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Nottingham Forest have been linked with a move for Joe Aribo this summer, and now a claim from a former player has emerged on the potential move for the player.

What’s the latest?

In an interview with Football Insider, Kevin Campbell believes Nottingham Forest can convince Aribo to join this summer.

When asked about the links to Aribo, the former Forest striker claimed:

“We are talking Premier League football here though. Financially, Rangers cannot compete. That is unfortunately the case. That is the way life is.

“They have a young, progressive manager who has got the club back in the Premier League for the first time in 23 years. Steve Cooper could develop him and that might entice him. It is an exciting project at Forest.

“With the money we are talking about, I think it might materialise. I think it would turn his head a little.”

Cooper can turn his head

Following his success in the Scottish Premiership, Aribo’s next step could be a move to the Premier League and there is no doubt that Steve Cooper could turn his head this summer with the option to join Nottingham Forest’s project in the top flight.

The £10m star who was hailed “spectacular” by journalist Josh Bunting, has had another impressive tenure with Rangers following their title win the season before and now this term getting to the Europa League final.

Aribo scored eight goals, delivered five assists and created nine big chances. He also made 1.8 key passes, 1.6 tackles and won 6.4 duels on average per game, as well as successfully completing the majority of his dribble attempts (57%), proving that he works really hard to create opportunities for his team.

Rangers might not have been able to dominate in the league this season, but they had a hugely successful run in Europe competing in their first European final since the UEFA Cup in 2007/08, and their first-ever Europa League final.

The midfielder played a key role in the journey to the very last penalty against Frankfurt, with his most notable performance coming in the quarter-final second leg when he assisted twice to send Rangers through after being 1-0 down in the first leg of the tie against Braga.

Aribo is now in the last 12 months of his contract, and if reports are to be believed that Cooper is interested in adding him to his squad this summer it shouldn’t be hard for the boss to convince the player to take the next step in his career by joining the newly-promoted side in the Premier League.

If the powers at Nottingham Forest can offer a more lucrative wage package than his current £14k-per-week salary at Rangers, there is no doubt that it would be a tempting move for the 25-year-old whilst also offering him the opportunity to play football in one of the most competitive leagues in world football.

He could just be a spectacular signing for the Midlands side.

AND in other news: Paul Taylor drops big behind-scenes Forest update that will have supporters buzzing

West Ham United have had their hopes of signing Armando Broja boosted.

What’s the word?

That is according to Daily Express Journalist Ryan Taylor, who revealed in an interview with GIVEMESPORT that the Chelsea centre-forward is “100%” open to a switch to the London Stadium.

Taylor understands that Broja would not hesitate to sign an agreement with West Ham if a deal can be agreed with the Blues over his transfer. This is due to his ambitions of securing regular first-team football after growing used to regular minutes at Southampton last season.

Asked whether the Albanian would be interested in a switch to the London Stadium, Taylor told GMS: “Yes, 100%. I spoke to a source close to Broja in the week, who said that they’re going to consider any offer that arrives.

“He is open to staying at Chelsea and wants to make it at Chelsea, but he obviously had a taste of regular football last season with Southampton and there’s a feeling that he wouldn’t want to sit on the bench. Ideally, he wants to play regularly.”

Supporters will love him

Having been on loan at Southampton last season, the 20-year-old made the most of what was an ambitious jump from the Chelsea U23s to regular minutes for a Premier League side.

In solitary assist occurring in the Premier League.

At such a young age, the Albanian has proved he can handle the pressures of top-flight football and looks destined for big things as a physical presence up-top.

This is why a move to West Ham looks like a dream scenario for both parties.

West Ham are desperate for cover in the centre-forward role after becoming over-reliant on 32-year-old Michail Antonio, who made 36 appearances in the Premier League last season.

Broja would represent an option that could alleviate pressure from the Jamaican international whilst also bolstering much-needed competition for the forward spot.

