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Nottingham Forest are close to securing a deal for Bayern Munich’s Omar Richards, and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club’s progress in making the signing.

What’s the latest?

Football correspondent for The Athletic David Ornstein has revealed an update with more details on the signing of Richards.

Ornstein tweeted this morning:

“Bayern Munich left-back Omar Richards travelled abroad last night for medical today, ahead of completing permanent move to Nottingham Forest. €8.5m + add-ons agreed & if all goes to plan 24yo expected to sign 4yr contract”

Cooper will be buzzing

There is no doubt that Nottingham Forest are getting stuck into the summer transfer window ahead of their long-awaited return to the Premier League next month.

With four signings already joining the newly-promoted side, Steve Cooper will surely be buzzing to add his fifth in the coming hours and days if all goes well with Richards medical.

The Bayern Munich left-back has had a taste of success with his German side winning the title last season and despite limited game time, Richards has played a role in getting the victory.

In just 12 appearances and five starts in the Bundesliga, the 24-year-old had an impressive pass accuracy of 92% in his own half, made 1.6 tackles on average per game, as well as winning the majority of his ground and aerial duels combined (61%) and successfully completed the majority of his dribble attempts too (73%).

Following Richards’ experience with Bayern Munich, Forest can hope that the player brings the winning mentality that would have been drilled into him whilst competing with the German giants to help them simply retain their Premier League status and challenge in the league for years to come.

Cooper is clearly keen to operate with wing-backs when competing in the top flight next season, as the club have also agreed on a deal with Liverpool to sign their rarely seen right-back Neco Williams, as a result, the manager is surely hoping he can build a formidable partnership between the young Welshman and Richards.

With that being said, the signing of the left-back could be a major coup for Forest if they can continue to develop Richards’ talent at The City Ground with more consistent first-team football, something that he has clearly been deprived of in Germany.

AND in other news: “Will join..”: John Percy drops big Forest transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has reacted to Ryan Sessegnon dropping a potential huge Djed Spence transfer hint on Instagram.

The Lowdown: Spence close to Spurs move

The Lilywhites are looking to bolster their hometown ranks ahead of the start of the new season, and the Middlesbrough right-back is someone who the Premier League giants have been in talks with for the past few weeks after being impressed by his fine form on loan at Nottingham Forest last season.

The 21-year-old is believed to be keen on making the move to North London, and it’s been reported by The Telegraph that the two parties are now on the verge of reaching an agreement for a fee in the region of £15m for the defender, who is claimed to be ready to link up with Antonio Conte and the rest of the squad in time for their Korean pre-season tour this weekend.

The Latest: Gold reacts to Sessegnon hint

On Monday evening, Spence took to Instagram to post a highlight reel from his time at Forest, but it got plenty of Tottenham fans talking when they noticed Sessegnon’s response, simply commenting “You know what to do now” with three flame emojis.

Gold reacted to the social media activity by taking to Twitter himself, writing:

“I believe the expression is ‘Agent Sess’, although technically his reply could mean two different things, and yes it’s just a bit of fun.”

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The Verdict: One for the future

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Conte wanted at least six new signings through the door at Hotspur Way, one of those positions being a right wing-back, and with four having already arrived, it looks like Spence will be the next to follow in their footsteps.

The England U21 starlet has great attacking ability down the flank, having registered five assists and scored three times in all competitions under Steve Cooper last season, as per Transfermarkt, an attribute that the Italian requires in his Spurs formation.

Spence is a highly-rated talent, and for someone still at such a young age, he’s got bags of potential and could go on to be part of a team at Tottenham seriously capable of challenging in the near future.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon has been the subject of an approach from Fulham, according to a report from Football Insider.

The lowdown: Flattered to deceive

Signed from Swansea for an initial £11million in October 2020 (Sky Sports), Rodon appeared to have the world at his feet having made a bright start to life as a senior performer in the Championship.

However, the 24-year-old seasoned Wales international has failed to make the desired impact in N17, making just 24 appearances for Spurs, completing 90 minutes on just 13 occasions since joining.

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Following a report from Football.London claiming Rodon is seeking pastures new during the ongoing transfer window, a fresh claim has emerged suggesting that at least one suitor have already made their intentions known…

The latest: Approach made

As per Football Insider, newly-promoted Fulham are believed to have ‘made a new move’ for the 27-cap ace.

It’s claimed that the London club have been in contact with the Lilywhites to ‘register their interest’ in Rodon ahead of a possible transfer.

The report also states that Tottenham and Antonio Conte are ‘willing to sell’ the man once hailed as ‘perfect’ by former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho – who the Welshman has also been linked to a reunion with at AS Roma.

