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Fabrizio Romano has made a claim on Southampton’s interest in Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams as he edges closer to a move to St Mary’s.

What’s the word?

Southampton were heavily linked for a loan move for the full-back in the winter transfer window last season but failed to bring him in after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decided to keep him at Old Trafford, but it seems as if Ralph Hasenhuttl is finally about to get his man, as Romano revealed on his Twitch (via Saints Extra) that Williams’ season-long loan move is close to being completed.

Will Williams be a good signing for Hasenhuttl?

Although the South Coast club have already brought in Romain Perraud at left-back, and have the consistent Kyle Walker-Peters at right-back, Williams can offer competition in both of those positions and was definitely a necessary signing when you consider that fellow left-backs Ryan Bertrand and Jake Vokins (loan) have left the club already this summer.

After a breakthrough season for the Red Devils in the 2019/20 campaign, in which he made 17 appearances in the Premier League, Williams will have been hoping to push on as a regular in Solskjaaer’s side last season.

However, the summer signing of Alex Telles coupled with the impressive form of Luke Shaw limited the United academy graduate to just four appearances in the top-flight last season, totalling just 186 minutes.

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Therefore a loan move was perhaps always likely to be on the cards for the 20-year-old this summer and Southampton look to be the beneficiaries, with Hasenhuttl no doubt delighted that the deal is close to completion so early in the transfer window, which will give Williams plenty of time to adjust and accommodate himself in pre-season.

Paul Scholes was full of praise for Williams back in 2020, saying:

“He’s an excellent defender but he can also get forward as well. He’s got quality, he’s a talented lad and he’ll get up and down the pitch.

“He’s got two good feet, I think he’s more of a right-footed left-back which is strange. He’s got the quality to get forward and the quality to score goals.”

Therefore, Southampton look to be getting a quality young player in on loan and if he can impress during his spell at St Mary’s, perhaps we will see his move made permanent in the future.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl unleashing rarely-seen “very dangerous” beast could be bad news for 4-goal dud

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have reacted to news on their club and Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ramy Bensebaini.

David Moyes has been tipped to target new defenders as one of his main summer transfer priorities alongside the acquisition of a star striker and signing Jesse Lingard permanently (Claret & Hugh).

West Ham have been linked to a few colossal defensive names like Nikola Milenkovic and James Tarkowski, with news now emerging on another target in Bensebaini.

The Bundesliga ace, who started 20 German top flight matches for Monchengladbach over 2020/2021, also managed more interceptions per 90 on average (1.9) than any West Ham man did in the Premier League (WhoScored).

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As a result, Moyes and GSB are now interested in signing Bensebaini this summer, according to Corriere dello Sport.

The Italian news outlet reports that while the Irons are eyeing him alongside Roma, his €20 million (£17.02m) asking price ‘risks dissuading’ both while new Monchengladbach head coach Adi Hütter is keen to keep him.

Regardless of these obstacles, West Ham fans have reacted to the news on social media with a fair few pleading for his signing.

Find all of their reactions in response to DZfoot English, West Ham Fan Zone and West Ham News & Views down below.

West Ham fans react as Bensebaini news emerges

“Bensebaini would be absolutely amazing for us please @WestHam

Just pay what they want”

Credit: @WHUInfo

“He’s so good. Would be class!”

Credit: @WHUFCallum_

“YES PLEASE”

Credit: @cjgwhu

“Yeah there’s no way”

Credit: @joe_little03

“Said Benrahma has recommended him to David Moyes & is now considering to make a bid or not so let’s see if he does follow up & I think he should personally as he is exactly what we need at left back & a great back up for Aaron Cresswell & Arthur Masuaku trust me on that! COYI!”

Credit: @MichaelAGomes19

“Baller”

Credit: @Ed48297466

“DO IT!”

Credit: @DNXN90

“Would be such a bargain for £18m”

Credit: @1bbyWHU

In other news: West Ham in pole position to sign ‘goal king’ with formal bid expected soon, find out more here.

An update has emerged on Rangers centre-back Nikola Katic, regarding Spezia’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Croatian News, as relayed by Glasgow Live, Serie A side Spezia are showing an interest in taking Rangers centre-back Nikola Katic on a season-long loan.

The defender has been out for a year with a cruciate ligament injury and Spezia are hoping that they will be able to swoop in to secure a deal for his services upon his recovery.

Time to go

It’s time for Katic to leave… for now. Rangers must ruthlessly axe him from the squad and send him out on loan to Spezia for a year to aid his rehabilitation.

