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Arsenal are reportedly keen on making a move for West Ham United winger Jarrod Bowen, as manager Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his attacking options.

What’s the word?

As per the Beautiful Game Podcast, the Gunners have “opened contact” with the 25-year-old’s representatives in the hope of striking a deal, with the player having also previously been linked with a move to Premier League rivals, Liverpool.

Writing on Twitter about the north Londoners’ interest, the source stated that: “Arsenal have opened contact with the representatives of Jarrod Bowen over a possible transfer. He is amongst their list of potential transfer targets which includes Leeds United’s Raphinha”.

The Emirates outfit will no doubt face a battle to secure a deal, with the Hammers said to be demanding as much as £75m to let the Englishman depart, while David Moyes and co are also readying a bumper new deal to try and tempt the forward into committing his long-term future to the club.

Pepe replacement

Having only recently earned a long overdue England call-up, Bowen is currently riding high at the end of what proved to be another fine campaign in a claret and blue jersey, as he proved himself one of the most influential players in the division, netting 12 goals and providing a further ten assists in 36 games.

That haul of assists was only bettered by two players in the top-flight last term – Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold (12) and Mohamed Salah (13) – showcasing just how impressive his form has been, with the £80k-per-week gem continuing to go from strength under Moyes’ watch.

Plucked from Hull City in a £20m deal in January 2020, the one-time Hereford man has gone on to provide 50 goal contributions for the Irons thus far, proving integral to the club’s run to the Europa League semi-finals last term.

In truth, his stellar impact has been hard to ignore with it no surprise that the Gunners are tracking his progress, with a new wide option seemingly on the agenda for Arteta and co, amid links to Leeds United’s Raphinha.

Both the Brazilian and Bowen appear most comfortable on the right flank where they can then cut in onto their stronger left foot, with it becoming clear as to the profile of player that the Arsenal boss is chasing.

Although that may cast doubt over Bukayo Saka’s long-term future – with the academy graduate currently the preferred option on the right wing – the most obvious casualty of a new arrival is likely to be Nicolas Pepe, with the Ivorian having failed to ever truly justify his £72m transfer fee.

Signed from Lille in the summer of 2019, the 27-year-old has since struggled to nail down a regular starting berth, notably making just five starts in the top-flight in total during the 2021/2 campaign – scoring just once.

The year prior had proved quite profitable for the £140k-per-week speedster as he bagged ten league goals and a further six in the Europa League, although even then his role remained somewhat reduced, with the rise of the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli and the aforementioned Saka hampering his game time.

Dubbed “lacklustre” by pundit Joe Cole last year, Pepe has at times appeared disinterested in a Gunners shirt, drifting through games without managing to make his mark, even though there is undoubted quality in there somewhere.

In Bowen then, Arteta has seemingly identified a “unique” talent – as he has been labelled by Ian Holloway – who can displace Pepe from the current squad, with it finally time that the £27m-rated wide man is moved on this summer.

The belief is that the player himself also wishes to part ways, with Arsenal set to secure an instant upgrade if they can usher the West Ham man through the door.

In other news, Arsenal eye bid for £76.5m-rated “fighter” who “always creates”, he’s better than Saka

Wolves are plotting a bid for Braga defender David Carmo ahead of the summer transfer window as Bruno Lage identifies new targets.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Birmingham mail) which states that the Premier League is the likely destination for Carmo.

Wolves face competition from German club Wolfsburg, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, although their bid was turned down.

The defender has a release clause of €40m (£34.3m) and this could tempt Lage into making a move for the player.

Lage needs him

Wolves enjoyed a solid campaign in the Premier League, finishing tenth and just missing out on European football for next year.

The onus is on the manager to rejuvenate the squad and with certain players’ futures, such as Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho uncertain, there could be plenty of incomings during the summer.

One area that Lage is aiming to boost is the defence and with Romain Saiss leaving, there is a hole that needs to be filled.

Carmo would be a fine addition to the Wolves squad and won 2.5 aerials per game last season, ranking him third in the Braga side.

Compared to positional peers in the big five leagues, Carmo ranks in the top 1% for clearances per match (6.75), whilst also displaying his attacking skills, again ranking in the top 1% for non-penalty goals (0.18 per 90) and he also generates 0.89 shot-creating actions per match.

These stats show that Lage would be benefiting at both ends of the pitch by signing the defender and at just 22 years of age, he could kickstart the next stage in his development by moving to England.

His Braga performances led manager Carlos Carvalhal to describe him as a “fantastic” centre back, while Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers claimed that Carmo has an “excellent profile” and this is high praise indeed from two coaches who are well respected.

Lage should act sooner rather than later with a move for the player before a club of a bigger stature come along and ruin the opportunity.

