre-season training a few days ago as they start their preparations for the new campaign.

However, Kent was not pictured, and that led to fears from several of the supporters that there could be an issue.

The Latest: Kent injured

Now, there has been a big update provided on the 24-year-old.

The reason he has not been pictured on the training field is that he is struggling with a niggling injury and is therefore confined to the gym at the moment. An Ibrox source, though, has claimed the issue is nothing to worry about.

The Verdict: Blow to Gerrard

Of course, it is positive to hear that the injury should not be too serious, but this is still a big set-back. The last thing Steven Gerrard will have wanted when his players returned is to see one of them struggling – in pre-season, every single day counts as the squad aims to get its fitness into perfect shape ahead of the new term.

For one of his most important players to be carrying the injury does not make the situation any better. Kent has managed 27 goals and 28 assists in 128 games for the club, of which 13 and 15 came last term respectively (Transfermarkt).

His pace and skill down the left wing are huge assets – as the Gers aim to qualify for the Champions League group stages this term, they will need the former Liverpool youngster 100 per cent fit and firing.

In other news, Rangers fans were delighted with an update on this 4-goal ace.

Celtic face competition from Spartak Moscow and FC Krasnodar in their pursuit of Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet, as reported by the Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Celtic eyeing firepower ahead of 2021/22

Looking towards 2021/22, newly-appointed Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou will be desperate to acquire some extra firepower in the final third as he plots a Premiership title challenge this term.

Club icon Leigh Griffiths has agreed a new one-year contract extension, but talismanic figure Odsonne Edouard looks set to leave Parkhead in the midst of interest from Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham [The Scottish Sun].

Frantically searching for potential alternatives, the Celts now may have to go all guns blazing to land one particular target after recent developments.

The Latest: Nisbet subject to Russian interest; contact has been made

Nisbet is attracting interest from Champions League qualifiers Spartak Moscow alongside fellow Russian Premier League side FC Krasnodar [Daily Record].

These reports have been backed up by the 24-year-old’s agent Nicky Nicholson, who stated: “Krasnodar is really interested in Kevin. They first got in touch a few months ago, and since then we have been in touch.

“He also likes Spartak Moscow. They got in touch, we talked.” [Daily Record].

In January, the striker looked all but set to join English Championship outfit Birmingham City before a move collapsed at the final hurdle [Birmingham Mail].

The Verdict: Nisbet would be a tailor-made addition for Celtic

Due to a multitude of different factors, it is hard to see too many concrete arguments against Nisbet being an excellent prospective addition at Celtic.

Familiar with the Scottish top flight, deadly in front of goal and possessing a growing reputation on the international scene, he could become the ideal replacement for Edouard should the Frenchman leave Celtic this summer.

In 2020/21, the former Dunfermline talisman chipped in with a whopping 26 goal contributions from 44 appearances, with 18 goals and eight assists [Transfermarkt].

He recently scored his first goal for Scotland in a 2-2 draw with Netherlands last month [BBC], and it is easy to see why he was once labelled as ‘excellent’ by his current manager Jack Ross [The Edinburgh Reporter].

Always eager to get involved in attacking play, he recorded the highest average shots-per-game rate in the Hibernian squad across the 2020/21 season with 2.5 per match [WhoScored].

Celtic should absolutely look to tie a deal up for the forward before somebody else does.

In other news, Celtic are set to open talks with this Serie A ace.

Aston Villa are set to make an offer of more than €10m (£8.5m) for River Plate’s Julian Alvarez, according to Argentine outlet TNT Sports, and a number of Villa supporters have been reacting to the update on social media.

Villa have already brought in Emiliano Buendia and Ashley Young this summer and were linked with a move for Alvarez last month.

The 21-year-old made one appearance in Argentina’s Copa America triumph, and according to TNT Sports, his representative is in England. The report suggests that an offer of more than €10m is set to be tabled in the next few days.

Alvarez, who has 16 goals and 17 assists in 69 appearances for River Plate, is valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt but has just 18 months left on his contract for Los Millionarios.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the news regarding Villa’s planned bid for Alvarez on Twitter. Here is what these fans had to say in reply, with some relieved that the reported pursuit of Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe seems to have died off.

“Thank heavens. No ESR”

Credit: @ViIlaI_

“finally”

Credit: @Jake__avfc

“Let’s go!!!”

Credit: @LoveMcGrathpod

“W”

Credit: @KONSAISTHEGOAT

“Got the impression a few weeks ago that he was a contingency should we fail in our attempts to sign Smith Rowe. Alvarez, Jack and Buendia all interchanging behind Ollie UTV”

Credit: @JamesCourten

“Thank god this ESR saga is over”

Credit: @pubIad

In other news: ‘Really are making moves’, ‘Insane’ – Many Aston Villa fans erupt as ‘tasty’ news emerges.