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According to reliable journalist James Hunter, Sunderland are now in pole position to sign Arsenal defender Daniel Ballard.

The Lowdown: Burnley move breaks down

A product of the Gunners youth system, the 22-year-old had recently come close to signing for Burnley and even made the trip to Lancashire to put pen to paper on a deal with Vincent Kompany’s Clarets, but the move broke down at the last minute due to not being able to agree personal terms.

And the Black Cats, alongside Championship rivals Blackpool and Millwall, the two clubs where the centre-back had been on loan, were all said to be interested in securing his services.

With the news that the Stevenage-born talent is officially back on the market, it now sounds as if the Stadium of Light outfit are intensifying their efforts in a bid to try and fend off their competitors.

The Latest: Sunderland in pole position

In an article written for ChronicleLive, Hunter claims that Sunderland are now ‘leading the race’ for Ballard, with the club having ‘stepped up their interest’ following Burnley’s setback.

The source further states that whilst the deal is ‘not yet done’, the hierarchy ‘remain hopeful’ that they can convince him to complete the move to Wearside.

The Verdict: Rock at the back

Alex Neil will now be looking to bolster his ranks with some new additions as he revamps his squad ahead of Sunderland’s long-awaited return to the second tier, and Ballard would be an impressive signing to get over the line.

The Northern Ireland international, who’s recently been dubbed an “outstanding” potential signing by journalist Josh Bunting, was an absolute rock at the back for Millwall last season, winning 3.9 of his aerial duels and averaging 3.4 clearances per league 90 minutes, via WhoScored.

Once a teammate of the Black Cats’ Elliot Embleton when they were both on loan together at Bloomfield Road, a reunion for the duo could soon be on the cards in the north east.

Crystal Palace are interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks and have seemingly been given the green light to do so.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from 90min, who claimed that Spurs are happy for the 26-year-old to to depart the club this summer, with a number of Premier League teams said to be interested in his services.

Brentford, Everton, Leicester City and Wolves are the clubs mentioned in the piece, in addition to Crystal Palace, with the report stating that “several” top-flight clubs “have been put on alert”.

Supporters surely buzzing

Following Yves Bissouma’s arrival at Spurs, Winks will have slid further down the midfield pecking order, and it looks as though a move to pastures new is exactly what he needs in order to rejuvenate his stalling career.

Despite making 19 league appearances for Antonio Conte’s side last season, he played just 905 minutes. At 26 years of age, he needs to be playing more regular first-team football.

As a player, Winks has seemingly gone under the radar due to his elegant and calculated style of play. He’s an asset who brings stability to the midfield and is capable of pulling the strings and dictating play with his wonderful range of passing.

With Conor Gallagher’s loan deal having expired, amidst uncertainty over a return to Selhurst Park, Patrick Vieira should be doing everything in his power to pull off a move for Winks, who can help the Eagles to build on their 2021/22 average of 51.2% possession.

Winks’ average of 56.55 passes completed per 90 as a registered defensive midfielder place him in the 88th percentile among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues according to FBRef, whilst his 74.61 touches per 90 demonstrate his ability as a stabiliser in the heart of the engine room.

His match average of 51.61 carries is also a very solid return, whilst his total carrying distance of 255.10 yards is a promising metric in terms of ball progression.

According to CIES, Palace should be able to capture the signing of Winks for no more than €15m (£12.9m) in what would prove to be a bargain for such a technically gifted player.

In other news – “Noises I’m getting..”: Big Palace transfer claim emerges that’ll leave Vieira gutted

Manchester City attacker Gabriel Jesus has been linked with a summer move to fellow Premier League club Arsenal.

What’s the news?

According to a clip shared by Sky Sports News on Twitter, the Gunners are in talks with City over a possible deal for the Brazilian, who the Premier League champions value at £50m, this summer. The broadcaster also claimed that the player is apparently looking to leave the Etihad Stadium in search of regular football.

City completed a £27m deal for the Brazil international back in 2016 when he was just 19 years old. Since then, the attacker has gone on to make 236 appearances for the Citizens across all competitions, scoring 95 goals and providing 46 assists along the way.

He has also won four Premier League titles, along with four Carabao Cups and one FA Cup.

Bad news for Guardiola

In 28 league appearances last season, the 25-year-old found the net eight times and delivered nine assists, making more goal contributions than the likes of Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish.

To further highlight how deadly he was in front of goal during his latest campaign with Pep Guardiola’s side, no other City player had more goal-creating actions than Jesus (18).

His overall performances earned the Brazilian a solid season rating of 7.2/10 from WhoScored, making him the seventh-highest rated player currently at the Etihad. This not only shows why Arsenal are after the player but why the Citizens have put a rather hefty price tag on him.

