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Liverpool have been heavily linked with securing a deal for Darwin Nunez, and now a new update has been revealed on the next steps in the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari, Liverpool have now agreed on personal terms with Nunez.

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Taking to his Twitter account the journalist claimed:

“Liverpool close to reach an agreement with Benfica for striker Darwin Nunez. Agreement on personal terms.”

Longari then further followed up with another tweet stating: “Confirmed by some other reliable sources: Darwin Nunez has a total agreement with Liverpool on personal terms (2027). First offer from LFC to Benfica to find a total agreement.

“Darwin Nunez never been so close to Liverpool.”

Klopp will be delighted

With the unexpected news that Sadio Mane wants to Liverpool this summer, Jurgen Klopp will surely be delighted that FSG are making the right moves to replace the Senegalese winger’s massive goal contributions ahead of next season with Nunez proving to be more than capable of bagging crucial goals.

The Uruguayan striker scored 34 goals and contributed four assists in all competitions from his striker role for Portuguese giants Benfica this season, but it is the importance of some of his strikes specifically that make him a game-changer like his potential predecessor Mane.

In the Champions League, Nunez was the catalyst in his team’s progression through the prestigious European competition that landed Benfica their first quarter-final since 2016.

The 22-year-old scored big goals in big games against some of the most elite clubs in the tournament with two goals against Barcelona, a goal versus both Bayern Munich and Ajax, and two strikes over the quarter-final tie with Liverpool.

That said, despite his hard work was unable to knock out the Merseyside club and crashed out of the competition at Anfield.

Klopp spoke out on his admiration for the young goal machine in a Champions League press conference, saying (via Metro):

“Really good, really good. I knew it before but he played pretty much in front of me. Physically strong, quick, was calm with his finish. Really good. If he stays healthy, it’s a big career ahead of him.”

Following the comments from the German coach, Nunez probably would never have imagined he would become a target and potential player for the six-time Champions League winners and now he could sign a record-breaking deal reported to be worth €100m (£85.5m) making him the most expensive signing ever for the Reds.

AND in other news: Liverpool trying to sign £102m-rated “game-changer” as well as Nunez, he’s Mane 2.0

Newcastle United journalist Scott Wilson has revealed that Freddie Woodman is now ‘on verge’ of leaving St. James’ Park.

The Lowdown: Lack of games

Woodman has suffered from a lack of game time throughout his career in the North East, with just five senior appearances made last season, and nine in total spanning over six separate campaigns (Transfermarkt).

He was shipped out on loan to AFC Bournemouth in the January transfer window, but only played once for them, in the shock 1-0 loss at home to non-league Boreham Wood in the FA Cup.

The Latest: Deal close

Taking to Twitter, Wilson has revealed that Woodman is now ‘on verge’ of signing for Preston North End on loan for next season, with a view to a permanent deal:

“NUFC goalkeeper Freddie Woodman on verge of joining Preston on season-long loan, with a view to a permanent departure from St James’ next summer…”

The Verdict: Get rid

While the move to take him to Preston is only on loan initially, the Tynesiders should be happy to sell Woodman permanently, even in 12 months’ time.

The Englishman is 25 years of age now, and so needs to be playing regular football, which he is clearly not getting at the Magpies.

It is a shame for a player who has shown promise, as former Toon defender Steve Howey hailed him as ‘excellent’ after a successful loan spell at Swansea City, but next summer provides the optimum time for both him and the club to part ways.

In other news, find out which ‘super saiyan’ giant NUFC are now eyeing here!

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United’s attempts to land their second deal of the summer transfer window after signing Matt Targett.

What’s the talk?

The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has revealed that the Magpies are leading the race for Sven Botman and should find out what the player wants to do before next week.

He Tweeted: “On Botman nothing has fundamentally changed in last few days but as reported. NUFC believe they’re in pole position. We should finally get a decision this week. Until it’s done it’s not done etc. Howe returns from holiday soon. Ashworth watched player last night for Holland U21s.”