Moyes is in need of younger options with his squad ranking as the fourth-oldest in terms of average age in the league last season, with Taylor’s latest update on the club’s pursuit of Broja sure to be news the West Ham faithful will love.

AND in other news: Moyes eyeing West Ham swoop for 21 y/o gem with “huge potential”, imagine him & Bowen

A big Newcastle United claim has emerged on Karl Darlow and his status at the club beyond the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has revealed that the shot-stopper’s place in the squad is not under threat after the arrival of Nick Pope from Burnley this month.

The reporter claims that the Englishman has been assured of his position on Tyneside and has questioned what that means for the current number one.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “My understanding is that Karl Darlow has been told he’s got a future at the club, so that leaves a bigger question mark over Martin Dubravka. There was a little bit of talk over him leaving in January, but it didn’t materialise at the time.”

Supporters will be gutted

The Toon supporters will be gutted by this claim from Downie for multiple reasons.

Firstly, they will be frustrated by the prospect of Darlow being the number two again next season, as it seems unlikely that he would be happy to be third-choice and not even making the bench.

The former Nottingham Forest man was the back-up throughout the 2021/22 campaign and let Steve Bruce down when he was needed to play in a spell of games.

He made eight appearances in the Premier League and averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.47 – making one error directly leading to a goal and giving away one penalty.

On Match of the Day, Magpies icon Alan Shearer criticised him for his performance against Brentford, saying: “There were so many mistakes all over the place. Darlow there, it’s a basic error, he had a really poor game. He looked really nervous.”

These comments and his dreadful statistics in the top-flight illustrate why supporters would not be best pleased with him remaining at the club as he was nowhere near good enough when called upon, whilst they will also be gutted by the prospect of Dubravka departing.

The 33-year-old shot-stopper enjoyed a solid campaign last term as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.88 and kept eight clean sheets in 26 appearances. He did not make a single error directly leading to a goal as he proved that he is a better option in the Premier League than Darlow.

Fans would, therefore, prefer to see him stay to compete with Pope and watch the ex-Forest man depart, rather than the other way round.

AND in other news: Offer made: NUFC in talks to sign “world-class” 110-goal “magician”, Howe needs him…

Celtic have been linked with a move to bring Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Alfa Semedo to Parkhead this summer.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from A Bola, the midfielder will be allowed to leave the Portuguese club this summer, with Celtic being one of the clubs interested in signing him.

Having spent the majority of his career on Benfica’s books in which he spent loan spells with clubs such as Espanyol, Nottingham Forest and Reading, the 24-year-old joined Vitoria on a permanent basis during the previous summer transfer window.

The fact that he’s played in Portugal, Spain and England could make it easier for him to adapt to playing in Scotland should he make a move to Glasgow this summer having had so much experience of playing in different countries already.

Postecoglou’s next Bitton

Despite not scoring a goal or providing an assist throughout his debut season with his current side, the midfielder has found the net eight times and delivered four assists in 150 senior club appearances throughout his career.

One of those goals was labelled as “massive” by presenter Brendan Dunlop back in 2018 when Benfica beat AEK Athens in the Champions League and that would aptly sum up just how big a move this would be for the Bhoys.

In his 26 league appearances last season, the Guinea-Bissau international made the fourth-highest number of interceptions and the joint-second highest number of tackles won in the Vitoria squad.

This highlights the defensive talent the £1.35m-rated enforcer has without the ball and the protection he can give his defence.

Nir Bitton left the Parkhead club at the end of last season, and thus, Semedo could be seen as Ange Postecoglou’s ideal replacement for the former Hoops figure.

He made 37 interceptions and won 30 tackles during his two previous SPFL campaigns, meaning the 30-year-old also showed his usefulness to the team by playing as a centre-back in addition to his usual defensive-midfield role when needed.

With Semedo also showing his versatility in being able to play in defence as well as in midfield, it’s easy to see why the Hoops have been linked with a move for him this summer following Bitton’s departure.

