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Former Nottingham Forest striker Nigel Jemson has urged Lyle Taylor to show his true quality and win over the City Ground faithful this season.

Taylor arrived from Charlton on a free transfer 12 months ago but failed to replicate his previous goalscoring exploits in south London – scoring just five goals in 42 appearances in all competitions.

He had previously proved himself as one of the most lethal frontmen in the second and third-tier with both Charlton and AFC Wimbledon, reaching double figures in five consecutive campaigns.

But keeping in line with Forest’s shocking season, Taylor himself struggled to showcase his talent, and heads into the new campaign on a 28-match goal drought in the Championship since scoring twice against Wycombe back in November.

Chris Hughton hasn’t yet added any strikers to his Forest squad this window, which would suggest that Taylor is going to get his fare share of opportunities in the coming weeks.

And Jemson exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that he must prove his worth:

“He has come from Charlton, has moved out of London, new club, new surroundings, but I expect a little bit more.

“I was excited when he came because I thought he would be a fantastic signing, but I think he’s got a bit to prove to win the supporters over now.”

Southampton fans have been reacting to the news that Jannik Vestergaard would like to move on if the Saints receive an offer from a top team, and the south-coast outfit are already looking at replacements.

The Saints went through a mixed term last campaign as they reached an F.A Cup semi-final but also finished in 15th place in the Premier League. As such, there is likely to be plenty of business conducted at St. Mary’s Stadium this term – they have already completed one signing, with Romain Perraud joining from Brest (southamptonfc.com).

Now, as per The Athletic, the Saints may be looking to bring in a centre-back. That is because £16.2m-valued Vestergaard (Transfermarkt) will look to move away from the club if an offer from a bigger club were to come on.

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Vestergaard news below

“15 Million for Vestergaard, bring in a young CB to develop, and Salisu ready to go.”

Credit: @EFranzo17

“Get rid and re invest”

Credit: @jimmysaint7

“He’s had about 10 good games in three years since he joined, let’s be honest. Bar the first half of this season he’s been bang average. If someone offers us the £18million we paid for him I’d take it. Salisu is ready to step up this year”

Credit: @Liam_Houghton98

“I wouldn’t be overly disappointed if he left, I’d like him to stay but he is replaceable.”

Credit: @miserygutscoop

“No real loss if we get good money. He’s improved yes but is regularly out of position which has cost us plenty of goals”

Credit: @kellyokid

“He’s gone then. This is the danger of the Stephens extension. 4th choice is fine but if it involves him playing in anything apart from meaningless cup matches then that’s a problem”

Credit: @forkhandl

In other news, Southampton receive an update on this La Liga target.

Newcastle United are reportedly interested in Swansea City captain Matt Grimes, though Southampton could hold an advantage in the pursuit of the 25-year-old [Hampshire Live].

The Lowdown: The Magpies gear up for the 2021/22 Premier League season

As Steve Bruce’s men gear up for the 2021/22 Premier League season, they now have seemingly turned their attention towards the Swansea anchor man.

Despite failing to venture into the summer transfer window as of yet, the Toon have been linked heavily with moves for the likes of Kristoffer Ajer and Conor Hourihane, respectively.

However, Newcastle have now seemingly identified the Exeter-born man as a potential target.

Presumably, this could to replenish the hole left in midfield following the return of star man Joe Willock to parent club Arsenal after his loan stint ended [METRO].

The Latest: Southampton hold an advantage in Grimes’ negotiations

Currently, Grimes is attracting the attention of the Geordies alongside Premier League rivals Southampton [Hampshire Live]. Despite this, the Saints may hold a key trump card in any potential negotiations.

Quoted as being available for around a mere £8 million [Chronicle], Southampton hold the unlikely benefit of possessing former Swansea City target Michael Obafemi [Hampshire Live].

Said to be close to making a loan move to the Liberty Stadium in January, the move was only curtailed due to the Irishman suffering a muscle injury [BBC]. Now back fit and raring to go, there could be potential for a swap deal between the two clubs [Hampshire Live].

