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Journalist Sam Tighe wouldn't be surprised if Liverpool went into the market for a fourth midfielder this summer after finalising a deal for Southampton's Romeo Lavia.

Is Lavia joining Liverpool?

It always promised to be a summer of transition for Liverpool in midfield, but the extent of the club's transformation in the centre of the park has probably even surprised Jurgen Klopp.

Having lost Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner on free transfers, Liverpool were always going to reinforce their midfield this summer. Even had those three stayed put, the Reds were in need of reinvigoration in the centre of the park following a disappointing season.

Klopp moved quickly to remedy this problem, signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig relatively early in the window.

Liverpool were always expected to make a move for a third midfielder, but such a transfer has ended up being forced by the exit of Jordan Henderson to Al Ettifaq, with Fabinho likely to move to Saudi Arabia as well.

A deal for Southampton holding midfielder Lavia appears to be edging closer with the Reds set make a second bid after their first proposal was rejected, but journalist Tighe believes Liverpool could still enter the midfield market yet again this summer as they overhaul the centre of the pitch.

Speaking on Sky Sports' Transfer Talk podcast about Lavia and Liverpool's departing midfielders, Tighe said: "There is a humungous gap here in terms of a wealth of experience [between Lavia and Henderson and Fabinho].

"And then you take a look at the other midfielders Liverpool have signed. You've got Dominik Szoboszlai, you've got Alexis Mac Allister. All of a sudden, Alexis Mac Allister and Trent [Alexander-Arnold], when he sort of kicks into the midfield box, at 24 years of age, they are the elder statesmen of the midfield because Curtis Jones is younger, Harvey Elliott is younger, Romeo Lavia is not yet 20.

"My concern here is the age balance of the midfield. Like, it's skewed so heavily one way, and I know that's what we were asking for, but to this degree? It has to be questioned, and what I would say, if they buy Romeo Lavia, they should buy another one [midfielder] because he will have his peaks and troughs. He will be naturally a little inconsistent given he is so inexperienced. Is four midfielders too much to ask?"

Tighe added: "It's just something I would implore Liverpool to look at, and it's why I wouldn't be surprised that, even after Lavia which would make it three signings, they go back into the market for a fourth player."

While Tighe, who covers Southampton as a journalist, was effusive in his praise of the "absolutely awesome" Lavia, he has understandable concerns over the relative inexperience of Liverpool's midfield next season should the Belgian sign.

Liverpool look likely to receive a combined £52m for Henderson and Fabinho which will cover the fee for Lavia, however how much the club are able to spend on yet another midfielder is unclear.

The Reds are often reluctant to splash the cash when they don't need to, and are still eager to sign a new centre-back, meaning funds may have to be distributed smartly in the remainder of the window.

How have Liverpool done in pre-season?

Liverpool's work to put last season's underwhelming performances behind them is already under way. The Reds travelled to Germany for the opening two matches of pre-season, taking on second division sides Karlsruher and Greuther Furth.

The Reds have scored four in both friendlies so far and started with a 4-2 victory over Karlsruher. A late brace from Diogo Jota earned Klopp's side a win, adding to goals from Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo.

An enthralling 4-4 draw with Greuther Furth was similarly entertaining. This time it was Nunez with a brace, with Mohamed Salah and Luis

Diaz also on target.

The Reds face Leicester City and Bayern Munich in Singapore, before playing Darmstadt back on British soil in their final pre-season match.

It is becoming increasingly more clear that Southampton's chances of keeping hold of either – let alone both of – Romeo Lavia and James Ward-Prowse this summer are incredibly slim.

How much will Romeo Lavia cost?

Lavia is reportedly a target for both Liverpool and Chelsea, which is helping Southampton when it comes to negotiations over a possible fee.

The Saints are said to value Lavia at £45m, but with Manchester United and Arsenal also potentially interested, they could hold out for closer to £50m.

Ward-Prowse is valued at around the £40m mark, meanwhile, meaning Southampton could have plenty of money to play with when it comes to bringing in replacements.

Finding a successor for Lavia in particular is going to be incredibly difficult, but the south coast club may already have identified the perfect match.

According to the Daily Mail, a move for Leicester City's Hamza Choudhury has previously been discussed, albeit with a move looking unlikely at this stage.

Is Hamza Choudhury a good player?

