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Aston Villa must revive their interest in Montpellier winger Stephy Mavididi after the Englishman’s impressive campaign in Ligue 1.

What’s the word?

Italian news outlet Tutto Mercato Web claimed back in January that both Aston Villa and West Ham were taking an interest in the former Arsenal man. A move didn’t happen but a return to England is seemingly back on the cards.

The Birmingham Mail now claim that the likes of Everton, Brighton and Southampton are taking an interest in the 24-year-old attacker, so competition will be steep for Steven Gerrard if he wants to get a deal done, with reports suggesting that he would cost around £15m.

The new Saka?

Mavididi has found his feet at Montpellier and looks to be fulfilling the promise he showed at Arsenal as a youngster, which earned him a move to Juventus in 2018.

While it didn’t work out for the youngster in Turin, he has established himself as a key player at the Stade de la Mosson since making the move to France in 2020.

Last season saw the Englishman contribute eight goals and three assists in 30 Ligue 1 appearances, averaging a solid 6.71 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Although he is four years older than Bukayo Saka, the similarities are clear to see between the two, as Mavididi progressed through the Arsenal academy and likes to cut inside from wide areas, as Saka does so well for Arsenal.

WhoScored suggests that finishing is a strength for both Mavididi and Saka, while they also both like to dribble, do layoffs and play short passes, as is perhaps ingrained in the Arsenal academy philosophy.

Both players have also earned the praise of Premier League legend Thierry Henry, as he lauded the Montpellier man last season, saying:

“What I’ve always liked about Stephy Mavididi is that he’s a hard-working player who closes (opponents) down. He’s always in the right place. What was missing was finishing — whether to give the ball or to score — but now he’s brought that to his game.”

Saka is also well-regarded for his work rate at Arsenal, so if Villa were to sign Mavididi this summer then perhaps Steven Gerrard could soon have his own version of the Gunners’ wonderkid at Villa Park.

And, in other news… Forget Suarez: Gerrard should unleash Villa’s “unsung hero” next season

Tottenham Hotspur talks to sign a ‘star’ target for manager Antonio Conte have been confirmed by reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Spurs moving…

The Lilywhites are seriously moving in this summer transfer market and show no sign of slowing down as the club are reliably thought to be eyeing even more signings.

Conte, according to reports, is said to want a new wing-back, midfielder and forward ahead of his first full Premier League season in charge at Hotspur Way.

It appears Spurs, after their Champions League qualification and £150 million equity increase courtesy of ENIC, are seriously displaying their full ambitions to appease their head coach.

According to Romano, the north Londoners have also held talks over signing a ‘star’.

The Latest: Romano makes Spurs transfer claim…

The journalist, writing in a column for Caught Offside, has shared the latest transfer developments – making a claim involving Tottenham and Brentford playmaker Christian Eriksen.

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He claims Spurs are one of four clubs, including Man United, Leicester and his current side, to hold ‘discussions’ with the Denmark international’s agent.

As Eriksen bides his time on where to go next, Romano says that all interested parties are still waiting for ‘feedback’ from the 30-year-old.

The Verdict: Nervous hours?

The former Spurs star would be a brilliant Bosman deal capture, especially considering he finished 2021/2022 as Brentford’s best-performer by average match rating and most effective final-third creator in terms of key passes per 90 (WhoScored).

Called a ‘star’ by BBC journalist Dan Roan, members of the press aren’t Eriksen’s only fans, with Man City superstar Kevin de Bruyne even calling him ‘very underrated’ at one point (via Hotspur Related).

Eriksen’s glowing endorsements and fantastic statistics over the most recent campaign point towards a very shrewd potential signing for Spurs.

In other news: Tottenham enter ‘extraordinary’ defender talks as Sky Sports news emerges! Find out more here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and how many additions they are likely to make in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder, in his Q&A on Monday, has revealed that the Magpies are set to bring in at least four more signings after snapping Matt Targett up on a permanent deal from Aston Villa.

The reporter has also teased that Dan Ashworth is looking at players who can be classed in the same bracket as Bruno Guimaraes.

In response to a fan’s question about the club’s plans for the window, Ryder said: “It’s always difficult to put a tally on signings but I still think at least four more senior signings. Possibly more if other departures happen. There are players on the list of Bruno’s ilk but it is a matter of time and priorities.”

Supporters will be excited

This update will leave Toon supporters feeling excited for multiple reasons.

Firstly, they will be buzzing to learn that they have at least four new players to look forward to seeing play in black and white next season.

