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Aston Villa look set to sign West Brom youngster Tim Iroegbunam, after he rejected a lucrative deal to stay at The Hawthorns, according to Express and Star reporter Joseph Masi.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa fans were quick to give their thoughts to the news on social media.

According to Masi, Iroegbunam is heading to Villa after snubbing a contract proposal with the Baggies.

The 18-year-old is primarily a central midfielder but can also play in a defensive midfield role when required. Described as a ‘tough tackler’ who has ‘started to add goals to his game’, Iroegbunam has been on the books at West Brom since Under-8 level.

He now looks set to move across the Midlands to Villa Park, though, and a number of Villa supporters have been sharing their thoughts on the proposed move.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared Masi’s claim regarding Iroegbunam on Twitter on Tuesday. This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one describing the news as ‘crazy’.

“Not another oneeeeeee”Credit: @MBlackmore1874″we are massive”Credit: @catrinedwards18″Kinda crazy how West Brom are our feeder club for talents”Credit: @ViIlaI_”This lad is quality. I’ve known of him since he’s been at West Brom and been lucky enough to meet both his parents too. Will be a fantastic addition to our academy.”Credit: @PeteVillan1981″Plan B to Sarr I reckon. Same age same position”Credit: @Villabo58965244″You really do love to see it”Credit: @AlexAstonVilla

In other news: ‘And so it begins’, ‘I knew changes would come’ – Many AVFC fans react as news is confirmed, find out more here. 

Some Liverpool fans have been left fuming by claims that funds will be limited ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Reds managed to end a difficult season on a positive note, sealing an unlikely third-place finish last month with a run of eight wins in their final 10 Premier League games. Before that run, there was a fear that Jurgen Klopp’s side would miss out on a place in the Champions League, which would significantly hamper them both financially and in terms of attracting top players.

Liverpool finishing in the top four seemingly acted as a major boost, and Klopp is expected to delve into the transfer market this summer, having already acquired the services of Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig.

However, according to The Mirror, the Reds have ‘limited finances to rebuild’, with a focus on selling fringe players in order to generate more funds.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-4/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans left angry at transfer update

It is an update which has not gone down well with a number of Liverpool fans, with some taking Twitter to show their frustration at the club’s FSG ownership, under whom the Reds have had some rather frugal transfer windows.

“#FSGOut”

Credit: @NbPatrick

“Useless club @LFC”

Credit: @nicky_fizzy

“Meltdown FC in full effect I see…keep falling for it every summer”

Credit: @LfcSiddhant

“I hate this club”

Credit: @NSMisAverage

“In other news, water is wet”

Credit: @amanariti88

“We actually need to do something about these owners man they stink so bad”

Credit: @fugazinoah

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited after a transfer update emerged regarding a potential Reds target. Find out who it is here.

West Bromwich Albion are interested in a deal to bring Sam Clucas to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that the Baggies have registered their interest in the Stoke City central midfielder ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

It is reported that, with the 30-year-old entering the final year of his contract at the bet356 Stadium, should the Potters receive an offer of around their £3m asking price for Clucas, they would be willing to greenlight his departure this summer.

Ismael must move

With it appearing increasingly likely that Valerien Ismael will be taking over at The Hawthorns in the coming days, the Frenchman will almost certainly be dipping into the transfer market in a bid to fire West Brom back to the Premier League at the first time of asking next season.

And, considering just how impressive the former Swansea City midfielder was for Michael O’Neill’s side last season, there would certainly seem worse candidates to become Ismael’s first signing as the new West Brom manager this summer.

Indeed, over his 24 Championship appearances for the Potters last term, the £2.25m-rated Clucas scored two goals, provided three assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and 1.7 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £33k-per-week man earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Stoke’s joint third-best performer in the second tier of English football.

And, with Conor Gallagher having moved back to Chelsea following the completion of his loan deal with the Baggies, central midfield could well be an area in which Ismael will look to bring fresh faces over the coming months.

As such, with Stoke reportedly only wanting a rather modest £3m in order to part with the man whom Gabriel Agbonlahor dubbed a “quality” player, it would appear to be highly advisable for the Frenchman to do all he can to get a deal over the line for Clucas, as not only would the midfielder add some quality to the Baggies midfield, but he would also be a signing who would represent incredible value for money.

In other news: Get it done: Lai must sanction West Brom summer swoop for “outstanding” 32 G/A machine

After spending three seasons on loan at Elland Road it appears that Jack Harrison will eventually make it a permanent move this summer and former Leeds United midfielder David Norris is pleasantly surprised at how cheap he will be.

The fee is reported to be around £10 million and considering clubs will be looking to receive as much money as possible to ease the fall of losing money in the season just gone, that seems a relatively low fee for Harrison.

This is the first season that Harrison has spent in the Premier League despite signing for Manchester City back in 2018 when he arrived from one of the fellow City Group clubs, New York City, and he has taken to life in the top-flight with ease having managed eight goals and assists in 36 games.

