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Queens Park Rangers have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Stefan Johansen to the Kiyan Price Foundation Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by West London Sport, who claim that, despite Mark Warburton’s side remaining in negotiations with Fulham, talks regarding the 30-year-old’s transfer to QPR have been held up due to the uncertainty surrounding Scott Parker’s future at Craven Cottage.

It is then reported that, should the 40-year-old indeed go on to leave the recently relegated side this summer, his replacement will want to assess the Fulham squad, something that could curtail the Rs’ proposed move for Johansen altogether.

Warburton will be gutted

With it being thought that a deal for Johansen is one of Warburton’s main priorities in the summer transfer window, the possibility of a move for the midfielder being called off is likely to leave the 58-year-old manager gutted.

Indeed, it is easy to see why the QPR boss is so eager to bring the £1.8m-rated man back to the club ahead of next season, as he highly impressed during a loan spell at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium last term.

Over his 21 Championship appearances for the Rs last time out, the Norway international scored four goals, provided two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.8 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 1.6 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the £8k-per-week man earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as Warburton’s sixth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, with QPR undoubtedly hoping to build off the back of a remarkable second half of the season last term – with the club ranking third in the Championship table since the turn of the year – in their upcoming campaign, the return of the midfielder whom Ronny Deila dubbed an “unbelievable” player would certainly appear to increase the Rs’ chances of continuing their assault on the top six in 2021/22.

However, whether or not Johansen will be making a return to the club this summer very much appears up in the air at present, with both Warburton and fans of the club facing an anxious wait regarding Fulham’s eventual decision regarding the 30-year-old.

In other news: Massive QPR transfer news is confirmed, it should have the fans buzzing

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to CaughtOffside, the Reds are interested in acquiring the 22-year-old’s signature over the summer after impressing in the last couple of campaigns.

The report also claims that fellow Premier League giants Manchester United are keen on Chukwueze, who has a £69 million release clause in his contract.

Bye-Bye Shaqiri

Jurgen Klopp’s charges recovered admirably to finish third in the top-flight table after a string of season-ending injuries to several key players decimated their title defence.

However, the German manager is expected to shake up his first-team squad over the coming months as the Anfield outfit shape up for another assault on the Premier League summit.

Many fringe players have been linked with a move away from Merseyside in recent weeks, with the likes of Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri likely to make way for some fresh faces.

Much was expected of Shaqiri after his £13m move from Stoke City back in 2018, but injury issues have kept the former Bayern Munich and Inter ace sidelined for much of his Liverpool career.

Many of Liverpool’s problems throughout 2020/21 were caused by the absence of central defender Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, yet a huge drop-off in form from both Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino was equally to blame for their struggles.

The usually deadly duo scored a combined 20 league goals in the recently concluded campaign, a significant drop off from the 27 they recorded in 2019/20 and the 34 the pair managed in 2018/19.

While Mohamed Salah has continued to put the ball in the back of the net with alarming regularity, his two strike partners have suffered a steady decline.

Without sufficient strength in depth, Klopp was rarely able to change personnel throughout the season in order to try and find a solution to Liverpool’s attacking conundrum but signing a player once lauded by Samuel Eto’o may just solve that particular problem.

“He is an incredible player who is growing in leaps and bounds,” said Eto’o, adding that improving his end product is Chukwueze’s next challenge.

“He is a quality player, and he needs to score more goals, but he has the quality and ability to be more than just a goal-scoring forward. Once he gets all of that he will be top.”

While the £18m-rated (as per Transfermarkt) forward’s goals and assists return may not be overly impressive – bagging just 17 goals and laying on a further 17 assists in 119 appearances for the Yellow Submarine – he’s clearly got bags of talent and potential.

Signing Chukwueze as Shaqiri’s replacement may be the perfect start to Klopp’s rebuild as he looks to restore Liverpool to their scintillating best.

And, in other news…Liverpool tipped as club who could move for £650k-p/w liability, Edwards must avoid 

Former Everton star Marcus Bent believes that Josh King is likely to leave the club this summer after a disappointing stint at Goodison Park.

The Norway international moved to Merseyside in the January transfer window from Championship club AFC Bournemouth.

King did not make a single start under Carlo Ancelotti after joining the club, with his longest appearance on the pitch lasting just 34 minutes, in the 2-0 loss to Fulham.

He did not score a goal, nor provide an assist, and his contract expires at the end of June.

As a result, he could well move on this summer, and the player has been linked with a potential move to Turkish club Galatasaray.

Bent feels Everton have a decision to make, but he thinks that King is likely to move on given the six-month contract he was handed when he joined the club.