Choudhury looked like being a huge talent when making his Premier League debut for Leicester shortly after turning 20, but instead, he found himself on loan in the Championship last season with Watford.

While the Hornets had an underwhelming campaign on the whole, Choudhury made his presence felt by leading the way in metrics such as tackles per game (3) and interceptions (2.3), while his 14 yellow cards were the joint-most of any player in the division, level with Reading's Andy Yiadom.

Indeed, only Sheffield United's Max Lowe (3.2) registered more tackles per game in the English second tier last season, as per WhoScored, while nobody managed more interceptions than Choudhury.

Southampton could do with a player who is capable of breaking up play and keeping things ticking over in the middle should Lavia depart, and the numbers point towards Choudhury being exactly that player.

The former England U21 international won 1.99 of his tackles per 90 minutes last season, according to FBref, which compares to 1.42 for Lavia in a division higher.

Choudhury also completed 86.2% of his passes, compared to 82.9% for Lavia, while he also offers more of a presence in the air, winning 67.7% of his aerial duels last season to Lavia's 41.2%.

This is not to say Choudhury is a better player than Lavia as such, but the 25-year-old has proven Championship quality and is a player who will no doubt feel he has a point to prove should Leicester again look to offload him.

Just as football reporter Ben Jacobs put it ahead of Choudhury's loan move to Watford last season, the Leicester academy graduate – on wages of £7.5k-per-week – "still has huge potential", which he went some way to showing during his eye-catching spell at Vicarage Road.

At a fraction of the price of the fees they will generate for both Lavia and Ward-Prowse, everything points towards Choudhury being a perfect fit for Southampton in their bid to earn a swift return to the Premier League.

Italian football is blessed with an abundance of midfield talent.

Their Euro-winning side saw the likes of Marco Verratti, Jorginho, and Nicolo Barella play starring roles, whilst Sandro Tonali, Manuel Locatelli, and Davide Frattesi are also stupendously rising to international prominence.

Another dazzling prodigy that has emerged from the Azzurri production line is Chelsea’s Cesare Casadei.

Who is Cesare Casadei?

The 2003-born titan joined the Nerazzurri in 2018, where he swiftly moved through the youth ranks, winning a national U17 Championship the following year and being promoted to the U19s, despite being two years younger than the rest of the squad.

During the 2021/22 season, the 6 foot 1 ace made 30 appearances in the Italian Primavera Championship for Inter, the nation’s youth league, and notched 18 goal involvements.

The Blues then agreed to a £12.6m deal for the youngster to come to Stamford Bridge. He has begun his career in West London brightly, with netting five times in 13 outings for Chelsea U21s.

Most recently, in May 2023, the former Inter prodigy was included in his country’s squad that participated in the U20 World Cup. In Argentina, he was simply magnificent, as he scored seven goals, registered an 80% pass accuracy, made nine key passes, nine successful dribbles, and won 50 duels as his side lost in the final to Uruguay.

However, this was still deserved recognition for his string of imperious performances as he received the Golden Ball and Golden Boot, as the most valuable player and the top scorer of the tournament.

Maurizio Viscidi, Italy’s National Youth Team Coordinator, who has witnessed Casadei’s extraordinary growth, said: “He’s a modern midfielder, because out of all the youth team midfielders he’s been the one with the greatest aptitude for attacking runs and goalscoring.

“He’s also strong in the air, something that’s unusual among younger players. Given his ability to enter and give a presence in the area he’s the strongest player currently within the Azzurri’s youth sector.”

Due to his reputation as an outstanding free-scoring midfielder, an obvious comparison has been made to club legend Frank Lampard.

The Englishman scored 211 goals from his deep-lying, box-to-box midfield berth, and Casadei’s similar height, physicality, frame, and athleticism means he is more than capable of repeating some comparable feats.

Whilst it would be foolish to suggest that anyone could replicate Lampard’s record-breaking statistics, there is nothing to disprove Casadei’s limitless potential from the middle of the park.

Described as someone with “crazy potential” and a “diamond” by Andrea Zanchetta, Inter’s U18 coach, Casadei is destined for unadulterated greatness and his transfer has been a rare victory for Chelsea’s new ownership.

Rumoured Sunderland transfer target Thom Haye has refused to rule out a summer move to the Stadium of Light, admitting he could leave Heerenveen.

Who is Thom Haye?