Considering some of the astronomical fees that get spent on average players nowadays, £10 million would be a low asking price from City and something they may regret, according to Norris, who spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern:

“I’m really surprised, especially with the figures that get thrown around these days and what players have gone for in the last couple of years. I’m very surprised to hear that City have accepted such a low fee, you’d expect it to be double that.

“He’s now proven that he can do a job and these days that sort of fee is nothing considering the potential of the player, and I don’t think it’s much of a risk.”

Harrison never appeared to have a chance at Manchester City considering the calibre of players like Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden were ahead of him in the pecking order.

Man City will be hoping that the decision to let Harrison go does not backfire like it has with Jadon Sancho who they also allowed to leave without being given a chance in the first team and is now one of the best wingers in the world.

Former Tottenham Hotspur ace Paul Stewart believes that Dele Alli would be enthused by the prospect of the club appointing Mauricio Pochettino as manager once again.

Spurs have been linked with a sensational reunion with the Argentine in recent days.

Goal reported over the weekend that Pochettino, who is also a target for Real Madrid after Zinedine Zidane’s departure, has asked to leave PSG this summer.

The Athletic reported last week that Spurs had entered into talks with Pochettino over a move that would see him return to north London just 18 months after his sacking.

Alli, of course, was one of the chief beneficiaries of Pochettino’s first reign at the club, as he moved to the club from MK Dons and became an integral member of the first-team, while also earning England recognition.

In total, Alli made 194 appearances under Pochettino, scoring 55 goals and laying on 52 assists.

This season, under Jose Mourinho, the 25-year-old was marginalised, though, making just seven starts in the Premier League.

And Stewart has told The Transfer Tavern exclusively that Alli would surely be delighted if Pochettino did choose to return.

He said: “I’m sure Dele Alli would be smiling from ear to ear because he hasn’t really hit it off with the managers that proceeded Poch.

“Poch seemed to play him a lot.”

Crystal Palace could land a dream partner for Wilfried Zaha in RB Leipzig’s Hwang Hee-chan.

What’s the story?

According to recent reports from The Telegraph, Roy Hodgson’s side have their sights set on signing the South Korea forward this summer, but are set to face significant competition from the likes of fellow Premier League outfit West Ham.

Imagine him and Zaha

An article on Bundesliga.com raved about his Roberto Firmino-esque ability to be the sole striker or having players alongside him, and that should be music to the ears of Zaha.

It said: “Hwang is not dissimilar to Liverpool’s former Hoffenheim striker Firmino. Happy leading the line as part of either a duo or a front three, Leipzig’s first summer signing likes to get on the ball and has a trick or two up his sleeve to shake off a defender.

“Comfortable with both feet, with the strength to hold off an opponent and the pace to exploit space, he could cause problems for many a Bundesliga defence – just like Brazil international Firmino did before him.”

Meanwhile, former Salzburg boss Peter Zeidler added: “He’s exceptional, has a brutal dynamism. I’ve rarely seen anything like it.”

With 63 goals and 41 assists over his career thus far, Hwang has proven before that he can be effective at both finding the net himself and setting up his teammates to score.

What Zaha desperately needs at Selhurst Park is someone who can really ease both the goal-scoring and creative burden on his shoulders – once again, he tops the charts for the Eagles in terms of most goal contributions this season.

Having Hwang in the team alongside him would give him someone to both feed and combine with, and that could prove to be the kind of lethal strike duo which gives Palace a much-needed cutting edge outside of just relying on Zaha to conjure a bit of magic.

Hwang is everything that Palace need, and he is someone Steve Parish should be looking to land this summer.

In other news, read more on the latest twist in the reported search for Hodgson’s successor at Selhurst Park.

According to The Daily Telegraph (via The Scotsman), Glasgow Rangers are interested in signing Santiago Moreno from Colombia outfit America de Cali.

The Lowdown: Rangers planning for the new season

With the 2020/21 season now over, Rangers can fully concentrate on next season and beyond as they look to defend their Premiership title and build a squad capable of competing with the best of the best in the Champions League.

They have already brought in Fashion Sakala from Oostende (rangers.co.uk), while Nnamdi Ofoborh will also join up with the Gers after signing for the club in January.

The Latest: Gers want Moreno

Now, it has been reported the Gers are interested in signing winger Moreno.

Leeds United and Southampton are two other sides mentioned as potential suitors for the Colombian, following previous links suggesting the Whites and Gers would battle it out this summer.

The Verdict: Up-and-coming talent

Moreno has broken into the America de Cali side this year, scoring six goals and providing four assists in 22 matches in all competitions (Transfermarkt) – he has 10 strikes throughout his career. He has even been likened to Sadio Mane (Glasgow Live), displaying the ability he has and what he could bring to the 55-time Scottish champions.

Of course, given he has played his football in South America, he is somewhat of an unknown quantity, and he would need time to adapt to European football. However, with him valued at just £585,000 (Transfermarkt), he could be available for a bargain price for the Gers, and at the age of just 21, he has plenty of years ahead of him to improve.

The youngster could be an inspired signing for Ross Wilson and co. It would be sweet for them to capture his services ahead of Leeds, who have been a thorn in Rangers’ side in recent transfer windows as they have targetted the likes of Ryan Kent (RTE), Glen Kamara and Borna Barisic (Sportske Novosti).

