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Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo is ‘definitely’ set to leave the club permanently, according to journalist Steve Bates.

The Lowdown: Loaned out

Cancelo made 17 appearances for Man City in the Premier League this season but was loaned out to Bayern Munich for the remainder of the season in a surprise deadline-day move.

When asked whether the full-back has a future at the club, Pep Guardiola recently claimed that a decision will be taken at the end of the season, however, one journalist believes that the manager has already made his choice.

The Latest: Set to leave?

In an interview with GiveMeSport, Bates indicated that Guardiola’s history of being ruthless with key players means that he will also allow the Portugal international to leave the club this summer. The journalist said:

“I think it’s very difficult once Guardiola lets you go out on loan. I think he’s probably made up his mind already.

“Guardiola sold Sterling, Jesus and Zinchenko last summer. They were really top, top players and doing well for him, but he let them go.

“Cancelo has obviously had disagreements with him and his form has gone. It has not been what it was, so I would suspect that Cancelo’s days at City are definitely over.”

The Verdict: Right call?

The 28-year-old was a key performer for the Sky Blues in the 2021/22 campaign, weighing in with seven assists in the Premier League, however, his form took a downward turn this season, making a very poor mistake in the loss against Liverpool at Anfield.

Since arriving at Bayern, the right-back has been lauded ‘fantastic’ by members of the media, helping himself to a goal and two assists in five Bundesliga appearances up to this point.

Given that Guardiola now has 18-year-old Rico Lewis at his disposal to provide cover for Kyle Walker, allowing Cancelo to leave may be the best option for all parties in the summer, especially considering Man City could receive £61.5m if Bayern decide to make his stay permanent.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is facing somewhat of an injury crisis at the wrong time, with Leandro Trossard, Kieran Tierney and Eddie Nketiah not pictured in training prior to the Europa League clash with Sporting.

It meant all three missed out on the tie and despite striker Gabriel Jesus returning to the squad, the European clash came just too soon for the Brazilian.

This has left Arteta incredibly short of attacking options, with potentially Emile Smith Rowe or Gabriel Martinelli having to play as an unorthodox striker, yet there may just be another option for the Spaniard – unleashing academy star Amario Cozier-Duberry.

When will Amario Cozier-Duberry make his debut for Arsenal?

With Arteta’s current dilemma, there is every chance some academy starlets get a chance to impress and Cozier-Duberry could be one of the lucky players to take to the field.

That said, he may well need to overcome his own injury first having been substituted at half-time in the U21s’ recent defeat to Liverpool.

The hope will be for the Gunners that the issue the teenager is suffering from doesn’t keep him out for too long, with the second leg next week potentially set to be the ideal time to finally unleash him.

The 17-year-old has made the matchday squad on numerous occasions this season yet is still to make his debut. He is amongst one of the highest-rated products in the academy, with talent scout Jacek Kulig previously describing him as “Hale End’s finest” late last year.

In just 22 appearances across the U18 and U21 teams this season, the winger has scored ten goals and grabbed six assists, a wonderful return for someone who predominantly plays on the flanks.

Could Arteta utilise him in a more central role next week potentially? It’s plausible, particularly if attacking injuries continue to plague the squad and Arsenal can wrap the tie-up.

The teen has impressed in the Football League Trophy, averaging an outstanding 7.95/10 rating via Sofascore across two outings, scoring twice, taking two shots per game while also creating a big chance, proving he could certainly operate in a more central role if required.

With Premier League glory Arteta’s main priority, the Europa League gives him a great chance to rotate his squad, although even he wouldn’t have anticipated being without so many key players.

Fulham are ready to move for Olivier Giroud in the summer if he becomes a free agent, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Attacking options

Marco Silva’s side have enjoyed a brilliant campaign so far in the Premier League and booked their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday.

The club have scored 36 goals in 25 top-flight games but only have two senior centre-forwards on the books in Aleksandar Mitrovic and Carlos Vinicius.

Mitrovic has scored 11 goals in 19 league games but has also suffered various injury issues this season, whereas Vinicius has just one goal in 17.

The Latest: Transfer update

FI reporter Pete O’Rourke shared a story on Tuesday morning regarding Giroud and Fulham.

He said that The Cottagers are ready to pounce if the striker fails to agree a new deal with AC Milan. The 36-year-old is keen on returning to London, but Milan are also confident of extending his contract.

The Verdict: One to watch?

Giroud’s situation could well be one to keep an eye on over the coming months, with Fulham clearly keen on his services should he become available.