It also makes it easy to suggest that Guardiola would be gutted to see Jesus leave the club, given the clear attacking talent that he has and what he has delivered for the Sky Blues during his time in Manchester.

Having previously hailed the Brazilian as the best in the world at providing high pressure and intensity in the forward line, this shows just how much the City manager values the player.

Should the 25-year-old find himself waving goodbye to the club this summer, Guardiola and City supporters will have to hope that their new attacking recruits Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez have what it takes to be suitable replacements for Jesus.

In other news – “Advanced talks”: Fabrizio Romano drops big Man City transfer update, it’s great news for Pep

Newcastle United may be interested in a move Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer, journalist Alex Crook has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

According to The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder, Eddie Howe is ‘exploring his options in terms of livening up the competition’ for Martin Dubravka’s number one spot next season.

The Slovakian missed the start of the 2021/22 campaign through injury but returned against Arsenal in November and started every Premier League match thereafter.

Sommer is valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt, with only 12 months remaining on his deal at Borussia Park.

The latest

Crook said that he has learned that Sommer may be one of the options under consideration at St James’ Park, telling Newcastle supporters to ‘keep an eye on that one’, with the Magpies potentially sensing the opportunity for a bargain deal for the 33-year-old.

He told GiveMeSport: “The name I was given this week was Yann Sommer at Monchengladbach, the Swiss international. He’s got a year left on his contract so wouldn’t cost a lot of money. I’d definitely keep an eye on that one.”

The verdict

Sommer is a vastly experienced goalkeeper, having made 262 Bundesliga appearances and racked up 74 caps for Switzerland.

He has earned some prestigious individual honours along the way, featuring in the 2019/20 Bundesliga Team of the Season and winning his country’s Player of the Year award in 2021.

There were rave reviews for the Monchengladbach man at last summer’s European Championship, with journalist Zach Lowy called the ‘amazing’ stopper ‘one of the most underrated goalkeepers of the past decade’. At the finals, he denied Kylian Mbappe from the spot as Switzerland knocked out France on penalties and made a string of saves in the quarter-final against Spain.

Dubravka could well have an almighty fight on his hands to keep his place if Sommer were to arrive on Tyneside.

In other news, this pundit reacts to significant injury news involving a Newcastle target 

A transfer claim has emerged regarding the future of Celtic loan star Cameron Carter-Vickers which will surely have Ange Postecoglou buzzing.

What’s the news?

In a recent online Q&A for football.london, Tottenham Hotspur journalist Alasdair Gold was asked what the current situation is regarding Cameron Carter-Vickers and the possibility of him joining Celtic on a permanent basis after his recent season-long loan spell at Parkhead.

In response, Gold said on the matter: “Again it’s purely my opinion, but if Celtic pay the option and give Spurs the agreed price which is believed to be £6m, which could become £10m down the line with future add-ons, then Carter-Vickers has suggested he’d be happy to remain in Glasgow.

“He wants to leave Tottenham now and he’s had a great season for Celtic and felt at home there with a manager who suits him well. It seems to be a move that fits all three parties.”

Great news for Postecoglou

Carter-Vickers’ loan move to Celtic ended up being a stroke of genius from the Hoops and their hierarchy, as the defender went on to become a pivotal part of Postecoglou’s side which reclaimed the Premiership title from their Old Firm rivals Rangers.

In 33 league appearances, the 24-year-old made more interceptions (43) than anyone else at the Parkhead club. He also ended their title-winning campaign with a higher average of clearances per game (4.2) than any other Hoops player.

This shows just how crucial a figure he was for the Bhoys and goes some way to explaining why they secured the league title with the best defensive record in the top flight.

The American’s overall league performances earned him a season rating of 7.36/10 from WhoScored, making him the fourth-highest rated player to feature at Parkhead beyond last August.

This rating also makes him the fifth-highest rated player in the entire Premiership, which highlights just how well-suited he is to playing in Scotland and why he’d be a great asset for the reigning league champions for the foreseeable future.

With Gold’s claim that a permanent switch from Tottenham to Celtic for Carter-Vickers this summer would suit all parties, this would surely be great news for the Hoops manager and give the fans hope that the deal can get done.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops big behind-the-scenes transfer claim, it’s bad news for Celtic

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Romelu Lukaku to north London in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that Antonio Conte is now in an advantageous position in his pursuit of the Chelsea centre-forward, as Tottenham have the money to close a deal for the 29-year-old this summer – unlike Inter Milan.

The report goes on to state that, while the Belgium international is keen on the idea of a return to Serie A, Lukaku would also find it difficult to say no to sealing a reunion with the 52-year-old at Spurs.

