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Everton and PSV Eindhoven probably spoke about Denzel Dumfries before the start of Euro 2020, says former Toffees defender Michael Ball.

While the Netherlands crashed out of the Euros in disappointing fashion after being eliminated by the Czech Republic, Dumfries still managed to have a good tournament.

Despite playing as a wing-back, the 25-year-old was able to come up with a couple of goals and he is now being heavily linked with a move to Everton.

According to Dutch outlet ED, the Toffees have been trying to get a deal done for Dumfries, with director of football Marcel Brands the one spearheading the move, and Ball reckons this has probably been in the pipeline for some time now.

“I think Everton and PSV held talks before the Euros,” the retired full-back exclusively told FFC. “He had a fantastic Euros. The gamble [not selling prior] has worked out for PSV.

“They would like to bring top dollar for him. They like to sell to the top clubs in Europe, in Spain, in Italy, in Germany, and that’s how they work as a football club.

“It’s a gamble PSV have played and it’s worked in their favour.”

Indeed, after his performances in the Euros, Everton’s pursuit of Dumfries looks far from being a simple one.

If reports are to be believed, it now looks like the likes of Inter Milan and Bayern Munich are also interested in the Netherlands international, complicating things for the Toffees to say the least.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans were far from happy with the performance of Jordan Jones during their 1-0 pre-season defeat to Tranmere Rovers.

The Gers continued their pre-season plans with a match against Tranmere, who currently play in the English League Two. The Ibrox outfit beat Partick Thistle 1-0 in their first warm-up game last Monday, but they succumbed by the same scoreline on Merseyside as Kieron Morris scored the only goal of the game.

Jones played for the Gers against on Saturday, and it was fair to say that he did little to impress Steven Gerrard in this clash. Aside from creating a half-chance for Cedric Itten, the Northern Irishman appeared to have little impact on proceedings at Prenton Park (rangers.co.uk).

The 26-year-old spent the second half of last term on loan at Sunderland after he was banned for seven games for breaking lockdown regulations (BBC), and he has done little to repair his reputation so far.

These Rangers fans were disappointed with what the Northern Ireland international offered against Tranmere, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Jones

“I might get some stick for this but Jordan Jones will never be good enough to play for Rangers”

Credit: @HWGTerryMunro

“Kelly’s loan has clearly done him a world of good. The others not so much. Jones, Middleton, Edmundson, Barker, don’t see a future for any of them at Rangers”

Credit: @SasaHans89

“Jones and Barker didn’t show much again. Will be surprised if they are still Rangers players going into the season.”

Credit: @Conroy24948717

“I’d definitely agree. Jones, Edmunson, Barker and Itten all very wasteful.”

Credit: @DavRfc

“I would take that, Middleton shouldn’t be getting wrote off but Jones, Barker and Edmundson should definitely be sold”

Credit: @PocaDolly

“Again laid out for all the ‘give him a chance’ patrol. Jones – Not Good Enough Edmundson – Not Good Enough Barker – Not Good Enough”

Credit: @BMCRangersRants

In other news, Dave King slams some Rangers fans after this development.

Rangers have been backed to sign Nimes Olympique ace Zinedine Ferhat this summer, as the Algerian could be a superb option for Steven Gerrard to have at Ibrox.

Ligue 1 expert shares view on Ferhat

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, French football pundit Adam White shared his views on the winger, who has been regularly linked with a move to Rangers throughout the summer transfer window.

He said:

“He’s a player I really like and he’s been great for Nimes.

“He’s a technically-gifted player who drifts in from the flank and creates. He’s good for the odd goal and from set-pieces.

“If Rangers were to get him it would be a coup, to be honest.”

Would Ferhat be a good signing for Rangers?

Ferhat was extremely impressive in a Nimes side that were relegated from Ligue 1 last season, which suggests that he could be even more dangerous in a side such as Rangers who are likely to dominate the majority of their games next season.

