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Southampton have been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey recently, and it would be a real statement of intent by Martin Semmens if he could bring him to St Mary’s.

What’s the word?

According to 90min journalist Graeme Bailey, Southampton have joined the race to sign the 23-year-old winger this summer, with the likes of Aston Villa, Leicester City, Wolves and Everton also linked with the Jamaica international.

The report claims that the Bundesliga side would demand more than £25m for Bailey after his impressive performances in recent seasons and that Villa have not baulked at that fee, although it would be a huge signing by Southampton if they were to pay that amount to bring him in.

Would Bailey be a good signing for Southampton?

Ralph Hasenhuttl suggested ahead of the transfer window that Southampton’s budget meant that they would target players for £10m or less this summer, which suggests that they are unlikely to pay more than double that in order to prise Bailey away from the BayArena.

Southampton’s big-money signings in recent seasons have been less than successful, with the likes of Guido Carillo, Sofiane Boufal, Mario Lemina and Wesley Hoedt all sold for significant losses in recent years, which may well put them off the idea of breaking their transfer record for a player with no experience in the Premier League.

However, after a brief flirtation with relegation last season, Southampton have done little to strengthen their squad ahead of the new campaign, with the relatively unproven Romain Perraud arriving as Ryan Bertrand’s replacement at left-back. Theo Walcott has also joined on a permanent deal after spending last season on loan at St Mary’s, so you could argue that the Saints are no stronger than they were in the 2020/21 campaign.

Therefore, it would be a real statement of intent by Semmens and the Southampton board to go all-out for Bailey this summer, and his performances in the Bundesliga in recent seasons certainly suggest that he would be an excellent addition at St Mary’s.

Last season saw the pacey winger contribute nine goals and eight assists in 30 league appearances, averaging an impressive 7.26 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which was better than any Southampton player.

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Bailey is slowly moving on from his reputation as a wonderkid, following former Leverkusen coach Heiko Herrlich’s proclamation in 2017 that the Jamaican “can do anything”. He could prove to be a superb addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad, so Semmens should definitely consider bringing him to Southampton this summer, as it would be a huge statement of intent ahead of the new season.

In other news… Southampton look set to miss out on their next Sadio Mane as agent drops transfer update

Carlton Palmer believes there could be interest in Kalvin Phillips this summer, but said Leeds would demand big money for the midfielder.

Phillips, who’s currently impressing for England at the Euros and was named man of the match against Croatia, has proved a vital cog in Marcelo Bielsa’s machine in recent seasons.

And the 25-year-old has quickly proved himself as one of the most complete defensive midfielders in the Premier League, despite the 2020-2021 campaign Phillips’ first in the top-flight.

Phillips featured in 29 of Leeds’ 38 league matches last season, scoring once and assisting twice, as Bielsa’s team finished ninth on their return to the Premier League.

Not only is Phillips a fan of the Yorkshire club, but he’s been with them since he was a teenager, a factor which the Leeds faithful will hope to ensure he stays at Elland Road for many years to come.

Phillips still has three more years on his current deal, which means Leeds would demand a huge fee for the midfielder should interest come their way this window, according to Palmer who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“Kalvin had a tremendous game against Croatia in the first game of the Euros and had a fantastic season for Leeds, so there are going to be teams that covet him.

“But Leeds United are not going to want to sell him and if they do sell him, they’ll want big money for him.”

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been giving their thoughts to a transfer update on winger Jeremie Boga.

Wilfried Zaha has recently told the Eagles that he wants to leave the club this summer and wants a transfer to go through before pre-season begins next month, as reported by the Evening Standard.

Palace could end up granting Zaha’s wish, even though he has over two years left on his Selhurst Park deal, which has led the club to explore possible replacements for the Ivory Coast international.

The Evening Standard added that Palace have a long-standing interest in Boga but it is unclear whether they will return for the 24-year-old this summer.

Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, the former Chelsea prospect is currently with Serie A outfit Sassuolo. He netted four goals and registered two assists last season and appears to still be on Palace’s radar.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the news regarding Boga on Twitter on Friday evening. Here is what these Palace fans had to say in reply, with some for and against a potential deal.

