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Liverpool have shortlisted West Ham United winger Jarrod Bowen on a list of potential targets, as they look to bolster their attacking options [The Athletic].

Playing a key part in his current employers qualifying for the Europa League last campaign, the 24-year-old chipped in with 14 goal contributions in 40 fixtures last season; eight goals and six assists [Transfermarkt].

Now, he could potentially be in line for a move to Anfield as it appears that form was enough to tempt Jurgen Klopp.

The German is said to be a keen admirer of the Leominster-born man, who is viewed as an ideal fit for the Merseyside giants due to his versatility, room for development and compatibility with the Reds style of play [The Athletic].

Despite this, many Liverpool diehards took to Twitter to vent their frustrations at these surprise recent developments.

Liverpool FC fans in meltdown

Replying to respected Liverpool correspondent James Pearce on Twitter, here is how some supporters reacted to the news, and let’s just say they weren’t very happy…

“You must even have been laughing when you were writing this James, this is absolutely ridiculous stuff”

Credit: @Corballyred”Bowen? This is the best we can do? Why aren’t we in for Mbappe and Haaland like the other big clubs?”Credit: @JohnMcMah0n”WE WON THE LEAGUE 2 SEASONS AGO JAMES IS THIS SOME SORT OF SICK JOKE BECAUSE IM SORRY JAMES I DO NOT FIND IT FUNNY ONE BIT AT ALL”Credit: @LFCMATTHEW96″Jarrod Bowen. We won the league and the champions league 2 years ago and these are the type of players we are looking at signing. Oh my god we’re gonna have to wait another 30 years for a title”Credit: @LfcRyannnn”James can you just keep this to yourself mate because the kids are all off school & crying their eyes out”Credit: @Liveyealife33″Harvey Elliott is better than him what actually is the point”Credit: @ryaneades10In other news, a former Liverpool player has labelled one reported target a “world beater”.

According to a report by La Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, West Ham United have joined the race to sign Bologna star Takehiro Tomiyasu alongside Tottenham Hotspur and Atalanta.

The Lowdown: West Ham eyeing defensive additions…

As reported by Claret & Hugh, West Ham have identified a new centre-back as one of the priorities for this summer alongside a permanent deal for Jesse Lingard and new striker.

The club have also been linked with new additions at full-back, with Junior Firpo said to be on the radar according to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee.

Now, as per La Gazzetta, Tomiyasu has entered West Ham’s thinking – with the Japan international capable of playing both as a centre-half and right back.

The Latest: West Ham join Tomiyasu race…

Indeed, Tottenham and Atalanta were thought to be the main competitors for Tomiyasu, but West Ham have now joined contention according to this update from Italy.

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A fairly cheap fee of around €20 million (£17m) could even be enough to see him leave Bologna this summer, but it will depend on whether an auction occurs with all the interested parties.

The Hammers and Spurs are also thought to be frontrunners, with Serie A side Atalanta believing it may be futile to compete in a bidding war.

The Verdict: Do it…

We believe that Tomiyasu could be an extremely fruitful option for West Ham given his potentially meagre price tag and many years to come at just 22-years-old.

The 6 foot 2 gem has also been lavished with praise for his performances by Bologna teammate Mitchell Dijks, who called him ‘very strong’ and a ‘warrior’ whilst speaking in a press conference this season (Tuttosport).

Indeed, this may well be a fruitful move to keep an eye on for West Ham, but competition will be stiff from their London rivals.

In other news: West Ham fans flock to club announcement, find out more here.

Some Wolves fans have been left to bemoan a transfer update involving Rui Patricio.

As per Corriere Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the Portugal international is set to join AS Roma after Euro 2020 has finished.

He has reportedly told the Midlands club that he would like to leave Molineux in the summer window, and Jose Mourinho is keen to take him to Italy.

The news outlet claims that a deal is close to being completed, with a three-year contract, and a €7m (£6m) fee, rising to €10m (£8.6m) with bonuses, being agreed.

Patricio only missed one match in the Premier League in the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt), and so it would be strange to let such a key player go without a suitable replacement lined up.

Nonetheless, hiss experience is vital both on and off of the pitch, especially for the younger players coming through like Fabio Silva, and under new management in Bruno Lage.

Thus, it is not a surprise to see some WWFC supporters upset by the thought of him leaving.

Wolves fans on Patricio transfer update

These Wanderers bemoaned the transfer update as it was shared on Twitter, with one claiming that they were ‘gutted’ while another even went as far as to describe it as ‘sad’:

“:( gonna miss him so much”

Credit: @sophiaeclayton

“Gutted if so, best keeper we’ve had in my lifetime. Reasonable deal with the add ons for his age given the 1 year left on contract.”

