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Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell thinks Liverpool are definitely making the ‘right move’ by offering Naby Keita a new contract.

The Lowdown: Contract talks opened

The 27-year-old first made the switch to the Premier League when he joined the Reds from RB Leipzig five years ago, but as a result of only having 12 months remaining on his current contract at Anfield, his future is now uncertain.

However, there has since been a positive update in the sense that LFC have opened talks with the midfielder over a new deal, with transfer insider Fabrizio Romano further confirming that the club have made it one of their priorities to tie the maestro down this summer.

The Latest: Campbell backs Liverpool decision

Asked by Football Insider whether he thinks Liverpool have made the right decision in offering new terms to Keita, Campbell said: “I like Keita.

“I think he is a very good player. Whenever he is in the team, he has performed.

“You can tell a good player when there is not drop-off. That is how you know that you’ve got a squad of top player. There was times that Keita was on the bench and Klopp brought him on to up the level.

“He has a silky way of dribbling and playing decisive passes. I think the right move is to tie him down to a new deal, 100 per cent. Klopp has to keep that squad intact.

“They were one point off of the title last season. It is going to be another close one this season.”

The Verdict: Magician in midfield

Keita has slightly fallen down Jurgen Klopp’s pecking order in recent times, with the German having the likes of Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago all available for selection, but he’s someone who is definitely more than worth keeping in and around the squad.

Even though the Guinean only made 14 top-flight starts last season, he still managed to make a hugely positive impact when given the chance, averaging an 86% pass success rate and two tackles per 90 minutes, via WhoScored, highlighting his ability to tighten up and control a midfield.

With Takumi Minamino on the verge of sealing a Reds exit and Henderson not getting any younger, Keita should get plenty of chances to impact the starting XI going forward, where he will undoubtedly continue to enjoy plenty more success with Liverpool in years to come.

talkSPORT pundit Darren Bent was left stunned after Leeds United agreed a £42m fee with Manchester City for Kalvin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Move edging closer

News broke on Friday evening regarding the England midfielder, with Leeds and Ma City reaching an agreement on a fee. Both The Athletic and Fabrizio Romano cited an initial fee of £42m, with add-ons varying between the two sources.

The 26-year-old has already agreed on personal terms at the Etihad Stadium, so it looks as if it is just a matter of time until a transfer is officially announced.

The Latest: Bent reacts

talkSPORT shared an on-air reaction from Bent on Friday evening on their Twitter channel, with the former Tottenham striker providing his thoughts on the transfer.

He believes that Man City have bagged themselves a good deal and labelled a £42m fee as ‘bonkers’, ending his reply with ‘wow’.

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The Verdict: Could Leeds have done better?

An initial £42m figure does seem to be fairly low for a player of Phillips’ quality. He now has two seasons of Premier League experience and is a regular for England, winning their Player of the Year for 2020/21.

Phillips is valued at £45m by Transfermarkt and still had two years left on his Elland Road contract, so Leeds could have attempted to push an initial fee closer to £50m.

It looks as if the 26-year-old had his heart set on working under Pep Guardiola, something which appears to have worked against the Whites when it came to negotiations.

Manchester City are reportedly lining up a move for Hoffenheim defender David Raum.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Graeme Bailey of 90min who claims that Guardiola’s side have enquired about the availability of the defender and are in talks over a potential move.

It is said that Raum is on the list of possibilities in case a deal for Brighton’s Marc Cucurella cannot be struck.

Hoffenheim are said to be keeping tabs on Manchester City’s Japanese defender Ko Itakura, who spent last season on loan with Schalke. As per the report, it is mentioned that City asked about the availability of their German left-back with the possibility of a swap deal surely a tempting factor for the efficient Citizens.

Imagine him and Haaland

In what was his debut campaign in top-flight football, let alone in the Bundesliga, £18m-rated Raum has completely shattered all expectations, conjuring up a staggering 14 attacking returns in the form of three goals and 11 assists in 32 appearances for Hoffenheim, fluctuating between the position of left-back and wing-back depending on a three or four-at-the-back system.

As a left-footed full-back, it’s his ability to cross the ball which has seen him thrive over the last two seasons, having racked up a combined 24 assists over the last two campaigns.

With an average of 5.94 crosses per 90, it’s easy to see why he has been racking up the assists and why the chances that he has created have guaranteed him a minimum 12.2 xA.

With his gift of direct attacking threat from deep and ability to whip the ball into the danger zone, imagine the partnership between the “marauding” Raum and Haaland. With the Norwegian’s presence as a target man, Guardiola is expected to tweak his tactics slightly to achieve a more direct and faster approach.