The verdict: Too soon

Although things haven’t exactly gone to plan for Rodon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), cutting ties with the talented centre-back having beat competition from West Ham to make the signing, seems premature from the hierarchy.

Instead, having this week secured the services of Clement Lenglet on loan from Barcelona, Fabio Paratici should be looking to sanction a temporary loan move for the towering 6 foot 3 warrior or at worst, a permanent exit with a potential buyback clause in the future.

But, after it was confirmed that Rodon was one of those fringe squad players who hadn’t travelled with the squad for the tour of South Korea, it appears as though the writing could be on the wall for the £7.2million valued man.

Reputable journalist Pete O’Rourke has delivered his verdict on what Leon Bailey could offer to Aston Villa next season. 

The lowdown: Bailey’s frustrating first year at Villa

Signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £25m last summer (BBC), the winger struggled to make the desired impact at Villa Park due to persistent injury issues which saw the flying Jamaican miss nine games with a thigh problem.

The 24-year-old arrived in the Midlands having directly contributed to 65 goals in 156 appearances for Leverkusen and made a dream start to life as a Villan with an assist on his debut against Watford in the Premier League.

However, despite only managing 754 minutes of action in the top flight last term, one well-informed onlooker has suggested that Steven Gerrard could essentially view Bailey as a fresh addition to the ranks ahead of the 2022/23 campaign…

The latest: ‘Like a new signing’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has claimed that the 17-cap Jamaica dynamo can still be a ‘top performer’ for Aston Villa next term.

He said: “Leon Bailey did arrive with a lot of expectation on his shoulders after that big-money move from Bayer Leverkusen.

“Fitness issues prevented Villa fans from seeing the best of him, but I’m sure he will be hungry to prove a point this season and can show he can be a top performer for Aston Villa because he’s definitely got it in him, and he could almost be like a new signing for Villa if he goes and hits the ground running.”

The verdict: Tough ask

After completing the permanent capture of Philippe Coutinho, Gerrard is blessed with options in the wide areas, with Emiliano Buendia, Bertrand Traore and youth prospect Jaden Philogene-Bidace all at the manager’s disposal.

However, there can be little doubt that, at peak form and fitness, Bailey – who was described as an ‘explosive winger’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – can force his way into the 42-year-old’s plans and, most importantly, stay there.

Last season, the versatile £22.5m-valued Jamaican scored once and provided two assists in 18 appearances for the Midlands club in what was a stop-start first season in England for the attacker.

Sharing similar stylistic traits with the likes of Sevilla ace Lucas Ocampos, Lille sensation Timothy Weah and Everton forward Demarai Grey (FBRef) and possessing many of the requisite attacking attributes to succeed as an elite-level winger (WhoScored), Bailey could yet have a huge influence on Gerrard’s side.

Nottingham Forest have been linked with a move for Emmanuel Dennis throughout the transfer window and now a reliable source has given an update on the club’s pursuit of the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to Express journalist Ryan Taylor, Nottingham Forest have now held discussions with the Watford forward’s agent Drew Uyi.

As per the report, no concrete offers have been submitted to Watford for Dennis as of yet but Everton, Southampton and West Ham United join Forest in the race to acquire the player’s services ahead of next season.

It’d be a huge coup

Despite signing 12 new players so far, Steve Cooper has reportedly identified the striker role as one of the key positions that still needs strengthening this summer, and if Forest can secure a deal for Dennis it would be a huge coup for the newly-promoted side.

Despite being relegated with Watford last season, the Nigerian forward has proven he is more than capable of offering a consistent and reliable attacking threat in the Premier League and was the club’s top goal scorer in their ill-fated campaign.

Over 33 Premier League appearances, Dennis scored 10 goals and contributed six assists, with 2.13 shots per 90 mins, 91 shot-creating actions, won the majority of his tackles (28/46) and successfully received the majority of his passes (62.9%).

The 24-year-old who has a reported price tag of £25m has been lavished with praise following his outstanding performances and progression over his career, with a member of the Nigeria coaching staff Tunde Adelakun hailing Dennis as “very skilful” in an assessment of the player’s style of play with The Athletic:

“He (Dennis) is a very skilful player and confident in his abilities with a cocky attitude on the pitch that he can do anything that he wants to do with the ball.”

If Cooper is indeed looking for another forward to bolster his front-line when Nottingham Forest make their long-awaited return to the top flight, then Dennis could be a great option for the Reds as he clearly has a lot of talent and strengths that the Welsh manager can take advantage of.