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The 28-year-old would contribute a superb six goals and 10 assists in 33 appearances in the French top-flight, averaging an excellent 7.21 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This was more goal contributions than the likes of Joe Aribo, Ianis Hagi and Ryan Kent in the Scottish Premiership last season, in an arguably much more competitive league, so it is easy to see why White is tipping Ferhat to be a transfer coup for Rangers this summer.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

Although they have already added another attacker in the shape of Fashion Sakala to their squad this summer, Gerrard will surely still be looking to add players with Champions League quality to his squad, and given that Ferhat managed more assists than the likes of Neymar and Angel Di Maria in Ligue 1 last season, he is the ideal man for Ross Wilson to sign.

He should look to get a deal done.

And, in other news… Rangers handed transfer boost with “fantastic” beast, Wilson must deliver

We always knew that the summer of 2021 had the potential to witness a mass exodus for Celtic.

However, for the time being, the Hoops have managed to keep some of their star men at Parkhead.

What’s the word?

Kristoffer Ajer continues to be at war with the club over his future at Paradise but his future looks as though it could be sorted soon.

He was angry with the Bhoys for backing down on promises and not allowing him to leave this summer but they’ve finally caved in and accepted an offer of £13.5m from Brentford.

Odsonne Edouard has also been tipped to head for the exit door but one player that we thought was never in danger of leaving was Callum McGregor.

However, according to Mark Guidi, there is a chance he could head south of the border.

The reporter was speaking on Go Radio and shared the following news about McGregor’s future:

“Some people have told me that Callum McGregor still has an itch to go down south and try the English Premier League, which is totally understandable.

“Now, and if that’s the case, then there needs to be an honest conversation with him and with his representatives. An approximate transfer fee would need to be established, but maybe the captaincy will swing it, maybe it won’t.

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“Maybe he’ll just think if ever there was a time to leave the club, in terms of everything happening, then it will be now.

“He did fancy it, a couple years ago, Brendan Rodgers would have taken them in a heartbeat but Celtic sold Kieran Tierney. I think if he became available, then Brendan Rodgers would certainly have a tickle. I’m just giving out information that I’m aware of.”

Big blow

After the departure of Scott Brown to Aberdeen it would be an almighty blow to lose McGregor as well.

The central midfielder has been tipped to be the new club captain and within just a few days of being at the club, Ange Postecoglou hailed the Scot as an “outstanding” footballer.

With that in mind, the new head coach clearly rates him. His performances have also been solid in pre-season as well.

That comes after McGregor impressed for Scotland at Euro 2020, scoring the nation’s only goal in a defeat to Croatia.

The 28-year-old was relatively inconsistent last season, something his mindless red card against Rangers back in May told us. Already on a booking, the Scot dove in on Glen Kamara after just 26 minutes and was given his marching orders.

That said, he is a leader of men and someone the young players coming through can look up to.

If McGregor does head for the departure lounge, it would surely come as a frustration to fans as well.

They’ve been speaking highly of him in pre-season with a number of supporters hailing the midfielder for his performances. After the 0-0 draw with Bristol City, one fan said he looked sharp and should be back to his best next term.

Another individual claimed he was superb against the Robins while others praised his captaincy material.

Consequently, the Hoops would be foolish to sanction an exit. They must keep him in Glasgow for at least another season.

AND in other news, Celtic begin talks to sign “talented” £2.2m-rated machine, Ange really needs him…

Marcelo Bielsa will have back-up plans after missing out on Cagliari star Nahitan Nandez, former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast.

According to Sportitalia (via Football Italia), the Uruguay international has rejected Leeds and decided to join Inter Milan in a blow to Bielsa.

It comes as another huge setback for the Argentine this transfer window, with Leeds also falling short in the race to sign long-term target Rodrigo De Paul, who recently joined Atletico Madrid.

The Whites first registered an interest in signing the former Udinese man last summer but were unable to get anything done and have since watched him move to the Wanda Metropolitano.

It now looks like they will miss out on Nandez, too, but Palmer is not too concerned, confident Bielsa will have contingency plans in place.

“I’m sure Bielsa will have back-up plans,” the ex-Leeds star said. “He’ll bring some players in, but obviously you want to bring players in that fit to the mould of how you want to play and it’s very difficult.

“There’s a small group of players, talented players, which a lot of clubs will all be in the same hunt for.”

It has not been all doom and gloom for Leeds this transfer window, though, with the Yorkshire club finally bringing in a specialist left-back in Junior Firpo from Barcelona.

