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Sunderland midfielder Elliot Embleton has emerged as a transfer target for newly-promoted Blackpool, according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon. 

What’s the story?

Embleton spent the second-half of the 2020/21 season on loan with Blackpool, having found regular game time with Sunderland hard to come by on a consistent basis.

But the midfielder certainly made up for lost time with the Tangerines, as he scored two goals, and was on hand to provide four assists for his team-mates, as they won promotion into the Championship, after a win over Lincoln City in the League One play-off final.

Embleton returned to the Stadium of Light when his loan spell with Blackpool reached a conclusion, and it appears as though he’s made a good impression on Neil Critchley’s side.

Journalist Alan Nixon has now revealed that Embleton is attracting interest from Blackpool on a permanent basis, although both clubs’ valuations of the 22-year-old are ‘well apart’, which hints that no agreement is near to be concluded.

They’re fighting a losing battle

Embleton has been with Sunderland since he was playing in their academy system, but has been restricted to just 21 appearances in total for their first-team at the age of 22.

He was sent out on loan to Blackpool in search of regular game time, and that has potentially been a mistake for the Black Cats, as you would imagine that Embleton will be keen on a return to Bloomfield Road this summer, especially as they’ll be playing their football at a higher level than Sunderland next season.

Sunderland have been somewhat of a ‘sleeping giant’ for far too long now, with the upcoming League One campaign set to be their fourth consecutive season in the fourth tier of English football.

For any player, you couldn’t blame them for wanting to play at the highest possible level, and a return to Blackpool on a permanent basis would offer Embleton the chance to come up against players of a higher standard in the Championship.

Embleton came in for praise from former Sunderland midfielder Max Power, who labelled him as ‘brilliant’ during pre-season whilst with the Black Cats.

“I think Elliot’s at that age now where he knows that he needs to stay fit. I know it must be tough for him because I thought last season, he was brilliant in pre-season and then he done his hamstring away at Sheffield United in the [League] Cup.”

Even though Sunderland are reportedly some distance apart with Blackpool when it comes to a price for Embleton’s services, the Black Cats are likely to know deep down that they’re fighting a losing battle to keep the 22-year-old at the Stadium of Light for much longer, with the prospect of playing at a higher level being too good of an opportunity to turn down.

Southampton striker Danny Ings will find the chance to play up front with Harry Kane at Tottenham attractive, claims Evening Standard journalist Jack Rosser.

With Kane continuing to be linked with a move to Manchester City, it looked like Ings could be brought in as a replacement.

However, according to The Telegraph, the 29-year-old has been earmarked as someone who can come in and play alongside the England captain.

The same outlet also claims that Ings is Tottenham’s top target this summer, so you would expect the north London club to do everything they can to sign the Southampton man. And Rosser is convinced he would relish the opportunity to partner his compatriot in attack.

“It’d be attractive for any striker,” Rosser said in a chat with TT when discussing the topic of Ings potentially playing next to Kane at Tottenham.

“A lot of strikers have turned down Spurs because they don’t want to be stuck behind Harry Kane, which is completely understandable because he’s someone who wants to play every minute.”

While Kane is obviously an elite goalscorer, he also proved to be a very good playmaker last season. No player provided more Premier League assists than the 27-year-old’s 14, so Ings must be licking his lips at the prospect of playing up front with his countryman.

Celtic are reportedly interested in a move for Derby County defender Lee Buchanan as their recruitment drive intensifies, according to the Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Ange Postecoglou eyes quality additions

Facing a large-scale rebuild at Parkhead this season after a disappointing 2020/21 campaign in Glasgow’s east end, new Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will be looking to add quality where necessary to breed trophy-winning success.

Wasting no time in the transfer market, he has brought in five new players in key areas in need of strengthening as Kyogo Furuhashi, Carl Starfelt, Osaze Urhoghide, Liel Ababa and Liam Shaw have all joined over the summer [Transfermarkt].

The Celts now look set to pursue another target, according to latest developments.

The Latest: Celtic eye young sensation Buchanan

Eyeing reinforcements at left-back, Celtic are said to be keen on a move for 20-year-old Buchanan, as per the Daily Record.

His club Derby County are currently under a transfer embargo due to financial irregularities, potentially opening the door to a move away from Pride Park.

Nottingham Forest are reportedly the first club to test the waters with a bid for the 1.75m (5 foot 9) ace, although their bid of around £1.2m for his services has been rejected.

