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Journalist Jacque Talbot has delivered an update regarding West Ham United and their pursuit of Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard.

The lowdown: Loan sensation

The attacking midfielder enjoyed a successful period on loan at the London Stadium in 2021 before returning to Manchester in the hope of earning regular football at his boyhood club.

However, following a run of nine goals and five assists in east London, form whch saw the 29-year-old recalled to the international fold, the versatile attacker barely featured upon returning to Old Trafford.

Now set to become a free agent after a forgettable ending to the 2021/22 campaign for him and the Red Devils, West Ham have been linked with a reunion, and one journalist has suggested that it is a distinct possibility.

The latest: Talbot on Lingard

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Talbot claimed that the two parties still have some negotiating to do in terms of Lingard’s salary but didn’t rule out the move.

He said: “I think they probably have to meet in the middle somewhere with regard to the wage and how it’s done. He can’t have the same wages he was on at Man United.

“I think he’s a very capable attacking midfielder. There are some legs to it obviously, and I think he’d do well for them.”

The verdict: No-brainer

Given Lingard’s track record under David Moyes at West Ham, this has to be regarded as an attractive proposition for all parties concerned, as the Irons attempt to strengthen their squad and the 32-cap England international looks to revive a stuttering career once again.

Still holding a perceived market value of £18m (Transfermarkt) despite a lacklustre season in which he scored just twice in 22 appearances, his quality, experience and ability to operate in numerous positions would make the 29-year-old a shrewd acquisition for the Hammers.

Should this move come to fruition, the absence of any transfer fee means that GSB should be willing to offer more in wages to the player who was hailed by journalist Simon Peach for his ‘absolutely outstanding’ form during his previous time in east London.

In other news: West Ham ‘in talks’ to sign ‘amazing’ forward for Moyes…find out more here

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic as a replacement for Sadio Mane this summer.

The Lowdown: Mane on the move?

It looks increasingly as though Mane could leave Anfield this summer, following six years at the club, in which time he has become a Reds legend.

The Senegalese superstar appears likely to join Bayern Munich, enjoying a new challenge while he remains at the peak of his powers.

The 30-year-old could leave a big gap in the Liverpool team, given his brilliance down the years, with a high-profile replacement surely needed to come in and fill the void.

The Latest: Reds linked with Pulisic move

According to The Daily Star, Liverpool are eyeing up a move for Pulisic as a ‘like for like’ Mane replacement, having been heavily linked with him before he joined Chelsea back in 2018.

Klopp was ‘close’ to a reunion with his former Borussia Dortmund student, and it is now claimed that the American could ‘jump ship’ and head to Anfield from Stamford Bridge, as he is ‘disgruntled’ at his current club.

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The Verdict: Exciting target

While Pulisic hasn’t necessarily set the world alight a Chelsea, he is an excellent young player who has huge potential, having been hailed as ‘world-class’ by BBC’s Pat Nevin in the past.

He possesses the pace and trickery to slot into Liverpool’s attack and his versatility means he is capable of thriving on either wing or even in a central role, so he could provide good competition in attacking areas.

Whether or not Chelsea are willing to sell Pulisic to a direct rival is unknown, however, which could act as a possible stumbling block.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

Leeds United look set to secure the services of RB Salzburg right-back Rasmus Kristensen, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Kristensen profiled

Kristensen, described as a ‘goal threat’ by Salzburg boss Matthias Jaissle, was signed for the Austrian side by Jesse Marsch back in 2019.

A right-back who can also play as a right-midfielder, the Denmark international has scored 22 senior goals during his career – 13 of which have come for Salzburg.

He has been linked to follow in Brenden Aaronson’s footsteps by swapping Salzburg for Elland Road, and a move is now gathering real pace ahead of a second major signing of the summer.

The Latest: Finally…

Romano revealed this week that a deal was ‘close’ and then provided a further update regarding Leeds and Kristensen on Friday morning.

The transfer expert says that a full agreement between Salzburg and the Whites is now ‘set to be reached’.

Kristensen is ‘expected to join Leeds in the coming days’. A medical for the full-back looks set to take place after international duty with Marsch on course to get his man.

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The Verdict: Good news

Romano previously mooted a €10m (£8.5m) figure, which could prove to be a bargain for Victor Orta, especially due to the player’s £13.5m Transfermarkt valuation and Borussia Dortmund also being keen on Kristensen’s services.

The pull of working under Marsch once again appears to have been key in Kristensen’s decision, and hopefully, he’ll continue to shine under the Leeds head coach at Elland Road.

Kristensen contributed to 15 goals in 64 games under Marsch, winning back-to-back league and cup doubles in Austria, and with Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas injured, the right-back will more than likely be thrown straight into a first-choice XI ahead of Marsch’s first full season in charge.

