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An update has emerged on Sunderland target Matt Crooks, regarding Ipswich’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to the East Anglian Daily Times, Ipswich are preparing to make a second offer for Sunderland transfer target Matt Crooks this month. The Tractor Boys have already seen an opening salvo of £400k turned down by Rotherham and are now lining up another attempt to prize him away from the Millers.

Last month, Sunderland were named as one of the clubs competing with Ipswich for his signature. Rotherham, however, will need some convincing to part ways with him to a direct League One rival.

Johnson needs him

Kristjaan Speakman must act swiftly in order to land Crooks in the coming weeks/months. Ipswich are clearly seriously interested in completing a deal for him and are showing their ambition by attempting multiple bids for the midfielder.

If the Black Cats continue to drag their heels and opt against getting involved in a bidding war then they could miss out on Crooks  and they will see one of their rivals strengthen their team with a player they wanted, which could be frustrating for fans to see. It would be a transfer blow for the club and their supporters would likely be gutted that a player of Crooks’ quality did not arrive at the Stadium of Light.

Last season, Rotherham boss Paul Warne compared Crooks’ importance to that of Mo Salah’s for Liverpool, with his performances highlighted more than others if things are not going well. He admitted that transfer speculation could have been getting to his head and labelled him as “influential” for the club.

He told The Star:

“I don’t know how many of my players are absolutely 100 percent but I think Crooksy sticks out because he was so influential over the last couple of years.

“If (Mohamed) Salah doesn’t play well for Liverpool everyone notices. With Crooksy, he is getting more like the player we want him to be.

“Has the transfer rumour and anything else that has gone on in his life affected him? Maybe. But that is just an excuse. It might not have.”

The £1.9k-per-week powerhouse could be a terrific addition to Lee Johnson’s side, as he has been able to be influential for a side drifting between League One and the Championship. Sunderland lacked goalscorers from midfield last term, with Chris Maguire’s tally of five the most any midfielder managed outside of penalties, which suggests that Johnson needs a threat in the middle to supplement his attackers.

Crooks managed seven goals in all competitions for Rotherham in the 2020/21 campaign. This suggests that he could be an even greater goal threat in League One as it is a step down from the second tier. Therefore, he could be exactly what the ex-Bristol City coach needs in his midfield.

AND in other news, Speakman must complete SAFC deal for “exciting” £2.4k-p/w beast, he won’t cost a penny…

Southampton have been linked with FC Copenhagen man Viktor Nelsson recently and the centre-back could prove to the ideal heir to Jannik Vestergaard in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

What’s the word?

According to Copa 90’s @Wheddsta (via Saints Extra), Southampton are considering a bid for the 22-year-old defender, although Crystal Palace are currently in pole position to sign him, whilst Burnley are also credited with an interest.

He suggests that a deal with Palace was close to being a done deal but Southampton are considering paying more than the Eagles have offered, which has put the transfer on hold for now.

Southampton’s Vestergaard heir?

Despite being so young for a centre-back, Nelsson has already made 181 appearances in the Danish top-flight with Copenhagen and FC Nordsjaelland in his career, whilst he also has experience playing in the Europa League.

Whilst he predominantly plays as a centre-back, he has also featured as a defensive midfielder on 15 occasions in his career thus far, which suggests that he has the sort of versatility that Hasenhuttl would appreciate, as well as likely having the ball-playing ability to cut it as a centre-back in the Premier League.

The £3.15m-rated youngster is also a regular for the Denmark U21s with 35 caps to his name thus far, which suggests that it might not be long until he is playing alongside Vestergaard for Kasper Hjulmand’s side.

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Given that the 28-year-old centre-back is looking more and more likely to leave St Mary’s this summer, with Roma the latest side to show a serious interest in him ahead of his contract expiring at the end of next season, Nelsson could perhaps be brought in as the ideal long-term replacement.

Although he lacks experience outside of Denmark, he has plenty of time to adapt to the demands of playing in the top-flight and could provide cover for the likes of Mohammed Salisu and Jack Stephens alongside Jan Bednarek next season, before establishing himself as a regular in the future.