The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson then added: “NUFC hoping to reach end game with Sven Botman deal this week after defender signs off from international duty. Looks like they’ve beaten off competition from AC Milan. Suggestions of PSG interest noted – but not regarded as a concern…”

Eddie Howe will love it

The Magpies’ head coach will love these updates on the club’s attempts to land the Lille enforcer for several reasons.

Firstly, he will be buzzing with the claim that a decision is now on the way. Having a final call from the player by the end of the week will either allow Newcastle to wrap the deal up quickly and in time for pre-season or give them over two months to find an alternative centre-back target.

He will also be delighted with the suggestion that the club have managed to beat AC Milan and PSG to the player, if they are now able to get this over the line. Both of those teams will be competing in the Champions League next season after winning their respective leagues.

Newcastle, meanwhile, have no European football on offer and it remains to be seen what targets Howe will set in terms of a realistic finish in the Premier League in 2022/23.

This means that they are set to land Botman in spite of having less to offer from a footballing point of view, which will delight Howe as it would show that the defender has faith in the long-term project at the club.

At the age of 22, the Dutchman is a player who can develop alongside the team in the years to come and be a part of the journey to, hopefully, securing Champions League football in the future.

AND in other news, NUFC can find their own Paqueta in deal for “glorious” £64m gem with “no weaknesses”…

Liverpool are ready to rival Chelsea for the signing of Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim from Italy.

The Lowdown: De Ligt on the move?

The 22-year-old has been seen as one of Europe’s leading young centre-backs for several years now, having burst onto the scene with Ajax back in 2018/19, being called ‘world-class’ by Jaap Stam.

De Ligt made 31 appearances in Serie A last season, as well as starting seven Champions League games, averaging 2.9 aerial duel wins per match in the former.

The £63million-rated Dutchman has been tipped for a move away from Juve this summer, with Liverpool thought to be one of the teams in the mix.

The Latest: Liverpool keen on signing

According to Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], the Reds are still interested in signing De Ligt, with the report saying ‘pay attention to Liverpool’.

A move to the Premier League would reportedly be ‘difficult to refuse’, with Chelsea also seen as contenders to snap up the highly-rated Netherlands international.

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The Verdict: Is he needed?

De Ligt is clearly a top-class centre-back with enormous potential – his mentality has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo by Edwin van der Sar –  but Liverpool are extremely well-stocked in that area currently.

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In Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate, Jurgen Klopp has three wonderful defenders at his disposal and Joe Gomez is also a strong option, should he stay put.

A move for De Ligt could be ideal once the likes of Van Dijk and Matip are past their best – he and Van Dijk both averaged 3.1 clearances per game in the league last season – but for now, their money should be spent on more pressing areas, such as midfield.

In other news, one attacking player is wanted by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool this summer. Read more here.

Everton are reportedly now eyeing up a shock move to sign former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum this summer.

The Lowdown: Liverpool great…

Wijnaldum will go down as one of the greats at Anfield, after helping them secure both the UEFA Champions League and Premier League titles.

Dubbed a ‘sensational’ player by Jurgen Klopp just before he left to join PSG last summer, it has not quite worked out for him in France, as he has been limited to bit-part appearances, playing the full 90 minutes on just eight occasions.

The Latest: Everton interest

Writing in his latest piece for 90min, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has revealed that the Goodison Park outfit are now ‘keeping close tabs’ on Wijnaldum’s situation, although so are Leicester City, Wolves and West Ham United.

PSG already want to sell him after only signing him last summer, but a loan move looks more likely at this stage.

The Verdict: Smart move?

Given Wijnaldum’s experience in the top flight and his added winning mentality, signing him on loan could prove to be  a smart piece of business from the Merseyside club.

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Of course, there may be some grumblings from supporters due to his Liverpool connections, but the Toffees need to focus on bringing in players that will help them climb up the table next season and avoid another relegation scrap.

The fact that PSG want to move him on should also help with their pursuit of the Netherlands international.

A claim has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of a new attacker in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Journalist Dean Jones has suggested that the prospect of moving to St. James’ Park could tempt England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin into making a move ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The reporter has also claimed that the Magpies could be set to make a splash in the market to bolster Eddie Howe’s forward options.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “If you are Calvert-Lewin right now and you’re wondering what Everton are doing, I think it starts to turn your head, to be honest, and I think that Newcastle could make a statement signing in attack soon.”

