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Sadio Mane’s transfer from Liverpool to Bayern Munich still has some hurdles to clear, according to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg.

The Lowdown: Mane’s exit expected

The 30-year-old will be leaving the Reds in the near future, following six legendary years at the club that have seen him become an Anfield great.

Mane will not only move on as a former Champions League and Premier League winner but also with an overall tally of 120 goals and 48 assists in 269 appearances at Anfield, a true Reds legend.

Bayern will seemingly be the Senegalese sensation’s next club given reports in the past few weeks, and a new update has emerged regarding their pursuit of him.

The Latest: Not quite…

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Sky Sports journalist Plettenberg claimed that the transfer will indeed go through, but fans will have to hold their horses for now:

“News #Mane: Been told that his transfer to #FCBayern will work out! But not in the next hours or 2-3 days. There are still a few steps to go. Negotiations about the transfer fee ongoing. Solution expected: €30-40m fix + bonus!”

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The Verdict: Perfect replacement coming in

While losing Mane is undoubtedly a negative, given his brilliance, Liverpool are on the verge of signing a fantastic replacement in Darwin Nunez.

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The Uruguayan will come in and lead the line like the Reds legend did in the second half of the season, bringing more youth and a natural goal threat down the middle. He scored 32 goals in the Primeira Liga and Champions League combined last season, in just 30 starts.

It could even prove to be an upgrade, considering Mane is arguably a smidgeon past his absolute peak, with Liverpool ultimately selling him at the right time, in terms of still getting good money for his services.

In other news, Liverpool have been backed to make a move for one Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United have been dealt a blow in their quest to Aberdeen youngster Calvin Ramsay, with Liverpool now in advanced talks over a move.

The Lowdown: Endless Ramsay links

The 18-year-old is considered a hugely exciting young prospect in Scotland, with Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack describing him as an ‘elite’ talent.

Ramsay has been constantly linked with a move away from his current club this summer, with Leeds and Liverpool the two sides seemingly battling to acquire his signature.

The Whites are also thought to be chasing RB Salzburg full-back Rasmus Kristensen, as Jesse Marsch eyes up reinforcements in defence.

The Latest: Reds move ahead

According to Football Insider, Liverpool ‘have been granted permission’ to discuss terms with the player, with the Reds ‘well placed’ to make progress regarding the move.

It means Leeds are now firmly second-favourites to get their man, with the negotiations from Merseyside described as ‘advanced’.

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The Verdict: Sign Kristensen instead

Missing out on Ramsay would undoubtedly be a blow for Leeds, given his long-term potential, but the lure of Liverpool could be too great for him to turn down.

Should he move to Anfield, the Whites must snap up Kristensen instead, providing competition for Luke Ayling, who turns 31 this summer.

The Salzburg man could be an excellent signing, having averaged a hugely impressive 4.6 tackles per game in the Champions League this season, as well as 2.3 clearances.

In other news, Leeds are keen on signing an exciting young player. Find out who it is here.

Newly promoted Nottingham Forest are ready to make a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, reports Birmingham Live.

The Lowdown: Gibbs-White’s season

The 22-year-old Wolves man joined Championship side Sheffield United on a season-long loan last year after going out to Swansea the year prior.

The midfielder made 35 league appearances for the Blades, contributing 11 goals and nine assists to United’s failed promotion push.

The Latest: Forest interested

Unfortunately for the youngster, his penalty in the play-off semi-final against Forest was saved by goalkeeper Brice Samba.

However, Gibbs-White clearly impressed Steve Cooper, as he is said to be a huge admirer of the Wolves man, and he could now look to add him to his side’s squad ahead of next season (via Nottingham Post).

It has now been reported by Birmingham Live that Forest are ready to move for Gibbs-White this summer, as they look to build a squad capable of competing in the Premier League.

The Midlands club value the midfielder at around £20m, however manager Bruno Lage is said to be desperate to keep the Wanderers man.

Lage has previously claimed (via Birmingham Live): “In January I did everything to convince him to stay here.

“After, we will see. If I want him in January, I continue to want him here because he can be an important player for the club. He’s one of the players that comes from the academy and I know it’s so important for the club to have that.”

The Verdict: Big loss for Wolves

Whilst the youngster has previously been told to go out on loan to gain experience, he is surely now a part of Lage’s plans at Wolves, having proven what he can do with extended playing time this term.

During his time in the Championship, former Barnsley boss Poya Asbaghi hailed the 22-year-old as the Blades’ “most outstanding” player, indicating he is ready to make the permanent step-up to the Premier League.

Therefore, if Wolves do lose hold of Gibbs-White this summer, it is likely that we will see the midfielder playing in the English top-flight next season and perhaps even biting the hand that once fed him.