“Right I’ve just looked up Boga compilations and he’s actually insane”Credit: @CPFCMax9″if he does go Boga is a very good replacement”Credit: @notconnorlmaov2″Boga I beg”Credit: @bentekefan0″Boga replacing Wilf and Madueke replacing Townsend? We might be good for next season”Credit: @Sumo08112″I doubt this btw”Credit: @Kevbartleyy”Who?”Credit: @StephenRodin1

In other news: ‘Surely not’ – Many Crystal Palace fans flock to ‘stunning’ news, find out more here.

Serie A expert Conor Clancy has lavished praise on Udinese attacking midfielder Rodrigo De Paul amid links with Leeds United.

Leeds have been linked with the playmaker for over a year, with the club seeing a bid rejected in last summer’s transfer window.

Reports suggest that they will go back in for him this summer and make another move, with Udinese reportedly demanding £35m for the star.

De Paul enjoyed a superb season in Serie A after Leeds saw their initial bid rejected, making 36 appearances and scoring nine goals, while also laying on 10 assists.

Clancy is the editor-in-chief at Forza Italian Football, and he believes that the Argentina international is one of the best players at the Serie A club, who finished 14th in the table last season.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “He’s a classic number 10. He’s excellent on the ball, his ability to find holes in defences is phenomenal.

“Bearing in mind he’s been doing this with an Udinese side who basically don’t do anything, they’re just on the pitch, the players do nothing, they don’t bother attacking that much, they kind of defend. It’s just get the ball to De Paul and see what he can do.”

De Paul has made a total of 184 appearances for Udinese, scoring 34 goals and laying on 36 assists and he has also won 20 caps for Argentina.

According to Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra, Glasgow Rangers are preparing a bid of €3m (£2.6m) for Santiago Moreno.

The Lowdown: Gers eye new arrivals

The previous campaign was a marvelous one for the Gers, as they won the Premiership for the first time in 10 years without losing a single game in the competition (thefishy.co.uk).

A place in the Champions League third qualifying round and a title defence to boot mean the Ibrox outfit will need to make new signings as they aim to progress further, with squad depth crucial ahead of a potentially gruelling campaign in Europe’s elite competition.

The Latest: Gers prepare Moreno bid

Now, it is being reported that the 55-time Scottish champions are preparing a bid for Moreno, who plays in Colombia for America de Cali.

Norwich City, as well as a number of MLS sides, are also interested in his services.

The Verdict: Making their move

21-year-old Moreno may not be a household name, but he certainly appears to have plenty of talent. He has managed 10 goals and seven assists for Cali so far in his career, including two strikes in this year’s Copa Libertadores (Transfermarkt), and he has even been labelled as the “new Sadio Mane” (TEAMtalk).

£2.6m is far from a huge sum, and if the Gers do stump up the cash they could he signing a young talent who could be an exciting player given his tender age and exciting comparisons.

If he turned out to be anything like the last Colombian the Gers signed – Alfredo Morelos – he would certainly be an inspired signing.

In other news, Rangers fans loved a photo of this star.

A new name has emerged in West Ham’s search for a striker this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Claret and Hugh, Sheffield United marksman Oliver McBurnie could be of interest to David Moyes, but he is thought to be just one of several targets as the 58-year-old looks to bolster his frontline before next season.

The 24-year-old has been linked with Scottish Premiership champions Rangers in recent weeks, with the Daily Mail claiming that he is thought to be valued at around £15m despite the Blades’ relegation to the Championship.

He cost the Yorkshire club a whopping £20m in 2019, becoming the most expensive Scottish footballer in history at the time before Kieran Tierney’s £25m move to Arsenal a few days later.

Hugill 2.0

Whilst it’s no secret that Moyes is desperate to find a new striker in the upcoming window, it’s hard to believe that McBurnie would be the answer after an abysmal campaign both on and off the pitch at Bramall Lane.

In 25 appearances in all competitions, the 17-cap Scotland international found the net just once, but his season was marred by controversy after he was arrested when footage of an altercation surfaced on social media, as per BBC.

Last year, he was warned by the Football Association for his conduct, while two years ago he was fined £28,500 and banned from driving after he was caught drink-driving.