The biggest change in achieving this will come from his full-backs – more specifically, the left full-back, which will allow City to deploy a different asymmetrical set-up to the one we have seen between the partnership of Cancelo and Walker.

Although the partnership between a left-back and a centre-forward is not obvious, if the move is to come to fruition, Haaland will be gifted an easy introduction to life in the Premier League.

In other news: Man City submit formal bid to sign “superb” £60m titan, Pep will be buzzing 

A reliable journalist has provided an exciting transfer update despite Tottenham Hotspur suffering a blow in their pursuit of Alessandro Bastoni this week…

What’s the word?

After the defender’s straight-talking agent Tullio Tinti met with the Inter Milan hierarchy on Wednesday, a clear message was relayed that the 23-year-old would not be leaving the San Siro in the summer transfer window.

“Bastoni is definitely staying at Inter,” he said. “He’s an Inter player. He’s happy to play for Inter.” That was then endorsed by the player himself with his reaction of blue and black heart emojis soon after.

However, not all hope is lost, as The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke has revealed that the north London outfit will spend big on a centre-back this off-season.

“They are willing to spend ‘Romero money’ on a new defender and have other options,” he claimed in a recent column for the website, in which he also suggests that a move for Bastoni isn’t completely off the table, with the Serie A club needing to raise funds.

Promising news!

Those 15 words should certainly provide many around N17 with encouragement that the Lilywhites hierarchy is prepared to back manager Antonio Conte to the wall.

The 52-year-old may not get the Italy international but there are plenty of interesting alternatives indeed, including Torino’s Bremer, Bastoni’s team-mate Milan Skriniar, RB Leipzig gem Josko Gvardiol, Crystal Palace colossus Marc Guehi and Villarreal star Pau Torres.

Ideally, this player needs to be a left-footed option, as it’s been full-back Ben Davies playing alongside Eric Dier and Cristian Romero, who is going to cost sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy around £40m to sign permanently.

That is a sizeable investment in the Argentina international and goes to show just how willing they are to seal another central defensive animal before the start of the 2022/23 campaign, where Spurs will be back in the Champions League.

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Many supporters will be gutted to have potentially missed out on Bastoni but they should be relieved, if not excited by Pitt-Brooke’s latest update, especially as they have many viable alternatives to the Italian, who has never played outside of his home country anyway.

The transfer window has only just reopened for business and there’s a long way to go before a ball is kicked again, so those around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium should have faith in the club, given this promising update.

AND in other news, Spurs eyeing £27m-rated “tank” who’s like Van Dijk, he’s way better than Bastoni…

Aston Villa had been linked with a move for Roma star Henrikh Mkhitaryan in recent weeks but the Armenia international now looks set to join Serie A rivals Inter as he targets Champions League football.

What’s the word?

Villa had been named as one potential destination for the former Manchester United and Arsenal man this summer, with the 33-year-old available on a free transfer with his Roma contract set to expire later this month.

However, journalist Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed that he will be swapping Rome for Milan, as he tweeted:

“More on Henrikh Mkhitaryan deal. He’s set to sign a two-year contract with Inter, he wanted Champions League football so he decided to refuse AS Roma proposal. Inter Deal completed, medical tests and official statement pending. Here we go.”

Villa supporters will be gutted

Although Mkhitaryan’s spell in the Premier League didn’t live up to expectations, following his impressive form for Borussia Dortmund prior to his move to Old Trafford, he could have been a solid addition to Steven Gerrard’s squad.

Since joining Roma from Arsenal in 2020, the experienced midfielder has gone on to make 117 appearances for I Giallorossi, in which he has contributed an impressive 29 goals and 28 assists.

Gerrard might boast a number of attacking-midfield options including Philippe Coutinho, Emi Buendia and Jacob Ramsey, but Mhkitaryan would have added some real versatility and quality to the Villans’ attack and considering he was available on a free transfer, it would have been a no-brainer for the Midlands club.

After Arsenal signed him in 2018, Arsene Wenger was extremely complimentary of the Armenian, saying:

“Henrikh is a very complete player. He creates chances, he defends well, he can absorb distances and he’s very committed as well.

“I must say he’s a player who has all the attributes.”

While he might have lost a yard of pace in the four years since, he was still a key player for Jose Mourinho’s Roma last season, averaging an impressive 6.99 rating from WhoScored for his performances in Serie A after notching five goals and six assists.

Therefore, Villa fans should be gutted that their side wasn’t able to entice Mkhitaryan to Villa Park.

