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Football finance expert Kieran Maguire insists promotion means Norwich City are under no pressure to sell their star players.

The Canaries secured an immediate return to the Premier League after getting their hands on the Championship title last season.

Despite that success, Norwich have been unable to keep star man Emiliano Buendia at the club, with the Argentine securing a switch to Aston Villa for a club-record fee last month.

Full-back Max Aarons has also been attracting attention from the likes of Manchester United, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, but Canaries boss Daniel Farke is keen to keep the 21-year-old at Carrow Road ahead of a return to the top flight.

Todd Cantwell is on Aston Villa’s wishlist as well, meaning Norwich are at risk of seeing more of their key players depart the club with Max Aarons another linked with a big-money exit.

However, the Price of Football author Maguire is sure the Canaries are in a strong negotiating position should any bids be tabled.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “There’s certainly no need to sell because the additional money they will get from promotion to the Premier League means they are in a strong position this season.

“It’s a case of the wages they offer following promotion could quite easily be exceeded by offers from other clubs in the Premier League?

“Do they need to sell? No. Could they be outbid for their own players? Yes, they could.”

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Sassuolo winger Domenico Berardi after his string of impressive performances at Euro 2020.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (as relayed by LFC Transfer Room), the 26-year-old’s agent has been approached by the Reds’ hierarchy, who have enquired about the player.

The report claims that Jurgen Klopp’s charges are ready to bid for Berardi, joining the race to secure his signature, with Sassuolo demanding £35 million for their prized asset.

He’s an upgrade on Shaqiri

Berardi has reportedly caught the eye of several top sides across the continent after replicating his club form on the international stage this summer.

The likes of Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with an interest in the pacey attacker, meaning Klopp may have to move quickly in order to secure his man.

After a desperately underwhelming 2020/21 campaign, the Anfield outfit are thought to be in the market for another forward over the coming months.

Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino struggled to live up to their devastating best last term, while backups Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri failed to adequately replace them.

If Berardi does arrive on Merseyside ahead of the upcoming campaign, it’s likely that he’d take the place of Shaqiri in Klopp’s first-team squad, and when looking at the pair’s numbers, it’s easy to understand why.

After a solid first season as a Liverpool player, the Switzerland international has been seriously hampered by a string of injuries and lack of form.

Since the beginning of the 2019/20 season, Shaqiri has bagged just one Premier League goal and provided only two assists in the top-flight.

However, Berardi’s output paints a starkly contrasting picture. The £31.5m-rated ace has found the back of the net on 31 occasions in Serie A for the same time period, laying on 18 assists for his teammates along the way.

It’s clear, therefore, that Berardi would offer a significant upgrade on Shaqiri should he make the switch to English shores, and Klopp will surely be hoping that director of football Michael Edwards can get this deal over the line.

And, in other news…Liverpool suffer potential blow in pursuit of £42m “conductor”, Klopp will be gutted 

Leeds United have reportedly pulled out of a summer move for Newcastle United goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, with other targets now being considered.

The Lowdown: Woodman catches Leeds’ eye

Marcelo Bielsa will need to sign a new ‘keeper this season, with Kiko Casilla completing a season-long loan move to Elche earlier this week. While Illan Meslier will likely continue at Leeds’ first-choice stopper next season, having an able deputy is of the utmost importance.

Woodman is one player who has been linked with filling the Casilla-shaped void, having only managed four first team appearances for Newcastle.

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The Latest: Whites pull out of deal

There has now been a twist in the saga, however, with Football Insider claiming that Leeds have ‘ended their interest’ in the 24-year-old, who has been called ‘excellent’ by Swansea City manager Steve Cooper, despite submitting an offer to sign him on loan with a view to a permanent deal only a few days ago.

Levante’s Dani Cardenas and Valerenga’s Kristoffer Klaesson are mentioned as the two front-runners to come in instead, with the pair both seen as cheaper alternatives to Woodman, who turned down Leeds’ advances due to his reluctance to play second fiddle to Meslier at Elland Road.