Therefore, there seems little reason why he couldn’t be the ideal man to replace Vestergaard should he depart this summer.

And, in other news… Southampton handed big boost with “fantastic” £27m-rated beast, Hasenhuttl will be relieved

Graham Roberts has urged Harry Winks to leave Tottenham Hotspur and seek a move to Aston Villa.

The 25-year-old started just nine Premier League fixtures last season as he fell out of favour under previous Spurs boss Jose Mourinho.

Despite only being used sporadically by the Portuguese, who has gone on to take charge of Italian side Roma, Winks was not given the green light to leave Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the January transfer window.

Winks has three years remaining on his £50,000-per-week contract and it seems as though Spurs see it as the ideal time to cash in on the central midfielder.

Aston Villa have been linked with making a move for Winks, who boasts 10 England caps but missed out on Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad due to a lack of action.

Villa boss Dean Smith has already been busy in the transfer market, bringing in Emiliano Buendia for a club-record fee and welcoming Ashley Young back to the club.

Former Spurs man Roberts believes Villa Park would be an ideal destination for Winks.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “Aston Villa would be a good move for Harry. I think he needs a new challenge.

“Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is a better player than Harry Winks. Harry needs to prove to himself that he can do it week in, week out.”

According to a report by Italian news outlet L’Interista, Tottenham Hotspur and Fabio Paratici have come forward with a fresh bid to sign Serie A star Milan Skriniar – and the player has already replied.

The Lowdown: Spurs and the Skriniar saga…

It feels like eternity since Spurs were first linked with a move for Slovakian powerhouse, with reports emerging as far back as the summer of 2020.

Indeed, during former Lilywhites boss Jose Mourinho’s summer rebuild, club chief Steve Hitchen flew to Italy in an attempt to negotiate for Skriniar’s signing (Alasdair Gold).

However, Inter and Tottenham couldn’t agree on valuation – with L’Interista now bringing an update as Spurs continue the chase this window.

The Latest: Paratici tables bid…

As per L’Interista, Paratici has tabled a fresh Tottenham bid to sign the 26-year-old this summer worth around €30 million (£25.7m) plus €5 million (£4.2m) in add-ons.

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Skriniar himself has already replied, emphatically saying no – as this news from Italy details how the player is currently happy in Milan and does not want to leave.

However, all is not lost for Spurs, because the Nerazzurri would genuinely consider selling their star defender if they received an offer of €50 million (£42.8m) up front.

The Verdict: Risk vs reward…

Skriniar commands a heavy price tag due to his fine exploits in the Italian top flight last season.

The centre-half was a consistent presence as Inter lifted their first Scudetto title in 10 years, starting 31 Serie A matches whilst completing 92.2% of his passes out from the back (WhoScored).

He has also been called an ‘absolute beast’ by Serie A critics, with columnist David Amoyal giving him that title when Spurs were linked last year (Twitter).

He would undoubtedly be a stellar addition, but big rewards often require big risks, and Spurs’ precarious financial situation is arguably the main thing preventing Tottenham from getting a deal done.

In other news: ‘Sensational’…Sky pundit in awe as Nuno eyes ‘fabulous player’ for Spurs, find out more here.

The Celtic Way journalist Anthony Haggerty has issued his verdict on Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who is reportedly a target for the Glasgow giants once again.

The Saints stopper, who has already njoyed two spells at Parkhead, has been linked with a summer return to Celtic on loan, according to The Scottish Sun. 

Forster was previously at Celtic Park back in 2019/2020 having joined the south coast outfit from Celtic in 2014, and after falling down the pecking order at Southampton behind Alex McCarthy, could look for a move back up north.

The shot-stopper was in inspired form in his previous spell with Celtic, keeping 17 clean sheets in 39 games, one of which came in the Scottish League Cup Final against Rangers, and Haggerty was full of praise for the goalkeeper, telling FFC: “Celtic won that cup final because of Fraser Forster, he was immense”.

Forster’s Southampton contract runs out at the end of this season (2022) and if he isn’t in the plans of Ralph Hasenhuttl at St Mary’s, he may opt for a move away this summer to get some game time.