If Vitoria are willing to let their previous summer recruit leave in the coming weeks, Celtic should definitely do what they can to get him to join them.

In other news: Ange can land Alexander-Arnold 2.0 with “exciting” Celtic move for “special” £6.5m gem

Former BBC pundit Noel Whelan has hailed some Glasgow Rangers transfer news that he has now heard from Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Archer interest

As per talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, the Gers are among a number of clubs who hold an ‘interest’ in signing Cameron Archer this summer.

Middlesbrough and Watford are also thought to be interested in signing the Aston Villa striker on loan for next season.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has now given his reaction to the news, claiming that it would be an ‘exciting’ move for both Archer and the Light Blues.

The 47-year-old said: “That could be a real step up for him. He could be playing in the Champions League and fighting for a league title as well. That’s the kind of stage he will want to be playing on.

“He’s a really bright talent as well, and someone I think Rangers would get a real benefit out of.

“He’s got pace, power, goalscoring ability – I think it would be a really beneficial move for a young player. It’s an exciting move.”

The Verdict: Get it done

There seems no doubt that Archer will have plenty of interest from other teams to take him on loan next term, so Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side need to get this deal done as soon as they can.

He has recently been hailed as ‘unstoppable‘ and ‘different gravy‘ by renowned Villa YouTuber Ty Bracey after scoring with his first touch for England under-21s in a win against Albania, which is high praise indeed for the 20-year-old.

Archer also managed 11 first-team goals combined for Villa and on loan at Preston North End last term, and given that the Premier League outfit are now managed by former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, this is one which the Teddy Bears could get over the line given the 42-year-old’s connections with both clubs.

In other news, find out which Gers attacker could now leave this summer here

Crystal Palace could soon agree a deal for Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure after holding further talks with the French club. 

The lowdown

Palace are going in search of their first signing of the summer as they look to arm Patrick Vieira for his second season in charge.

They’re in the market for central midfield reinforcements, with Conor Gallagher headed back to Chelsea after his season-long loan move and Cheikhou Kouyate’s future uncertain following the expiry of his contract.

Doucoure played most of his football last season just in front of the defence as a no. 6, but he can also operate in a more advanced role in the middle of the park.

He joined Lens from Malian football club AS Real Bamako in February 2018 and has gone to make 131 appearances for the club, including 34 (33 starts) in the league last season.

The 22-year-old has two left years on his contract with the upper-mid table outfit and is valued at £13.5million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reports that ‘a deal is thought to be close’ after a fresh round of negotiations between the two sides.

Vieira knows Doucoure from his time as a manager in Ligue 1 with Nice and is confident that he’s well-suited to English football.

Steve Parish, Dougie Freedman and Co would apparently regard the signing as a major coup, should they successfully complete it.

The verdict

Doucoure isn’t necessarily a midfielder who will score goals or provide assists – he’s only managed 15 G/A at Lens – though he does rank in the 75th percentile among positional peers in the top five leagues for shot-creating actions, so you would say he still makes a noticeable attacking contribution (via FBRef).

His main strengths are his ability to progress the ball through passing and carrying (he ranks in the 93rd percentile in both departments). Out of possession, he reads the game well, averaging 2.26 interceptions per 90 minutes (84th percentile).

In terms of profile, he’s similar to Chelsea’s Jorginho and Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka, and so he’d be expected to add real class and steel at SE25.

According to talent scout Jacek Kulig, ‘smart scouting clubs’ will have identified Doucoure as a ‘combative, intelligent and consistent’ talent. What’s more, team-mate Seko Fofana has billed him ‘a complete player’, while journalist Alex Lowy has marvelled at his ‘incredible’ performances.

You can see why Palace would be so pleased to get this one over the line.

In other news, Palace are eyeing two Manchester United players.

Celtic successfully put a nightmare of a 2020/21 season behind them by securing the Premiership title this time around under Ange Postecoglou.