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The Verdict: Key summer addition

It is vital that Leeds bring in the right replacement for Casilla, should the unthinkable happen and Meslier pick up a long-term injury or drastically lose form.

The Frenchman has shown how influential the role of a goalkeeper can be, keeping 11 clean sheets as Bielsa’s team finished ninth upon their top-flight return, so the Whites need to decide if Cardenas or Klaesson is the right choice having ended their interest in Woodman.

Both targets are still young and maturing – they are 24 and 20, respectively – so either could mature at Elland Road (just like the 21-year-old Meslier has done) and become a reliable squad option.

In other news, Leeds are thought to be interested in signing a 24-year-old this summer. Find out who it is here.

Many Aston Villa fans have shared their delight on Twitter following an official club post showing Brazilian striker Wesley being involved in training over the weekend.

Enduring an injury-ravaged time in the Midlands, the 24-year-old has chipped in with seven goal contributions in 25 appearances for the club, with six goals and one assist [Transfermarkt].

Horribly damaging his anterior cruciate ligament in a horror challenge with Burnley captain Ben Mee on New Year’s Day 2020, he has rarely featured for the Villains since undergoing extensive recovery treatment.

However, he now appears to be participating in pre-season preparations, which will come as a major boost to manager Dean Smith in terms of his offensive weaponry.

In light of this snap, no wonder loads of Aston Villa diehards took to Twitter to revel in seeing Wesley back in training.

Aston Villa fans react

Replying to the club’s official Twitter account, here is how some supporters summarised their feelings on seeing the “awesome” Brazilian gearing up for the new season:

“WESSS”

Credit: @catrinedwards18

“What a beast he’s looking like. Hope he has a big season for us”

Credit: @AndreVillaGamer

“He looks awesome scary and he’s Villa #utv”

Credit: @johnmacgold

“Beast”

Credit: @GV18271

“Looking brilliant Big Wes, can’t wait to see him back in action”

Credit: @straightedgeze2

“BIG WES !!!!!! Gonna score some worldies this season”

Credit: @wesmavfc

In other news, one Aston Villa player is being linked with a move to Italy.

West Ham’s £6m bid for West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was “edging on the points of derisory”, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

Last week Sky Sports reported that West Ham had made an unsuccessful £6m offer for Johnstone in their attempts to strengthen between the sticks.

Johnstone was one of the standout goalies in the Premier League last season, making 166 saves in total – the most in the division.

It makes it no surprise teams are after him, while the 28-year-old has just one year left on his contract, so he does look attainable. Even so, for Hatfield, a £6m bid is still criminal.

“I think it was probably edging on the points of derisory, really, that bid if true,” Hatfield told FFC. “£6m for someone of Sam Johnstone’s quality and his age is a low-ball offer, put it that way.”

All things considered, it was an offer that was never going to be accepted.

Some of the Premier League’s richest sides, including Tottenham and Arsenal, are thought to be interested in Johnstone.

West Brom are likely to get a better deal doing business with one of those clubs, so a £6m offer from West Ham for the England international was always going to be futile.

Manchester City have been tipped to make a move for Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham rather than Harry Kane this summer as they struggle to reach an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur.

What’s the word?

City have regularly been linked with Kane throughout the transfer window after the England captain announced his intentions to leave the north London club following another trophyless season, which also saw them scrape a place in next season’s Europa Conference League.

However, it seems clear that the Citizens would have to pay well over £100m if they want to sign the 28-year-old, with recent reports suggesting that any deal between the two clubs could well go to the deadline, and the last thing Pep Guardiola needs is to end up without a new striker for the 2021/22 season.

The Spaniard bid goodbye to club legend Sergio Aguero earlier in the summer, and whilst City played much of season without a natural striker on the pitch, it would be unwise to have just Gabriel Jesus and 18-year-old Liam Delap as their centre-forward options for next season.