This claim promises an exciting few months for Toon supporters as they know the club are attempting to strengthen the squad in multiple areas. They will be delighted with the desire to improve Eddie Howe’s team and will now be looking forward to seeing who Ashworth is able to snap up before the end of the window.

The fans will also be excited by the claim that the club could sign players with as much quality as Guimaraes. Howe brought the Brazilian in from Lyon in January and he made a huge impact on the team in the second half of the campaign to lead the side to safety.

In the Premier League, the midfielder averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.25 across 17 appearances in the division, starting 11 games. He produced five goals and one assist from the middle of the park in that time, whilst also making 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game.

These statistics show that the box-to-box midfielder was an excellent addition to the squad and that is why the fanbase will be excited by the prospect of Bruno 2.0 walking through the door in the coming weeks.

It is now down to Newcastle to get deals over the line and ensure that they do not come to the end of August ruining a number of failed attempts to get the right players in.

AND in other news, PIF plotting NUFC swoop for “infectious” £50m “class act”, just imagine him & Trippier…

Crystal Palace are reportedly set to seal their second signing of the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That is according to the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano, who took to his personal Twitter page to issue details over Palace’s capture of promising Derby County winger, Malcolm Ebiowei.

Romano stated: “English talent Malcolm Ebiowei won’t join Manchester United. He’s set to sign his contract with Crystal Palace after medicals completed this week, it’s a done deal. Ebiowei will leave Derby County to join Palace – contract will be valid until June 2027.”

The Italian super-journalist then issued an update in further detail in a thread below the original post, saying:

“To be clear: Ebiowei’s medical has been already completed earlier this week, all done. Five-year deal to be signed very soon – Crystal Palace statement to follow right after.”

Vieira will be buzzing

The signing of Ebiowei is an absolute gift for the 45-year-old Frenchman, with his three goal contributions, in the form of one goal and two assists across 16 games, a surefire sign of his potential, considering he has had such an impact across Championship football.

Quite simply, he possesses a style out-wide that Vieira does not currently have at his disposal.

As a left-footed right-winger, he will serve as an inverted option for Palace and may just dislodge Jordan Ayew with his bouts of plentiful pace and subsequent bursts of energy in and around the half-space.

In terms of metrics, Ebiowei’s average of 1.4 shots per game is similar to Ayew’s total of 1.1 SPG, though his match average of 3.0 dribbles per game cannot be matched by the 30-year-old who maintains an average of 1.2 dribbles.

It’s a signing of high potential and reeks of astuteness from Crystal Palace, not to mention one that is sure to leave Patrick Vieira buzzing.

AND in other news: Vieira must finally axe shocking £35k-p/w CPFC dud, he’s cost them too much 

Steve Bruce has shared his thoughts on West Bromwich Albion’s transfer business so far this summer, having pulled off the free signings of John Swift and Jed Wallace.

What’s the word?

As per a report from Birmingham Mail, the Baggies manager reacted to his club’s summer business thus far, revealing that he tried to sign Wallace a couple of times before and was not able to get him.

As relayed in the report, Bruce said of the recent signings of Wallace and Swift: “I think I’ve tried to buy Jed twice before and not been able to get him. He’s a very good player, and so is Swift. They’ve added that little bit of quality, which is what we needed at the top end of the pitch.”

The Albion boss went into further detail on the signing of Swift, saying: “Can I reveal a secret now? He was at our game on the last day of the season. That’s how long ago we were planning. I shouldn’t really say that, but there you go, if I get into trouble, so be it.

“We identified those two (Swift and Wallace) in particular as arguably the stand-out free transfers in the division. We wanted to try and improve our creativity to score a goal, and add a bit of pace, and both of them have that in abundance.”

Supporters will be buzzing

The signings of both Swift and Wallace on free transfers represented major victories in themselves, and the recent admission from Bruce could instil a greater level of confidence within the Baggies’ fan base.

The Albion manager has said that the duo were long-term targets for West Brom, and the signing of both players for nothing reflects an astuteness within The Hawthorns hierarchy, whilst signalling the club’s intent to achieve promotion back to the Premier League this season.

West Brom were the seventh-lowest scorers in the Championship in the season just gone, so Wallace’s total of 18 attacking returns and Swift’s sum of 24 from that campaign would suggest that the could take Bruce’s team to the next level if they can both sustain a similar output for their new club in 2022/23.

In other news: Alan Nixon reveals West Brom have third summer signing “in sights”, supporters will be buzzing 

Rangers are reportedly a big fan of youngster James McAtee and if Giovanni van Bronckhorst can convince his team to send him to Ibrox, it could be a repeat of the transfer masterclass that saw Ryan Kent join the club in 2018.

