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Manchester City signing Kalvin Phillips ‘will be gutted’ with his latest injury as he races against time for full fitness, says Sky pundit Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Phillips sidelined…

The England international, after he put pen to paper on a £42 million move from Leeds United, has barely seen a minute of action due to injury issues.

Phillips has been suffering from a ‘persistent problem’ in his shoulder which has required surgery, meaning the midfielder is in a race against time to be fit for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The 26-year-old has just weeks to get back on the grass in time to be featured in Gareth Southgate’s plans, yet at club level, City supporters will also be hoping he can play a significant role towards the back-end of 2022/2023.

The Latest: Robinson says Phillips ‘will be gutted’…

Pep Guardiola was forced to play club captain Ilkay Gundogan in the single pivot during last weekend’s Manchester derby in the absence of Rodri and Phillips.

The latter man, you’d assume, would’ve come in to replace Rodri yet Phillips’ injury meant Gundogan had to play in a less advanced role than usual.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson says the ex-Elland Road star will be gutted at missing the opportunity to impress in such a big occasion.

He explained to Football Insider:

“He will be gutted.

“It has not been a good start for him at City. He has been unfortunate.

“It is always going to be difficult to break into that team. A shoulder injury is the last thing you need.

“He needs to get himself fit before the World Cup. He needs to play games.

“Gundogan is an outstanding player but Phillips would have quite likely replaced Rodri for the Manchester derby had he been fit. It would have been the ideal time for him to start a game. It’s a shame.”

The Verdict: Very unlucky…

Phillips has been unlucky since his big money move from Yorkshire, mainly due to his fitness issues but also because he has to contend with Rodri for a starting place.

Last weekend’s derby would’ve been an unbelievable opportunity to impress in the Spaniard’s absence, yet due to being unavailable, the Three Lions ace was forced to watch as Gundogan thrived in the position.

Once Phillips is available again, it will certainly be interesting to see if he can battle past two star City mainstays for regular football – especially given his reputation as a ‘top player’.

Real Madrid could challenge Manchester United and their Premier League rivals in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Bellingham interest

Whilst both United and Liverpool have been touted with strong interest in the 19-year-old for several months, The Athletic have claimed that Manchester City and Chelsea also retain a keen eye on the England international.

It is believed that Dortmund will remain adamant on their £131.6m valuation of the midfielder, which would make him the most expensive British footballer in history.

However, it now appears that interest has emerged outside of England, throwing a potential move to the Premier League in doubt.

The Latest: Jones’ claim

Jones believes that Champions League holders Real Madrid could come in and disrupt the English clubs’ battle for Bellingham’s signature.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed: “Bellingham is the most exciting prospect of next summer and the expectation is that United, Liverpool and Chelsea battle for him – but I heard from a very good source this week that Real Madrid also like him and could yet come into the equation.”

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The Verdict: Worth the fight

When looking at Bellingham’s underlying statistics, it is easy to see why many of the biggest clubs in world football are battling it out to secure his services next summer.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the midfielder ranks in the top 3% for dribbles completed and touches in the attacking penalty area, and also in the top 4% for assists and progressive passes received.

Having been hailed as a ‘world-class’ player by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, the 19-year-old’s stock is certainly at its all-time high, and the above figures mark the teenager out as a player who likes to take on opponents and get into the final third to make an impact for his team.

Therefore, the Red Devils could be in for a tough fight if they are to win the battle for his highly desired signature, but considering Bellingham’s extraordinary talents, he is worth every bit of the fight that United might put up for him.

Manchester United’s incoming business is done after the capture of Martin Dubravka and Cristiano Ronaldo will stay put at Old Trafford, according to Alex Crook.

The Lowdown: Ronaldo saga

While the Red Devils have made some significant signings this summer, from Casemiro to Antony, the future of Ronaldo has been one of the biggest talking points.

It has been made clear that the 37-year-old’s preference is to leave United and join a Champions League-playing club, but not many suitors have emerged.

While a late-summer exit has always felt possible, a new update suggests that Ronaldo isn’t going anywhere.

The Latest: Legend set to stay

Writing on Twitter on Thursday, talkSPORT’s Crook said that Dubravka is United’s final piece of incoming summer business, adding that Ronaldo will remain at the club:

“Once Dubravka is officialy confirmed I’m told that will be the end of #MUFC summer incomings. Ronaldo stays as expected.”