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Moyes has never been one to risk tarnishing the reputation of the club, so these reports are hard to believe, and it’s not like McBurnie’s goal record in the Premier League has been good enough to look past that either.

In some ways, the Hammers could be looking at another Jordan Hugill situation here.

The former Preston man was signed for £10m as Moyes’ second signing at the club in 2018, even though he only bagged 30 goals in 114 appearances in the Championship. His time at the London Stadium was instantly forgettable, playing a grand total of 22 minutes for the club and failing to hit the net.

Similarly, on top of his one Premier League goal all season, McBurnie’s record isn’t outstanding. As per Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old has found the net 75 times in 203 career appearances, a respectable but unspectacular tally.

Former Scotland international and Manchester United midfielder Michael Stewart deemed the Blades striker “simply not good enough” back in November, whilst he also slammed him in an article for The Scottish Sun in which he wrote: “For a £20million striker he can’t run, he can’t hold up the ball, he doesn’t link well, he doesn’t shoot. He’s simply not strong enough to play that role.”

Now valued at just €15m (£12.5m) by CIES Football Observatory, Moyes is certainly playing with fire if the interest in McBurnie is genuine. Considering that the Irons have been heavily linked to plenty of other centre-forward candidates, including Adam Hlozek and Tammy Abraham, then the manager should see sense sooner rather than later and leave the Sheffield United forward where he is.

AND in other news, Forget Tammy: GSB can take West Ham to new level by signing 24 G/A “incredible talent”…

Reacting to an alleged Tottenham Hotspur managerial development that Fulham boss Scott Parker is emerging as a lead contender for the job (Football Insider), Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has reacted with his take on the report. 

Parker has been linked as an outside candidate from the Premier League in recent weeks alongside the likes of Graham Potter, coming after reliable correspondent Alasdair Gold believed he would be considered as one for the future.

Robinson reacts to alleged Spurs manager development

However, Football Insider recently shared a development that the 40-year-old is now emerging as a lead contender to replace former boss Jose Mourinho in the here and now.

This comes after previous blows involving former top targets Julian Nagelsmann and Erik Ten Hag, with the former agreeing to join Bayern Munich and the latter signing a new deal at Ajax.

Reacting to the alleged Tottenham managerial development involving Parker, Robinson has dropped his take and believes it would be a ‘big gamble’ to appoint the former Lilywhites midfielder.

“It would be a big gamble,” he explained to Football Insider.

“The way that the club, the training ground and the stadium have developed there is a need for Champions League football.

“Scott Parker has done an excellent job at Fulham but they are getting relegated. He did a great job getting them out of the Championship but there is a massive difference between managing Fulham and managing Tottenham.

“Scott is a bright, young, intelligent manager but if he is given the Spurs job it would be a huge risk on Daniel Levy’s part. It could be a risk that pays off though.”

Transfer Tavern take

Given he has just one full season in the English top flight under his belt and is looking likely to be relegated with Fulham, it does look like a risk despite his plaudits in the past.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is a huge admirer of Parker, having praised his brand of courageous attacking football earlier this season (mancity.com).

It is also said that Spurs and technical performance director Steve Hitchen are targeting a ‘young’ and ‘dynamic’ manager for the role (The Daily Mail), and on paper, Parker fits that description.

Regardless, what the Lilywhites debatably need is a more experienced head who still encourages an exciting brand of football, so we believe rumoured target Ralf Rangnick should be a top candidate.

He is known as the ‘godfather of gegenpressing’ and has been credited with influencing the likes of Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp.

Currently out of work, at least testing the water for the more experienced Rangnick should be a no brainer.

In other news: Tottenham told to target this ‘demon’ boss who Guardiola also praised, find out more here.

Speaking to Football Insider, BBC pundit and commentator Noel Whelan has been left thrilled by a report that goalkeeper and club mainstay Hugo Lloris is planning to remain at Spurs for at least another year (Football Insider).

The Lowdown: Lloris linked with exit

The Frenchman, having made 372 appearances for Spurs in all competitions since signing from Lyon in 2012 (Transfermarkt), is another big name that has been linked to a Tottenham exit this summer.