While the Scottish Sun claim that Rangers have submitted a bid for the 19-year-old, the Athletic’s Rangers correspondent Jordan Campbell has since claimed that Man City’s intention is to keep him at the Etihad next season.

Therefore, it is up to those at Ibrox to change City’s mind, as it seems unlikely that he will get regular game time in Pep Guardiola’s side next season, and a loan move north of the border could be exactly what the teenager needs in order to develop.

McAtee, who reportedly earns £3.1k per week, was one of the stars of City’s academy last season as they won the Premier League 2, contributing a hugely impressive 18 goals and seven assists in just 23 appearances.

Therefore, he is clearly ready to make the breakthrough into men’s football, and Rangers could be the ideal place for him, especially if van Bronckhorst’s side can secure their spot in the Champions League group stages next season.

If he were to arrive at Ibrox, he could prove to be the next Kent, who has established himself as one of Rangers’ most important players after initially joining on loan from Liverpool four years ago.

After a successful first season with the club, he joined on a permanent deal the following summer and has gone on to make 174 appearances for the Gers, contributing 30 goals and 48 assists in that time.

Like Kent, McAtee can play out wide or through the middle but he excels as an attacking midfielder, so could provide some real quality in the final third for van Bronckhorst next season.

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Perhaps if he does join on loan and does well, then Rangers could convince the “stunning” teenager to join on a permanent deal, as they did with Kent, so Ross Wilson should do all he can to bring him in this summer.

And, in other news… GvB plotting Rangers offer for “exciting” £27k-p/w target, there’s “not many better”

The obsession with betting and gambling has been one of the most flourishing well-known facts for centuries. It is one of the integral parts of English society to gamble and bet. Since time immemorial, it has been flourishing and there are currently no signs that the passion for betting among ordinary people will subside soon. Even today, people who cannot go to casinos for their daily gaming habits, somehow find the bookies or online casinos to enter and try to play slots or place bets on their favourite football club occasionally.

The first legal step

Football (or soccer) is the most closely associated industry with gambling. It will be hard to determine when and under what conditions the betting in the football niche started. However, it is known that it was in the 1960s when it was first legalized and the relationship between betting and football began. If you want to know more about betting and gambling, you can read more.

How did it all start back in the 90s?

The history of football betting can be traced back to somewhere in 1960 when the English government first passed the gambling Act. After the legalization, the betting shops made their ways to bring out the hidden gambling tactics, making football fans legally bet on football. 

It was that time when a few names like William Hill, Coral, and Ladbrokes appeared in the betting industry. By the time of the 1980s, the betting shops were heavily regulated. Even though betting was legal now, many politicians tried to put the betting industry into the dark until the game was encouraged to be televised, and punters were allowed to bet on live football betting matches.

How has the culture evolved?

The first football betting is assumed to have taken place in 1923 when the bookmakers Littlewoods offered to take bets outside Old Trafford. The real boom took place back in 1960 when the Parliament passed the Gambling Act to regulate gambling in the industry.

• After that, the gambling shops started booming although many high-profile politicians tried to put the industry in the dark. This was the major reason that the football industry had to be placed on the dark side in terms of betting back in the 1960s and 1970s.
• Then in 1986, a new law was passed, relaxing the bookies, which all started appearing by themselves or on their own. Now the matches started televising on national TV to cut down the corruption.

Then in 1992, Sky Sports brought new regulations on TV, allowing TV channels to broadcast several games simultaneously. This is how today football betting became popular among punters worldwide.

Photo by Unsplash

Liverpool are on their pre-season tour of Asia at the moment and have already added three new players to their talented squad this summer, but could be there still be room for improvement for the six-time European Cup winners.

Last season, the Merseysiders went on an impressive run which saw them play every single game possible across four competitions; but despite winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, they fell one point short in the Premier League and lost out in the Champions League final to Real Madrid.

Following their bittersweet campaign, there was a huge blow to the squad as Liverpool legend Sadio Mane made a dash for the exit doors at Anfield, joining Bayern Munich in the early stages of the summer transfer window.

Nevertheless, the Reds got straight to business by making a statement when they signed Darwin Nunez from Benfica in a club-record transfer, also adding teenage duo Calvin Ramsay and Fabio Carvalho to the ranks to further strengthen the squad, but there have been no further signings since.

However, there have now been reports of a shock prospective move, with Yahoo Sports claiming that Liverpool are in talks to sign Manchester United transfer target and Ajax star Antony this summer.