They could perhaps look towards Abraham as a cheaper, younger alternative to Kane this summer, and when former Manchester City man Trevor Sinclar was asked on talkSPORT if he would take the Chelsea man over the England captain, he said:

“I would, yeah. He’s a young enough player and with Pep Guardiola’s coaching ability and the teammates around him… he’s a top player. The season he had at Aston Villa and then he went back to Chelsea and did very well.

“He’s a handful, his pace, he looks to stretch the lines, he’s a finisher. No player’s perfect, especially at 22 or 23, but there’s a lot of growth there with Tammy. He’d be someone I’d be very interested to see at Manchester City.”

Would Abraham be a good signing?

Whilst Abraham is a long way from reaching Kane’s level, he managed 12 goals last season despite limited game-time and has netted 30 times for his current club.

Also, he appears to be surplus to requirements in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, so he could prove to be relatively cheap compared to the Spurs man this summer. By contrast, Kane won the Premier League Golden Boot last term and has been his club’s leading scorer for seven seasons in a row, which would suggest that Tottenham would be extremely reluctant to sanction his exit.

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Although Chelsea might not want to sell to a title rival such as City, Abraham is only 23; and as Sinclair suggests, he could become a top player under Guardiola’s coaching.

At 1.9m (6 foot 3), the Blues striker would offer City a different option up front and would perhaps encourage them to put more crosses into the box, something with which they struggled at times over the last couple of seasons.

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Therefore, if a deal for Kane proves to be too expensive, Txiki Begiristain should definitely consider a move for the “unbelievable” Abraham – in the words of fellow City transfer target Jack Grealish – this summer.

In other news… Guardiola looks set for huge boost with £65m beast, he would ‘die for the badge’

Southampton fans appear to be astonished by the fee Manchester United are demanding for the loan of left-back Brandon Williams.

The Saints are preparing for the new season, and have already added a couple of new faces in defensive in Romain Perraud (southamptonfc.com) and Danyl Simeu (chelseafc.com).

After all, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side did concede 68 goals in the Premier League last time out – only West Brom shipped more than the St. Mary’s Stadium outfit (Sky Sports).

Hasenhuttl will no doubt be wanting to add more players to his squad before the season is out, and they have been heavily linked with another defender in Williams in recent weeks and months.

However, they have been put off by the fee United want, according to The Telegraph. They say the Red Devils are looking for £3.75m.

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Saints supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Williams news below

“3m wages for a bloke that is genuinely dross”

Credit: @Eliassfc2

“Walk away”

Credit: @Golacticos2

“Ridiculous prices and he’s not even that good. Move on”

Credit: @WillsfcMitchell

“Man Utd are being totally unrealistic. They are spending shedloads of money on players, so it’s not as if they need the cash.”

Credit: @Dixon1970Darren

“Football is about to implode financially. Clubs will go under. Big ones. Look at the financial inspired Super League panic last season. The money for this guy is barking mad.”

Credit: @sportsturmoil

“Just forget it he’s not coming here why keep chasing somebody you will not get !”

Credit: @Peter67305335

In other news, Southampton eye a move for this Bundesliga ace.

Carlton Palmer has allayed fears that an injury to Marcus Rashford could affect Leeds’ transfer pursuit of Daniel James…

What’s the talk?

The former Whites midfielder Carlton Palmer has claimed that the 23-year-old’s shoulder surgery will not impact Leeds’ reported pursuit of his Old Trafford team-mate.

He believes that Manchester United would still be willing to part ways with the Welsh international, despite Rashford being set to spend some time on the sidelines.

Palmer told Football FanCast:

“I don’t think it’s a problem for him to let him go. He’s made a lot of signings this summer, so he’s been pushed down the pecking order.

“I did my shoulder on the last day of the season, dislocated. I had it pinned and I was back for the first game of the season, so I don’t think Rashford is going to be out for months and months on end.”

Leeds and Brighton are both reportedly interested in signing James on loan or on a permanent basis from Old Trafford this summer.