The 28-year-old is currently plying his trade in the Netherlands with Heerenveen, proving to be a key man for them in the Eredivise since joining from NAC Breda last year.

In 2022/23, Haye started 30 league games for his current side, scoring two goals and registering three assists, and he also enjoyed an 82.2% pass completion rate, showcasing his quality in possession.

The Dutchman is only contracted to his current club until next summer, meaning they may be weighing up whether now is the best time to sell him, rather than risk losing him on a free transfer in 2024.

Haye himself could also be eyeing up a fresh challenge and Sunderland have emerged as potential suitors for him before the new Championship season gets underway.

What's the latest on Haye to Sunderland?

Speaking to ESPN [via The Chronicle], Haye provided an update on his future, ahead of a potential summer move to Sunderland, or another club for that matter:

"That is also something that I said when I came to Heerenveen. I know things are going on. Going into names [of potential suitors] doesn't make much sense.

"There is a lot of interest in the background. It's difficult in terms of price at the moment. I look at it calmly. I have the ambition to take the step, but only if it is a good step and everything falls into place."

This clearly gives Sunderland an element of hope that Haye could be heading to the club this summer, considering that he far from commits his future to Heerenveen.

He could be a really strong signing by the Black Cats, considering he is a nine-cap Netherlands Under-21s international, also representing the Under-19s, Under-18s, Under-17s, Under-16s and Under-15s for his country.

Haye has now racked up an impressive tally of 175 appearances in the Eredivisie, scoring eight times and chipping in with 16 assists along the way, going to show that he can more than hold his own in a top European league. For that reason, his experience at that level could be invaluable for Sunderland, as they look to get promoted to the Premier League in 2023/24, having agonisingly missed out after losing to Luton Town in the playoffs last time around.

Tony Mowbray will no doubt be wanting to conduct as much transfer business as possible in the coming weeks, with the Black Cats' opening league fixture at home to Ipswich Town now only just over a month away, and Haye could be a statement signing, should he end up choosing to move there.

At 28, the Heerenveen man is at the sweet spot in his career where he is hugely experienced but also very much at his peak, and with footballers managing to playing well into their 30s in the modern game, there is no reason why he couldn't remain at his best for another four or five years.

Tottenham have been dealt a potentially major blow as a report shares some news involving Harry Kane’s contract.

The Lowdown: Kane future unsolved…

Kane has entered the final 17 months of his contract with the likes of Man United and Bayern Munich reportedly eyeing a move for the striker.

Antonio Conte’s star player is set to be a hot topic at Spurs over the next few months until chairman Daniel Levy either manages to agree an extension or opts to sell.

Kane had been subject to a proposed Man City move in the summer of 2021 but Pep Guardiola’s side were ultimately priced out of a transfer.

The Latest: Spurs dealt Kane contract blow…

The 29-year-old could have another chance to move on from Tottenham in the not-too-distant future with a claim from Italy sharing some contract news.

There had been reports of Kane leaning towards signing fresh terms, but there’s allegedly been a twist to the tale.

According to Calciomercatoweb.it, as translated by Sport Witness, Kane is apparently ‘extremely full of doubts’ over his Spurs future – dealing a blow to their hopes of keeping him.

As a result, the England international has apparently put contract talks on hold – mainly due to uncertainties surrounding Conte’s stay at the club.

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The Verdict: Worrying…

Tottenham’s lack of silverware was already an incentive for Kane to leave the club given he has made no secret of his desire to win trophies.

Conte’s arrival at the club indicated real promise in this regard considering the former Chelsea boss is a decorated serial winner at all of his previous sides.

As both men’s futures are closely linked, if Spurs were to lose the duo, it would come as a hammer blow.

In Kane’s case, the attacker is absolutely pivotal, as showcased by his outstanding league form over 2022/2023.

As per WhoScored, the Three Lions ace stands out as Tottenham’s best-performing player by average match rating – pitching in with a phenomenal return of 17 goals in 23 starts.

In terms of finding a potential replacement, there are very few strikers in world football on Kane’s level.

Chelsea are still extremely active in the transfer market despite kicking off their Premier League campaign this weekend, and now a fresh update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Chelsea's interest in Elye Wahi?

According to 90min, Chelsea are one of the clubs interested in signing Montpellier striker Elye Wahi this summer.