Credit: @Rbeartoe

“Oh :((((“

Credit: @chlolouisez

“:( been great for us”

Credit: @itsmebrody44

“Brilliant goalkeeper…sad to see him go”

Credit: @lewis21074

“:(“

Credit: @XXXTANNERTACION

In other news, find out which Wolves ‘liability’ has been slammed after a transfer update emerged here!

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with several top-class managers, however they have all eventually been ruled out of taking the hot-seat in north London.

Someone who does appear keen though is Paulo Fonseca, with The Guardian reporting on Monday he has agreed to become their new manager, and former Spurs cup final hero Paul Stewart believes that would be an underwhelming appointment.

Fonseca has been in discussions with Spurs about succeeding Jose Mourinho, the man who has replaced him at Roma this summer, and it was a mixed season for Fonseca at Roma as he guided them to a Europa League semi-final but could only see his side finish seventh in Serie A.

There had been a lot of talk about former boss Mauricio Pochettino returning, however having just joined PSG earlier this year it proved to be a difficult deal to sort out and thus, that has led Daniel Levy to the tail end of his list of potential managers.

Spurs are in clear need of a rebuild with star players potentially leaving as well as an ageing backline, so it would be a huge job for Fonseca but before he’s even been given the job. Stewart believes that it would be an underwhelming appointment and he explained why, exclusively to Football FanCast:

“To say the least, it would be underwhelming. Fans thought that Pochettino might have come back and a lot were hoping that it would come to fruition because there are not a lot of options out there.”

When Roma faced Manchester United in the Europa League semi-final, it started well with the Italians looking dangerous in the final third and on the counter-attack, however once the Red Devils settled then Roma’s defensive frailties and inability to retain the ball were exposed for all to see and in the league, it wasn’t much better conceding 58 goals, the most in the top half of Serie A.

Considering Spurs’ squad is not one of the best in the league it could cost over £100 million to make them serious contenders for the Europa League next season.

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit and BBC Radio Leeds regular Noel Whelan has been left in awe of Tottenham Hotspur after their approach to sign Miralem Pjanic on loan from Barcelona.

The Lowdown: Spurs make Pjanic approach…

As per Spanish publication Sport, Tottenham’s managing director Fabio Paratici asked the La Liga giants about loaning Pjanic in a recent transfer approach.

The Bosnia international is being linked with a move away from the Camp Nou this summer after featuring only sporadically last season in La Liga. Pjanic was handed just six starts by Catalans boss Ronald Koeman, with Tottenham now making an approach to take him to north London.

The Latest: Whelan in awe of Pjanic call…

Speaking to Football Insider, BBC pundit Whelan has praised Tottenham and Pjanic after this development, calling the midfield maestro a signing fans want to see.

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He also hailed the former Juventus star as an ‘amazing player’, saying: “Fans will want to see players like that coming to Tottenham.

“Despite them not being in the Champions League, they’ve got to find quality somewhere.

“Players that are going to accept not playing in those sort of competitions. Someone who is looking to the future to put themselves back in contention to play there.

“It’s vital as a manager that you don’t just go out there looking for 21-year-olds. There’s been a lot of criticism of how they’ve dealt with picking the manager.

“He’s a Bosnia international. He’s been at Barcelona, he’s an amazing player, he’s competitive. That’s what’s Tottenham need to be again. They need to find that nice balance.”

The Verdict: Avoid…

Over the league games in which he did feature, Pjanic averaged an excellent 91.4% passing accuracy in the middle of the park, highlighting his quality as a ball-distributor. However, his wage demands – reported to be around £210,000 per week – far exceed anything he can bring to the table for Tottenham.

It seems unlikely that chairman Daniel Levy would be willing to pay this hefty salary as Barcelona seek to trim their enormous wage bill. With Gareth Bale going back to Real Madrid, Pjanic’s current paycheque would make him the highest-paid player at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Bosnian would come as a man with proven quality, but this move could be too detrimental financially to Spurs, especially with Pjanic now 31 years old.

In other news: ‘Understand’…Alasdair Gold backs big news coming out of Tottenham, find out more here.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to a report from Anfield Central, Jurgen Klopp’s charges are interested in acquiring the 24-year-old’s services this summer as the German manager searches for Gini Wijnaldum’s replacement.

Barella played a key part in the San Siro outfit’s Serie A success last season, starting 32 league games for the Nerazzurri as they claimed their first Scudetto in over a decade.