With 38 league games played, the Hoops won 29, drew six and lost only three, ultimately leaving them with an impressive 93-point haul. In addition, Postecoglou’s team ended the season with more goals scored (92) and fewer conceded (22) than any other team in the top flight, further cementing their place as Scotland’s top dogs.
However, one man who didn’t contribute much to this latest title-winning campaign is Boli Bolingoli.
With just two appearances to his name across all competitions, the defender was excluded from the squad more often than not.
In April, it was reported that the £15k-per-week Belgian was in his homeland training on his own away from his team-mates, which doesn’t say much for his chances of being in Postecoglou’s plans moving forward.
Slammed by former Hoops manager Neil Lennon for his “appalling” behaviour after the 26-year-old broke government guidelines in 2020 relating to the global pandemic, Bolingoli is reportedly one player that the club are looking to get rid of this summer.
With that in mind, one player with whom the Parkhead club have been linked according to Fotboll Direkt (via 67HailHail) and who they could look to bring in as his replacement is Erick Otieno.

Axe Bolingoli, sign Otieno

Currently playing for Swedish club AIK Solna, the left-back has scored two goals and delivered eight assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.
To highlight the 25-year-old’s talents, in 11 league games so far this year, he has won more tackles (15) than any of his team-mates, also posting the second-highest number of crosses (37) and interceptions (17) at the Stockholm club.
Furthermore, his current team-mate Seb Larsson recently shared a lot of praise for Otieno and how impressive he has been for AIK.
This all shows just how capable a player he is on and off the ball in a defensive and attacking sense, and why he’d surely be more useful for Celtic than Bolingoli.
Taking all this into account, if the Hoops and Postecoglou finally get the Belgian outcast off their books once and for all this summer, securing a deal which would bring the £1.35m-rated Otieno full-back to Parkhead could be the best option for the club.
In other news: Celtic eyeing swoop for £810k-rated “thing of beauty”, it could be bye-bye Soro

Liverpool have been reportedly interested in Raphinha for a long time, and following a recent update from Fabrizio Romano, it should give clarity to the Reds on what they need to do this summer to secure the 25-year-old’s signing.

What’s the latest?

The Italian journalist and transfer insider has revealed an update on Barcelona’s pursuit of the Leeds United winger which details the expectations that the Yorkshire club would demand from any potentially interested parties this summer.

Romano tweeted: “Not less than €55m, no payments in many years/instalments. Leeds have not changed their conditions for Raphinha’s transfer.

“Barcelona are in advanced talks with the player since February, but talks with Leeds are definitely not easy.”

Klopp’s Mane heir

There is no doubt that losing Sadio Mane will be a huge blow for Liverpool, as it is reported that he will leave Anfield this summer, but there could be a silver lining if the Reds can hijack Barcelona’s move for the Brazilian winger, for whom the Whites rejected a transfer offer of €55m (£47m) recently.

Raphinha has been a consistent attacking threat for Leeds and was integral in their survival in their Premier League relegation battle this season.

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The 25-year-old, who was dubbed “unbelievable” by his team-mate Illan Meslier, was the top scorer for Leeds this season with 11 goals, but it’s not just his penalty box potency which has attracted interest from some of the biggest clubs in world football.

As per SofaScore, Raphinha also delivered three assists and created 10 big chances this season, making 1.9 key passes and 1.5 tackles, taking 2.5 shots and winning 5.2 duels per game, demonstrating that his work ethic in the team in both offensive and defensive play is very strong.

Given the predicament in which Liverpool find themselves in with their Senegalese winger, Leeds’ Brazilian star could be the perfect replacement to offer the attacking output that the Reds will require in order to fill the void that Mane would leave if he does move on this summer.

It’s clear that the Brazilian is attracting plenty of interest and Barcelona are keen to get a deal done, so if FSG are interested in securing the signing of Raphinha this summer, they will need to act fast and offer him an attractive proposal to move to Merseyside instead.