The Verdict: Squad role moving forward?

Whether or not this is good news for United remains to be seen but Erik ten Hag has been strong in his approach, not starting Ronaldo since the woeful 4-0 Premier League defeat away to Brentford.

The Portuguese legend may have to accept that he isn’t in his side’s strongest starting lineup moving forward, with his age and inability to be an all-round force now working against him, as the last few matches without him have shown.

That’s not to say that there won’t still be some trademark Ronaldo goals and celebrations to come, however, but a January exit cannot be ruled out at this point.

One of West Ham United’s transfer targets could now be set to sign for a fellow Premier League club…

What’s the word?

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Justin Kluivert is “one step away” from joining Fulham, who earned promotion after winning the Championship last season.

West Ham had shown an interest in the Dutchman in July, but it appears that he is now set to join another London club instead.

A fee of around €10m (£8.4m) is due to be sent Roma’s way, but with the Hammers seemingly opting for Maxwel Cornet instead after agreeing a deal for the Ivorian, they will not feel too aggrieved to miss out on the Giallorossi winger.

Cornet is the better option

Although it may seem a shame to miss out on a young talent with a big name, it appears that David Moyes has made the smarter albeit more expensive move by opting for the Burnley man.

With Kluivert labelled a “special talent” by football writer Ryan Baldi, some may question the decision to prioritise the Ivorian over him.

The Dutchman impressed on loan at Nice last season, scoring four goals and setting up five in 27 league appearances in a campaign which was also scuppered by injury.

Meanwhile, one man who made the move from Ligue 1 last year was Cornet, who enjoyed a fine debut season in the Premier League despite his team’s relegation. His nine league goals saw him top the scoring charts at Turf Moor and he was instrumental in putting up such a brave fight with the likes of Leeds United and Everton in the fight to avoid the drop.

That battle-hardened Premier League experience will be a huge motivator for Moyes in prioritising this deal, but it is not just Cornet’s goals which will have intrigued the Scotsman.

With Cornet averaging 1.13 tackles and 0.84 clearances per 90, this level of off-the-ball work rate could well have had an impact on the 59-year-old’s thinking.

The Ivorian not only offers a reliable goal threat, his stint at Burnley has proved that he is willing to get stuck in when it requires.

With Kluivert unproven in the English top flight and less prolific than Cornet in front of goal last term, Moyes appears to have chosen the smarter option in choosing which of the two to try and lure to the London Stadium.

An update has emerged regarding Sunderland’s pursuit of Matthew Hoppe in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Kristjaan Speakman is reportedly eyeing up a move for the USA international ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, according to MLS insider Tom Bogert.

The reporter has also claimed that one of the Black Cats’ Championship rivals have made a bid in the region of £2.5m for the attacker.

He tweeted: “Middlesbrough have made an offer to Mallorca for USMNT forward Matthew Hoppe, per sources. Offer is around $3m (including add-ons). Sunderland interested as well. Hoppe, 21, has six caps with the USMNT. Joined Mallorca last summer from Schalke.”

Forget about Nathan Broadhead

The Black Cats are said to be keen on a deal to bring Nathan Broadhead back to the club from Everton after his loan spell on Wearside last term. However, nothing is imminent, and Hoppe has now emerged as a potential alternative to the Welshman.

In the 2021/22 campaign, the Toffees loanee caught the eye as he scored 10 goals in 22 League One outings for Sunderland. He proved that he fits how Alex Neil wants to play and that he can perform alongside the players currently at the Stadium of Light.

However, it remains to be seen how Broadhead would handle the step up to Championship football. He has only proven himself in the third tier of English football, and it would be a gamble to expect him to replicate his form at a higher level.

Conversely, Hoppe would be dropping down a tier to arrive at the Stadium of Light. He played in La Liga for Mallorca last term, albeit that he only featured in five games, and he was in the Bundesliga with Schalke 04 for the 2020/21 campaign before his move to Spain.

The American, who was once dubbed “complete” by Jacek Kulig, caught the eye in Germany as he found the net six times in 15 starts, whilst setting up one goal for his team-mates. He has shown that he can score goals in a major European league, which suggests that he has the quality to perform in the second tier in England.