Imagine him and Fabinho

Wijnaldum has been a crucial cog in Klopp’s system in recent years, heavily contributed to the Reds’ Premier League and Champions League success during his time on Merseyside.

The Dutch international’s imminent exit to Barcelona will, therefore, leave a sizeable gap in the Liverpool engine room that will need to be filled during the upcoming window.

Inter’s Barella is the latest name rumoured to be on the wishlist of the six-time European champions after the £58.5 million rated dynamo caught the eye with his full-blooded displays in Milan.

Antonio Conte’s side took Serie A by storm in 2020/21, securing the title by 12 points, with many standout performers grabbing the headlines.

Barella was certainly one of those men, as he ranked in the top three for dribbles, assists, key passes and through balls per game amongst his teammates, leading to former Juventus star Claudio Marchisio calling him a “complete” player.

Liverpool aren’t expected to have a huge transfer budget this summer as they continue to feel the financial impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but Inter reportedly need to raise around £80m in player sales just to stay afloat.

As a consequence, Barella could be available at a bargain price over the coming months, and it’s a deal Klopp should be pushing to complete.

The balance between deep-lying playmaker Thiago, holding midfielder Fabinho, and box-to-box workhorse Barella would place Liverpool’s midfield amongst the best in world football and would undoubtedly have the potential to propel the Reds back to the summit of English football.

Forming a dream duo of Fabinho and Barella in the centre of the park, allowing Thiago the freedom to roam and create at will, could cause any opposition side major issues and it’s a combination that the club’s supporters can certainly get excited about.

And, in other news…Bye-bye Shaqiri: Edwards must sanction Liverpool swoop for 23-goal prodigy 

Everton had scouts watching Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare in their 3-0 win over Lens on Friday night, according to a report from the Daily Mail.

The lowdown

Soumare, a predominantly defensive midfielder, has made 41 appearances in all competitions for Lille this season.

He has helped them move to within touching distance of ending PSG’s run of three consecutive French titles. They are three points clear of the Parisians with two rounds of fixtures left.

The 22-year-old played all 90 minutes at Stade Bollaert-Delelis as Lille took a step closer to a first Ligue 1 title in a decade. His SofaScore rating of 7.7/10 was the second-highest among Lille’s midfielders, with only two-goal striker Burak Yilmaz (8.4) exceeding him.

Soumare finished the game with a passing accuracy of 92%, completing five of his six long balls. He also won three of his four ground duels and pitched in with five interceptions (SofaScore).

The latest

Both Everton and Leeds officials watched on as Soumare turned in an impressive display against Lille’s northeast rivals, but the Daily Mail claimed that Leicester are currently leading the race for his signature.

The Foxes have apparently opened talks over a £21m deal for the Frenchman, with Lille hoping that ‘rival bids’ will drive up the 22-year-old’s price.

The verdict

Everton spent £21m last summer to sign a specialist defensive midfielder in the form of Allan, but Soumare, who is eight years the Brazilian’s junior, might be viewed as a more viable long-term option. The former Napoli man has also missed 13 games through injury this season.

Soumare would be quite a coup, and beating Leicester to his signature would in itself be a statement of Everton’s own Champions League ambitions, but they might have to act swiftly if they are to lure him to Goodison Park.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano dropped this update on a potential Everton transfer target.

Celtic look set to lose striker Odsonne Edouard this summer, with Leicester City thought to be closing in on the French forward.

The Lowdown: Edouard wants out

Reports last month suggested that the 23-year-old, who will have 12 months remaining on his deal in the summer, has his sights set on a Parkhead exit and won’t change his mind in regards to a new Hoops boss.

The Foxes are thought to be confident of landing Edouard this summer, beating Liverpool and West Ham in the race for his services.

Celtic reportedly want to receive around £20m for the striker, and just how much the Hoops will need to hand over to Paris Saint-Germain has now been revealed.

The Latest: Sell-on clause update

Reports over the last 12 months have suggested Celtic would need to give 40% or 50% of any deal to the French giants after they signed Edouard for over £9m in 2018.

However, according to the Daily Record, Parkhead chiefs need to give PSG 50% of any profit they make on the striker.

So, should a £20m deal go through for Edouard, Celtic would need to give PSG half of the £11m profit – £5.5m.

The Verdict: Bittersweet news for McKay

In our opinion, this isn’t the worst news for new Celtic CEO Dominic McKay.

It would’ve been better if it was 40% on any profit, but at least it isn’t a percentage on the whole fee. If it was, Celtic could have had to write a cheque for £10m to PSG, and that would put a huge dent in the kitty McKay and a new Director of Football would have to rebuild the squad.