The Verdict: Buchanan would be an astute signing

Youthful, potentially available for a knockdown fee and already a regular first team operator, Buchanan would seem an astute potential signing by the Parkhead hierarchy.

In 2020/21, the Mansfield-born defender made 37 appearances for the Rams, registering three assists [Transfermarkt]. He also showed his bravery within the backline, winning a commendable 2.9 aerial duels per game across the season for Derby [WhoScored].

Once labelled a ‘top player’ by his manager, none other than Premier League legend Wayne Rooney, the England under-21 international has a bright future in the game which Celtic should capitalise upon by completing a deal for his signature.

In other news, one Hoops defender is in advanced talks over a Parkhead exit.

Noel Whelan has offered his thoughts on Aston Villa’s reported interest in Axel Tuanzebe…

What’s the talk?

The former Premier League forward has urged Villa to go through with a deal to sign the Manchester United centre-back, who he feels would be a “brilliant signing” and add to their depth at the back.

Villa are reportedly interested in bringing the defender back to the club following his loan spell with Dean Smith’s side in the 2018/19 promotion campaign, and Whelan told Football Insider: “When you look at the strength in depth of centre-back, I don’t think they have enough.

“It depends if they’re going to go for a three and he goes straight into that. Maybe that is the thinking behind it. The fact he’s worked with him before, good background at Manchester United good age as well.

“You need to put pressure on two defenders there don’t really have a great deal of pressure behind them. You’ve got to start covering bases. If one of those picks up an injury or suspension, you need somebody that in there that’s going to handle the pressure.

“He covers bases in two positions for Dean Smith. I think he’d be a brilliant signing. Really young, up and coming, promising and covers two bases.”

Smith needs him

Johan Lange must sanction a swoop for Tuanzebe as Dean Smith is in need of reinforcements in that area of the pitch. Villa have just three senior centre-back options in their squad and one of them – Kortney Hause – only played seven times in the Premier League last season.

This suggests that they are lacking depth beyond their first-choice options, and that could become an issue if they pick up injuries or suspensions. As Whelan explained, there is little for Smith to choose from outside of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa, which means that they do not have any great pressure on their position in the team and can play without much fear of being dropped.

Therefore, bringing in a defender like Tuanzebe who could seriously challenge the pair could do wonders for Smith’s squad as it keeps everyone on their toes. During his loan spell at Villa Park in 2018/19, the £38k-per-week powerhouse averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.75 across 28 appearances, showing that he already knows how to perform to a high standard within the 50-year-old’s system.

If Mings and Konsa know that they have Tuanzebe knocking on the door to start, it could motivate them to give that extra 10% in training and in matches to make sure they are fully concentrated and do not make any silly mistakes. Even if they do drop their standards, the 23-year-old could come into the side and provide a reliable option for Smith to call upon, which is why Lange must seal this deal before the end of the window.

In other news, Aston Villa must sell forgotten £40k-p/w man this summer; his time is up

West Bromwich Albion have agreed a deal to bring Adam Reach to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claimed that Albion have made a breakthrough in talks with the former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder, with the club now finalising the 28-year-old’s contract ahead of his move to West Brom on a free transfer.

The report added that Blackburn Rovers were also interested in signing the former England under-20 international this summer, but it would now appear that Valerien Ismael’s side have beaten them to the player’s signature.

Ismael will be over the moon

With West Brom having been relatively quiet in the summer transfer window thus far, Ismael will undoubtedly be over the moon with glee if the Baggies have indeed managed to secure the signing of Reach ahead of their opening fixture of the Championship season next weekend.

With the Frenchman being short in options on the left-hand side of his Albion team, the addition of Reach – who is capable of playing in every position along the left – would very much appear to be an astute addition to the 45-year-old’s side.

Indeed, over his 44 Championship appearances for Sheffield Wednesday last season, the £2.52m-rated midfielder scored five goals, registered three assists and created five big chances for his teammates, taking 1.3 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The £20k-per-week man also impressed in a defensive capacity, averaging 0.9 interceptions, one tackle and one clearance and winning 2.8 duels per match.

These metrics saw the man who Chey Dunkley dubbed a “leader” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.82, ranking him as Darren Moore’s sixth-best performer in the second tier last time out.

As such, it would appear that Reach could quite easily be deployed at left wing-back, left midfield or even on the left-hand side of the West Brom front line next season, versatility which will be a huge boost for Ismael over what will be a challenging and tiring Championship campaign.