The Croatian played zero minutes throughout the 2020/21 campaign because of his knee injury and it will be a tough ask to break back into Steven Gerrard’s side in the coming weeks/months.

Leon Balogun, Filip Helander and Connor Goldson all averaged superb WhoScored ratings of 7.06 or higher in the Scottish Premiership last season. Goldson managed a particularly impressive score of 7.38 across 33 starts and this highlights the level of competition in the centre-back position within Rangers’ squad, which is why Katic needs to leave on loan.

12 months in Italy playing regular football at the top level could allow him to get back in shape and return to form after such a long period without competitive minutes under his belt.

He could then return to Ibrox next summer and be ready to attack the Scottish Premiership and win his place back in the side, which he is capable of doing given the manager’s previous praise of his work.

Back in 2019, Gerrard lauded the defender and labelled him as a winner and a warrior at the back for Rangers. He said:

“The kid is a winner and a warrior. We know what he gives. Anyone his age, after giving the penalty away, might have gone into their shell. It might have affected their performance.

“But if you knock Niko Katic down, he’s gonna get back up and come again. That’s the man, that’s the player.”

This is why sending the £9k-per-week beast is the right call for Rangers to make. They must axe him from the team and give him a season to go away and prove that he is over his injury issues and that he can return next year and make a real impact in Scotland.

AND in other news, “It’s a huge opportunity” – Exclusive: Ball urges Rangers to strike deal to sign 11-assist star…

Rangers have been linked with a move for Gary Cahill recently and if he were to arrive at Ibrox, it could spell the end for Nikola Katic in Steven Gerrard’s side.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, Rangers are interested in signing the veteran centre-back following his exit from Crystal Palace earlier this summer, and are prepared to offer him a significant wage in order to bring him to Ibrox.

Should the 35-year-old arrive, it would leave Gerrard with a plethora of options at centre-back, which suggests that at least one from his current squad would leave, with Katic one of the most likely options.

The Croatia international missed the entirety of last season through injury and whilst he made his return in the pre-season game against Brighton recently, it is difficult to see him reclaiming a regular first-team spot in Gerrard’s side, when you consider the superb performances of Connor Goldson and Filip Helander last season.

Rangers would concede 13 goals in the Scottish Premiership, with their superb defensive record key to them finishing the league season unbeaten, which suggests that Gerrard won’t make too many changes at the back as he prepares for the season opener later this month.

Should Rangers swap Cahill for Katic?

Katic has been linked with a loan move to Italian side Spezia in recent weeks and sending him out on loan could be the ideal way for him to regain fitness and prove to Gerrard that he has a future at Ibrox, as before his injury he was a key player in the 41-year-old manager’s side.

Therefore, bringing in someone of Cahill’s experience could be an excellent short-term option for Gerrard and Rangers, as he will add some Champions League know-how ahead of the Gers’ return to the elite club competition.

The former Chelsea man was a regular for Crystal Palace in the Premier League last season, which suggests that he has what it takes to play consistently in the Scottish Premiership, and former manager Roy Hodgson praised his leadership qualities, saying:

“He’s also brought us leadership qualities, he’s been very good leadership-wise. He’s the best type of leader; he’s the quiet leader people don’t see from Row Z in the stand. He’s the leader we see in training week to week.”

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This certainly sounds like the type of player any manager would love to have in his squad, and therefore it would make a lot of sense if Ross Wilson were to sign him on a free transfer this summer and then perhaps send Katic out on loan to regain his fitness and confidence after his terrible injury problems last season.

And, in other news… Wilson can sign Rangers’ next Defoe with swoop for “exciting” wonderkid

A summer of change has arisen at Wolverhampton Wanderers with the old guard being removed from Molineux and fresh faces gracing the Midlands.

Nuno Santo has already departed the Old Gold and has been replaced by Bruno Lage. However, we could still yet see some of their star men depart.

On the chalkboard

One of the main concerns for Wolves in the remaining weeks of the window will be losing Ruben Neves.

The Portuguese dynamo has been linked with the exit door for some time now with Arsenal reportedly interested in securing his services.

Tentative talks have taken place over his signing but it could be a deal that sets any willing suitor back a whopping £35m.

Neves has been exceptional for Wolves since signing for a Championship record fee back in 2017.

He has been a stalwart in the middle of the park, offering swashbuckling tackling and devastating shooting from long-range.

If he does leave, though, a replacement will be needed.

The solution

According to Spanish publication, Sport, Wolves have been in negotiations to sign Aaron Ramsey from Juventus this summer.

The midfielder is now 30 years of age but enjoyed a vibrant European Championships for Wales after barely starting for the Turin club.