In other news: ‘It’s in motion…’ – Reporter drops worrying Leeds news he’s heard ‘on Phillips’. 

A big Ibrox development has emerged regarding Rangers and their plans with Ianis Hagi for the upcoming summer transfer window. 

What’s the talk?

Twitter transfer account The 4th Official has confirmed that the Premiership giants will not be cashing in on the winger ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

They tweeted: “Rangers have zero intention of selling Ianis Hagi. There is a feeling that this is a lowball offer that is done primarily to unsettle the player.”

This comes after reports of a €7m (£6m) bid from Galatasaray in an attempt to snap up the Romanian from Ibrox, with Ross Wilson rejecting the Turkish club’s offer.

Gio van Bronckhorst will be delighted

The Gers head coach will be delighted with this news, as it suggests that Hagi will be at Ibrox come the end of the summer transfer window.

He will be buzzing with Wilson’s reluctance to do a deal for the Romania international, as it shows that the club are willing to stand firm and fight to keep hold of their best players. They will not roll over and allow European suitors to take away their most prized gems without paying a hefty price for them.

Van Bronckhorst can therefore have faith that those making the decisions above him will do what is in the best interests of what happens on the pitch, rather than taking the £6m offer and banking the money to the detriment to the team.

Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard previously lauded the 23-year-old’s mentality, saying: “We’re really happy with Ianis Hagi, he’s a joy to work with.

“He’s a student of the game. He’s always looking at areas to improve, whether that be from a physical point of view or tactically or technically. He’s someone you have to drag off the training ground.

“Ianis is always in the analyst department too. He’s never out of the gym, so he’s an absolute dream to work with, very low maintenance. We’re delighted with how he is developing and progressing and we’re happy to have him.”

These comments suggest that the midfielder is unlikely to be affected by any mind games at play with Galatasaray’s bid, as he is a hard worker and will not want to cause any issues which may affect his development by agitating for a move.

Hagi’s drive to be the best is also another reason why Van Bronckhorst will be delighted by Rangers’ stance on his situation. The Dutch head coach will surely be excited to work with the midfielder upon his return from injury, as he has shown that he has an appetite to develop and hone his skills.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Souttar: Rangers can seal dream deal by signing 23 y/o “real leader”…

Liverpool have reportedly held a long term interest in West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s intentions to make a move for the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Liverpool are “keeping an eye” on Bowen ahead of the summer transfer window.

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Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “Right now, it will be Declan Rice that gets all the transfer headlines, but Liverpool have been linked with Jarrod Bowen in the last year and they’re keeping an eye on that situation and I think other clubs in the top four or five would like to have him in their squad going forward.”

Klopp loves him

The signing of Bowen has been one that has been highly anticipated for a long time with the player linked to Liverpool back in the summer transfer window last year, and since then the player has only got better following an impressive season with the Hammers.

The 25-year-old star has scored 18 goals and contributed 13 assists in all competitions, with a goal involvement every 131 minutes which is an incredible attacking output that would put him in a position to compete for a spot in the Liverpool team, with a better G/A than Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota this season in fewer appearances.

His talent has not gone unnoticed by the Reds boss who holds Bowen in high regard praising him when given the opportunity to in a pre-match press conference when Liverpool played West Ham earlier this season.

Klopp told the press (via Mirror Online): “Bowen, what a player he became.

“He was at Hull as well but I don’t think anybody expected this kind of jump. Unbelievable player.”

With that in mind, the German coach would surely love to sign him in the future.

It is unlikely that the player’s current club would be happy to let Bowen leave for a reasonable amount as he has been a key player for him over the last few seasons, and reports suggest Liverpool would need to pay somewhere in the region of £75m.

Ultimately, at the moment it would be hard to see how Bowen could fit into the already heavily rotated forward line after the signing of Luis Diaz in January, but if he was to sign for the Kopites it would be a huge coup for Klopp and could add even more strength to an already dominating attacking threat on Merseyside.

AND in other news: Forget Tchouameni: FSG can get Anfield rocking with LFC deal for “dangerous” £21m tank

According to a report from reputable German outlet SportBILD (via Sport Witness), Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Sebastian Rode. 

The lowdown: European glory

Having enjoyed somewhat of a journeyman career across Germany, the 31-year-old spent time at Kickers Offenbach, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund before arriving at newly crowed Europa League winners Frankfurt in 2019.

Rode has since made 228 appearances for the Bundesliga side and was named captain in June 2021 before playing a leading role in the victory over Rangers in Seville on Wednesday night.