As per the report, the player is attracting lots of interest from Premier League clubs with Arsenal and West Ham United among those who are potential suitors alongside the Blues, whilst it is claimed that the west Londoners have already made a verbal offer.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

It is noted that the Ligue 1 club would expect a fee of around £35m to part ways with their youth prospect, a fee that should not trouble the financial power at Stamford Bridge.

Who is Elye Wahi?

The France U21 international was a standout performer in front of goal in France last season, which has ultimately led to huge interest from many clubs who are vying to secure his signature.

Over 33 Ligue 1 appearances, the 20-year-old scored 19 goals, registered five assists and created seven big chances, as well as averaging 1.2 shots on target and 1.9 shots in total per game, featuring seventh in the French top flight's top-scorers list – just ten goals shy of PSG star Kylian Mbappe.

Not only that, as per FBref, Wahi ranks in the top 15% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, goal contributions in total, shots on target and carries into the final third per 90, demonstrating strong attributes in front of goal.

Despite snapping up the services of Nicolas Jackson already this summer, bringing in depth and quality in the final third will be crucial for Chelsea this summer as they endeavour to improve upon their shocking campaign that saw them finish 12th in the top-flight last season, missing out on European football.

As a result, the signing of Wahi would be a great opportunity for Mauricio Pochettino to bring in a young and hungry talent who could be the perfect heir for Romelu Lukaku, a player whose future at Stamford Bridge is likely over after failing to make the impact needed to compete for the centre-forward role – having scored just eight league goals during the 2021/22 season.

The Chelsea flop has been given the green light to complete a permanent move away from west London following his season-long loan with Inter Milan, however, there is still no move set in stone for the Belgian to depart as of yet, although fresh interest from Tottenham Hotspur has been revealed.

The Montpellier goal machine could be the man to truly oust the Belgian as the Blues' new leading man in attack, with the youngster having rightfully been the recipient of high praise for his development so far, with reporter Andrés Onrubia Ramos full of compliments for Wahi last year:

"Montpellier: Elye Wahi (2003). If he manages to polish the definition, we are facing a striker who is going to exceed ten goals per season. A real beast in space that, in addition, associatively also leaves interesting things. It should definitely explode.”

With that being said, if Chelsea could secure Wahi's signature this summer it would provide Pochettino with a youth prospect that he can develop to become a key player in the forward line, ensuring that the club can swiftly move on from their Lukaku nightmare.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is personally keen to close a deal to sign a midfielder he has previously shown heavy admiration for, according to recent reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester City?

The Blues have favored quality over quantity this window in the transfer market, strengthening their squad with the additions of Jeremy Doku, Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic, as per Transfermarkt.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester City have also added another exciting young talent to their conglomerate The City Football Group, stating on X: "Excl: RB Salzburg talent Leon Lalić joins Man City/City Group, here we go. It’s first deal ever from RB Salzburg to City Group — historical for 2006 born midfielder. Lalić will initially join Lommel. David Fernandez’s team followed Lalić for more than 2 years."

City are also believed to be keen on Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze in the final stages of the transfer window; however, the Eagles are looking to hold out for a fee of £70 million for the 25-year-old, according to Football Insider.

Eze has become a target for Manchester City following their decision to withdraw from their pursuit of West Ham United playmaker Lucas Paqueta. His former club, Queens Park Rangers, would be entitled to 20% of any fee Crystal Palace recoup for the midfielder due to a sell-on clause present in his contract at Selhurst Park.

BILD via The Manchester Evening News share quotes from RB Leipzig chief Oliver Mintzlaff who had dispelled rumours linking Spain international Dani Olmo with a move to the Etihad Stadium, stating: "Dani Olmo will be part of the Leipzig squad, no matter who is interested."

Olmo also recently commented on links to Manchester City directly, stating: “There is nothing [in the rumours]. I’m fully focused on the task in Leipzig, the Bundesliga, the Champions League and the cup. Man City are a big club – one of the biggest in the world. Josko [Gvardiol] went there. But I’m happy here.”

Who else could Manchester City sign?

Transfer guru Romano has delivered a fresh update on Manchester City's pursuit of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes on X, revealing: "Manchester City will insist to close Matheus Nunes deal with Wolves in 24/48h after initial €50m proposal plus add-ons discussed yesterday. Pep, big fan of Nunes; player has already accepted City as destination. It's now up to Wolverhampton."