Hailed as an ‘incredible’ striker by his team-mate Davide Calabria, Giroud has scored 11 goals so far this season so he could be a shrewd addition to help Fulham build on a positive first year back in the Premier League.

The World Cup winner has proven experience in the Premier League with Arsenal and Chelsea, so he could be just what Silva needs to challenge both Mitrovic and Vinicius, so it’ll be interesting to see if he becomes a free agent in the summer.

Manchester City ended their latest Premier League campaign with the joint-best defensive record in the division.

In their 38 league games, the Citizens conceded 26 goals in total, the same number as Liverpool in second place.

As well as helping Pep Guardiola’s side secure this impressive feat, a number of City’s defenders also made themselves useful attacking figures as well.

Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte racked up a combined total of seven goals and nine assists between them in the league last season.

Now that the summer transfer window has opened for business, it seems as though the Manchester club have been linked with another defender who has proven to be a useful attacking threat as well.

Earlier this month, the Premier League champions were linked with a move to sign Hoffenheim left-back David Raum.

After scoring six goals and providing 23 assists in 99 senior appearances for Greuther Furth, the full-back joined Hoffenheim last summer.

Throughout his debut season there, the 24-year-old, who has been described as a player that has a “great engine” by Jan Aage Fjortoft found the net three times and delivered 13 assists in 32 Bundesliga appearances.

To further highlight how impressive he was in an attacking sense, no other player at his current club made as many crosses (182), successful dribbles (31) or shot-creating actions (128) as the £18m-rated full-back did.His overall performances earned him a solid season rating of 7.11/10, making him the highest-rated player at Hoffenheim according to WhoScored.According to FBref, one recognisable name that has been included on a list of similar players to Raum is Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.Given how he has scored 12 goals and provided 62 assists in 225 senior appearances for the Merseyside club, the opportunity to land their own version of the England international in the shape of Raum could be an exciting prospect for City and Guardiola going forward.However, given how important he has been for his new club, it would be safe to assume that they would be reluctant to let him leave this summer.This is where City’s track record of splashing out significant sums of money, particularly on defenders, in the past, could come in handy on this occasion.In other news: Man City eyeing swoop for “unbelievable” £31.5m-rated “animal”, Pep would love him

Newcastle United have reportedly now ‘promised’ to make an offer for Roger Fernandes, with the Portuguese press labelling the Magpies’ interest as a ‘big story’.

The Lowdown: Record-breaker

Fernandes became a record-breaker last season when he became the youngest player to feature in the Portuguese league at just 15 years of age.

Now 16, the winger capable of playing on either flank has already made 11 senior appearances for Braga, scoring three goals (Transfermarkt), and is seemingly one of the most promising young prospects in Europe.

The Latest: Offer ‘promised’

As per O Jogo (via Sport Witness), a ‘big story’ has now emerged involving the St. James’ Park outfit, claiming that they have ‘promised’ to make an offer for Fernandes after watching him play last term.

Braga rejected a bid from Ajax for the winger back in the January transfer window, but it is thought that the Magpies could sign him for around €20m (£17.1m).

However, Fernandes possesses a €40m (£34.2m) release clause, and if interest starts to grow, Braga may well demand a fee closer to that figure.

The Verdict: Low risk

Given that Fernandes is just 16 years of age, signing him this summer would be a relatively low risk move from the North East club.

He has already tasted senior football at a high level, having even made an appearance in the UEFA Europa League last campaign.

The Tynesiders are building for the future, and Fernandes could turn out to be a great squad option for Eddie Howe over the next few years and eventually develop into a superstar. Even if he doesn’t, his age and potential means the Magpies could likely cash in for a decent fee down the line.

In other news, find out what big NUFC transfer update has now emerged here!

Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips’ exit from Elland Road ‘is in motion’, according to journalist Tom Young.

The Lowdown: City rumours

Phillips has been heavily linked with an Elland Road exit since the turn of the year, with the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and West Ham all showing an interest – the Hammers even had a bid rejected in January.

Manchester City joined the race more recently, as they reportedly now have Phillips at the top of their list to replace Fernandinho and believe that the England international possesses the perfect profile to fit in at the Etihad Stadium.

Phillips was in the process of changing agent back in April so his future is up in the air, but it looks as if the Premier League champions have begun work on a potential deal.

The Latest: Journalist’s update

Writing on Twitter, VAVEL’s Etihad editor Young shared an update ‘on Phillips’ on Wednesday afternoon.