Supporters will be buzzing

This claim will surely leave the supporters buzzing as they will be keen to see a significant signing at the top end of the pitch.

Chris Wood arrived on Tyneside from Burnley in the summer transfer window and failed to make a big impact in the second half of the campaign.

The New Zealand international scored two goals in 17 games for the club in the Premier League. This meant that he ended the season with five strikes in 34 matches in the division for the Clarets and the Magpies combined, which is an unimpressive return from the centre-forward.

Along with his lacklustre finishing, Wood did not provide a single assist in the top-flight and only created one ‘big chance’ for his teammates. He did not offer enough in the final third as he struggled in front of goal and that is why fans will be eager to see a new addition come through the door to instantly replace him.

Calvert-Lewin, meanwhile, managed five goals and two assists in 15 starts – despite struggling with an injury – and racked up 16 goals in 32 starts in the 2020/21 Premier League campaign. He has shown that he can score goals in the division and still has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop at the age of 25 – five years younger than the ex-Claret.

Therefore, the Toffees frontman would be a huge upgrade on Wood in the short and long-term and that is why fans will be buzzing with the suggestion that his head may be turned by the Magpies.

Whether Calvert-Lewin is or is not the ‘statement’ signing that they may look to make, however, is immaterial as the fanbase will surely be delighted to see any proven goalscorer – within reason – come in to challenge for a starting spot.

AND in other news, NUFC could land their own Vlahovic in Ashworth swoop for “exceptional” £40m predator…

Tottenham Hotspur could target another playmaker after missing out on Christian Eriksen, according to Dan Kilpatrick of The Evening Standard.

The lowdown

It emerged on Monday that the Denmark international has verbally agreed to join Manchester United, with a three-year contract now being put together. This will come as a blow to Spurs, with The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare having reported in mid-June that an N17 reunion with the midfielder was ‘fairly likely’ at one stage.

Eriksen had previously played for Spurs between 2013 and 2020, scoring 69 goals and providing 90 assists across 305 appearances.

The Dane certainly fits the ‘playmaker’ bill, having recorded the third-highest expected assist per 90 average in the 2021/22 Premier League during his short-term stint at Brentford.

The latest

The Evening Standard’s chief football correspondent Kilpatrick reported that Spurs could still look to bring in a player in that mould.

However, that playmaker candidate is unlikely to be free agent Jesse Lingard though, with the north London club playing down interest in the 29-year-old.

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The verdict

Do Spurs have a problem with creativity in their squad?

To be fair, they did rank fourth in the Premier League last season for expected goals, which shows that they’re creating a decent volume of scoring chances (via Understat).

However, their total of 67.95 was still some way down on champions Manchester City (93.4) and runners-up Liverpool (93.02), and those are the teams with whom they hope to compete.

What’s more, Spurs’ existing midfield options don’t particularly stand out when it comes to creating opportunities. Rodrigo Bentancur ranks in the 65th percentile among positional peers for xA, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is in the 49th and Yves Bissouma is in the 21st.

Perhaps Antonio Conte wants to be able to carve out chances from different areas of the pitch.

Aston Villa’s reported hopes of signing Manchester City defender Nathan Ake look to be over, as the Dutch defender closes in on a move to Chelsea.

What’s the word?

Villa were heavily linked with the former AFC Bournemouth centre-back earlier in the window, with reports suggesting that he was keen on a move away from the Etihad due to a lack of regular starts under Pep Guardiola.

However, it now seems as if Thomas Tuchel’s side have won the race to sign the Netherlands international, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The football journalist wrote on Twitter that: “Chelsea have full agreement with Nathan Aké on personal terms. Man City are aware of the situation on the player side, but still waiting to receive the official bid.

“City want around £40/45m for Aké and plan is to replace him with a new centre-back in case he leaves.”

With Chelsea’s new billionaire owner Todd Boehly in place, that fee should represent no problem for the Blues, and a transfer will likely be completed ahead of the new season.

Supporters will be gutted

Although Steven Gerrard has already signed Diego Carlos for his backline this summer, to add to a number of centre-back options at Villa Park, Ake could have been a superb option in the heart of his defence.