In other news: Two EFL clubs target Dion Sanderson…

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has dropped another major update on Manchester United’s attempts to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

The Lowdown: De Jong links

De Jong appears to be a key target for new United boss Erik ten Hag, with Romano revealing in the middle of May that there was contact between the two clubs.

Ten Hag and De Jong worked together at Ajax, with the latter moving to Barcelona in 2019 in a deal worth £77.4m.

The 25-year-old has made 139 appearances at the Nou Camp over the last three seasons, but due to Barcelona’s financial situation, a move to another of Europe’s super clubs could well be on the cards.

The Latest: Romano’s next update

Romano took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to share his most recent update regarding De Jong and Manchester United.

He revealed that United have ‘opened direct talks with Barca’ for the Dutch midfielder, who has a price tag of around €85m (£72m). De Jong ‘wants’ Champions League football, however, Romano once again cited Barcelona’s ‘financial issues’ and said the Red Devils will try to ‘push again’.

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The Verdict: Fingers crossed

United have clearly not given up hope when it comes to De Jong and have now opened direct talks, which can only be a positive sign.

Hopefully, we’ll hear that talks have progressed in the coming days and should a move eventually materialise, you’d expect De Jong could be a direct replacement for Paul Pogba.

The Frenchman will become a free agent at the end of June after the Red Devils officially confirmed his imminent exit, so De Jong, who has enjoyed success under Ten Hag in the past, could be the ideal signing to bolster the club’s midfield ranks.

In other news: Man Utd and Ten Hag now hold talks over yet another target; interest ‘serious’. 

An update has emerged on Rangers and their interest in signing a new winger to bolster Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, the Light Blues are among a number of clubs monitoring Tom Lawrence ahead of a potential swoop for his services.

Ross Wilson is eyeing a deal for the Derby County gem and will need to fend off the likes of Leeds and Celtic – among others – in order to snap him up.

The Wales international is out of contract at the end of next month and there is set to be a scramble over who will be able to sign him on a free transfer.

Ryan Kent 2.0

A left winger with English Championship experience who likes to cut inside onto his favoured right foot? That sounds familiar…

Wilson can land the next Kent for the Light Blues by securing a swoop for Lawrence this summer, although whether that means him coming as competition for the ex-Liverpool forward or as a straight-up replacement remains to be seen.

Lawrence has been labelled a “fabulous talent” in the past by Gary Bowyer, while Steve Evans has previously dubbed him “unplayable”. The winger’s statistics in the Championship for Derby back up those claims, as he impressed despite the club’s relegation to League One under Wayne Rooney.

The £27k-per-week dynamo produced 11 goals and five assists in the second tier of English football as his side finished 23rd in the league.

Lawrence averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.08 as he turned in consistently good performances whilst chipping in on a regular basis in the final third. At the age of 28, he is also in the prime years of his career and would be a player with the quality to step straight into the first-team to make an impact, given his age and form in England.

Meanwhile, Kent scored two goals and provided eight assists in the most recent league campaign for Rangers, helping the team to finish second in the Premiership, as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.06. However, he did register 10 goals and nine assists in the 2020/21 title-winning campaign, so his output has diminished in recent months.

This shows that both players, whilst also being similar in their positions and style of play, are capable of scoring and creating goals. Therefore, Lawrence can be the new Kent at Ibrox and provide a big lift to Van Bronckhorst’s attacking options next season.

AND in other news, Huge boost: Gvb set for big Rangers contract lift that’ll leave supporters buzzing…

Chelsea correspondent and reliable reporter Nizaar Kinsella of Goal has now shared a West Ham United transfer update involving striker Armando Broja.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye new striker…

Following the 2021/2022 Premier League season’s conclusion, all eyes now turn to the summer transfer window and how the Hammers will prepare for another season with over-achieving manager David Moyes.

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Since West Ham were threatened with relegation to the Championship two years ago, the east Londoners have come on leaps and bounds – qualifying for Europe over two consecutive seasons.

This is despite only having Michail Antonio as a natural senior striking option, but according to recent reports, Moyes and head of recruitment Rob Newman are determined to finally sign a centre-forward.

The Latest: Kinsella makes Broja claim…

According to Kinsella, sharing the latest news out of Chelsea regarding Broja, West Ham are eyeing a move and will ‘battle’ for the Albania international alongside many interested sides in AC Milan, Inter Milan, Napoli and Newcastle.

This comes after his impressive spell on loan at Southampton with the 20-year-old now attracting plenty of admirers – including the Irons and Moyes.

It’s added that the two-time Champions League winners have a decision to make regarding Broja and Thomas Tuchel wants to have a look at him in pre-season before deciding whether to stick or twist.

The Verdict: Get it done?

According to reliable in-the-know West Ham insider ExWHUemployee (Patreon via West Ham Zone), the towering 6 foot 3 forward is ‘possibly the number one target’ and someone Moyes personally ‘rates’ having spoken to scouts and people at the club.