The Verdict: Newcastle United should prioritise recruiting Grimes as they build for next campaign

Undoubtedly, losing out on bringing Grimes to St James’ Park would be a blow for the Magpies in the infancy of their 2021/22 season. Making 51 appearances across all competitions last season, the midfield enforcer registered nine goal contributions; four goals and five assists [Transfermarkt].

Labelled as “brilliant” by current manager Steve Cooper [Swansea City FC Official], the Jacks’ talisman made an impressive two tackles on average per 90 minutes in the previous year [WhoScored].

Needing reinforcements as they look to build on their 12th placed Premier League finish last time out [BBC], North-East giants Newcastle should look to beat off all competition for Grimes’ signature by whatever means.

In other news, Alan Nixon issues a promising Newcastle United budget update.

Southampton fans appear eager to see Dan N’Lundulu leave the club this summer after he was linked with a move to French club Amiens.

The Saints have a busy summer ahead of them as they aim to prepare for the new campaign. They will be looking for considerable improvements on their previous term – while they did reach an F.A Cup semi-final, they could only manage a 15th-place finish in the Premier League table and looked in danger of relegation for part of the term.

There are likely to be plenty of outgoings as well as incomings and, according to @AmiensSCUnited, the Ligue 1 outfit are interested in signing 22-year-old N’Lundulu. The forward has made 16 appearances for the south-coast outfit, but he has scored just one goal (Transfermarkt).

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it seems the Southampton fans would be happy to see him leave. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the N’Lundulu news below

“I wouldn’t mind letting him go for the right price if it means we have more chances in the transfer market.”

Credit: @bfgfox

“If permanent and decent money then let him go.”

Credit: @HackedOffStuart

“Not up to it, bye”

Credit: @stgranty1

“Pls”

Credit: @dazstevnson1953

“His first touch should take him over the channel”

Credit: @saintstevo85

“Always runs round like a headless chicken. Get rid of”

Credit: @learnonskype

In other news, Southampton lead the race for this striker.

Former Leeds United favourite Noel Whelan admits he is delighted that Whites midfielder Stuart Dallas has signed a new deal at the club.

The Lowdown: Dallas priceless for Leeds

Leeds had a number of star performers in the Premier League last season, from Kalvin Phillips to Patrick Bamford, but it was Dallas who scooped both the Players’ Player of the Year and Player of the Year awards.

The Northern Irishman was magnificent for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, scoring eight goals from midfield, including a last-gasp winner away to champions Manchester City.

Dallas put pen to paper on a new three-year deal last week, acting as a huge boost for Leeds moving forward, keeping him at Elland Road until 2024.

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The Latest: Whelan hails new deal

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan couldn’t hide his delight at the news, heaping praise on the 30-year-old in the process:

“Absolutely brilliant news. I cannot think of a player that deserves it more than him, to be quite honest with you.

“The last couple of seasons he has been my player of the season. Nobody can say that he does not deserve this three-year deal.

“He has been the ultimate professional. He has never let the team down. I expect that he got a sizeable pay rise which he fully deserves. His performances have been so consistent.”

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The Verdict: Most important player?

There is an argument to say that Dallas is Leeds’ most important player currently, even though he may not always stand out as much as others.

So much of the work he does can go unnoticed, particularly for fans of other clubs who don’t watch him every week, but his versatility and team ethic have played a huge role in Leeds’ success.

Only Bamford scored more goals than Dallas in the league last season, while only five players bettered his average of 1.9 tackles per game, highlighting his quality on and off the ball.

In other news, one pundit admits he would love to see a current Premier League player at Leeds next season. Find out who it is here.

Former Leeds United star Jon Newsome believes Marcelo Bielsa signing a two-year contract would be “amazing” for the club.

The Argentine has enjoyed a superb season at the helm at Elland Road, guiding the club to a top-half finish in their first campaign back in the top-flight following promotion.

However, he has yet to sign a new contract, as he continually pens one-year extensions every season.

It has been suggested by The Sun that Bielsa has already agreed the terms on a one-year new deal at Elland Road and that an announcement is imminent.