Edouard’s representatives believed that an £8-10m exit from Celtic Park was achievable just last month, so really, if the Hoops can bank £14.5m after the sell-on clause, that could turn out to be great news given the circumstances.

In other news: Intriguing Patryk Klimala update emerges, find out more here. 

West Bromwich Albion look set to appoint David Wagner as Sam Allardyce’s successor at The Hawthorns.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by The Telegraph reported John Percy, who revealed in a post on Twitter that the majority of the Baggies board believe that the former Huddersfield Town manager is the best candidate for the role.

Percy continued by stating that Chris Wilder had previously been the club’s preferred choice as Allardyce’s replacement, however, the West Brom owner, Guochuan Lai, vetoed a move for the 53-year-old.

Finally, the journalist claimed that the Baggies’ remit was to appoint a manager for whom no compensation would be required, which subsequently ruled out a move for the likes of Swansea City’s Steve Cooper, Barnsley’s Valerien Ismael and Lincoln City’s Michael Appleton.

Big mistake

While it is indeed true that Wagner has guided a team out of the Championship before, doing so with Huddersfield in the club’s 2016/17 campaign, things have not exactly gone swimmingly for the manager in the time since.

After impressively guiding the Terriers to Premier League survival in 2017/18, things took a turn for the worse in the club’s second season in the top flight, with the 49-year-old seeing his side pick up just 11 points from 22 fixtures before leaving The John Smith’s Stadium by mutual consent in January of 2019.

A spell at FC Schalke 04 followed for the German head coach, with him taking over in July of 2019 and guiding the club to a 12th placed finish in the Bundesliga in his debut campaign at the club.

However, things went sour for the former Borussia Dortmund II manager in his second season at Die Konigsblauen, with Wagner eventually being sacked by the club in September 2020 after leading Schalke on a run of 18 league games without a win.

On the other hand, Wilder has a 100% history of leaving a club in a better position than when he first took the job, having taken a mid-table Oxford United side to the League Two play-offs places, guiding a relegation-threatened Northampton Town team to the League Two title and a Sheffield United side languishing in League One to a top-half Premier League finish over the course of just four years.

As such, exactly why Guochuan Lai vetoed a West Brom move for the 53-year-old this summer is something of a mystery, although it could quite easily turn out to be one of the Baggies owner’s biggest mistakes at the club to date, as well as being a decision that will more than likely leave a large section of the Albion fans furious.

In other news: West Brom given huge transfer boost over “magnificent” 28 y/o gem that’ll delight fans

As Celtic ride the wave of change at Parkhead, there is one area of the club that needs addressing before anything else; the first-team manager.

The Bhoys lost Neil Lennon a number of weeks ago now but they’re still no closer to discovering who his successor will be.

What’s the word?

Roy Keane is a name that will tremble fear throughout the Green Brigade. When he was first linked with the Hoops job it didn’t go down too well with supporters.

Fortunately, just days after it looked as though an interview had taken place, he was suddenly out of the reckoning.

However, fresh reports state that he could well be back in the conversation.

That’s according to Football Insider who claim that behind-the-scenes developments have led to the Irishman being in the frame for the position again.

Keane is gaining more support from the Celtic hierarchy after several stumbling blocks emerged regarding Eddie Howe.

Big U-turn on the cards

There have been several twists and turns to this circus of a managerial pursuit but this is perhaps the biggest U-turn yet from majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.

For weeks now it’s looked as though Howe would be given the gig but circumstances out of Desmond’s control have taken over.

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The 43-year-old doesn’t want to return to management until the summer while he’s also facing problems over his backroom staff.

Howe wants Richard Hughes as his director of football but the Glaswegian outfit are keen on Fergal Harkin. This is something Celtic have reportedly said no to.

There are also problems with interest emerging elsewhere. It’s thought that both Crystal Palace and Brighton are keeping tabs on the Englishman.

You can hardly blame Desmond for turning his attention to other candidates, therefore. The frustrating thing, though, is that he appears to be taking the easy way out.

There is no interest from anyone else in Keane that we know of and judging by his ten-year absence from the managerial world, there won’t be many courting his services in the coming months.

This is such a crucial point in Celtic’s modern history. Fail to get their next appointment spot on and they could be left in the dust by Rangers for a considerable period of time.

Keane has never won more than 42% of his matches while in charge of a club; something that speaks volumes about his abilities as a number one.

Instead of taking the easy way out, Desmond needs to get back to the drawing board and avoid this almighty U-turn for the greater good of the club.

AND in other news, Celtic may have their new Tierney in “tricky” 18 y/o who’s rarely-seen at senior level…