It remains to be seen where he could go, of course, if he does move away.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “The fact that he hasn’t started a game would suggest that Carlo doesn’t fancy him.

“He’s only had cameo appearances late in games, so he might say he hasn’t been given a chance but he does seem to have been doing well in training.

“He’s only signed a six-month deal so if he does go, it’s not really a big issue because it’s only six months. He hasn’t played much and it suggests he’s not really doing well in training, that just tells it all, I think they’re trying to make a decision on whether they keep him or whether he goes.”

Celtic are thought to be weighing up summer moves for Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet and Bologna left-back Aaron Hickey, according to The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Howe closing in on Celtic switch

It seems as if Eddie Howe is set to become the next permanent Celtic manager.

Reports have claimed that the 43-year-old has agreed to replace Neil Lennon at Parkhead and will be the man in charge for the 2021/22 season.

He is thought to be putting together his Celtic Park backroom staff, with some members of his team expected to come from Bournemouth, his previous employers.

It now looks as if the Hoops are already throwing possible signings in Howe’s direction ahead of a potential summer rebuild.

The Latest: Howe presented with idea of pursuing Nisbet and Hickey

The Scottish Sun understand that Howe has been presented with the idea of Celtic going after Nisbet and Hickey.

The report claims that Nisbet is rated at £3m, whereas a deal for Hickey could cost over £4m.

Both possible additions could see them become two of the club’s 30 most expensive signings of all time, with Odsonne Edouard’s £9.27m move from Paris Saint-Germain leading the way in that department.

The Verdict: Possible Edouard and Laxalt replacements?

In our opinion, the two reported targets could come in as replacements for Edouard and Diego Laxalt.

The French forward has his heart set on a Parkhead exit, regardless of who comes in as manager, with reports suggesting Leicester City are confident the King Power will be his next destination.

Nisbet has scored 18 goals in all competitions this season, two of which came against Celtic. He has plenty of experience in Scottish football so could be a wise addition to come in for Edouard.

Meanwhile, left-back Laxalt will return to AC Milan over the coming weeks following his loan spell at Parkhead.

The South American hasn’t exactly been a revelation at the Hoops, failing to cement his place in the side at the expense of Greg Taylor.

Bringing in Hickey, 18, who already has Scottish Premiership experience, could also be a smart move, but it seems as if he’ll be the more expensive of the two potential additions.

In other news: Celtic keen on versatile English ace, find out who it is here.  

West Ham United are one of several clubs eyeing a raid for Josh Hawkes this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to TEAMtalk, who claimed that the Irons are among the clubs ready to swoop for the Sunderland gem, with the likes of Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Newcastle United also keen.

The 22-year-old midfielder was signed on a free transfer from Hartlepool and has played a crucial role for the Black Cats’ under-23 side in their run to the Premier League 2 Division 2 play-offs.

Hawkes rejected a move to Sporting Braga last summer, although Lee Johnson is yet to involve him in the first team picture.

Bowen 2.0

The Hammers have often had success when dipping into the lower leagues, most recently seeing their £22m gamble on Jarrod Bowen pay dividends this season as the young winger has featured regularly on their way to securing a Europa League berth. He provided eight goals and five assists in 38 appearances this term, as per Tranfermarkt.

For the young Black Cats this season, Hawkes has proven to be a reliable threat, registering 14 goals and seven assists, including important strikes against some well-respected academies in West Brom, Aston Villa and Reading.

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This form has led to plenty of glowing endorsements in recent times, with popular Sunderland fansite Roker Report dubbing him a “revelation” with a “pretty ridiculous goal record for a midfielder”.

That acclaim echoed the thoughts of The Northern Echo reporter Nick Loughlin, who also lauded him as a revelation and provided further comments from Jeff Stelling during his time at Hartlepool.

“I’m sat next to Higgy [Craig Hignett] in the director’s box and Josh Hawkes is on the bench and I’ve said ‘for God’s sake we need Josh Hawkes on the pitch, a free spirit who can create’. Higgy has put him straight in and look at the difference.”

It remains to be seen how much Sunderland would command for a player who has only once tasted first team football for them, but if David Sullivan and co can secure the 22-year-old’s signature, it could well be another gamble which pays dividends – a masterclass from GSB again.

The 1.8m (6 foot) dynamo could be a bargain addition at West Ham this summer.

AND in other news, GSB must secure West Ham swoop for “hardworking” 34-goal beast who’s perfect for Moyes…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who played for both Newcastle United and West Ham, believes the Hammers must win at the weekend if they are serious about qualifying for the Champions League.