Bielsa had denied the prospect of him signing a longer-term deal back in April, but Newsome has suggested that he could well put pen to paper on a two-year contract in the coming weeks.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Undoubtedly well-deserved and there is talk that it may be a two year deal instead of a one year deal which would be amazing for the club really and add a bit more security.”

Bielsa has never spent more than two years at a club, but he is now into his third year at Leeds, and it is almost certain that he’ll be with the club for at least one more season, if not two.

Mark Warburton’s Queens Park Rangers side have been handed a huge boost ahead of next season’s Championship campaign after the club announced they have landed their first summer signing.

What’s the latest?

According to a statement posted on the QPR website, the club have completed the signing of Hull City centre-back Jordy de Wijs on a permanent deal after the defender impressed during a loan spell at the club last term.

Following the confirmation, Warburton said: “I’m delighted that Jordy has joined us permanently. Every time he plays, he’s Ronseal because he does exactly what it says on the tin – he heads it, he kicks it and he can play.

“He’s a physical presence who enjoys defending. But he’s also a very good, technical player as well. He drives into midfield, is comfortable on the ball and there is pace and purpose to what he does. His quality in both boxes is evident.

“I’m delighted that the work’s been done by everyone at the club to secure Jordy. I’m really looking forward to working with him again moving forward.”

Warburton has his man

Warburton’s delight at landing the 26-year-old on a permanent basis is easily understandable, as, since arriving at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on a temporary deal back in January, the £1.08m-rated defender has been in remarkable form for the Rs.

Over his nine Championship appearances for the Hoops, the former Netherlands U21 international made an average of 1.3 interceptions, one tackle and a whopping 5.1 clearances per game, as well as scoring one goal and helping his side keep one clean sheet, culminating in a highly impressive average SofaScore match rating of 7.19 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in the second tier.

Indeed, since his arrival in west London, Warburton’s side have seen a marked improvement in form, with the Rs picking up a whopping 47 points since the turn of the year – just six points fewer than league champions Norwich City.

As such, the news that Amit Bhatia has secured the signing of the £7.1k-per-week star on a three-year deal would appear to be a rather significant boost to QPR’s chances of mounting a promotion push next season, something which has Warburton feeling over the moon with glee – as it appears things are very much on the up for the Hoops at present.

In other news: Get him gone: Warburton must ruthlessly axe “massive” £4k-p/w QPR dud this summer – opinion

According to a report by Italian newspaper Il Tempo, via Sport Witness, SS Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi is now ‘listening’ to offers from interested clubs amid the ongoing situation over his contract – with Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus and Napoli all named.

The Lowdown: Inzaghi on the Spurs list?

Italian media outlets have linked several names from the continent to a possible appointment at Tottenham, including the likes of Maurizio Sarri and Gian Piero Gasperini.

Inzaghi emerged as a contender for the Lilywhites vacancy fairly recently with newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) claiming the Premier League could be his next destination at either Leicester City or Spurs.

The Latest: Inzaghi now ‘listening’ to Spurs offer

Bringing a development, local news outlet Il Tempo says that the 47-year-old is now ‘listening to other offers’ from interested clubs, including Spurs, amid the ongoing wait over a new deal at current club Lazio.

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It is said that a meeting between Inzaghi and the Serie A side is set up for the end of 2020/2021 but outside parties have been making their fondness known in the meantime.

As things stand, the Italian boss will be leaving the Stadio Olimpico following this season’s conclusion and Lazio are even looking at alternative managers in case they cannot reach an agreement over his extension.

The Verdict: Great candidate for Spurs…

Inzaghi has garnered much praise for his job at Lazio since he was appointed permanently in 2016, succeeding Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa who took charge of Le Aquile for just two days (The Guardian).

Indeed, the Rome side haven’t finished outside Serie A’s top eight during the former Italy international’s tenure in charge and players under his tutelage, like Ciro Immobile, have even likened him to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp (Football Italia).

As well as this, FIFA agent Claudio Anellucci lauded him as ‘one of the best coaches in Europe’ recently in an interview with TUTTOmercatoWEB.

If Spurs can appoint him after the expiry of his Lazio deal, he may also come as a possibly cheap appointment for chairman Daniel Levy amid financial difficulties (Evening Standard).