AND in other news – “Talks will..”: Fabrizio Romano drops big transfer update, it’s bad news for Liverpool

Aston Villa transfer target Henrikh Mkhitaryan is set to snub a return to the Premier League in favour of a move to Inter Milan.

What’s the story?

That’s according to renowned transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who has claimed that the Roma attacking midfielder has reached a verbal agreement with the Serie A runners-up ahead of joining on a free transfer.

Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla tweeted last week that the Villans were among the clubs interested in signing the Armenian on a free transfer, with the former Manchester United and Arsenal playmaker’s current contract at the Stadio Olimpico set to expire next month.

Villa have already made three statement signings this month with the permanent capture of Philippe Coutinho followed by the additions of Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos, and they will be disappointed to miss out on what would’ve been another high-profile signing.

Villa supporters will be gutted

Despite being 33 years old, Mkhitaryan could have proved to be an excellent addition to Aston Villa’s squad.

Although regular game-time may not have been a guarantee, especially with some of the prospective signings which could still be made, quality squad depth could be crucial if Gerrard wants to take the Villans to the next level.

The Armenia international has been a regular for Roma since joining initially on loan from Arsenal in 2019, making 117 appearances over the past three seasons; 44 of those came this term, with Jose Mourinho’s side winning the inaugural Europa Conference League whilst finishing sixth in Serie A.

With five goals and nine assists in 2021/22, Mkhitaryan proved once again that he is a quality squad player, with the attacking midfielder finding his quality once again in Italy after a tricky period in England with both Manchester United and Arsenal.

However, with the likes of Coutinho, Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore among the attacking midfielders already in the Villa squad, accommodating the 33-year-old would have almost certainly depended on the sale of at least one current Villa player.

With the Armenian having an impressive pedigree and plenty of talent, Villa supporters will have to hope that they dodged a bullet by missing out on Mkhitaryan, with the failure to capture a high-quality and experienced attacking midfielder potentially leaving the fan base gutted.

AND in other news: Gerrard can seal “no-brainer” Villa signing with bid for “outstanding” £25m talent

Wolves are plotting a bid for 18-year-old goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina as Bruno Lage looks to build for the future.

What’s the word?

Journalist Alan Nixon (via Birmingham Live) has stated that Wolves are reportedly closing in on the signing of Slonina in a deal that could be around £10m.

The club were first linked with the 6 foot 4 ‘keeper last month but fresh news claims that Wolves are close to securing a deal for the teenager.

Nixon believes they have “seen off major rivals Southampton” in the chase and this is news that will please Lage.

Slonina can be the future

Lage has steered Wolves to yet another top-flight finish in the Premier League, their third in four seasons and despite missing out on European football, there are high hopes the club can have a positive summer ahead.

With the ever-increasing likelihood that Ruben Neves will be leaving, and the out of contract Joao Moutinho unsure of his future, Lage faces a rebuild of sorts.

John Ruddy’s contract expires in the summer and Lage will be looking to add to his goalkeeping options, although Slonina may be one for the future.

He has been dubbed “impressive” by fellow Chicago Fire stopper Bobby Shuttleworth and the 18-year-old has a bright future ahead of him.

He became the youngest ever starting goalkeeper in MLS history when making his debut for the side in September last year at the tender age of 17.

In November, Slonina had made 3.36 saves from inside the box per 90 minutes, which was more than any other keeper at the time. This shows he was making a big impact and displaying his massive talent.

Although a USA youth international, he has been called up to the senior Poland squad and a move to Europe would be beneficial in terms of his international prospects.

A fee of £10m isn’t much in today’s transfer market and it’s one that Wolves could comfortably afford. This will be a deal that Lage will be desperate to get over the line.

AND in other news, Great news: Huge Wolves transfer development emerges; supporters will be ecstatic