With that being said, the signing of Dennis should be a priority for Forest because they will need to make sure they have enough talent and creativity to covert their chances going forward next season and the Watford star could be the perfect profile of player to deliver that.

AND in other news:, “Terms agreed”: Forest closing in on 13th signing after Mangala, Cooper will be elated…

Manchester United are in ongoing talks with Ajax to sign Antony, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Antony links

The Red Devils have already been in successful negotiations with Ajax this summer by signing defender Lisandro Martinez.

The Argentine has made the move to Old Trafford in a deal thought to be worth £56.7m and has penned a five-year contract.

Right-winger Antony, labelled as a ‘sensational player in the making’ by Ajax super-fan TheEuropeanLad, has also been heavily linked with a reunion under Erik ten Hag, and it looks as if United haven’t given up hope over a potential transfer.

The Latest: Talks already ‘starting to happen again’

After talkSPORT reported last week that the Red Devils are still interested, Jones tells GiveMeSport that he’s hearing talks are already happening again over a possible deal.

“I’ve heard that conversations are starting to happen again. I’d say there’s nothing super new to report on it. But it’s definitely one that they’ve still got on their radar.”

The Verdict: Needed

Antony is just 22 years of age but is already a full Brazil international and has scored 26 goals at club level, which has resulted in his Transfermarkt valuation almost doubling to £31.5m during his time in the Netherlands.

Ten Hag knows how to get the best out of the forward, and you’d expect that Antony will only improve on his already impressive game in years to come.

Therefore, bringing him to Manchester could be an inspired piece of business by United officials, which could solve their right-wing shortage for the foreseeable future, leaving Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford to battle it out for a place on the left.

Celtic are reportedly not looking to make a move to sign Maccabi Haifa midfielder Mohammed Abu Fani this summer.

What’s the latest?

In a recent report for Football Scotland, journalist Mark Hendry emphatically ruled out the prospect of the 24-year-old coming to the Premiership champions.

He stated: “We have now been told by two separate sources that Fani, 24, is NOT being looked at by the Scottish champions.

“We can also reveal that there were no representatives of the club watching from the stands as Fani scored the fourth and final goal of his side’s impressive Champions League qualifier to knock their opponents out over two legs.

“Football Scotland understands the player may well indeed leave Maccabi Haifa this summer but the likelihood of it being to Glasgow with Celts is very low.”

It was originally reported in June that the Parkhead club had their eye on securing a potential summer move for the Israel international.

Bad news for Celtic supporters

Taking into account how Celtic have seen the likes of Nir Bitton, Tom Rogic and Ismaila Soro make moves away from Glasgow since the end of last season, it’s safe to say that the midfield, particularly in a defensive-midfield sense, is something that the Hoops may need to strengthen before the transfer window closes.

Also, with the Bhoys missing out on signing Vinicius Souza and Fausto Vera, this update that the club are not looking to sign Abu Fani could be disappointing for Celtic fans to hear, especially with the new season starting this weekend.

Even though the club have recently brought in Aaron Mooy to help strengthen the midfield, the Bhoys should use the remaining weeks of the transfer window to bring in another option who can sit in front of the back four and act as a defensive shield in the middle of the park.

Bearing in mind how the Hoops will not only have the Premiership title to retain and the other domestic trophies to try and win, but also the Champions League to take on this season, having a strong, well- stacked squad in every position could be the difference between the club having a successful season or not.

AND in other news – “Celtic are”: Anthony Joseph drops behind-the-scenes transfer claim that Hoops supporters will love

Leeds United have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring Che Adams to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent report by The Athletic, in which it is claimed that, following a number of reports linking Victor Orta with a move for the 26-year-old in recent weeks, Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is believed to be open to the centre-forward’s sale this summer, thus giving the Spanish director and any other willing suitors the thumbs up to launch a bid for the Scotland international.

Previous reports have suggested that Saints would be looking for an offer in the region of £10m in order to sanction the departure of the former Birmingham City starlet, while Nottingham Forest are also thought to be interested in a deal for the Southampton striker over the remainder of the summer window.

Imagine him & Bamford

While Adams may not be a Leeds signing who arouses quite as much excitement amongst the Elland Road faithful as the likes of Charles De Ketelaere, Arnaud Kalimuendo or Martin Terrier – all three of whom have been linked with the Whites this summer – it is nevertheless easy to see why Orta would be interested in a deal to bring the 26-year-old to LS11 prior to September’s transfer deadline.

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Indeed, over his 30 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, the £16.2m-rated forward was in fine form for Southampton, bagging seven goals, providing three assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles per game.