Therefore, the 21-year-old dynamo has the potential to be a superb signing for Sunderland if Speakman can beat Middlesbrough to his signature. Fans will quickly forget all about Broadhead if Hoppe comes through the door and starts banging in the goals week in, week out in the Championship.

AND in other news, Alan Nixon drops 12-word Sunderland transfer claim that’ll excite supporters…

Journalist Paul Brown has now claimed that Everton could sign Morgan Gibbs-White for a ‘brilliant bargain’.

The Lowdown: How much would Gibbs-White cost?

90min reported last month that Nottingham Forest were hopeful of completing a club-record £20m deal for the player, although The Athletic have recently claimed that Wolves will demand in the region of £30m for his services, with the Toffees also interested in his signature.

A 22-year-old Englishman playing in the Premier League, a fee of between £20m and £30m could be a good price for the central midfielder.

The Latest: ‘No-brainer’

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Brown has now claimed that signing Gibbs-White on a potential cut-price deal would be a ‘no-brainer’ and a ‘brilliant bargain’ for Everton, but he does not think that they would have enough money to sign the 22-year-old if Wolves demand a ‘big fee’.

The journalist said: “I think if there was some way of doing that for a brilliant bargain price, it will be a no-brainer, because of his age, but if it’s to command a big fee, I don’t think Everton have the money for that when they need to strengthen in other areas more.”

The Verdict: Get it done

If Everton can persuade Wolves to let Gibbs-White leave for closer to £20m, then it would be a deal that they must look to get done as soon as possible, in order to fend off competition from Forest and other potential suitors in the Premier League.

Hailed as ‘unreal’ last season by European football expert and journalist Alex Barker when he was on loan at Sheffield United, the midfield dynamo helped the Blades to reach the Championship play-off semi-finals.

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He scored an impressive 12 goals and registered 10 assists from the middle of the park (Transfermarkt), subsequently being named the club’s Player of the Year.

Nonetheless, this potential deal will be one to watch out for as the new season draws closer.

Liverpool are reportedly still interested in signing Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry as a replacement for Divock Origi this summer.

The Lowdown: Gnabry superb for Bayern

The German has excelled in a Bayern shirt in recent years, winning the Champions League and scoring 64 goals in 171 appearances for the Bundesliga champions.

Gnabry scored 14 goals and registered five assists in the league alone last season, while he will also be hoping to star for Germany in the upcoming World Cup.

His current Bayern deal expires next summer, however, and it could be that a fresh challenge comes his way before then.

The Latest: Reds still in the mix

According to Sport, Julian Ward and Co are keen on acquiring Gnabry’s signature this summer, seeing him as the right man to come in for the departed Origi and also Sadio Mane.

He is also seen as an alternative to Marco Asensio, who the Reds have also been linked with recently.

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The Verdict: Ideal fit, but is he needed?

Gnabry is a fantastic player who has been hailed as ‘world-class’ by Rio Ferdinand, so the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt is undoubtedly exciting.

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That being said, the former Arsenal man does turn 27 this summer and wouldn’t necessarily be a long-term acquisition – something Jurgen Klopp often looks for in his signings.

On top of that, Gnabry would surely be expecting to start every week but he would have Luis Diaz ahead of him in the pecking order in his left-sided attacking role. For that reason, it feels unlikely that a move happens immediately, but perhaps he could arrive and switch to the right flank if Mohamed Salah leaves next summer.

West Ham United could also now sell winger Said Benrahma as manager David Moyes and club owners GSB make big decisions on a number of first teamers.

The Lowdown: West Ham exodus?

The Hammers, having just missed out on a Europa League qualification place to Man United on the 2021/2022 Premier League final day, have been tipped to strengthen for next year.

West Ham reportedly have the likes of Jesse Lingard in their sight to bolster their attacking areas among other targets, but as per reports, just as many players could be heading out the other way.

The likes of Nikola Vlasic and Tomas Soucek have been linked with east London departures, and as per The Guardian, it appears GSB could now sell another player.

The Latest: Moyes makes Benrahma decision…

According to their information, West Ham ‘will consider offers’ for Algeria international Benrahma as manager Moyes looks to ‘increase his budget’.

The report adds that the 26-year-old’s inconsistent form has personally ‘frustrated’ the Irons boss who could now look to cash-in.

The Verdict: Right decision?

While Benrahma has arguably failed to turn it on more consistently, when at his very best, we believe he really is a terrific asset to have.