The Brazilian winger, who was dubbed a “winner” by Dutch football scout Piet de Visser, has been on the radar of the Kopite’s fierce rivals, but FSG could now be set to hijack any deal that Erik ten Hag might have had in mind with their very own move for the forward.

Last season, Antony scored eight goals, delivered four assists and created seven big chances in the Eredivisie, making 1.7 key passes and one tackle per game. He also won the majority of his duels (51%) and was successful with the majority of his dribble attempts (56%), proving himself to be a valuable asset for Ajax.

Klopp could even land his very own Riyad Mahrez at Anfield if the Reds can secure a deal for the £60m Manchester City star, who was the second most comparable player to Antony over the last 12 months according to FBRef.

Although the Brazil international didn’t offer as many goal contributions as Mahrez last term (16), he outperformed his positional peer in his shots on target accuracy (34.2%), won more tackles (12) and had more shots per 90 minutes (4.12).

Although Mohamed Salah has the right winger role nailed down at Anfield, it certainly would do no harm to Liverpool to bolster and strengthen their forward line even further ahead of next season and their pursuit of more trophies.

AND in other news – “Liverpool will…”: Journalist drops exciting summer claim that’ll delight supporters

Leeds United have reportedly made Paris Saint-Germain forward Arnaud Kalimuendo their new ‘prime target’.

The Lowdown: Final piece of summer jigsaw

The Whites have been extremely busy so far this summer, with Andrea Radrizzani fulfilling his promise when it comes to first-team additions.

Leeds have brought in six new players at a cost of £95m, with Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha heading the other way. The club still want to bring in a new striker, though, in what appears to be the final piece of the transfer jigsaw ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge at Elland Road.

The Latest: Kalimuendo update

MOT Leeds News relayed an update from The Daily Mail’s print edition (pg 142, 17 July) on Sunday, looking mainly at Newcastle’s interest in Jack Harrison.

However, they claimed that the Whites are ‘continuing’ discussions over a new forward, with Kalimuendo now a ‘prime target’.

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The Verdict: CDK who?

It seems as if Victor Orta and co have finally moved on from long-term target Charles De Ketelaere, who is still holding out for a transfer to AC Milan.

It’s good to see that the club have alternative options, with reports even suggesting that Leeds are intensifying talks over a deal worth €25m (£21.3m) for Kalimuendo.

Phil Hay has even said that the Whites are ‘firm admirers’ of the 20-year-old, so it looks as if the Frenchman – who journalist Jacque Talbot hailed as a ‘disgustingly good striker’ with ‘bags of potential’ – is the new number one target at Elland Road.

West Bromwich Albion announced their third new signing of the summer transfer window on Monday as they confirmed their three-year deal for Okay Yokuslu.

Having spent the second half of the 2020/21 Premier League season on loan with the Baggies, the Midlands club snapped up the midfielder once again, this time on a permanent basis.

Bearing in mind how impressive the Turkey international was during his previous stint with the club – racking up more interceptions (42) than any other Baggies player in the squad at the time, along with winning 33 tackles in just 16 league appearances – it’s safe to say that bringing him back to the club as a free agent is a great bit of business.

Looking ahead to the remaining weeks of the transfer window, another player who has been linked with a move to West Brom and who could be seen in a similar light to Yokuslu as someone who has also spent time on loan with the Baggies previously is Dwight Gayle.

Four years ago, the Midlands club signed the attacker on a loan deal from his current club Newcastle United.

During his time at The Hawthorns, Gayle racked up 24 goals and eight assists in 41 appearances. He also received heavy praise from Kyle Bartley, who hailed the Toon attacker as an “immense” player.

With 286 senior club appearances to his name, the centre-forward has scored 103 goals and supplied 30 assists along the way, highlighting his clear attacking credentials.

This shows just how much of an asset he could be for Bruce’s side in terms of being a regular goalscoring threat in the team.

Taking into account how West Brom ended their previous Championship campaign with the lowest percentage for shots on target (29.1%) in the division, having an experienced and clinical figure like Gayle in the team could be just what they need to get them closer to promotion.

Also, with the 32-year-old only making eight Premier League appearances last season totalling half an hour, a potential move back to The Hawthorns, where he’d likely be able to get more minutes under his belt, could be a tempting proposition for him.

If Newcastle would be willing to let Gayle leave this summer, Bruce and West Brom should do all that they can to get him to follow in the footsteps of Yokuslu and make a return to The Hawthorns.

AND in other news: Bruce can finally axe “lazy” West Brom dud by signing “outstanding” £2.4k-p/w wizard