Haggerty believes that Forster is well suited to the Hoops and couldn’t believe the goalkeeper didn’t return to Celtic Park, saying: “I think some people suit certain clubs and I think Forster suited Celtic, I couldn’t understand it when he never came back”.

Former Premier League star Carlton Palmer believes that Manchester United could do with signing another striker.

The Red Devils completed the signing of Jadon Sancho on Friday in a deal worth £73m, according to BBC Sport.

Mundo Deportivo have reported that United dream of Sancho’s former teammate Erling Haaland and could include Anthony Martial as part of a deal in their pursuit of the Norwegian striker.

United are interested in Raphael Varane as well this summer, with journalist Fabrizio Romano saying an official bid will be submitted from United to Real Madrid in the coming days. With this in mind, it remains to be seen if the Red Devils will go all out and add another attacker to their ranks in this transfer window.

Chelsea are also interested in Haaland according to 90min, but if no club can prise him away from Signal Iduna Park this summer, then there will be a fight for him next as he will be available for closer to £65m then.

Palmer believes United have got a squad to challenge for the Premier League title but could do with another striker, telling Football FanCast: “They’re going to be there or thereabouts. I think they could do with another striker, but they still believe in Martial who started to show glimpses last season of what he’s about. You know, like I said, they’ve got a very exciting squad.”

United have an abundance of attacking talent and striker Edinson Cavani recently extended his stay in Manchester for a further year, signing a new contract at Old Trafford until 2022. The Uruguayan scored 15 goals for the Red Devils last season, helping United to a second place Premier League finish and a Europa League final.

Speaking to Sky Sports (via Football Daily), journalist Dharmesh Sheth has dropped some news on Declan Rice and his situation at West Ham United.

The Lowdown: Rice refuses new deal offers…

The Telegraph first broke news that Rice had rejected two new deal offers from West Ham and is open to considering moves to interested clubs. with Man City, Man United and Chelsea all linked.

West Ham’s star man is also expected to reject any new attempts to tie him down at the London Stadium and wants to be informed of any new bids this summer.

The Hammers value him at around £100 million but Rice would apparently be disappointed if they dismiss offers in the region of £60m.

The Latest: Sheth drops Rice news live on air…

Speaking to Sky (via FD), Sheth has now shared some news on Rice and Manchester United’s stance on swooping.

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It is believed that West Ham are remaining stubborn when it comes to allowing the 22-year-old to leave this summer and the Red Devils now have zero plans to make a bid.

“I’m told, as it stands, there are no plans to move for Declan Rice in this transfer window,” Sheth explained.

“What’s more, West Ham United simply aren’t for selling in this transfer window, are the noises that we’re getting from West Ham.”

The Verdict: Good news for West Ham?

News of the Red Devils not planning to make a move, as it stands, could come as good news for West Ham given their desire to keep the player.

United are one of the only few clubs who could realistically afford Rice alongside Chelsea and City, with the Premier League giants now seemingly eliminating themselves from the transfer race.

West Ham are set to compete in the Europa League group stages over what will be a more hectic 2021/2022 season, so Moyes will certainly be boosted by this news involving their star player.

In other news: ‘No ambition’, ‘Joke’…West Ham fans erupt as Telegraph news emerges, find out more here.

West Bromwich Albion are interested in a deal to bring Milad Mohammadi to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that West Brom are one of a number of English clubs interested in a deal for the Gent left-back, whom the Jupiler Pro League side are believed to be eager to part with in the summer transfer window.

The report continues by stating that the Belgian club are not thought to be demanding a transfer fee for the 27-year-old, as they are desperate to shift the Iran international’s £8.9k-per-week wages before the closure of the market.

Mohammadi could solve big Ismael problem

While Valerien Ismael has just completed the signing of Adam Reach, a player who would appear to be more than capable of filling in at left wing-back if required, the fact remains that the Frenchman still only has Conor Townsend as a natural player in the position within his first-team squad.