Cited by The Mirror, Manchester City boss Guardiola is no stranger to £85k-a-week earner Nunes and has previously offered up some really high praise when discussing the Portugal international, saying back in 2022: "I would say that Matheus Nunes is one of the best players in the world today."

In his time at Molineux, Nunes has become a fan favourite due to his tenacious displays in the middle of the park and has featured 41 times for Wolves in all competitions, registering one goal and a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.

Football Insider claim that Manchester City are confident of sealing a deal to land Nunes and are readying a bid close to £60 million to try and get a deal over the line, which would also help to provide cover for the injured Kevin De Bruyne.

Liverpool are interested in signing Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, one year after missing out on the prodigious talent.

What's the latest on Aurelien Tchouameni?

That's according to reports from Spain, who claim that the Reds have already had an opening offer of €60M (£52m) for the 23-year-old rebuked by Los Blancos as they look to fortify their midfield with first-rate new signings.

The Frenchman was integral for Monaco in the 21/22 campaign and left observers awestruck with the level of his displays, earning an £85m transfer to Carlo Ancelotti's outfit despite intense attempts from Jurgen Klopp's side to clinch his services.

Tchouameni's maiden campaign in Madrid has not played out seamlessly, however, and the ace has been restricted to just 24 starts in LaLiga after struggling to quite reach the same imperious heights he forged in his homeland, and Liverpool will be sure to lurk waiting to pounce if an opportunity arises.

Could Liverpool really sign Aurelien Tchouameni?

Liverpool supporters watched with gritted teeth as their hopes of signing Borussia Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham slipped away over the past few months, with Real Madrid adding the coveted ace to their jaw-dropping collection of central stars for an agreed initial sum of £88.5m.

The move could play into Liverpool's hands, however, in pushing for a deal for Tchouameni, who might see his playing time impacted further by the arrival, with Eduardo Camavinga, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Fede Valverde already occupying midfield roles at the Santiago Bernabeu – not a bad crop.

And despite not quite reaching the desired heights in Spain thus far, the 22-cap gem is a phenomenal talent with a proven pedigree on both the European stage and at international level, where he played an important part in France's World Cup campaign in Qatar, scoring a marvellous goal against England in the quarter-finals and recording an average rating of 7.07 – as per Sofascore – as he started all seven matches, completing 90% of his passes and averaging two interceptions per game.

For such a talented pivot, he could quite easily assume a starring role with Klopp's side and perhaps displace Anfield's holding midfielder Fabinho, who has been a shadow of his former self this season, right at the kernel of the club's midfield problems this season, branded "awful" by Jamie Carragher for his performance – or absence of it – earlier this term as the Reds meekly lost to newly-promoted Nottingham Forest.

The 29-year-old Brazilian has remained a crisp distributor of the ball but has lost his fiery tenacity this term, ranking among the top 8% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 18% for passes attempted per 90 but failing to rank among the top 30% for any other metric, as per FBref.

Tchouameni, despite his stop-start first year with Real, ranks among the top 1% of positional peers for pass completion, the top 15% for progressive passes, the top 22% for tackles, the top 1% for interceptions, the top 8% for clearances and the top 11% for aerials won per 90.

The £209k-per-week Madrista has left the likes of Rio Ferdinand waxing lyrical, with Manchester United legend saying: “Listen Tchouaméni is a young kid, he’s going to make mistakes but he’s a superb talent, he produces moments out of nowhere, incredible player.”

At Real Madrid, Tchouameni is a gem within a gilt-laden box of sparkling stones, but on Merseyside, he could be a jewel to captivate all who observe, standing out as the superlative star for one of the Premier League's most prestigious outfits.

Tottenham Hotspur are "insistently" pushing to sign Galatasary defender Victor Nelsson this summer, and they need just £21 million to sign him.

Who will Spurs sign?

The north Londoners, lead by new manager Ange Postecoglou, are said to be making moves for new defenders behind-the-scenes after sealing a few major deals already.

Spurs have already confirmed the signings of Guglielmo Vicario, who joined on a permanent deal for £17.2 million, midfielder James Maddison for around £45 million and winger Manor Solomon on a free transfer.

They join the likes of Dejan Kulusevski, who's joined the club permanently after 18 months on loan from Juventus, and Pedro Porro after the Spaniard made his own move from Sporting Lisbon a permanent one.