In other news: West Brom dealt major transfer blow over “athletic” 5ft 8 dynamo, fans will be fuming

Carlton Palmer has offered his thoughts on how much he thinks Aston Villa wiould need to pay for James Ward-Prowse…

What’s the talk?

Palmer has suggested that it will take an offer of up to £40m from Aston Villa to land Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse this summer.

He told Transfer Tavern:

“I think an offer of £35million or £40million will get him out of Southampton but they will have to pay over the odds for players because people know they have this money. That’s unfortunate.

“Ideally, Aston Villa would have liked to have done their business before the offer for Grealish.”

Villa captain Jack Grealish is poised to sign for Manchester City and The Daily Mail have named the Saints skipper, Ward-Prowse, as one of the club’s targets to strengthen the squad.

Better than Luiz

Johan Lange must seal a deal for Ward-Prowse if the figures Palmer mentioned are accurate, as he could be a sublime addition to Dean Smith’s squad. He is a proven Premier League performer and someone who could arrive and hit the ground running, rather than a signing from abroad who could need time to settle.

Douglas Luiz and John McGinn were Villa’s preferred central midfield partnership and Lange could improve upon the former by adding the England international to the team before the end of the window.

Defensively, Ward-Prowse was slightly more active than the Brazilian. The Saints man averaged 4.5 tackles, interceptions and clearances per game, whilst Luiz averaged 4.0 per game. In terms of ball recoveries and ground duel success rate, the £40m-rated man also came out on top.

Offensively, there was not even a competition between the pair. With the caveat that he played an extra five matches, Ward-Prowse managed 311 more forward passes, 41 more chances created, eight more goals and five more assists whilst also completing a higher percentage of his passes – per Squawka.

At the end of last season, Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl hailed Ward-Prowse as “outstanding” and pointed out that he will be important to the long-term future of the club.

The Austrian told the Daily Echo: “It’s not surprising for me, a player who played every minute this season is unbelievable.

“His physicality and his performances are outstanding. That’s our captain on the pitch and he is on the way that he is a very important player for this club for the long-term, I think.”

These comments from Hasenhuttl and the aforementioned statistics suggest that the £75k-per-week beast could be an upgrade on Luiz, as he has shown that he is better defensively and offensively than the ex-Manchester City man whilst playing in the same division.

If Palmer’s estimated fee is correct, Villa should stump it up and get the England international to Villa Park.

AND in other news, Villa preparing bid for “magical” 21y/o wing wizard, he’d excite the fans…

West Brom are interested in signing Watford forward Andre Gray this summer, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

The lowdown

Gray has been with the Hornets since 2017, having arrived at Vicarage Road from Burnley.

The forward has found regular game time hard to come by in recent seasons though, making 30 appearances for Xisco Munoz’s side in the 2020/21 season.

Gray has one year remaining on his current deal with Watford, although it remains to be seen as to whether he’ll see out that contract with the Hornets, who are preparing for life back in the Premier League and may not seem him as up to the required standard.

The latest

The Baggies have reportedly registered their interest in signing Gray this summer, with Football Insider’s Hawthorns source claiming that Watford have given the ‘green light’ for the former Burnley striker to depart before the summer transfer window closes.

That report claims that West Brom are keen on either a loan or permanent deal to sign the 30-year-old.

The verdict

Gray could be worth a punt for West Brom this summer, as they look to find a striker who can fire them back into the Premier League this term.

Valerien Ismael already has some strong options available to him in Karlan Grant and Kenneth Zohore, but additional strength in depth could be ideal for the newly-appointed West Brom boss.

Gray has shown that he can score goals in the Championship in the past as well, having played for both Burnley and Brentford at that level, netting 25 goals in 44 appearances as the Clarets won promotion into the Premier League in the 2015/16 season.

Gray had previously been linked with a move to Leeds United, and in an interview with Football Insider discussing those links, pundit and former goalscorer Darren Bent felt as though Gray is a ‘perfect signing’ in the second tier with ‘proven pedigree’ at that level.

Southampton’s woeful record at Goodison Park continued on Saturday afternoon as they blew a 1-0 lead to lose 3-1 against Rafa Benitez’s new-look Toffees.

The Saints have always struggled when travelling to the Blue side of Liverpool and also continued their disappointing record on the opening day with defeat on Saturday, with their last opening day win coming all the way back in 2013.