Meanwhile, from the Blues’ point of view, it is believed that Thomas Tuchel would very much welcome the money received from the permanent sale of the striker – even if it meant selling Lukaku to a direct rival in the Premier League.

“Out of this world”

While it is true that, following his £97.5m move to Chelsea last summer, Lukaku did not enjoy the best campaign of his career in 2021/22 – scoring 15 goals over 44 appearances for the Blues in all competitions – considering just how effective the 29-year-old was for Conte at Inter, it is not difficult to see why the Italian would like to work with the forward once more at Tottenham.

Indeed, over his 95 fixtures under the 52-year-old at Inter, the £76.5m-rated talent bagged a quite astonishing 64 goals and provided his teammates with 17 assists – averaging a direct goal involvement every 96 minutes over the course of his two-year stay at the San Siro.

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The £350k-per-week forward most impressed over his 36 Serie A appearances in 2020/21, scoring 24 goals, registering 11 assists and creating ten big chances, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.32 – ranking him not only as Conte’s best performer in the league but also as the joint 12th-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, should Conte believe that he can help the player who Luis Miguel Echegaray dubbed both “out of this world” and “ridiculous” refind this form at Tottenham, the centre-forward’s reported £85m asking price would appear well worth paying, as a peak-performing Lukaku would undoubtedly help to transform Spurs from a top-four contender to a title challenger under the 52-year-old next season.

AND in other news: “As of today…”: Romano reveals huge Spurs transfer twist, supporters will be gutted

Sunderland are plotting a summer move for Birmingham City attacking midfielder Jobe Bellingham, and he could be vital to their survival in the Championship next season.

Footballer Ron-Thorben Hoffmann recently told Kicker (via The Chronicle) that his friend’s son was sat near ‘Bellingham’ at the play off final between The Black Cats and Wycombe Wanderers.

It comes after The Daily Mail reported earlier this month that the Wearsiders were interested in signing the midfielder.

Sunderland went on to win the play-off final 2-0 and secure a long-awaited return to the Championship. Next season they will face a battle to stay in the division and Alex Neil needs to build a strong side.

Bellingham is a player that could help massively and the sporting director at The Stadium of Light was at Birmingham for his brother Jude’s rise to stardom. Therefore, he already has a good relationship with their parents.

This could give Sunderland the upper hand in any race to sign the 16-year-old and reports earlier this year claimed they were invited to watch a game on Wearside.

Jobe has made two appearances in the Championship this season, which is impressive at his age. He has played most of his games in the U18 Premier League for the club, where he’s scored five goals in ten appearances.

A move to the North East could give him the chance to get more regular game time and develop in an academy that is well known for producing top talents.

Premier League midfielder and Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is just one of the names that has come through the youth academy at Sunderland and by signing him, the club could unearth their new version of the experienced midfielder.

Manager Alex Neil also has a history of giving youngsters a chance, in January he re-called on-loan goalkeeper Anthony Patterson and he has since started most games for the club.

Bellingham is rated at £450k but given his level his potential it’s likely they would need to pay more to secure his services. He’s been described as an “exciting talent” by former pro Paul Robinson.

A player like him is exactly what Sunderland need next season. If they do find themselves in a battle for survival then someone like Bellingham, who his hungry to prove himself, will help them stay up.

They’ll just have to hope that like Henderson, his spell in the first team isn’t a fleeting one.

IN other news: Talks expected: Huge Sunderland development emerges that’ll leave supporters buzzing…

Tottenham Hotspur need only a point to secure Champions League football next season as they head to Carrow Road to face an already relegated Norwich City on the Premier League’s final day.

There are doubts over Harry Kane’s availability after the England talisman was struck down with illness towards the end of the week, whilst the likes of Cristian Romero, Oliver Skipp and Sergio Reguilon are all still on the treatment table.

Antonio Conte will have plenty to ponder heading into kickoff, knowing that a draw will seal a place in the top four – something that seemed impossible to achieve when he took over from Nuno Santo in November.

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An emphatic win against arch-rivals Arsenal, followed up by a win at home to Burnley last weekend has put the north Londoners in pole position but nothing is guaranteed, especially on the last day.

As such, the Italian head coach must still name his strongest lineup to ensure they go out with a bang and with that in mind, Emerson Royal’s place is surely in question as the Brazilian has struggled for consistency all season.

After signing from FC Barcelona in a £26m deal in the summer, the 23-year-old has shown flashes of his potential, especially in recent outings – three straight WhoScored ratings of 7.05 or better certainly suggest that to be the case.