Ramsey left Arsenal behind in 2019 to sign a massive £400k-per-week deal with the Italian champions.

Therefore, he would be required to take a massive wage drop in order to head back to English football.

If Lage can tempt the 67-cap international to join his project at Wolves, he’d be an excellent replacement for Neves.

Dubbed as an “outstanding technician” by Martin Keown, he has the qualities to pose a threat in the final third like Neves, but also sit back and defend well.

Ramsey has proven in previous campaigns that he’s a goalscoring midfielder, finding the net on 16 occasions in 2013/14.

That’s a tally that eclipses Neves’ best season for goals by quite some margin but he’s also shown an ability to defend exceptionally well. In the 2015/16 Premier League term, the Welsh dynamo prevailed in 2.5 tackles per match.

Compare that to Neves and the similarities are clear. He won 2.4 challenges per game in the top-flight last season for instance.

Although Ramsey would have to become one of the club’s highest earners, he would be worth it to replace their Portuguese maestro.

AND in other news, Wolves offered chance to sign “exceptional” 56-cap ace, he may be another Willian Jose…

Italian football expert Conor Clancy believes it’s unlikely that Domenico Berardi will leave Sassuolo for Liverpool this summer. 

Liverpool have been credited with interest in the Italian international along with Leicester City this summer, with journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting that Sassuolo CEO Carnevali wants to keep Berardi at the club after the Leicester City rumours.

Conor Clancy also can’t see Berardi swapping Italy for England this summer, saying: “This summer I would say it’s probably unlikely that Berardi leaves but maybe in January if Sassuolo aren’t playing as well as they were last year or next summer, that’s something that’s a real possibility and that transfer could become a little more likely. 

“I’d say that if Sassuolo do decline this year, Berardi will leave next year but I can’t see him leaving this summer.”

The £31.5m-rated right-winger was in fine form for Sassuolo last season, scoring eight goals and providing four assists, taking his total for the club to 105 goals and 67 assists. After the club season was completed, Berardi was then part of the Italy squad that won Euro 2020.

Jurgen Klopp is is looking to strengthen his side this summer to boost his side’s chances of challenging on all fronts this season, and recently completed a deal to sign Ibrahima Konate, who joined from RB Leipzig for £36m.

Newcastle United have now made a proposal to try and sign Corinthians midfielder Ederson before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Central midfielder wanted

The St. James’ Park faithful have been reportedly linked with potential moves for a large number of central midfield players so far in this window, including the likes of Oliver Skipp and Tom Davies.

With no new signings made, the North East club are under pressure to bring in some fresh faces through the door on Tyneside, especially with the new 2021/22 Premier League season less than a week away now.

The Latest: Ederson proposal

As per ge.global.com, a businessman has claimed that he has received a proposal from Steve Bruce’s team to sign Ederson, who has been on loan at Fortazela from Corinthians.

The Brazilian is under contract with the latter until 2025, but there is still a possibility that a deal can be done.

The Verdict: Avoid

Ederson has impressed while playing in the Brazilian Serie A so far this year, winning a whopping 7.8 of his duels per game, as well as averaging 2.5 shots, 2.1 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 1.7 successful dribbles and 1.6 clearances per match (Sofascore) – he is an all-action presence in the heart of midfield.

However, the jump to the Premier League would be a huge one for the 22-year-old, and so the Magpies should be prioritising other targets like Skipp and Davies for now, and perhaps look at Ederson as a high-risk, high-reward signing for the future.

In other news, find out which £30m-rated ace NUFC can now sign here!

West Ham manager David Moyes has been dealt a massive blow over one of his top transfer targets this week…

What’s the word?

It’s believed that Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham sits atop the 58-year-old’s priorities this window, though he has been reluctant to splash out on his reported asking price.

But now, it appears the Irons are set to miss out on the 23-year-old after a major update has emerged.

According to Sky in Italy, Serie A outfit AS Roma – managed by ex-Blues boss Jose Mourinho – have agreed to a £34m deal to sign Abraham and it’s now on the Englishman to decide if he wants the move.

Fellow Italian side Atalanta are also keen, as are Arsenal, but Chelsea’s preference is to sell him to a foreign club rather than a Premier League rival.

Romelu Lukaku’s imminent mega-money return will push Abraham even further down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, despite him featuring in all three of their pre-season friendlies thus far.

Gutting blow

The Hammers may well have missed a trick here and it’ll surely leave many around the London Stadium absolutely reeling.

With the new Premier League season around the corner, quite literally as they open against Newcastle United this Sunday, Moyes has only one senior striker.