Bielsa will love him

If there is a chance for Leeds to sign the £15m winger, then they must pounce on the opportunity to do so before the end of the transfer window. Rashford’s injury may have caused concern inside the walls at Elland Road, but Palmer has allayed those worries by claiming that it will not affect James’ future as he is still too far down the pecking order in Manchester.

Marcelo Bielsa will be over the moon if James arrives at the club this window. Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, the titular journalist said this about the coach’s thoughts on him: “That’s a question for Bielsa because Bielsa’s forever interested in Dan James, and you probably remember last summer that before they did the deal for Raphinha, they were looking into the possibility of bringing Dan James in on loan from Manchester United.”

This shows that the Argentine is a big fan of James and would love to add him to his squad. He has been pursuing the Welshman for a considerable amount of time, which could make landing him this month all the sweater as it would bring satisfaction to an ongoing saga.

The forward was labelled “explosive and so fast” by his teammate Andreas Pereira in an interview with Manchester United’s official website last season.

James averaged four dribbles and key passes completed per game in four starts at the European Championship for Wales. This shows that he has the ability to beat players and create chances at the top level if given the chance to start matches, which is another reason why Bielsa could love him. He is direct and creative and that could be exciting to watch, from the dugout and from the stands.

AND in other news, Orta must secure Leeds swoop for 14 G/A “powerhouse” who’s a perfect Costa replacement…

Former Everton striker Marcus Bent reckons that Ross Barkley would be welcomed back at Stanley Park with open arms.

It’s been three-and-a-half years since the boyhood Toffees fan left to join Chelsea in a £15m January move.

However, Barkley has never managed to establish himself as first-choice despite playing under three different managers during his time with the Blues.

And following a failed loan stint at Aston Villa last season, the midfielder would appear surplus to requirements at Chelsea despite playing regularly under Thomas Tuchel in pre-season.

Barkley has been linked with several Premier League clubs this summer, but perhaps none are better suited than a return to where it all started for him.

He still has just less than two years left on his Stamford Bridge contract, but Tuchel already has an impressive midfield department that helped Chelsea win the Champions League last season.

With that in mind, Barkley’s future would appear to lie away from west London. But would he receive a frosty reception back on Merseyside?

Bent exclusively told Football FanCast:

“They’d definitely welcome him back with open arms because he’s an Evertonian. He should be in the prime of his career there. Sometimes he can be rash, but at his age, he should have learned his trade.

“But as I said, Everton would welcome him back with open arms.”

Southampton fans were far from happy with the news that Ralph Hasenhuttl is set to use Nathan Tella as a striker this season rather than on the flanks.

After a slow start to the transfer window, the Saints have been very busy in recent weeks.

They have now brought in five new faces, two of which are strikers in Adam Armstrong and Armando Broja (Sky Sports). Even with the sale of Danny Ings to Aston Villa (avfc.co.uk), the Austrian still has plenty of options up front if you also include Che Adams, Shane Long and Michael Obafemi.

Tella is an up-and-coming player at St. Mary’s Stadium, having made 22 appearances for the club last term (Transfermarkt). He is mainly a right-winger, but Hasenhuttl has decided to use him as a centre-forward after the 22-year-old impressed in training (via The Athletic).

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Tella news below

“No formation just vibes”

Credit: @CallumSFC18

“Why?? We just signed 2 strikers.. rather see Tella or Djenepo on the left than Redmond”

Credit: @BraddersKitch16

“we don’t need more strikers we’ve got some class ones. Tella’s pace on the left and skill is needed as he basically has everything but a consistent end product”

Credit: @sfc_maxi

“A bit of a shame tbh, I was hoping he would be our starter on the left of our midfield”

Credit: @EddySFC

“NO HE WONT START NOW”

Credit: @samuelsmith0810

“noooo start him out wide”

Credit: @sfcsienna

In other news, Southampton want this ace compared to Arjen Robben.