Replying to a City fan, Young claimed that a possible transfer is now ‘in motion’, although there is still a ‘way to go’ in terms of a deal going through.

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The Verdict: A worry…

With Leeds securing their Premier League status on the final day, you get the feeling that Phillips will either remain at the club or join Pep Guardiola’s side over the coming months.

Moving to the likes of Villa, Newcastle or West Ham may have been options if the club were relegated, but the local lad will surely only want to leave for a serious upgrade, so it is a worry to know that City are well and truly in for the boyhood Whites fan.

Phillips could reportedly triple his current Elland Road salary at the Etihad, work under one of the best managers in the world and play Champions League football. All of the above is extremely tempting for any player, so Leeds may find it difficult to keep hold of their star midfielder with work on a transfer underway.

In other news: Victor Orta now spotted 5.6 miles from stadium of ‘quality’ Leeds target dubbed the ‘new Drogba’.Â

As per recent reports, it would appear that confirmation of Celtic’s bid to sign Cameron Carter-Vickers on a permanent deal is now imminent, with the USA international having shone in what’s been a hugely impressive loan stint at Parkhead.

In his seventh temporary spell away from parent club Tottenham Hotspur, the 24-year-old appears to have found a settled home in Glasgow, despite his form also attracting interest from a number of Premier League clubs.

The latest indication is that the Hoops will snap him up for a fee of around £6m – which could rise to £10m – as a reward for his integral role in the club’s tenth Scottish Premiership triumph in the last 11 seasons.

The £2.7m-rated colossus enjoyed a terrific 2021/22 campaign in the heart of the champions’ defence, averaging 4.1 clearances, 1.2 interceptions and 0.8 tackles per 90 in his 33 league outings, while also winning 68% of his total duels and registering 17 clean sheets.

That solidity has seen him dubbed “immense” by pundit Chris Sutton, while teammate Greg Taylor has also insisted that the on-loan Spurs man has been a success as he has “all the tools”.

Equally, at the other end of the pitch he also made a telling contribution, chipping in with four league goals, including a vital winner in the Old Firm derby back in early April.

Should he sign on the dotted line and commit himself to the club long-term – as is expected – his permanent arrival could pave the way for a notable departure, with Christopher Jullien potentially the man to face the axe.

The Frenchman had been the leading figure in the backline following his £7m arrival from Toulouse in the summer of 2019, although he has since been reduced to the role of understudy due to the form of both Carter-Vickers and defensive partner Carl Starfelt.

Of course, that slide down the pecking order has been impacted by his lengthy stint on the treatment table – the 29-year-old kept out of action for over 14 months – although he featured sparingly following his return to fitness in February.

The £20k-per-week giant recently outlined his frustration at that lack of action – as he made just one outing in all competitions all season – with reports suggesting that a number of Ligue 1 sides are interested in taking him back to France this summer.

Pundit Frank McAvennie has also tipped the £4.95m-rated brute to depart, with it looking as if the centre-back has no part to play under Postecoglou.

Should that be the reality, the club should not hesitate to wield the axe, with the impending arrival of Carter-Vickers offering a much younger option and one that has already proven himself suited to the manager’s bold, attacking style.

In other news, Celtic can unearth a new Giakoumakis after submitting bid for “very strong” £2.5m gem

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, following Conte’s meeting with Fabio Paratici this week, it has now been confirmed that the 52-year-old will remain as Spurs’ manager heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

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In his tweet, the transfer insider said: “Spurs sources have been confident for days and it’s now decided: Antonio Conte will be Tottenham manager for the next season.”

Supporters will be buzzing

With Conte having inspired a quite remarkable turnaround at Spurs following his appointment as Nuno Espirito Santo’s successor in the Tottenham dugout last November, Romano’s update revealing that the Italian will remain in charge of the club in 2022/23 will undoubtedly have left Lilywhites supporters buzzing.

After taking over a team sitting ninth in the Premier League at the time of his arrival, Conte’s Spurs secured 17 wins and five draws over his 28 league games at the helm, picking up an impressive 56 points on his watch and securing a top-four finish on the final day of the season.

Furthermore, since the turn of the year, Tottenham’s return of 41 points from 21 games played sees them rank as the third-best team in the top flight, behind only Liverpool (51) and Manchester City (43).

As such, with a summer transfer window and a full pre-season for the 52-year-old manager to prepare this summer, it would very much appear as if this form could improve even further heading into the upcoming campaign, with the news that Conte is happy to remain in north London for at least a further year certainly being fantastic for everyone involved with the club.