The experienced defensive midfielder earned an impressive 7.20 Sofascore rating on Wednesday night, winning five duels, making four key passes and creating one big chance, all whilst suffering from a badly cut head early on in the match.

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Now a move out of his homeland may beckon…

The latest: Wolves make pre-summer approach

As per SportBILD, translated by SW, Wolves and Brentford have both ‘already approached’ Rode regarding the move.

It’s claimed that the Wanderers initiated the contract following performances in Europe that were ‘so good’ that Bruno Lage has acted upon the interest.

Under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), it’s not stated how much it would take to prise away the man who was once Pep Guardiola’s ‘favourite player’ during their time together at Bayern.

The verdict: Smart signing

Albeit the combative former Germany youth ace isn’t getting any younger, with doubts over the future of Leander Dendoncker, Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves at Molineux, signing Rode would be a huge boost to Lage’s squad depth.

So far this season, the midfield warrior – who is a close stylistic match with Molineux stalwart Moutinho (Fbref) – has scored once in 28 appearances across all competitions.

Regardless of the aforementioned midfield trio’s status at the club beyond the summer, with five major honours to his name, Rode would be a smart capture as Wolves look to move onto the next step of their development in the Premier League.

In other news… Wanderers are now believed to be the ‘main favourites’ in the race for one of their summer transfer targets.

Tottenham Hotspur are no strangers to transfer heartbreak, with one notable missed opportunity in recent times having been that of current Wolverhampton Wanderers maestro Joao Moutinho.

The veteran Portuguese midfielder continues to delight the Premier League as the heartbeat of Bruno Lage’s side, having showcased his unerring ball-playing talent on a weekly basis since his shock £5m arrival at Molineux in 2018.

The 35-year-old playmaker could have arrived in English football much earlier, though, with Spurs pursuing a deal for the then-Porto man a decade ago as Daniel Levy and co sought a replacement for Real Madrid-bound Luka Modric.

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In his first summer in charge, former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas identified his compatriot as the perfect replacement for the departing Croatian, having previously coached the diminutive midfielder during his time in Portugal.

Moutinho had been vital to the youthful coach winning the treble in a remarkable unbeaten campaign during the 2010/11 season – his only one in charge at the Estadio do Dragao – with Villas-Boas desperate for a reunion in north London.

A deal appeared set to be done as Spurs agreed a then club-record fee of £22m for the former Sporting Lisbon man in the summer of 2012, only for the deal to collapse late on transfer deadline day as negotiations broke down with the player’s representatives.

As the 5 foot 7 gem has since admitted, he had just been a matter of “minutes” away from making the move to White Hart Lane, only for the club to see their hopes dashed in brutal fashion right at the climax of the transfer window.

That failure to get the deal done has no doubt come back to bite the Lilywhites, with the Barreiro native eventually joining Monaco in a £21.5m deal in May 2013 as part of a double swoop alongside James Rodriguez.

Now in Old Gold, the evergreen experienced star remains a vital asset for club and country, having accumulated 144 caps since making his international bow 17 years ago, while he has also amassed 772 appearances across his entire club career and been hailed as a “Rolls-Royce of a player” by BBC commentator Guy Mowbray.

Even in his mid-30s, the £100k-per-week stalwart still continues to perform commendably for the Molineux outfit, averaging one interception, 0.9 clearances and 2.2 tackles per game in his 33 Premier League appearances this season, 32 of which have come as a starter.

Tottenham supporters will no doubt reflect upon what was a major missed opportunity for their club, with Moutinho likely to have been the ideal heir to Modric a decade ago.

In other news, Spurs can land their next Ardiles as Paratici plots bid for exciting £16.3m sensation 

Luke Edwards has now revealed some big Newcastle United transfer news involving the long pursuit of Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: Summer target

It has been reported that Lingard is a summer target for the St. James’ Park faithful, after missing out on him in the January transfer window.

The Magpies were thought to be fighting it out with West Ham during the winter window, who of course enjoyed the fruits of his excellent loan spell last season, but he stayed put at Old Trafford.

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The midfield player is now out of contract at Manchester United in the summer though, and so can be signed as a free agent.

The Latest: Lingard update

Writing in his latest piece for The Daily Telegraph, Edwards has revealed that the North East club have now ended their pursuit of Lingard, as his financial demands are too high.

Meanwhile, the journalist also shared some pretty big exit news, as up to eight players could leave Tyneside this summer.

Matt Ritchie, Ciaran Clark, Karl Darlow, Federico Fernandez, Isaac Hayden, Jeff Hendrick, Dwight Gayle and Sean Longstaff may all depart, says Edwards.