And, in other news… Aston Villa can form dream duo with free transfer swoop

It took what felt like an age for Sunderland to finally exit the doldrums of League One and reclaim their Championship status but they are finally there.

It’s a great time to support the Black Cats and now their fans have received further good news.

What’s the word?

Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven no longer hold significant control over the Mackems but their time in the northeast looks as though it will finally grind to a halt and meet a permanent end this summer.

That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Tom White who took to Twitter in two separate bursts this morning to reveal the following exciting news: “Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven have accepted a bid for their shares in SAFC. More info on the buyers to come in next few days. Deal needs EFL approval. A rep of the group was in the boardroom for P/O v Sheff Wed. There is confidence the deal will be done within 5 weeks.”

White continued: “Offer was initially accepted prior to the playoff final. The deal has not yet reached exclusivity, but that is expected imminently.”

Supporters buzzing

This is the long-awaited news that supporters have lusted after for an age. At a time when they’ve finally reached the second tier again, seeing Donald and Methven wave farewell to the club permanently would be joyous for the Stadium of Light faithful.

The duo’s time at Sunderland has been a pretty big mess with Methven turning himself into an internet meme for his role in the Netflix documentary ‘Sunderland ’till I die’.

From wanting pulsating EDM played across the sound system, to putting Zlatan Ibrahimovic on their list of targets, to spending £4m on Will Grigg in a deadline day panic, it has not been a reign filled with success.

Several failed promotion campaigns have played out and despite finally getting out of the third-tier this season, it wasn’t because of the foundations that Donald and Methven had laid down.

Alex Neil has done a wonderful job since taking over as manager and combined with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman, proceedings look a little rosier now.

With no Donald and Methven involved in the club, and Championship football on the horizon, the future finally looks bright for Sunderland heading into the second part of 2022.

AND in other news, Sunderland may be on the verge of repeating their Charlie Wyke disaster this summer…

Sheffield Wednesday have rejected a bid from Atletico Talleres for attacking midfielder Josh Windass, according to reliable journalist Alex Miller.

The Lowdown: Windass’ future up in the air

The Owls suffered a disappointing end to the season after failing to get out of League One, with attention now turning to transfer activity this summer.

One player whose future is up in the air is Windass, who has been a strong servant for Wednesday, scoring 17 goals in 65 appearances overall for the club.

The 28-year-old’s current deal at Hillsborough expires next year, and there has been a seven-figure bid tabled by Argentine club Atletico Talleres in recent days.

The Latest: Miller provides Windass transfer latest

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Miller reported that Wednesday have rejected the offer and want to keep hold of Windass beyond the summer transfer window.

Sharing his corresponding article from The Star, the journalist tweeted:

“EXCL: Sheffield Wednesday look set to resist interest in Josh Windass from Argentine side Atlético Talleres. Bid in region of £1m rejected in strong terms – Windass important to Darren Moore’s plans.”

The Verdict: Keep hold of him

It looks set to be a summer of real change at Hillsborough, with numerous players who are out of contract due to depart and Darren Moore likely to bring in some new faces.

However, Windass is someone that Wednesday need to do their utmost to retain, with the 28-year-old a valuable player when fit, and someone who can take League One by storm. Four goals and two assists in nine appearances this term was a decent ratio, and his tally would have been much higher if his campaign hadn’t been ravaged by injury.

In truth, it will feel like a bonus if he remains an Owls player for next season – if he does end up leaving, the only positive will be the money received for him, instead of losing him for free next summer.

In other news, journalist Joe Crann has also provided a key Sheff Wed transfer update. Read more here.

Everton narrowly avoided relegation with a stunning 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace last week, which ensured the club didn’t have to live through a nerve-shredding final day of drama.

A 5-1 defeat to Arsenal, although disappointing, seemed irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Frank Lampard has a major job on his hands this summer, and that’s if he is still in charge over the next few weeks.

Whatever happens, the squad needs a major overhaul, with too many players coasting through matches this season and contributing very little despite their talents and bulging wage slips.

One such player is Alex Iwobi, the winger who has flattered to deceive this season, averaging a score of just 6.58 on WhoScored, which ranks him 15th out of the whole Everton squad.

The 25-year-old – dubbed “embarrassing” by David Prentice – has only contributed two goals and two assists all campaign and surely his £100k-per-week wage could go on someone who will contribute more?

With Everton being linked with a few players recently, the interest in Derby winger Tom Lawrence should be taken further and would allow the manager to axe Iwobi.