According to WhoScored, the former Brentford star ranks in among West Ham’s top five best-performing players by average match rating – all while attempting more shots at goal than any Hammers player bar star men Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio.

As well as this, only Antonio, Bowen and Declan Rice completed more successful take-ons per 90 than Benrahma over 21/22 – leaving little wonder he has been called ‘unplayable’ at times by former midfielder Joe Cole.

Former Aston Villa star Lee Hendrie has also raved over the ‘exciting’ player and we believe offloading him could be a hasty decision – even if Benrahma needs to add consistency to his game.

In other news: ‘I believe’…ExWHUemployee has some ‘great news’ for West Ham supporters, find out more here.

Phil Hay has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United forward Rodrigo.

What’s the talk?

Speaking on a recent episode of The Phil Hay Show, The Athletic journalist suggested that Leeds could be set to inform the 31-year-old that they will be willing to listen to offers for him in the summer transfer window.

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Concerning the Spain international’s future, Hay said: “It should be a transfer window where you might have to say to Rodrigo, ‘this isn’t working, we’re going to cut our losses with you, listen to offers for you,’ however you want to put it.”

Supporters will love Hay’s claim

Considering just how poor Rodrigo has been for Leeds this season, Hay’s claim that the club could look to put their club-record £27m signing up for sale this summer is sure to be news the Elland Road faithful will love.

Indeed, over his 31 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, the £13.5m-rated forward scored six goals, provided one assist and missed five big chances, as well as hitting the target with an average of a mere 0.6 shots, losing possession of the ball 11.5 times and winning just 2.9 duels – at a success rate of 38% – per game.

These metrics saw the £100k-per-week Spaniard average a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.80, ranking him as the Whites’ joint ninth-best performer in the English top flight.

And, while these returns are not completely disastrous, considering the enormous transfer fee Victor Orta paid for the 31-year-old, in addition to his extremely hefty weekly wage, it is no surprise that, on a recent poll ran by Football FanCast the vast majority of Leeds supporters revealed that they wanted their club to move the forward on this summer.

As such, it is clear to see that Hay’s claim concerning Rodrigo will undoubtedly be news all in LS11 will be glad to hear, as, unfortunately for the 27-time capped international, it has just not worked out in England.

AND in other news: “That could happen..”: Phil Hay drops big summer claim, Leeds supporters surely gutted

Celtic brought an end to their 2021/22 SPFL season in style on Saturday by beating Motherwell 6-0 at Parkhead.

The Hoops were officially announced as league champions after their 1-1 draw against Dundee United last week, leaving Ange Postecoglou with his first league title in his debut campaign in charge of the Hoops.

It was also revealed during the past week that Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton will be waving goodbye to the Parkhead club after nearly ten years of service together.

Rogic played a rather big part in Celtic’s latest title win by scoring six goals and delivering six assists in 27 league appearances.

Since arriving at Paradise back in January 2013, the Australian has gone on to make 272 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions.

In those appearances, the 29-year-old has scored 46 goals, delivered 49 assists and won numerous trophies in the process.

Taking all of this into account, the club will need to find a suitable replacement for their long-serving midfielder.

With that in mind, one figure that the Hoops have been linked with who could go on to become an ideal replacement for Rogic is Christopher Scott.

Earlier this year, it was claimed by Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg on Twitter that the Bayern Munich youngster had been in talks with the Parkhead club over a potential summer transfer move.

After working his way through Bayer Leverkusen’s youth ranks, the midfielder joined Bayern’s U19 squad during the 2020 January transfer window.

Throughout his short career, the 19-year-old has scored 44 goals and provided 17 assists in 115 appearances.

This highlights how much of a knack for scoring and providing goals he has, in a similar vein to Rogic during his time at Celtic Park.

This is backed up by Bhoys Analytics on Twitter who said that Scott “generates a lot of threat from [his] finishing and creativity.”

With Scott’s current contract at Bayern set to expire at the end of June, this possibility of signing the 19-year-old on a free transfer is something that Celtic should be all over this summer.

From a financial point of view, it could be a great business deal for the hierarchy to complete as well as being a potentially great footballing investment if Postecoglou can form the Bayern youngster into a full-fledged senior player at Celtic.

In other news: Ange can save Celtic millions by unleashing “outstanding” 18 y/o, he’s Bitton’s heir