David Moyes has been hit with a whole host of injuries in recent weeks with Michail Antonio, Declan Rice, Aaron Cresswell and Mark Noble all picking up knocks with the latter two going off during their 3-2 win against Leicester City last week.

The Hammers have won four of their previous five games in the Premier League, with their only defeat coming in a 1-0 defeat to Man United last month thanks to a Craig Dawson own goal.

Speaking on why West Ham must take all three points against Newcastle if they want to finish in the top four and how it’s a winnable game for both sides, Lee told FFC:

“It’s a winnable game for both teams so I don’t expect it to finish a draw, I think one of them will win.

“If West Ham want to qualify for the Champions League, with all due respect to Newcastle, they have to win this game and they are playing very well and scoring lots of goals at the minute.”

The Hammers will look to keep their position in the top four heading into next weekend’s match against Chelsea, who are currently just one point behind them in fifth.

Newcastle have given themselves some breathing space after taking four points from their previous games two games whereas Fulham have lost their previous four games and are now six points behind the Magpies.

Leeds could make an exciting move this summer by signing Stuttgart forward Nicolas Gonzalez.

What’s the story?

Reports over last summer’s transfer window suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side were very much interested in bringing the Argentina international to Elland Road from Bundesliga side Stuttgart, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline.

Now, Get German Football News editor-in-chief Daniel Pinder has exclusively told FFC that Gonzalez’s arrival at Elland Road this summer would help create an “exciting” attack for Marcelo Bielsa.

He said: “It’s that thing of, you’ve got Raphinha and potentially Gonzalez on the other wing and Bamford up front. And with their fast direct play up front, them interchanging, it would be an exciting time to be a Leeds fan if they signed Nicolas Gonzalez.”

Imagine him and Raphinha

With his ability to play up front and out wide on the left, the £22.5m-rated Gonzalez could form an outstanding duo with Raphinha on the right-hand side.

While the Brazilian can bring a bit of creativity and skill, the 23-year-old Gonzalez is more of an inside forward, with a real clinical edge.

This season has seen him score six goals and provide a further two assists in just 15 Bundesliga games, while his average of 3.3 shots per game actually ranks him third among all players in the division.

Gonzalez’s eye for goal would go a long way to easing the burden on Patrick Bamford’s shoulders, while Raphinha will enjoy trying to set up someone who’s “always looking to get in behind, and is strong in the one-on-ones”.

And judging by the kind of mentality he is, he appears to be a perfect fit for Bielsa’s side.

Stuttgart’s head coach, Pellegrino Matarazzo, said of him: “He’s got a lot of qualities, but what I like best about him is that he’s a winner. He wants to win at all costs. He always gives 100 percent, and gets stuck in. He’s very important for us.”

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Gonzalez’s versatility would tick two key boxes for Bielsa, namely, an elite wide player to go along with Raphinha, and also someone who can provide Bamford with some much-needed competition up front too.

Meanwhile, Leeds should land this “exceptional” English striker…

Many Everton fans have been left to laud some early team news ahead of their home game versus Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Monday evening.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference before the match against Roy Hodgson’s men, Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Jean-Philippe Gbamin is ‘ready to play’ and ‘available’ to potentially make his return.

The central midfield player has astonishingly not been able to play for the Merseyside club since August 2019, and may make his return at Goodison Park after a frustrating spell out with various injury problems.

Gbamin would be able to give Ancelotti another option in the middle of the park and will almost be like a new signing, as the Toffees aim to push qualifying for European competition for the 2021/22 term.

Everton fans on Gbamin update

These Blues lauded the update on Gbamin after they heard it on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far as to say that they were ‘pumped’:

“Good stuff”

Credit: @sam_hodge_music

“I’m pumped to see this. I legit thought he’d never play again and retire after his contract ran out”

Credit: @BlakeEM_

“GBAMINNNNN VAMOOOOOOOS”

Credit: @JstinR7

“So happy for him”Credit: @markftbl”Absolutely made up for the lad, the last 18 months must have been hell for him. Hopefully he can get quarter of an hour under his belt tomorrow.”Credit: @1878Scotto”Yes hahah yes!!!!!”Credit: @samtrayterIn other news, find out which international star lauded by Kaka Everton are eyeing in a Cenk Tosun plus cash deal here!

Amid all the jubilation of Leeds’ historic triumph over Manchester City last weekend, the one major concern for fans was seeing Raphinha limp off in the dying moments of the game.