AND in other news, Tim Spiers now reveals major Wolves transfer twist, supporters will be buzzing…

Tottenham Hotspur could swoop for Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer, according to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

Antonio Conte is intent on strengthening his defence ahead of his first full season in charge at Tottenham. The Italian is particularly keen to recruit a left-sided centre-half for his back three, and while Bremer is right-footed, The Athletic reported that he’s still under ‘serious consideration’.

Torino offered Bremer a route into European football, signing him from Atletico Mineiro for £5.2m in 2018.

The 25-year-old, who has since made 110 appearances for the Serie A club, signed a new contract as recently as February. Howeverm it only runs until the summer of 2024, and his manager Ivan Juric has already confirmed that the defender will be leaving the Turin outfit this summer.

The latest

According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Tottenham ‘have strongly entered the race’ to sign Bremer, along with newly-crowned Serie A champions AC Milan.

The report advises readers to ‘watch out’ for a ‘serious assault’ from Conte and Spurs’ managing director of football Fabio Paratici.

The north Londoners are ‘ready to invest’ as much as €50m (£42.6m) to get this prospective deal done.

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The verdict

Spurs do have other options in mind. According to Jack Pitt-Brooke and Charlie Eccleshare, Conte is a big admirer of both Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni and RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol.

However, they claimed that the Italian will cost around £50m, and the Croatian even more, so Bremer could be the cheapest candidate.

The Brazilian is an ‘incredibly aggressive’ defender, even ‘more so than [Cristian] Romero’, in the words of European football expert Alex Barker. He clearly defends on the front foot, ranking in the 98th percentile among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for pressures per 90 minutes.

On top of that, he records exceptionally high volumes of interceptions (98th perecentile), blocks (99th), clearances (96th) and successful aerial duels (99th), as per FBRef. He is also someone who backs himself to carry the ball, slotting into the 79th percentile for dribbles completed.

Bremer won the Serie A Defender of the Year award even though Torino finished 10th, and that’s a glowing reflection of his talents.

Indeed, journalist Maxi Angelo has billed him a ‘monster’, perhaps a fitting summary of how huge a presence the 25-year-old could be in Conte’s defence if he comes to north London.

In other news, a journalist has shared a transfer update on Ronnie Edwards.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Reims striker Hugo Ekitike is now open to becoming Newcastle United’s first signing of the summer window.

The Lowdown: January pursuit

According to a Sky Sports report from January, the Magpies had a bid worth up to £33m accepted by Reims for the 19-year-old.

On deadline day, Ekitike called off the Premier League move, as the young striker believed the timing wasn’t right for a move (via 90min).

However, Newcastle have seemingly been pushing on with negotiations ever since, and the player himself has now given the deal the green light.

The Latest: Ekitike now agrees to join

Taking to Twitter, the transfer guru shared the news of a major breakthrough concerning Newcastle’s pursuit of the forward.

“Hugo Ekitike has agreed a five year deal with Newcastle. Now it’s about final details to be discussed with Reims before deal completed.

“Talented French striker was in BVB list but Newcastle have been pushing for months after January negotiations.”

The Verdict: Fantastic signing

With the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain having been linked with a move for the youngster, Ekitike’s potential should be clear to see.

Earning comparisons to global superstar Kylian Mbappe and French legend David Trezeguet, the 19-year-old’s arrival at St. James’ Park will be one of the most exciting incomings that the club has seen in recent years.

Fans will be hoping that the final details of the deal can be agreed smoothly, so the Frenchman can join up with Eddie Howe’s side as soon as possible.

In other news: Newcastle United: Magpies send scouts to watch Ben Nelson

Leeds United winger Jack Harrison is attracting increasing interest ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that both Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur and Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United are lining up moves for the 25-year-old in the off-season.

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Previous reports had revealed that Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici went as far as to submit an enquiry regarding a deal for the left-winger back in the January transfer window, with Conte believed to be a big fan of the former England U21 international due to his ability to play both at left wing-back and in a front three.

Forget Raphinha

While it is true that Harrison did not enjoy the finest campaign of his career this time out – something that can quite easily be said about the vast majority of the Leeds first team – the argument that cashing in on him this summer would be a disaster for Andrea Radrizzani is nevertheless an easy one to make.

Indeed, despite averaging a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.67 over his 35 Premier League appearances this term, the £20m signing still managed to find the back of the net eight times, provided one assist and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 1.5 dribbles per game.

Furthermore, the £60k-per-week winger who Frank Lampard dubbed “one of the best” (Sky Sports News, 17:25, February 12, 2022) highly impressed in a defensive capacity, with FBref ranking the 25-year-old in the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s big five leagues for clearances per 90, in addition to the top 13% for blocks, the top 18% for both interceptions and tackles and the top 22% for pressures over the last 365 days.