Lloris has just one year left on his contract and is yet to agree a renewal, with French news outlet L’Equipe (via TEAMtalk) even claiming Man United could look to sign him this summer to replace David de Gea.

However, Football Insider have now shared that Lloris has his heart set on remaining at Spurs for the 2021/2022 season despite his contract status and has even held talks with chairman Daniel Levy.

The Latest: Whelan thrilled by ‘great news’ involving Lloris

Reacting to this development over Lloris, Whelan has been left thrilled whilst branding it ‘great news for Tottenham’.

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“Lloris is hugely important to Tottenham,” explained the pundit to Football Insider.

“He is their leader, their number one and he is a fantastic goalkeeper. There are not many goalkeepers around, that’s the thing. He has so much experience as well.

“If he is going to see out his contract that is great news for Tottenham. They do not need to venture into the market and spend money in that department just yet.

“His experience and leadership both on and off the field is invaluable. He is one of the best goalkeepers out there, even though he has been hit and miss over the last couple of seasons.”

The Verdict: Big boost for Spurs…

With the ongoing Harry Kane exit saga arguably casting a shadow over the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs fans could be welcome to any form of consolation.

News of Lloris allegedly committing his short-term future to Spurs certainly comes as that small slice of good news with tensions surrounding the club at an all time high.

As Whelan explains, the shot stopper is a hugely important member of the team and Tottenham will need all the help they can get for what is set to be a very interesting 2021/2022 season.

In other news: Tottenham could be offered this £250,000-per-week ace for Kane, find out more here.

Many Wolves fans have been left to flock to the latest transfer update on Rui Patricio.As per Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Jorge Mendes has offered the Portugal international as an option to AS Roma ‘for some time’.However, Mino Raiola, who is also a super agent, is ‘ready’ to bring Alphonse Areola to Rome instead of Patricio, prompting a lot of members of the Molineux faithful to send their praise in his direction.Patricio only missed one match in the Premier League in the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt), and so it would not be wise to let such a key player go without a suitable replacement lined up.Nonetheless, the goalkeeper’s experience is crucial both off of the pitch as well as on it, especially for the younger players coming through like Fabio Silva, and also bearing in mind that a new manager will be taking charge of the team, and will need characters like Patricio around to help them make their mark.Wolves fans on Patricio transfer updateThese WWFC supporters flocked to the transfer update to send their appreciation to Raiola as it was shared on Twitter:”Raiola c’mon save us”Credit: @Gialadesign”Raiola at the back posttttttttt”Credit: @GeorgeTheStud”Raiola coming in clutch”Credit: @_samwwfc_”Love you Raiola”Credit: @bestwolvesfan”Raiola saving our season.”Credit: @Lem_WWFC”Mino you legend”Credit: @WWFCJoelIn other news, find out what Tim Spiers update has been lauded by Wanderers here!

Leeds United youngster Mateusz Bogusz is reportedly keen to seal another loan move away from Elland Road next season in order to earn regular playing time.

The 19-year-old joined the Whites back in January 2019, with the club viewing him as an exciting young player. However, Bogusz has appeared just once for Leeds this season, playing in the Carabao Cup clash with Hull City, which Marcelo Bielsa’s side eventually lost on penalties.

The midfielder subsequently joined Spanish Segunda Division team Logrones on loan for the rest of the season, where he has made 18 league appearances.

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Bogusz eyes up another move from Leeds

According to Meczyki [via Sport Witness], Bogusz is ‘preparing for another transfer’, with Legia Warsaw keen on snapping him up on a temporary basis.

It is even stated that ‘advanced talks are already underway’ with regards to a move there, with a permanent transfer seemingly not completely ruled out.

Transfer Tavern take

It makes perfect sense for Bogusz to head elsewhere again next season, considering the midfield depth ahead of him at Leeds.

Staying put and not playing would be a risk in terms of the youngster growing stagnant and not maturing as a footballer, which is of no benefit to anyone.

Bogusz’s current deal doesn’t expire until 2023, so a decision regarding his long-term future doesn’t need to be made yet, so a loan exit makes the most sense for the time being.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly interested in signing a player who appeared four times at the 2018 World Cup. Read more here.