The Brazilian was on the end of a crunching tackle by Fernandinho, and while Marcelo Bielsa appeared to downplay the severity of the injury in his post-match press conference, he will surely be a big doubt for the Premier League clash against Liverpool on Monday night.

And if Raphinha doesn’t make it in time for the clash at Elland Road, then the Leeds boss may well want to turn to one of the club’s brightest young talents: Crysencio Summerville.

Described as a “bag of tricks” by Chris Powell – his former coach when he was a teenager at ADO Den Haag – he scored a hat-trick against Burnley under-23s on just his second start for the Whites’ youth side earlier this campaign.

Since then, he’s bagged an impressive five goals and provided a further six assists in just nine Premier League 2 games.

Standing at just 5 foot 9 and with a slight frame, there may be doubts over whether the young Dutchman can handle the physical nature of the Premier League, but the winger himself has insisted that he is more than capable of dealing with that.

Summerville said earlier this year: “I often hear that there are doubts because of my physical condition, but when you are on the field, you are not concerned with that. There are often big defenders in front of me, I have to be smart about that. I know I’m agile and try to play with my mind.”

Raphinha has been such a revelation for Leeds that it would be virtually impossible for Bielsa and Leeds to replace him – after all, he’s managed an impressive six goals and six assists in his debut campaign in the Premier League.

But in Summerville, Bielsa could unleash someone who could bring a similar level of unpredictability and excitement much like the Brazilian. Helder Costa has been the man the Leeds boss has often turned to as his next wide option, but the Portuguese man has flattered to deceive all campaign, managing just two top-flight goals.

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At least in Summerville Leeds would be giving an opportunity to a young talent waiting for his first real chance of first-team football, and could well surprise everyone.

All he needs is a chance, and with Raphinha a potential doubt, it’s perhaps the perfect time for Leeds to unleash their flying Dutchman.

Meanwhile, Leeds are set for an exciting summer transfer window after major reveal…

Marcel Brands should repeat Everton’s success of signing Seamus Coleman for a bargain fee with a move for Crystal Palace’s in-demand Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Rak-Sakyi is set to leave Selhurst Park at the end of the season after rejecting the offer of a professional contract with the south London side.

The 18-year-old whizkid is highly-rated by talent spotters and regarded as the brightest prospect to emerge in Palace’s academy since Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who sealed a £50m move to Manchester United in 2019 after playing 46 first-team games under Roy Hodgson.

Rak-Sakyi has scouts from a number of clubs on alert after turning in a string of impressive performances in the Eagles’ U18 and U23 squads, where he has excelled in an attacking midfielder role as well as on the wing.

And he looks increasingly likely to leave Crystal Palace this summer after snubbing a two-year pro deal, making his services available for just £150,000 in compensation for his development.

The Bundesliga appears the most probable destination for the teenager as he looks to follow the trend of young English players finding a path into the senior game in Germany, with Borussia Monchengladbach and FC Schalke 04 keen.

Rak-Sakyi also has suitors in Celtic, West Ham United and Everton, but each lag behind their continental opponents after his representatives held ‘very positive’ discussions with some of the youngster’s potential clubs.

He is expected to prioritise a pathway into the first-team over anything else, having grown concerned about what opportunities he will be given should the former Chelsea trainee stay at Crystal Palace.

Should Everton sign him?

Rak-Sakyi is still an unproven talent in the senior game with no appearances outside of the academies of Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion, but he clearly has a lot of potential as top sides begin to turn their eye to his imminent availability.

Creativity has not been an issue for the 18-year-old in Eagles colours, either, with the Crystal Palace official club website showing he boasts six goals in 11 appearances for the U18s this season and has already struck the back of the net once in three games for the U23s.

The coaching staff at Selhurst Park are also noted to have been impressed with Rak-Sakyi’s technical ability and awareness, as well as his eye for goal, that could now be available for a mere £150,000 as he questions what future lies in store in south London.

Given that doubt and the talks with German sides, Everton’s Director of Football Brands should be doing his utmost to convincingly present the path to the first-team at Goodison Park, as he managed when overseeing Niels Nkounkou’s move from Olympique de Marseille last year.

Everton have previous for signing would-be stars for bargain sum too, having paid Sligo Rovers a mere £60,000 for Coleman in 2009, who has since gone on to captain the Blues and make 340 appearances in all competitions.

It’s too early to say Rak-Sakyi will follow Coleman’s footsteps and one day lead Everton out at the club’s proposed 52,000 capacity new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, but it is fair to assume they could regret missing out on seeing what his potential is all about if he goes elsewhere.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti has set his eyes on bringing a £59m flop to Everton…