As such, while Leeds will certainly be hit by the likely departure of Raphinha this summer – with the Brazilian reported to have already agreed personal terms ahead of a switch to Barcelona – it is clear from his statistics that the further loss of Harrison would also come as a gutting blow to Jesse Marsch and his side, leading us to believe that Radrizzani simply must refuse any approach made by Tottenham or Newcastle for the former Manchester City starlet ahead of 2022/23.

AND in other news: Orta can land “frightening” Raphinha heir as Leeds now eye “unreal” £72k-p/w signing

Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic is reportedly considering a departure from Selhurst Park this summer with former employers Olympiacos interested in re-signing the Serbian.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Inside Futbol, who claim that the 31-year-old could leave south London with game time under Patrick Vieira this term limited.

Milivojevic has made just 14 Premier League appearances this season, nine of which have been starts, with a place in the XI against Aston Villa last weekend his first in the top-flight since February.

The Serbian had been a kingpin in the Palace side under Roy Hodgson, but new manager Vieira hasn’t taken a shine to the 31-year-old who will undoubtedly be keen to play more frequently next term, which looks like it will be away from Selhurst Park.

Palace fans will be gutted

Although it will be the best outcome for Milivojevic, Palace fans will certainly be sad to see an excellent servant leave.

Since his move from Olympiacos in January 2017, the midfielder has gone on to make 176 appearances for the Eagles, scoring 28 goals and registering six assists.

Moreover, the Serbia international is still regarded as the club’s captain, taking the armband this season whenever he has started.

However, a departure for the 31-year-old would surely be a mini-disaster as it would leave the Palace midfield incredibly light and would certainly require Vieira to dip into the transfer market to sign at least one quality central midfielder.

With Conor Gallagher set to return to Chelsea upon the conclusion of his loan deal whilst James McArthur and Cheikhou Kouyate’s contracts are set to expire, only 27-year-old Will Hughes will be left.

The French manager has already demonstrated how he wants to integrate fresh, young talent into what was an ageing Palace squad with the likes of Michael Olise, Odsonne Edouard and Gallagher all joining last summer.

Now, it appears as though the same sort of makeover will occur in the midfielder, with Miliojevic a victim of that.

Despite limited playing time this season, the Serbian will be regarded highly at Selhurst Park and supporters will be gutted to see him leave.

AND in other news: Imagine him and Olise: CPFC must swoop for £13.5m-rated wizard, Vieira would adore him

A worrying Rangers transfer claim has emerged ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has suggested that several Gers players could be looking for a way out of Glasgow at the end of the season.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think for younger players in that Rangers squad, this is going to be extremely exciting.

“For the more experienced ones, a lot of them are at a key point in their career when they are still going to have to consider a transfer this summer.”

Van Bronckhorst will be deflated

Light Blues head coach Gio van Bronckhorst will surely be deflated by the prospect of a number of his first-team stalwarts wanting to leave in the summer.

In spite of Celtic securing the Premiership title earlier this week, Rangers are on a high and have the chance to end the campaign with two trophies to show for their efforts. They play Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final next week before facing Hearts in the Scottish Cup final later in the month.

It is an exciting time to play for, support or manage the Gers with these huge matches to come in the next few weeks, but that excitement and joy (if they win) will soon fade if several key players start to head for the exit door.

Jones believes that some of the more experienced heads may want to move on at this point in their careers, and leaving after a major European final would be the ideal send-off from their perspective. However, Van Bronckhorst will still be frustrated at the thought of losing the likes of Connor Goldson and Ryan Kent.

The former is out of contract in the summer and it remains to be seen whether or not he will want to extend his terms, whilst the latter has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs.

Both players have averaged SofaScore ratings of 7.06 or higher in the Premiership this season and have been putting in consistently brilliant displays throughout the campaign. This illustrates how important they have been for the Light Blues, as they have been mainstays in the team.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst will be feeling deflated at the thought of both of them leaving the club in the summer, as they would leave huge holes for Ross Wilson to fill if they depart.

AND in other news, Wilson heading for big Rangers disaster on “ridiculous” £6.4k-p/w tank, GvB needs him…

West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Bruce mentioned in recent weeks that he will be looking to conduct a rather significant overhaul at The Hawthorns during the upcoming summer transfer window.

Having ended the season in 10th place with 67 points on the board after winning 18, drawing 13 and losing 15 of their 46 games, it’s easy to see why it could be a busy summer for the Baggies as they aim to win promotion back to the Premier League.

One area of the squad where the Midlands club could look to strengthen is in defence.

Despite conceding just 45 goals, fewer than all but three teams in the Championship (each of whom finished in the top four), the Baggies have already been linked with one defender who could come in and make them stronger at the back.