This has to be a major cause for concern as West Ham will be competing in the Europa League this term, meaning there’s a real possibility that they will play over 50 games throughout the year.

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An injury-prone Michail Antonio, who has never started over 24 league games since joining the club in 2015, is the Scot’s only option. If he gets injured, then it’ll be likely down to winger Jarrod Bowen to lead the line.

In fact, it’s quite shocking that the club are yet to sign someone in the position as they’ve had several months to sort out viable candidates. By sitting around and doing nothing, they have effectively left targets like Abraham free to go elsewhere.

The 23-year-old fell out-of-favour under Thomas Tuchel but still ended the 2020/21 campaign as Chelsea’s joint top-goalscorer on 12 goals, taking his total for the club to 30 goals in 82 appearances.

Described as a “goal machine” by former academy teammate Kasey Palmer and a “phenomenal player” by former top-flight manager Alex McLeish, Abraham would have been a very intriguing option for Moyes to have at his disposal and certainly one that offers a different kind of threat to Antonio.

Whilst the Chelsea forward seems unlikely to join a Premier League side, this is a saga that the Irons could well live to regret. If Moyes’ only striker gets injured or the goals dry up, then the fanbase will quite rightly be furious.

AND in other news, West Ham could seal bargain swoop for “physical” £18m-rated beast, Moyes would love him…

Nottingham Forest have seen a third bid for Lee Buchanan rejected.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Alan Nixon, with The Sun journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that, after submitting an improved offer for the Derby County left-back, the Rams have once again rejected their rival’s advances.

However, Nixon continues by stating that the summer transfer window is far from over, suggesting that deal could well be struck regarding the defender, as well as claiming in a further tweet that the offer made by Forest is more than fair in the current climate.

He said: “Forest. Latest offer for Buchanan at Derby bigger and with decent add ons. Derby say no just now. But window far from shut,” before adding “the Forest bid is not an insult. Pretty fair in current climate.”

Fans will be buzzing

While Derby’s rejection of Forest’s latest bid will undoubtedly come as a blow to Dane Murphy and his side, the fact that it seems as if an agreement for the 20-year-old could be found if the Reds keep pushing should well give fans of the club hope.

And, considering Chris Hughton’s lack of depth in Buchanan’s position, as well as the sheer amount of potential the England U21 international seems to possess, should Murphy manage to convince Derby to part with the defender this summer, it would have to go down as something of a masterclass by the new Forest CEO.

Indeed, over his 35 Championship appearances for Wayne Rooney’s side last season, the £2.25m-rated starlet helped his side keep seven clean sheets, as well as making an average of 0.9 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and 2.3 clearances and winning 6.1 duels per game.

The man Rooney dubbed a “top player” also impressed in a creative capacity, providing three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.4 key passes per match.

As such, the addition of Buchanan would very much look to be a fantastic deal for Murphy to get over the line for Forest this summer, not only as he would solve Hughton’s issues at left-back, or that he is a player who boasts a great amount of talent, but pinching one of the Garibaldi’s rival’s brightest stars would undoubtedly have the City Ground faithful buzzing.

In other news: Forest transfer news confirmed on “talented” £2.5k-p/w gem, Hughton will be buzzing

Queens Park Rangers have been dealt a major blow in their bid to keep Rob Dickie at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are locked in a battle to sign the QPR centre-back over what remains of the summer transfer window, while Newcastle United are also credited with an interest in the 25-year-old.

This latest update comes off the back of recent comments made by Mark Warburton, who revealed that he is confident the former England U19 international will remain a QPR player upon the closure of the summer market at the end of August.

Warburton will be gutted

Considering just how sure it appears Warburton is that Dickie will be staying at QPR this summer, should the defender go on to secure a move away from west London in the coming weeks, it will undoubtedly leave the 58-year-old gutted.

Indeed, the £2.25m-rated man has been in exceptional form over his three Championship appearances this season, helping his side keep one clean sheet, as well as making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.3 tackles, three clearances and winning a whopping nine duels per game.

The man Ryan Dilks dubbed an “unbelievable” player has also highly impressed going forwards, having already bagged two goals so far this term.

These returns have seen the £8k-per-week centre-back earn an extraordinary average SofaScore match rating of 7.73, not only ranking him as Warburton’s best performer in the second tier but also as the third-best player in the entirety of the division.

As such, losing the services of Dickie, especially so late in the transfer window, would quite clearly come as a huge blow to the QPR manager and his team, who will undoubtedly be hoping that the 25-year-old can be the cornerstone on which the club build their promotion push this season.