AND in other news: Conte now plotting Spurs bid for “perfect” £60m target, he’s Jorginho 2.0

Manchester City secured their fourth Premier League title in five years yesterday as they came back from 2-0 down to secure a dramatic 3-2 win over Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium.

With the summer transfer window around the corner, this will once again give Pep Guardiola the chance to strengthen his squad and put them in the best shape possible to try and secure as many trophies as they can moving forward.

Looking back to the previous summer window, City grabbed headlines by securing a club-record £100m deal for Jack Grealish.

During his debut season with the Citizens, the Englishman scored three goals and provided three assists in 26 league appearances whilst predominantly playing on the left wing.

Despite the inconsistency of his goal contributions, the England international still proved himself to be a deadly attacking figure for City as only Kevin De Bruyne (5.68) ended the campaign with a higher rate of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes than Grealish (5.17) in the entire league.

Looking ahead to this summer window, one figure that has recently been linked with a £30m move to the Etihad is Brighton left-back Marc Cucurella.

With 35 league appearances to his name throughout the season, no other outfield player at the AMEX Stadium played more minutes than the 23-year-old, highlighting just how important he has been for the south coast club.

His overall performances in those appearances have earned him a season rating of 6.94/10 from WhoScored, making him the third-highest rated player at the club.

The Spaniard has now ended his debut campaign at Brighton with more passes completed, tackles, interceptions and successful pressures than any of his teammates.

Taking into account how City have averaged more possession and pass success percentage than any other team in the top flight this season, a player such as Cucurella who is comfortable on the ball and very efficient when it comes to winning it back, could be the ideal signing for the recently crowned league champions.

He also has the third-highest number of shot-creating actions per game in Graham Potter’s squad, showing that he is a very capable all-around full-back up and down the pitch.

Labelled as a “refreshing” player by former Brighton star Dan Burn, Cucurella could potentially make a deadly pairing with Grealish on the left-hand side of the pitch for City given the duo’s attacking talent and the full-back defensive capabilities.

With those defensive talents, he could potentially give Grealish more license to get forward more so he can start racking up more goals and assists.

In other news: In talks: Man City eye “special” £54m-rated “phenomenon”, just imagine him & Dias

Wolverhampton Wanderers starlet Morgan Gibbs-White has attracted interest from European giants AC Milan after a successful loan spell at Championship club Sheffield United.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Birmingham Live which claimed that the midfielder has hinted he would be open to a permanent move away from Molineux, although with the Blades’ failure to escape the Championship, it is unlikely that he would sign for the Yorkshire club permanently.

The Athletic reported that Gibbs-White’s stock has risen immeasurably and, as a result, Milan have enquired about the 22-year-old. The Staffordshire native fits into the Serie A leaders’ recent policy of signing young stars with vast potential.

Tim Spiers, who penned that piece for The Athletic, stated that Lage likes the player and wanted him back in January, but game-time at Wolves could be an issue for someone who has played 3,084 minutes of football this season for Sheffield United.

Lage facing disaster over Gibbs-White

Gibbs-White, who has been described as a “catalyst” by Laurie Whitwell, has lit up England’s second tier, finishing the campaign with 16 throughout his senior career thus far.

His loan spell with the Blades has been prosperous and has now seen his stock rise to the point where Serie A giants and title favourites Milan are interested in the 22-year-old.

Lage will have been relieved that Sheffield United did not achieve their goal of Premier League promotion, because if they did, he would have faced a tough battle to keep the youngster, who has enjoyed his time in south Yorkshire.

However, they might still face that challenge, and it’s no surprise as to why Milan are looking at the 22-year-old. His 12 goals and 10 assists would make him the Rossoneri’s top scorer and creator if he had replicated those numbers at San Siro this season, whilst his 16 big chances created this term would also see him rank top among Stefano Pioli’s squad.

Milan are missing an out-and-out creator in the engine room, with left-back Theo Hernandez setting up the most chances with 49.

That is something Wolves also lack, having created just 38 big chances this season, with their most established creator being Joao Moutinho with 38 standard chances created. Gibbs-White beats both Hernandez’s and Moutinho’s totals with 55 chances created.

Both Milan and Wolves will feel they need him, but Lage will need to give the starlet some assurances if he wants to avoid a summer transfer disaster, as the 22-year-old will surely not be short of offers in the summer.

In other news: Wolves can find Marcal heir in 19-year-old “who owns the left-flank”, Lage surely ecstatic