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this article.

Crystal Palace suffered their third consecutive Premier League loss on Saturday as they were defeated 2-0 by Manchester City.

Two goals in as many second half minutes from Sergio Aguero and Ferran Torres secured victory for Pep Guardiola’s troops, with the Eagles’ campaign now looking like it is set to fizzle out under Roy Hodgson.

Whilst it may have been somewhat unrealistic to expect Palace to go toe-to-toe with the champions-elect, the hosts were certainly not helped by an absolutely horrendous performance from the usually inspiring Wilfried Zaha.

The 18-cap Ivorian was anonymous at Selhurst Park on Saturday in an offensive sense, not having a single shot and providing just one key pass throughout the game according to WhoScored. He was not able to display what is arguably his most potent weapon, having not completed a single dribble during the 90 minutes.

The frustrations did not end there, either. He was caught offside on two occasions, which was more than the entire Eagles side put together.

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Zaha continued to be wasteful and ineffective as the game continued and the Eagles lost control of the contest. The forward lost possession on 14 occasion,s whilst of the 12 duels for which he competed, he was only able to win two of those, according to SofaScore.

Having struck his 10th goal of the seasonagainst Leicester City last time out, Roy Hodgson will have hoped that the 28-year-old would continue his positive form against Manchester City, but he did not get anywhere near the performance levels expected of him at all throughout the afternoon.

He will certainly hope that Zaha can produce better in Palace’s next Premier League game against Sheffield United.

AND in more news, find out which boss is now top of Palace’s managerial shortlist ahead of next season…

Writing on Twitter, reliable club insider has shared West Ham United team news with ace Angelo Ogbonna facing a late fitness test for the Everton clash on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Ogbonna injury issues

The Italian colossus has been out of action again recently following his latest injury issue, coming after he missed eight games for West Ham between February and April with an ankle problem (Transfermarkt).

Most recently, Ogbonna suffered a knock during West Ham’s 1-0 loss to Chelsea at the London Stadium and subsequently missed the Hammers’ last victory at Turf Moor.

Insider Claret & Hugh recently refused to rule out his inclusion for tomorrow, stating he has a ’50/50′ chance of returning for manager David Moyes.

The Latest: ExWHUemployee shares news on Ogbonna fitness test

Writing on Twitter, fellow inside source ExWHUemployee has shared what could be good news regarding the 32-year-old – going on to claim he ‘should’ be back for the Everton clash.

However, he erred on the side of caution, claiming he is facing a late fitness test and that will determine whether he is indeed involved.

Responding to a fan’s query regarding Ogbonna, he claimed: “‘Should’ be back but a late test will determine”.

The Verdict: Ogbonna return could be huge boost

The centre-back has arguably been Moyes’ outstanding centre-half throughout the 2020/2021 season alongside 2020 summer signing Craig Dawson.

He has made the most clearances per 90 on average out of every West Ham regular with 20 or more starts in the Premier League (WhoScored), and his return could seriously bolster the Hammers backline.

Moyes waxed lyrical over the centre-back recently and rued his loss as a ‘big blow’, calling Ogbonna ‘magnificent’ (Evening Standard).

West Ham fans, as a result, will be praying he is passed fit to feature.

In other news: West Ham fans erupt over this ‘best’ update, find out more here.

According to a report by Voetbal 24, Belgian Pro League leaders Club Brugge are willing to make a ‘significant effort’ to sign Tottenham Hotspur star Toby Alderweireld this summer and have already established ‘first contacts’ – with Jose Mourinho facing the possibility of potentially losing him depending on what the defender decides for his future.

Alderweireld, who has started 18 Premier League games over 2020/2021, enjoyed a rich vein of form earlier this campaign but has been rotated in and out of Spurs’ starting eleven in recent weeks alongside the likes of Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez and Joe Rodon.

Alderweireld attracting serious interest

For most of the season, however, he has been a regular in the Lilywhites’ backline – prompting serious interest from Club Brugge as they allegedly establish first contacts over a potential summer move.

Indeed, it has apparently been ‘known for some time’ that Brugge are really keen on the 32-year-old – and Voetbal 24 claim that they are ready to make a ‘significant effort’ to sign him in the summer.

It will of course depend on what the international decides for his future, with Alderweireld previously indicating ‘several times’ he would like to live in his native Belgium again.

Club Brugge are apparently ‘ready to strike’ if the centre-back decides to leave Spurs this summer and would welcome him with open arms.

The centre-back position has been a weak point in Tottenham’s side since the beginning of the season, and losing Alderweireld this summer could come as a setback.

Transfer Tavern take

Speaking to Football Insider earlier this season, pundit Noel Whelan described him as a ‘phenomenal player’ and the ‘best defender at the club’. Even though Spurs may need to adopt a sell-to-buy policy this summer, it’s arguable the likes of Sanchez or Dier are more expendable candidates for the chop.

Time will tell whether he does opt to leave for a return to Belgium at the end of the season, but it could be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: Tottenham are set to battle for this centre-forward, find out more here.