However, he has struggled to maintain that to a consistent level and in part, that could be down to injury. He was withdrawn early as a precaution against the Clarets, so we may well see that level of form drop below the current trend.

As an attacking wing-back, he has failed to deliver in the final third, managing only one goal, one assist and 0.9 key passes per game across 30 appearances in the Premier League, via WhoScored.

Emerson had been so poor that Conte was desperate to bolster his squad with a new left wing-back, targeting Adama Traore before he opted for the aforementioned LaLiga giants.

Earlier in the season, former Lilywhites defender Jonathan Woodgate dubbed the Brazilian’s defending as “horrendous”, whilst fans have often slammed him as being a “liability,” so you can’t just shake that off after a couple of decent performances.

Valued at £34m by CIES Football Observatory, who assess the transfer value of professional footballers on a scientific basis, it could be wise for Conte to axe him for such a crucial encounter.

A ruthless decision perhaps but ensuring they do not concede will go a long way in securing the solitary point they need for a place in Europe’s elite competition in 2022/23.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold reveals huge injury boost ahead of Norwich…

Newcastle United are interested in signing Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha, according to a report from Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Goalkeeper hunt

Strakosha is the latest in a long line of stoppers linked with a move to the North East after Manchester United’s Dean Henderson and Leicester City star Kasper Schmeichel.

Toon boss Eddie Howe is expected to actively pursue an alternative to Martin Dubravka, who has almost always been the first choice at St James’ Park since arriving from Sparta Prague in 2018.

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The 33-year-old has made 129 appearances during his time at the club, but it seems as though his monopoly over the number one spot could be coming to an end this summer…

The latest: ‘Ready’ to move

As per Corriere dello Sport, translated by SW, Strakosha is described as being ‘ready for Newcastle’ ahead of the final Serie A game of the season and a contract expiry in July (Transfermarkt).

Recently, the 27-year-old has been indexed with a move to Fulham, and it appeared that a move to the newly-promoted London club could be on the horizon.

However, the latest revelation fails to mention Marco Silva’s outfit and instead claims that Newcastle are in the box seat to sign the 19-cap Albania international on a Bosman deal.

The verdict: No brainer

Boasting 163 career Serie A outings, signing Strakosha on a free transfer would be a superb piece of business from the new ownership group at PIF.

This season, the 6 foot 4 Albanian ace has kept 11 clean sheets in 30 appearances and is a close stylistic match for the likes of Premier League goalkeeping stars Edouard Mendy, Hugo Lloris and Barcelona ace Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Fbref).

Branded ‘extraordinary’ by former Lazio manager Alberto Bollini for his incredible athleticism, adding the £6.3milion valued Strakosha to the St James’ Park ranks whilst leaving the budget untouched for other areas in the squad would be a masterstroke on Howe and co’s behalf.

In other news: Newcastle now eyeing move for ‘absolutely superb’ international, read more here

Liverpool have been heavily linked with Aurelien Tchouameni this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club’s progress in securing the signing.

What’s the latest?

Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri has given an exclusive update to LFC Transfer Room on Liverpool’s pursuit of Monaco midfielder Tchouameni.

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Tavolieri revealed: “Aurélien is one of the biggest priorities of the scouting staff of Liverpool.”

Klopp will love him

The news that the signing has become a priority for Liverpool will surely be an exciting prospect for supporters and with the side reportedly looking to improve their midfield strength this summer Klopp will surely love Tchouameni.

The Ligue 1 midfielder has been dominating in the centre of the pitch with the 22-year-old ranking first for interceptions in the opponent’s half, fourth in tackles completed and sixth for one-touch passes in the entire French league compared to his peers, according to One Versus One.

Tchouameni could definitely inject some youth into an ageing midfield at Anfield in terms of the most defensive midfielders in the team with Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson all currently in their 30s, so bringing in a young player to develop alongside the more senior players would be a great coup for Klopp.

Not only does the £60m Monaco star, who was hailed a “game-changer” by Liverpool Echo journalist Charlotte Coates, offer incredible defensive attributes, but going forward and in terms of creativity Tchouameni has been outstanding for his team this season.

The Frenchman has scored three goals and contributed two assists, created five big chances and was successful in 73% of his dribbles proving that he has no problem progressing the ball forward and troubling opponents both defensively and offensively.

Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all also been linked with wanting to secure the signing of the youngster, so Liverpool will need to act fast if they are genuinely interested in recruiting Tchouameni this summer.

With that being said, Klopp and the powers at the Merseyside club must get this signing secured to improve and enhance Liverpool’s midfield even further to boost their chances to challenge for even more trophies next season and beyond.

AND in other news: Forget Matip: £150k-p/w Liverpool “beast” who won 80% duels stole the show v Saints