In other news: Tottenham rising star now set to leave this summer, find out more here.

After Nuno Santo announced that he’d be resigning from his position as Wolves manager, Fosun didn’t hang around in their pursuit of a replacement.

The Old Gold clearly had a contingency plan in place and they’ve never once diverted from their number one target; Bruno Lage.

What’s the word?

Lage was undergoing a work permit hearing last week that he successfully passed as he bids to become the new manager of Wolves.

Tim Spiers issued a fresh update on the situation of the Portuguese at the start of this week. He took to Twitter to reveal that it was only a matter of time before he was given the keys to Molineux.

The Athletic journalist commented: “Bruno Lage contract details being finalised, should be announced as Wolves’ new head coach later this week. Backroom team will take a little longer to confirm, work permit process might take that into next week.”

Fosun must be buzzing

When it became apparent that Nuno would be leaving the club after four successful years in the Midlands, fears were rightfully apparent.

The former goalkeeper had taken the Old Gold from a mid-table side in the Championship to one on the periphery of European football after being promoted to the Premier League.

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Nuno had done a number of wonderful things in the Midlands, developing young players for the future and building an identity that should remain in place for years to come.

Therefore, to have a deal for Lage on the verge of completion after such a quick turnaround should have the hierarchy elated.

With the transfer window rapidly approaching, they needed someone in place swiftly before they started missing out on targets and big fees for their best players.

This will be a challenging first summer in the job for Lage who is faced with losing Ruben Neves to Arsenal and an ongoing contract war with Adama Traore.

Without a manager, negotiations over the Spaniard’s future will have drawn to a halt while their recruitment plans will have been left in the dust.

Fortunately, the 45-year-old is close to a switch and can already start thinking about who he wants to bring with him to England.

Lage is similar to Nuno in a few ways. They’re both clients of Jorge Mendes but crucially, he knows how to develop young players.

You only need to look at the way he brought through Joao Felix and Ruben Dias at Benfica before their mega-money moves to Atletico Madrid and Manchester City.

That should be particularly appealing for the likes of Pedro Neto and Fabio Silva.

AND in other news, Better than Vitinha: Wolves must sign £13.5m-rated gem who was nicknamed Maradona…

According to a report by journalist Sid Lowe in The Guardian, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is understood to be referencing Manchester City as the club not being ‘fully committed’ to the European Super League (ESL), which apparently played a heavy hand in the breakaway division’s eventual suspension. 

Indeed, as per this report, the Sky Blues are whom Perez is referencing when he opened up over one of the six Premier League founding clubs first getting cold feet over the project.

He explained that ‘one of the English clubs’ didn’t seem so interested and that doubt ‘spread to the rest’ of the teams (The Guardian), eventually resulting in many clubs announcing they’d be withdrawing from the ESL plans.

With Lowe explaining that this originally unnamed club is indeed City, many Sky Blues supporters erupted at this claim – with one fan calling it ‘massive’.

The proposed breakaway could have had untold consequences for English football, especially considering that UEFA threatened to ban involved sides from domestic competition and even warned that players may not be able to represent their national teams (Sam Cunningham on Twitter).

Given the huge ESL tipping point in which City allegedly played a heavy part, it’s little wonder this has grabbed plenty of attention from fans.  Lots of Sky Blues supporters protested over their club’s involvement in the controversial plans, with many now overjoyed their side eventually played a big role in its suspension.

Find some of their verdicts below.

Man City fans erupt over ESL claim

“We’re saving football”

Credit: @Prince_Ederson

“Massive”

Credit: @PelvisPoker

“We joined the ESL to bring it down. In the process, became friends with UEFA as well. And now lesser competition for Haaland.

Masterclass.”

Credit: @damned_reality

“Proud to be a blue now”

Credit: @FodenCTID

“THATS MY CLUB SAVING FOOTBALL”

Credit: @mxnciteh

“Well done Man City, good riddance Mr Perez!!”

Credit: @skyblue9320

“We’re massive”

Credit: @alexmcfc_1

“Joined just to dismantle them from inside, my owner”

Credit: @CityJoul

In other news: Man City fans also flocked to this ‘best news’, find out more here.