Lawrence has been superb this season as Derby were eventually relegated, despite putting up a decent fight. His tally of 11 goals and five assists prove how much of an attacking threat he is from a wide position.

The 28-year-old is a much greater danger than Iwobi, he has registered almost five times as many shots this season (101 to 24) and puts in over double the number of crosses (81 to 30) showing how poor the Everton man has been this season.

Lawrence will surely be on the move this summer, he is far too good a talent to be plying his trade in League One and Lampard could potentially make a shrewd move. with former manager Gary Bowyer describing him as a “fabulous talent” a few years ago, a move to Everton could be the catalyst for him to fulfil his potential.

AND in other news, Moshiri plotting Everton bid for “fantastic” 19y/o “huge talent”, Lampard needs him

Former Scotland defender Alan Hutton has predicted Celtic may have a ‘problem’ in the transfer market this summer. 

The lowdown: Ange prepares for busy off-season

Following a successful first full campaign in the Celtic Park hot seat, Hoops’ boss Ange Postecoglou has already suggested that many first-team players could be looking for a way out of the club as he prepares to oversee a squad overhaul.

Two stars definitely on the move are Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton after the long-standing midfield pair bid farewell to the Parkhead faithful against Motherwell.

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Despite the early confirmed exits, the newly crowned Scottish Premiership champions could be faced with an issue moving forwards when trying to mould the ranks for next term…

The latest: Hutton makes claim

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Rangers man and regular BBC pundit has claimed that Celtic may find selling out of favour players difficult.

The 37-year-old said: “This is the problem. It’s not worked out for those players, the likes of Barkas. He was brought in for £5million on a decent contract. He’s not played so nobody’s going to pay that. So you have to cut the losses.

“I mean, that’s the only way you can get these players out. To free up space, they’re going to have to do that. You have to be playing at a certain level for people to show any interest and they’re not there at this moment in time.

“That’s not to say that they can’t get there but at this moment they’re not. So Celtic are probably going to have to take a loss to try and get some of them out to allow the space to get their targets.”

The verdict: Clear-out required

Whilst it seems implausible that the Bhoys would need to perform vast surgery on a title-winning side, having already proven his astute acumen in the transfer market, Postecogulou will no doubt be wanting to strengthen once more in order to compete in the UEFA Champions League group stage next season.

Vasilis Barkas, Albian Ajeti, Christopher Jullien and Ismaila Soro have only managed 57 combined appearances this term and could all be facing the prospect of a move away from Glasgow in the summer.

The prospect of Champions League action back at Celtic Park and the financial implications that come with it may allow those departures to come to fruition even at a cut-price fee.

Ultimately, given his track record, albeit a small sample size, entrusting Postecogulou with any potential incoming transfer funds and the windfall from elite European participation would be a shrewd move from the Celtic hierarchy.

In other news… Celtic are reportedly ‘desperate’ to complete the permanent signing of one first-team player.

A big claim has been made on Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle’s future heading into the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has revealed that the £10m signing from Crystal Palace in 2016 will leave the club ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Dwight Gayle will go in the summer, and then if he wants three strikers, you’d have Callum Wilson, Chris Wood and then another coming in and then maybe even a fourth who can play off one of the wings, but I think he’d be an option, a good option to have off the bench.”

Eddie Howe will be delighted

The Toon manager will be delighted with the news that Gayle will be on his way out of St. James’ Park in the coming months. He is wasting a space in the squad because he has had a minimal impact on the pitch throughout the campaign and it is the right time for him to depart.

In eight Premier League appearances this season, the striker has accrued just 30 minutes of action and this indicates that Howe does not trust him to play a significant portion of games. He has not shown the head coach that he offers enough on the pitch to justify regular game time and his situation seems unlikely to change as he turns 33 later this year.

Noel Whelan claimed it was “bewildering” when he was given a new deal last year and cited Steve Bruce’s potential exit as one of the reasons why it was a strange decision. Of course, the current West Brom manager was relieved of his duties later in the year and now Howe has been left to deal with the ramifications of that call. 

His previous contract was due to expire in the summer of 2021 and these fresh terms take him through to the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

He has one goal in his 26 top-flight outings since the start of last season and five goals in his last 46 games for the Magpies in the Premier League, illustrating just how baffling the decision to extend his deal was.

This is why Howe will be buzzing to axe Gayle from his squad this summer as he will be able to recoup some money for his services and replace him with a player who can have more of an impact on the pitch for the club.

AND in other news, Howe can get SJP rocking with NUFC swoop for £21m predator with the “scoring nose”…