Maddison's capture represents a significant coup for Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy in particular, with Tottenham's head coach expressing his delight at the signing in mid-week.

“Really excited to get James as part of the group," said Postecoglou.

“Any manager will tell you that part of the key to being a dominant team is having multiple attacking threats and having a midfielder who can score and create goals.

“When you look at Tottenham the last few years, they’ve been really reliant on the front three to get their goals. I thought it was a really good fit for us to look for a player like James."

However, after conceding more goals than any other top flight above 15th last season, it is reported that Spurs now want to add central defensive quality to their ranks.

The Lilywhites have been in advanced talks to sign Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven, and an agreement is apparently close, though there are reports Tottenham could make more than one signing in that area.

Galatasary star Nelsson, who featured at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for Denmark, is a player of serious interest to Spurs and a report from Fanatik claims they're pushing hard for him.

According to the Turkish news outlet, Postecoglou's side are "insistently" pursuing the 24-year-old but face competition from north London rivals Arsenal.

Nelsson himself continues to negotiate a transfer away behind-the-scenes amid Spurs' interest but the club won't need much to do a deal. It's believed that, if any side pay his €25 million (£21m) release clause, Nelsson is highly likely to make the move.

Davinson Sanchez, meanwhile, could be heading in the opposite direction with Galatasary chasing the Colombian.

How good is Victor Nelsson?

The Dane stood out as a star defensive player for Galatasary last season, making more blocks per 90 and winning more battles in the air than any of his teammates (WhoScored).

Indeed, Nelsson was also an undroppable for manager Okan Buruk, having featured over more Turkish Super Lig minutes than any other outfielder in their squad (WhoScored).

Sections of the Turkish press have even called the former FC Copenhagen ace a "star player" of Galatasary's squad and his £21m release clause is arguably affordable from Levy's perspective.

Manchester United have been handed a boost after learning that Crystal Palace attacking midfielder and target Eberechi Eze has rejected a new contract at Selhurst Park, according to reports.

Is Eberechi Eze leaving Crystal Palace?

The Premier League playmaker first joined Roy Hodgson’s side from QPR back in 2020, where he’s since gone on to make a total of 93 senior appearances to date, but despite still having another two years remaining on his contract, there’s a chance he could be heading for the exit door before the end of the ongoing transfer window.

The England international, who made his professional debut under Gareth Southgate last month, firmly established himself as the Eagles’ top-performing player last season with a WhoScored match rating of 7.02, and this consistent standard of displays has brought him onto the radar of Erik ten Hag.

Back in June when writing for GiveMeSport, freelance football writer Steve Bates reported that the Red Devils have had the 23-year-old under review since Christmas and initially earmarked Eze as an alternative to Mason Mount, and even though that move did eventually happen, it hasn’t stopped chiefs from monitoring the talisman in SE25.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

Are Man United signing Eberechi Eze?

According to TEAMtalk, Eze has "turned down the chance" to sign a new contract at Crystal Palace amid interest from Man United.

Selhurst Park chiefs are looking to tie down their prized asset for the foreseeable future, but it's claimed that he has "rejected" the opportunity to put pen to paper on fresh terms, which has sent an "alert" to the M16 side, who are named as a "potential suitor".

Ten Hag's interest is "unlikely" to have passed despite securing Mount's signature, and it would seem that making a swoop now "looks more viable than it otherwise would have been" given the player's desire to possibly start a new adventure elsewhere.

How good is Eberechi Eze?

Eze not wanting to commit his future to Crystal Palace is a huge boost for Ten Hag, who will now be in a better position to make a move for his target, and having been dubbed a “magic” player by former teammate Christian Benteke, the attacking midfielder is a special talent.

The Eagles’ £30k-per-week earner racked up 14 goal contributions (ten goals and four assists) in 38 Premier League matches last season – form which saw him receive four Man of the Match awards from WhoScored, but he also proved to be a threat in the final third aside from his goalscoring contributions.

The Greenwich-born talent ranked in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons and recorded a total of 70 shots over the course of the campaign, which was the highest tally throughout the whole of his squad, via FBref, highlighting that he loves to dribble past his marker and take aim at the opposition goalkeeper.

Furthermore, Eze shares the same agency – CAA Base Ltd – as Raphael Varane, so this existing connection that his representative already has to the club could potentially help United during negotiations, having had previous dealings should they try to wrap up a deal in the weeks ahead.