After conceding 68 goals in the Premier League last season, it looks as if Southampton fans can prepare for another season of defensive mishaps, as they crumbled in the second half thanks to goals from Richarlison, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

One man who struggled to perform on Saturday afternoon was Jack Stephens, with the Englishman earning a rare start at the back following Jannik Vestergaard’s departure earlier this week.

Hasenhuttl has suggested that Southampton need to add another centre-back following the Dane’s departure and if Stephens’ performance is anything to go by, he cannot be deemed a suitable replacement for the 29-year-old.

As per SofaScore, Stephens would earn a shocking 6.1 rating for his display at Goodison Park, which was the joint-worst of any player to feature in the game.

The 27-year-old was clearly trying to replicate Vestergaard’s ‘quarterback’ role in the Saints defence but failed miserably, with none of his nine long balls in the game finding a Saints teammate.

The centre-back would manage a disappointing 68% pass accuracy, which was a sharp decrease on the 81.2% he averaged in the top-flight last season, which suggests that his passing was nowhere near his usual standard at Goodison Park.

As the experienced head at the back in a defence which also featured an 18-year-old, a 22-year-old and a 23-year-old, you would’ve hoped that Stephens could step up and be the leader, but he was nowhere to be seen for Everton’s first and third goals, whilst Doucoure was afforded far too much time to find the top corner for the second.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Therefore, this display emphasises that Southampton need to bring in another centre-back to replace Vestergaard before the window shuts, as Stephens simply isn’t good enough to be starting week in week out.

And, in other news… Semmens heading for Saints transfer disaster with PL “machine”

A number of Liverpool supporters are delighted after an official club tweet emerged showing Andy Robertson running again after his ankle injury.

The Scot has been an enormous player for the Reds since joining from Hull City in 2017, maturing into arguably the best left-back in Europe.

Robertson has been a model of consistency down the left flank, providing endless quality in the final third but also defending doggedly.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

It is rare that the 27-year-old gets injured but he is currently sidelined with an ankle issue picked up during the final stages of pre-season.

There was concern that Robertson could miss a big chunk of action, given how serious the injury looked at the time, but the current signs are positive.

On Wednesday, the club tweeted some footage of the left-back running at the training ground, suggesting his return to the fold might not be too far away.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-10/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans react to Robertson video

These Liverpool provided their thoughts on Twitter, with plenty of reason for positivity.

“This made me so happy”

Credit: @SirXabi

“MY BOY IS BACK!!!!!!”

Credit: @ArtiiGL

“This guy ahhh”

Credit: @WEBBZJAY

“If Carlsberg did Wednesdays’”

Credit: @KopAce74

“This guy is Terminator”

Credit: @StephenJPike

“Never been more excited to see a guy running”

Credit: @BrendoTGB

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at one piece of Reds transfer business. Read more here.

Southampton’s reported hopes of signing Gary Cahill this summer are over after the 35-year-old completed his move to Bournemouth earlier this week.

What’s the word?

The veteran defender had emerged as a potential target for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side in recent weeks following the exit of Jannik Vestergaard, and the former England international could have been a stellar addition at St Mary’s.

The centre-back was available on a free transfer and would’ve provided a wealth of experience for Southampton’s side both on and off the pitch, which is arguably something they lack following player exits so far this summer.

The Saints conceded the second-most goals in the Premier League last season and this campaign did not get off to the best start for Hasenhuttl’s side either as they collapsed in the second half against Everton at Goodison Park last weekend, which suggests that defensive reinforcements are required.

Although they are reportedly closing in on a deal for Torino’s Lyanco, he is just 24 years old and has no experience in the Premier League, so signing someone like Cahill might well have been a good idea for Southampton this summer.

The 35-year-old, who has earned 61 caps for England, might be approaching the end of his career but he still managed 20 appearances in the top flight with Palace last season and was praised for his influence by his then-manager Roy Hodgson, who said: “First of all, he’s a very, very good defender. His position is very good, he’s exceptionally good in the air, he’s a strong challenger for the ball and a very good blocker of the ball. These are the defensive qualities we don’t talk about every day… They’re the qualities that get you the clean sheets.

“He’s also brought us leadership qualities, he’s been very good leadership-wise. He’s the best type of leader; he’s the quiet leader people don’t see from Row Z in the stand. He’s the leader we see in training week to week.”

Therefore, Cahill could have solved a key issue for Southampton this season – their lack of experience in defence – and Hasenhuttl may well be disappointed that the Saints couldn’t bring him in.

In other news… Semmens heading for Saints transfer disaster with £10m Premier League dud