Southampton look set to miss out on another of their summer targets, with reports claiming that Santiago Moreno is set to complete a move to Portland Timbers.

What’s the word?

Along with Leeds United and Rangers, the Saints were linked with a move for the 21-year-old by The Telegraph earlier this year.

The winger has established himself as a regular at America de Cali in recent seasons and has been likened to Sadio Mane due to his style of play, which suggests that he could have been a hit at St Mary’s.

Mane was signed by Southampton from RB Salzburg back in 2014 and made 75 appearances for the Saints in two seasons, contributing 25 goals and 14 assists before completing a £34m move to Liverpool in the summer of 2016, where he has gone on to become one of the top wingers in world football.

However, Moreno’s agent has now claimed that he is very close to joining MLS side Portland Timbers, as he told El Pais: “There are other possibilities on the table, but the one we are working on at the moment and the closest to a deal is Portland.

“‘Santi’ leaves very grateful to the fans of America de Cali, he fulfilled his dreams and understands that leaving young will also give him the opportunity to return at a good time.”

A blow for Southampton?

During his time in the Liga Dimayor, Moreno has featured 52 times for America de Cali, contributing an impressive 10 goals and seven assists.

Although he may well have been an option for the future rather than one who could’ve made an impression in Hasenhuttl’s side next season, that he was attracting so much interest suggests that he has a lot of potential, and Southampton may well rue not signing him this summer.

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If Moreno can progress even further in the MLS with Portland Timbers, then it would not be a surprise to see his name mentioned as a potential target for top European sides again in the future, when the sense of regret for the Saints over missing out on him could well be exacerbated.

In other news… Southampton set to confirm third summer signing, fans will be buzzing

Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that a strong pre-season could potentially save Moise Kean’s Everton career.

The 21-year-old made the switch to Merseyside in a £25m deal from Juventus two years ago but has scored four goals in 37 appearances in all competitions, only two of which came in the league.

Such was Kean’s wretched goalscoring form in his first season with the Toffees, he was loaned out to PSG last term.

But the Italian quickly rediscovered his goal-touch, scoring an impressive 17 times for Mauricio Pochettino’s team as they reached the Champions League semi-finals and won two domestic cups.

Following his outstanding loan spell in the French capital, Kean has been linked with a return.

However, Kean has featured heavily in pre-season for Everton, and scored the winning goal against Club Universidad Nacional last Wednesday.

Despite his struggles under the previous regime, it appears that he’s been offered a clean slate by Rafael Benitez, which could resurrect the striker’s Toffees career.

Bent exclusively told Football FanCast:

“With the new manager going in there, everyone has different opinions. If he does well in pre-season, then maybe he’s got a future there.

“We need someone up front to help DCL, so hopefully he does well in pre-season, you never know.”

The Chronicle have dropped a big update on reported Newcastle transfer target Axel Tuanzebe regarding his thoughts on a possible move to the northeast.

What’s the talk?

According to The Chronicle, the Manchester United centre-back is interested in signing for the Tyneside club on a season-long loan deal this month.

Football Insider claimed that the Magpies are keen on the defender, who is seemingly open to making the move happen, as Steve Bruce eyes reinforcements for his squad before the end of the transfer window.

Fans will be buzzing

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it is an encouraging update which seems to suggest that there is a strong chance of a deal being done. The club wants it to happen, the player wants it to happen, and now it is down to whether or not Manchester United are prepared to loan him out to the Magpies.

If they agree to it, then it could become a simple process for Newcastle and Tuanzebe given the mutual desire for the move. However, it would be in Bruce’s best interests to get a deal over the line as quickly as possible to prevent another club from swooping in to tempt him away from St James’ Park, with Aston Villa also interested in the 23-year-old.

The Toon Army must be delighted as the defender could be an excellent addition to the squad. He is a promising young talent who has already shown glimpses of his quality at first team level for the Reds Devils.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lauded him as a “tremendous” defender after he was able to produce an impressive display against French forward Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain last year.

The Norwegian said: “Axel’s a tremendous defender, a great leader. He’s come through the academy and we’ve known for years that he’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man United player should have.”

Solskjaer added: “Sometimes you’ll get in a foot race with Mbappe and you have to run with him and we know Axel’s qualities, he’s a top defender.”