As such, the news that the 45-year-old is in the market for another player in the position is not overly surprising, and, considering Mohammadi’s returns for Gent last season, the 27-year-old would very much seem to be an excellent addition to the Albion squad ahead of their upcoming Championship campaign.

Indeed, over his 32 Jupiler Pro League appearances for Hein Vanhaezebrouck’s side last term, the £2.25m-rated man helped his side keep six clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 0.8 interceptions, two tackles, 1.2 clearances and winning 4.3 duels per game.

The defender also contributed for his side going forwards, bagging one goal, registering five assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots and making one key pass per match.

These metrics saw the Iranian earn an impressive average SofaScore match rating of 6.99, ranking him as Gent’s 11th-best player in the league.

As such, with what is sure to be an arduous campaign in the second tier ahead, should Townsend or Reach pick up a long-term injury, Ismael may face a big problem at left-back at some point over the course of the season – something that the signing of Mohammadi could well solve.

In other news: Percy drops transfer update on “phenomenal” £5k-p/w West Brom target, Ismael must act

Marcus Bent has advised Everton to seal Ross Barkley’s return to the club and believes the midfielder would quickly become a key player in Rafa Benitez’s side.

Barkley left Goodison Park for Premier League rivals Chelsea in a £15million deal three-and-a-half years ago, having pushed for a move away from Merseyside.

However, the switch to Stamford Bridge has not gone to plan as Barkley has made just 86 appearances for Chelsea and spent last season on loan at Aston Villa.

While a hamstring injury restricted the 27-year-old to just 27 appearances in all competitions at Villa, Barkley is on the radar of several Premier League clubs after falling out of favour at Chelsea.

Everton, who are looking to bolster their squad under the stewardship of new manager Benitez, have been joined in the race for the England international midfielder’s services by West Ham United and Newcastle United.

But Bent would like to see Barkley snub the Hammers and Magpies in favour of a return to familiar surroundings.

When asked whether Barkley would walk straight into Everton’s starting line-up, Bent exclusively told The Transfer Tavern: “I think so, because we need a player who is quick, skilful and can move us forward.

“Bringing him back in would be taking a chance and he would need to hit the ground running.

“He is an asset and someone who I feel is skilful, and he’s mature now.”

Newcastle United are among the clubs interested in signing Matthew Hoppe from Schalke 04, according to Football Insider. 

The lowdown

Back in January, he netted a hat-trick on just his third Bundesliga start against Hoffenheim. The 20-year-old striker would then go on to score three more for the team who finished bottom of the table with a mere 16 points.

He already has five United States senior caps under his belt, bagging his first goal for his country in a Gold Cup win over Jamaica in July.

Valued at £4.05m by Transfermarkt, Hoppe isn’t the only Schalke player with whom Newcastle have been linked this summer. Former Liverpool loanee Ozan Kabak was also on their list, but he has seemingly been deemed too expensive (via The Athletic).

The latest

Newcastle, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford are all said to have lodged enquiries about Hoppe, according to Football Insider.

A recruitment source has told the publication that Hoppe’s representatives are due to fly to the UK for talks with ‘a number of clubs’. There will also be further discussions with teams ‘across Europe’.

Hoppe is expected to leave a ‘financially stricken’ Schalke, who seemingly have little choice but to sell one of their ‘premier talents’ this summer following their relegation from the Bundesliga.

The verdict

Newcastle would be wise to capitalise on Schalke’s financial difficulties and sign a special talent like Hoppe for a cut-price fee. To stand out as a reliable goalscorer for a team who struggled so dismally is no mean feat.

Callum Wilson may have the starting centre-forward spot essentially tied down at St James’ Park, but he is nine years Hoppe’s senior. The American should be viewed as a long-term investment and also a potential upgrade on their existing back-ups Joelinton and Dwight Gayle, who managed just five league goals between them in 2020/21 – one fewer than Hoppe on his own.

Wilson is injury-prone, and Newcastle need to do what they can to guard against the very real risk of the 29-year-old being ruled out of action over the coming months. The best way to alleviate that risk is to go and get their American target.

In other news, Newcastle have been applauded after securing this financial boost.