Having been linked with a swoop for Blackburn’s Darragh Lenihan, who is out of contract in the summer, this could give Bruce the chance to create a formidable pairing at the back with the Rovers ace and current Baggies centre-half Kyle Bartley.

With two more appearances in the league this season to his name than the West Brom defender, Lenihan has also made more interceptions and tackles along the way, highlighting his talents at the back.

Furthermore, the Irishman has made considerably more crosses (54) throughout this campaign than the West Brom defender (two), showing that he can be an attacking threat as well as a tough opponent at the back.

The Blackburn tank, dubbed a “man mountain” by his manager Tony Mowbray, has also averaged 4.1 clearances per game, which is just above Bartley’s average of four per match.

Taking all this into account, having a £14k-per-week titan like Lenihan in the team next to Bartley could be exactly what Bruce and West Brom need in order to ensure they have a better chance of securing promotion next season by being harder to beat.

Additionally, with the possibility of a free transfer on the cards, this could be a great bit of business from the Midlands club from a financial point of view, and it may then allow them to spend money on strengthening other areas of the squad.

In other news: John Percy drops behind-the-scenes WBA transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Phil Hay has dropped a promising injury update concerning Leeds United centre-back Liam Cooper ahead of the Whites’ Premier League meeting with Chelsea on Wednesday.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Athletic journalist relayed the comments made by Jesse Marsch in his pre-match press conference, in which the 48-year-old manager suggested that, after missing both the Manchester City and Arsenal defeats with a knee injury, the 30-year-old should be available for selection at Elland Road tomorrow night.

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Regarding the current condition of the defender, Hay said: “From Marsch’s press conference – Liam Cooper had a reaction to his knee injury ahead of Arsenal. He trained yesterday and Marsch is hopeful that he’ll be available for tomorrow’s game.”

Marsch will be buzzing

With Leeds United’s campaign very much getting to a point of being now or never if they are to secure Premier League survival, the news that Cooper looks set to make a return to the starting XI against Chelsea on Wednesday is sure to have left Marsch buzzing.

Indeed, over his 18 Premier League appearances this season, the £6.3m-rated centre-back has been imperious in the heart of the Whites’ defence, helping his side keep five clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.1 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 3.4 clearances and winning 6.9 duels – at a success rate of 67% – per game.

These returns have seen the Scotland international average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him as Marsch’s best performing outfielder in the English top flight.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the club captain’s return to the lineup tomorrow would provide Leeds’ chances of securing a much-needed three points with a huge boost – with Cooper’s availability perhaps being the difference between the Whites playing Premier League or Championship football next season.

AND in other news: “A very good investment”: Phil Hay drops teasing Leeds transfer update, Orta must move

Rangers delayed their rivals’ title party as they held their opponents to a 1-1 draw away from home in the Premiership on Sunday.

The Gers came from behind to secure a draw to prevent the Hoops from celebrating their league triumph on derby day.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s side found themselves 1-0 down at half-time after a strike from Jota put the hosts in front and they were lucky to only be one goal behind as Celtic missed a number of chances to make it 2-0 and potentially 3-0.

They rode their luck and eventually found the equaliser through Fashion Sakala as the Zambia international brilliantly fired the ball past Joe Hart after good build-up play from Scott Wright and Ryan Kent. The striker also came close to a winner as he struck the post late on after a quick break through the middle of the pitch.

Whilst the 2021 signing scored the goal to rescue a point for the Gers, the real Old Firm hero for Rangers was central midfielder John Lundstram.

The former Sheffield United man was absolutely phenomenal in the middle of the park as he bossed the majority of the game for van Bronckhorst. He was excellent on and off the ball as he put in a fine display that will have supporters excited to see him in derby action again next season.

In possession, he was a reliable outlet for the team. As per SofaScore, he completed 89% of his attempted passes and only gave possession away nine times from a whopping 74 touches of the ball. He was also successful with all eight of his long pass attempts and created one chance, as he showed his quality and range of passing with the ball at his feet.

Defensively, he was a monster for Rangers. As per SofaScore, he won 77% (7/9) of his individual duels as he dominated the opposition throughout the match. He also made four tackles, three interceptions and two clearances to continually cut out Celtic attacks in midfield to put the Gers on the front foot.

With these statistics in mind, Lundstram was the real hero for Rangers – not Sakala – as he made an impact at both ends of the pitch and was sublime.

Hopefully, he can carry his form into next Thursday’s Europa League clash with RB Leipzig in what is poised to be an electric night under the lights at Ibrox.

AND in other news, Wilson must reignite Rangers swoop for “impressive” 28 G/A flier, GvB needs him…