Ex claims the Hammers boss sees Broja as an ‘all-round forward’ with great physical traits including strength and speed – not to mention also being a ‘good finisher’ (Patreon via West Ham Zone).

Moyes isn’t his only fan, either, with ex-defender Anton Ferdinand having urged the Irons to make a move for the top flight attacker recently.

Speaking to The Sun, he lauded Broja as an ‘exciting’ player and ‘similar to Antonio’ in terms of physicality – telling GSB to go and get a deal done.

Given how highly-rated he is by some close to the club, Broja’s possible summer signing may well be the way forward.

In other news: Offer ready: Newman preparing bid for ‘standout’ as West Ham eye ‘no-brainer’ signing! Find out more here.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been dealt a fitness worry ahead of his team’s crucial clash with West Ham United today in the Premier League title race.

The Lowdown: Huge day for Man City…

The Sky Blues could take one gigantic leap towards retaining their top-flight crown and besting rivals Liverpool by beating David Moyes’ side at the London Stadium this afternoon.

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City currently sit three points clear at the top of the table with a superior goal difference of seven compared to the Reds, and victory over the Hammers today would cement their place as overwhelming favourites to win the title heading into their last match of 2021/22.

After brushing aside both Newcastle United and Wolves in the last seven days, scoring 10 goals in total over the two matches, arguably their toughest remaining test looms at 2pm in east London .

Guardiola has been forced to cope without star defenders Ruben Dias, John Stones and Kyle Walker recently as the trio are ruled out for the rest of their title run-in.

To make matters more complicated, in their last match at Molineux, other crucial members of the squad in Aymeric Laporte, who was forced off due to a knee problem, and Fernandinho (muscle) came away with injury issues.

The Latest: Guardiola gives Laporte update…

Speaking to the press before his team’s trip to the capital, Guardiola has now confirmed that City could be without Laporte alongside their Brazilian veteran, with both doubtful to facve West Ham (Evening Standard).

A worry for City, the English champions could be without a plethora of first-team defensive options, but their manager refused to completely rule out their availability, claiming that they will be subject to checks today.

The Verdict: Potential major blow…

Being without Laporte in particular comes as a potentially major blow given just how crucial and reliable he has been this season.

The Spain international has even managed to keep Stones out of Guardiola’s starting XI time and time again this season despite his phenomenal partnership with Dias over the 2020/21 campaign.

Lauded as a ‘sensational’ defender by national team boss Luis Enrique, Laporte has been a mainstay domestically, racking up the fifth-most league minutes out of any City player and starting on 31 different occasions (WhoScored).

A supreme ball-playing centre-back, the 27-year-old also has the highest passing accuracy (94.9%) in Guardiola’s squad – no easy feat in one of the world’s best tiki-taka teams.

Cityzens up and down the country will be hoping that he is indeed given the green light to play in what will be a pivotal game in this epic title race.

In other news: Man City set to move for ‘unbelievable’ star who’s turned Pep’s head, played his last game on Saturday night…find out more here

West Ham United could face a Manchester City side in the Premier League this afternoon without Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho with both players nursing injuries.

What’s the latest?

As quoted by City Xtra, City boss Pep Guardiola stated: “They are in treatment, two days. We will see tomorrow, which players can play on Sunday. Until the day of the game, we will not be able to decide.

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“I said many times we have to handle these absences. If it was many months a big problem but one or two games. We saw against Wolves, we get through.”

Laporte had to be withdrawn after colliding with Wolves striker Raul Jimenez as Guardiola’s men won 5-1 at Molineux on Wednesday evening whilst it appeared as though Fernandinho sustained a hamstring injury.

Hammers will be buzzing

Getting a result against Manchester City with the Premier League title on the line will be a very tall task for West Ham. However, their chances will certainly be improved slightly if Laporte and Fernandinho do not make the game.

Without Laporte, Nathan Ake will be the Citizens’ only fit centre-back which could cause Guardiola a major issue as his side look to all but secure their fourth Premier League title under the Spaniard.

With a victory in east London, City will go six points clear of Liverpool with one game to go with the Reds’ penultimate game of the league season coming on Tuesday night with a trip to Southampton.

However, the absences of Laporte and Fernandinho, who have made a combined 73 appearances this term will be a major boost for West Ham who still have targets of their own.

A win today would see David Moyes’ side leapfrog Manchester United into sixth place going into the final day, with a second consecutive top six finish still very possible.

Although unlikely, the Hammers could still finish outside of the European places with two defeats in their final games of the season if Wolves were to beat both Norwich City and Liverpool.

Moyes’ men were victorious against City when the North-West outfit made the trip to the London Stadium in October for the EFL Cup fourth round, losing on penalties following a 0-0 draw.