Tyrone Mings showed his vulnerabilities on a number of occasions last season and considering Ake’s impressive performances for City, on the rare occasions he started ahead of Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias and John Stones, the Dutchman would arguably have been an upgrade on the Englishman.

Ake averaged a strong 6.92 rating from WhoScored across his 14 Premier League appearances last season, which was better than any of Villa’s centre-back options would manage, so he definitely could have added some quality to Gerrard’s side.

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The 27-year-old was dubbed “fantastic” by international teammate Virgil van Dijk, who will surely go down as one of the best defenders in Premier League history, so Villa supporters will surely be gutted that they are set to miss out on Ake this summer.

AND in other news: Bye-bye Luiz: Lange must now seal Aston Villa swoop for “elite” £25.2m-rated machine

Aston Villa were credited with an interest in Lille striker Jonathan David earlier in the summer transfer window, and the Canada international would represent a big upgrade on Danny Ings in Steven Gerrard’s side.

It was suggested that both West Ham and Villa were interested in signing the forward this summer, while the Premier League was touted as his next destination after successful spells in France and Belgium.

The 22-year-old is highly regarded in world football and enjoyed another impressive season with Lille in 2021/22, scoring 15 goals in 38 Ligue 1 appearances for Les Dogues.

By contrast, goals were hard to come by for Ings following his £25m switch from Southampton last summer, as he managed just seven in 30 Premier League appearances.

The Englishman also averaged fewer shots, dribbles and key passes per game than David, which suggests that the 22-year-old has the edge on the former Liverpool man in terms of all-round play.

While the Canadian would represent a fairly expensive option for Gerrard, with reports suggesting that he would cost £42.5m, he is seven years younger than Ings and appears to have a much higher ceiling, so he could really add some attacking quality to the Villans ahead of the new season.

During David’s time with Gent, for whom he racked up 37 goals and 15 assists in just 82 appearances, manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck was full of praise for him, saying: “He is a phenomenon. The best player in the country.”

The young striker has managed to maintain a similar scoring rate during his time in France, hitting 32 goals in 95 appearances for Les Dogues, helping them to win the French title in the 2020/21 season.

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Therefore, there seems little to suggest that he wouldn’t be a success in the Premier League next season, and he appears to be a significant upgrade on Ings, both in the short run and the long-term.

If a deal for the young Canada striker can be done, then Johan Lange should definitely try and bring him to Villa Park.

AND in other news: Lange can seal a new “world-class” talent as Villa close in on fifth summer signing

Journalist Jacob Steinberg, writing for The Guardian, has now shared a promising West Ham United transfer update involving Lille midfielder Amadou Onana.

The Lowdown: Irons making moves…

Hammers boss David Moyes, after sealing Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes and Alphonse Areola on permanent deals, is seemingly looking to make even more signings before the start of the 2022/2023 Premier League season.

Links to Armando Broja and Jesse Lingard have been prevalent in the last few days while other overseas targets like Serie A attacker Gianluca Scamacca are also still in the frame.

If all goes to plan, this could be West Ham’s busiest transfer window in recent memory, with The Guardian’s Steinberg now sharing a promising update on their bid to sign Onana.

The Latest: Hammers hopeful…

According to their sources, Moyes and co are increasingly ‘hopeful’ of sealing a deal for the Ligue 1 starlet after their improved €38 million (£32m) offer.

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The gigantic 6 foot 4 midfield man is one of West Ham’s main targets this summer as Moyes and head of recruitment Rob Newman continue their scattergun approach.

The Verdict: Promising update?

Onana would add not only a degree of steel to the Hammers midfield, but also a potential star for the future.

The 20-year-old has already been called up to a star-studded Belgium international squad at such a young age and the fact there are other top clubs, like Newcastle and Everton, circling for Onana tells you all you need to know.

He featured over 32 Ligue 1 games and eight Champions League encounters whilst turning a few heads, even despite Lille’s disappointing title defence (90min).

Moyes sealing a deal for one of France’s standout talents could be a really shrewd move ahead of what will be an interesting 2022/2023 season.