The Verdict: Move on

Lingard could have been a smart signing on a free – after all, Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand, speaking to FIVE, hailed him as ‘amazing’ after impressing on loan with David Moyes at West Ham.

However, there will be plenty of other targets that the board will want to concentrate on throughout the window, and so they should just move on from him now and look to bigger and better things.

If they are able to clear out some of the eight unwanted players as well, then they can raise funds to buy players of a higher profile than Lingard anyway, and so this is news that the Toon Army should not be losing any sleep over.

In other news, find out who NUFC will now ‘listen to offers’ for here!

Junior Firpo’s struggles in the Premier League continued last weekend after Leeds United were thrashed by defending champions Manchester City.

During the encounter, the former Spain U21 international was lambasted as being “woeful” by commentator Andy Townsend, and his defending was dubbed “schoolboy” by BBC pundit Paul Robinson.

The summer signing has endured a tricky start to life in England and it shows no sign of easing up, particularly against the very best the top flight has to offer.

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Back in July, the 6 foot left-back signed a four-year deal following his £12.8m move from Barcelona as a replacement for both Gjanni Alioski and Barry Douglas.

Whilst the former was often erratic, he was a far greater and more consistent option.

Leeds are sitting precariously above the drop zone right now, just two points ahead of Everton, who hold a game in hand, and with tricky matches against Arsenal and Chelsea to come, manager Jesse Marsch cannot afford to persist with the 25-year-old.

However, the American head coach has a lack of alternative options, even more so now after the “devastating” injury blow to Stuart Dallas.

However, there could be a viable alternative in Leo Hjelde, a young centre-back by trade but one equally capable of playing on the left. A recent appearance against Arsenal’s U23 setup saw him in the role. ‘Raided forward well down the left at times,’ claimed LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross.

The 18-year-old, capped by Norway at U21 level, made his senior debut for the Yorkshire giants earlier this season, starting at left-back against West Ham – a performance which earned rave reviews from club legend Jermaine Beckford.

He gushed: “The young boy, Hjelde when he came on as well, what a player he’s looking by the way. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him. But that’s twice we’ve seen him, twice we’ve seen him against West Ham, against a very physical, very strong, very quick centre forward in Michail Antonio and a tricky player in Jarrod Bowen. I don’t want to say he had them in his pocket, but I think he did.”

Indeed, shutting out both Antonio and Bowen is no mean feat, and Hjelde could repeat such exploits against the Gunners’ mean attack, whether that’s Bukayo Saka or Emile Smith Rowe on the day.

During his time on loan to Ross County, his former manager John Hughes likened him to Virgil van Dijk and dubbed him a “massive talent”, claiming:

“Leo is going to be the next Van Dijk. Trust me on that. The quality he has shown, the physical challenge, playing real men’s football and standing up to it – it’s been a wonderful experience for Leo. He’s got massive things in front of him.”

If Marsch wants to change the team’s defensive fortunes against some of the big dogs, in this desperate time of need, then he really ought to unleash Hjelde.

He can finally axe the struggling Firpo by doing so, a decision which will surely benefit the side heading into the final few games of the campaign.

AND in other news, Sources: Orta eyeing Leeds bid for £19.8m-rated ace, he’s like “Messi inside the area”…

Mohamed Salah’s head has been turned by a potential move away from Liverpool this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim.

The Lowdown: The Salah soap opera

The future of the Reds’ Egyptian superstar has dominated the off-field headlines in recent months, with no new deal at Anfield agreed as of yet. Salah’s current Liverpool contract expires at the end of next season, and with an extension not signed, there is a fear that he might move on this summer before he could leave for free next year.

Over the last few weeks, various reports have wavered between him being likely to stay and set to leave Merseyside.

In the latest twist, a worrying update has now emerged regarding the 29-year-old’s next move.

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The Latest: Worrying Salah update emerges

According to The Telegraph, Salah could possibly be ‘tempted to move on for a new challenge’ at the end of the season.

A switch to one of Spain’s top clubs or Paris Saint-Germain is mooted in the report, in an update which will cause some concern from a Liverpool perspective.

The Verdict: Expect him to stay

Any rumour regarding Salah leaving is one to prompt worry, but given his status as one of the Reds’ greatest players of all time, it still feels likely that he will stay and sign a new deal.

Quite why any Liverpool player would want to leave in these times makes little sense, especially with Jurgen Klopp’s new deal keeping him at Anfield until 2026, and the Egyptian King should see it as the only place to play his football.

Granted, Salah will only sign if he feels truly wanted, but his career would risk going downhill if he leaves arguably Europe’s best and most exciting team right now when at the peak of his powers.

In other news, one Liverpool player has now been backed to stay at the club this summer. Find out who it is here.