Therefore, the Irons can take confidence from their previous meeting at the London Stadium as well as potential injury woes in the defensive department for Manchester City.

AND in other news: Forget Lanzini: Moyes must now unleash “renowned” £49k-p/w West Ham hero vs MCFC…

Sunderland will look to make the League One play-off final tomorrow night as they travel to Sheffield Wednesday for the second leg of their semi-final, with the Black Cats boasting a 1-0 lead on aggregate.

The Wearside outfit’s top scorer Ross Stewart got the decisive goal in the first leg on Friday night, capitalising on a mistake from Wednesday defender Sam Hutchinson.

Stewart’s effort was his 25th of an excellent first full campaign in the North-East since his move from Ross County last January.

However, in order to make it to Wembley, the 25-year-old will need extra support up front, with Alex Neil’s side’s lead a slender one considering that the Owls boast the best home form in the third tier.

Therefore, the imminent return of second top-scorer Nathan Broadhead will be incredibly welcome.

On the chalkboard

Broadhead missed Friday’s first leg through injury but his manager confirmed that he could be fit in time for tomorrow’s trip to South Yorkshire, stating: “He [Broadhead] will have a chance for Monday. Unfortunately, tonight was too soon.

“We will assess him over the next few days and make a call.

“Tonight he wasn’t ready. It’s tough as he is a good player but we have other good players.”

Labelled as “fantastic” by former Sunderland manager Lee Johnson, the £2.9k-per-week Everton loanee has scored 13 goals in 25 appearances in what’s been an impressive campaign for the 24-year-old, although injuries have prevented the Welshman from making a serious impact at the Stadium of Light.

However, no current striker in the Sunderland squad comes close to the numbers of either Stewart or Broadhead, with the next best tally from a striker coming from Leon Dakaju with four.

Therefore, it is imperative that the Welsh striker is fit enough for tomorrow, at least to make the bench, with the Black Cats looking to finally put an end to their miserable four-year stay in the third tier.

This is arguably the best chance the Wearside outfit has had to escape League One since their back-to-back relegations in 2017 and 2018, having made the 2019 final but being second-best to an impressive Charlton Athletic.

With Broadhead, Sunderland will have a much stronger chance of making the play-off final on 21 May, where they will face either MK Dons or Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley.

AND in other news: Neil can blow SAFC supporters away with £3.4k-p/w gem who was made “in a laboratory”

Nottingham Forest face arguably their most pivotal game in years on Tuesday night, as they take on Scott Parker’s Bournemouth side in a clash which could well decide which of the two clubs secures that much-coveted automatic promotion spot.

Steve Cooper’s men still have it all to do with three points currently separating themselves and their second-placed opponents, although to even be in contention at this stage of the season is a testament to the work done by the former Swansea City boss since his appointment back in September.

Under his predecessor Chris Hughton, the club were going nowhere fast and even appeared set to drop into the third tier, with the City Ground outfit picking up just a solitary point from their opening seven games of the current campaign.

Now they are on the cusp of a return to the promised land that is the Premier League, with their midweek encounter potentially set to showcase plenty of fireworks as the two sides go toe-to-toe.

Ahead of that meeting, one man who the Forest boss should well turn to to make the difference is young starlet Alex Mighten, with the 20-year-old having caught the eye off the bench in the recent 5-1 thrashing of Swansea.

While it may be a brave shout to alter a winning team – particularly following such a convincing victory – the youngster’s impact as a late substitute has seemingly done enough to warrant a start, even in a game of such magnitude.

In his 14-minute cameo, the academy graduate won 100% of his ground duels and completed two successful dribbles, while also notably getting himself on the scoresheet to put late gloss on an already emphatic scoreline.

Despite appearing something of a scrappy way to grab his first Championship goal of the season, the £540k-rated speedster showed great persistence to bundle the ball past the opposition stopper, latching onto a lofted pass over the top and busting a gut to get himself ahead of the visitors’ lacklustre defence.

That impressive display saw him receive an 8.0 match rating, via SofaScore, while NottinghamPost writer Sarah Clapson awarded the American-born prospect an 8.5/10 rating in her post-match report, writing of the forward’s performance that: “He’ll have enjoyed that one! Lovely run to find the net and help boost the goal difference.”

Following that showing, the £2.5k-per-week gem also received glowing praise from his manager, with Cooper dubbing him a “real livewire” and insisting that the player has now “got to get himself in the team and kick on.”

Should he be given the chance at the Vitality Stadium, Mighten seemingly has the opportunity to ‘kick on’, with a fresh pair of legs also potentially a benefit in what was an intense climax to the campaign.

With teammate Phillip Zinckernagel not enjoying his best day out at the weekend – the on-loan Watford man winning just one of his eight duels and losing possession on five occasions – it could be an ideal opportunity for a shake-up in attack.

IN other news: Nottingham Forest set for disaster on Djed Spence…