This shows that the £38k-per-week beast has the potential to be a strong performer on the Champions League stage, suggesting that he would also excel in the Premier League. Furthermore, his 88.6% passing accuracy last season was better than any Newcastle starter managed throughout the campaign, so he could be a tremendous asset in terms of improving ball retention for the Magpies.

Newcastle fans could enjoy seeing his development under Bruce at St James’ Park next season if they are able to secure a loan for the centre-back, which is why they must act swiftly to get this over the line.

AND in other news, Newcastle could land dream midfield signing with swoop for £100k-p/w “special talent”…

Leicester City are set to take on Premier League champions Manchester City at Wembley Stadium this evening in English football’s traditional curtain-raiser.

The Foxes will be aiming to secure just the second Community Shield crown in the club’s history, adding to their FA Cup success last season.

However, Brendan Rodgers will be without several key players for the trip to the capital, with the Northern Irishman ruling the likes of Nampalys Mendy, Jonny Evans, James Justin and Timothy Castagne out of action.

“Just the guys who haven’t been involved, the likes of Papy, Jonny, James Justin,” revealed the Leicester boss in yesterday’s press conference when asked about injury concerns.

“He’s come along well but is still a few months away. Timothy Castagne trained today. He was in his mask. He won’t be available, but he shouldn’t be too far away.”

They will join Wesley Fofana on the treatment table after the youngster suffered a suspected fractured fibula in a pre-season game against Villarreal.

With that in mind, this is how Football Fan Cast expects Rodgers to line his team up at Wembley, with two summer signings making their club debuts…

Leicester have made many changes to their first team squad in recent years, but one virtual ever-present has been Kasper Schmeichel between the sticks, and the dependable Dane is set to start for the Foxes once again against the Cityzens.

Ahead of Schmeichel, though, Rodgers will be forced to field a less familiar back four. Ryan Bertrand should make his debut at left-back, while Wilfried Ndidi could partner Caglar Soyuncu in the heart of defence due to an injury crisis.

Injuries to Justin and Castagne leave Ricardo Pereira as the club’s only natural right-back currently available, so the Portugal international is a guaranteed starter.

Ndidi’s possible move into the backline should open the door for Boubakary Soumare to make his first competitive start for the Midlands outfit following a £17m move from Lille.

The usually dependable duo of James Maddison and Youri Tielemans will make up the rest of the Leicester engine room, despite the pair being linked with moves away from the King Power Stadium in recent weeks.

In attack, the £18m-rated Kelechi Iheanacho may drop to the bench after starting Leicester’s last Premier League game of 2020/21, making room for the returning Harvey Barnes, Ayoze Perez and talisman Jamie Vardy to form a dynamic front three.

In other news… Rodgers must unleash “powerful” £17m gem vs Man City, he could be LCFC’s game-changer 

Former Premier League footballer Steve Howey believes that Emiliano Buendia is a very good player, and that if Aston Villa could sign James Ward-Prowse then he would be a fantastic signing for the club.

Buendia completed a move to Villa Park from Norwich City for a club record transfer fee and signed a five-year-deal with the club.

The right-winger featured 41 times for the Canaries in the Championship last season, scoring 15 goals and providing a further 17, with Howey telling Football FanCast: “I think Buendia is a very good player, I think he struggled the first time Norwich came up but apparently he was absolutely outstanding last year, so you know I think they broke the record to bring him to the club.”

Villa have recruited even further this summer alongside Buendia, with Leon Bailey, Ashley Young, Danny Ings and Axel Tuanzebe all signing deals at Villa Park.

Earlier on in the summer, Villa saw a bid for Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe turned down and have recently seen the same happen for Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, with SaintsExtra claiming Villa believe it could take £50m to sign him.

Sky Sports reported that the club had a £25m bid rejected from the Saints for Ward-Prowse but Howey believes he would be a fantastic signing for Villa, saying: “I’m not sure what you could do to prise Ward-Prowse away from Southampton. He’s captain, you know he’s kind of pretty much the main man there, but I’ve always liked him. For me, for a team to get him like Aston Villa, I think would be a fantastic signing.”

Aston Villa have added some further quality to their side this summer so far, and with less than a month left of the transfer window, will there be any further incomings this summer?