These metrics saw the £52k-per-week talent average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.85, ranking him as Hasenhuttl’s joint sixth-best performer in the top flight of English football last time out.

And, when comparing Adams’ returns to those of Marsch’s first-team squad last season, not only would the 26-year-old rank as the club’s third-highest goalscorer in the league but also as the second-highest big chance creator and joint seventh-best performer overall.

As such, the prospect of the 26-year-old lining up alongside a fit-again Patrick Bamford – who scored 17 goals over 38 Premier League appearances back in 2020/21 – in the Whites’ attack this season will certainly be an extremely tantalising one for Marsch, especially if the player who Ross McCafferty dubbed “unreal” is available for a figure in the region of just £10m this summer.

Celtic are back in SPFL action tomorrow for an early afternoon kick off against Kilmarnock away from home.

Their previous league match saw them secure a 3-1 victory over Ross County at Dingwall thanks to goals from Kyogo Furuhashi, Moritz Jenz and Liel Abada.

On the chalkboard

Hoops boss, Ange Postecoglou, gave Jenz his debut for the club last weekend, following his arrival from Lorient last month, and he managed to repay his new manager with a goal that put the Bhoys back ahead after a goal from Alex Lacovitti levelled the score for the home team.

With tomorrow’s game in mind, another debut that we feel the Australian should give out this time around is one for left-back Alexandro Bernabei.

Signed from Argentina club Lanus earlier in the transfer window, the defender was an unused substitute for both of Celtic’s opening two league games of the season.

Bearing in mind how Greg Taylor lost nine out of the 11 duels he was involved in against County, failed to successfully complete any of the three dribbles he attempted and lost possession (18) more times than any other Hoops defender, this should make it an easy decision for Postecoglou to take him out and give Bernabei his first taste of SPFL action.

This display ultimately earned the Scotsman an overall match rating of 6.3/10, making him the lowest-rated Celtic player on the day according to SofaScore.

In terms of what the Argentine would be able to offer the Hoops, his previous league campaign with Lanus saw him end the season with the second-highest number of crosses (93), interceptions (33) and successful tackles (32) at the club, this shows that not only could he help the Bhoys defensively but also help them up the pitch as well by setting up goalscoring opportunities with his crosses.

This backs up why the 21-year-old was described as a “dangerous” player on the pitch by journalist Fernando Campos on Twitter.

Taking into account how Kilmarnock have won the joint-highest number of tackles (24) before this weekend’s round of league fixtures, having an attacking full-back like Bernabei on the pitch could be the better option for Postecoglou on this occasion.

Moving forward, this could be an ideal time for the Hoops boss to give Celtic’s new full-back his time to shine in the team.

West Ham United are close to agreeing a deal to bring Emerson Palmieri to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to ExWHUemployee, with the club insider revealing in a recent post on The West Ham Way that, despite having an initial £13m bid for the left-back rejected by Chelsea, David Moyes’ side remain in talks with the Blues over a deal for the 28-year-old, with an agreement now thought to be close between the two clubs.

In his post, Ex said: “I am told that whilst the initial offer for the Italian international Emerson was turned down, we are still in talks with Chelsea and that an agreement is said to be close to happening.”

Moyes should be buzzing

With it being well known that one of West Ham’s priorities over the remainder of the summer transfer window was the addition of a new left-back, Ex’s claim that a deal to bring Emerson to the London Stadium is now close should have left Moyes buzzing.

While it is true that the 28-year-old’s £20m move to Chelsea has not exactly worked out as planned – with the Italy international having featured just 71 times for the club over his four-and-a-half year spell at Stamford Bridge – the full-back nevertheless proved just how astute a signing he would be for the Hammers while on loan at Olympique Lyonnais last season.

Indeed, based on his 2849 minutes played in domestic leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days, FBref rank the £12.6m-rated defender in the top 8% of full-backs for passes attempted per 90, as well as the top 11% for passes completed, the top 21% for progressive carries, the top 29% for dribbles completed and the top 30% for shot-creating actions.

As such, it is clear to see that the £75k-per-week talent is extremely effective in a creative capacity, a trait that is known to be something Moyes is looking for in the signing of a new left-back this summer.

Furthermore, FBref also rank the 27-cap international in the top 36% of full-backs for shots per 90 over the past 12 months, in addition to the top 42% for non-penalty xG, the top 35% for xG assisted – xG that follows a pass which assists a shot – and the top 36% for touches in the opposition penalty area – metrics that prove his efficiency when presented with chances of his own in the final third.

So, it would appear as if the 28-year-old defender is very much a perfect fit for the type of left-back Moyes was hoping to add to his options at West Ham this summer, leading us to believe that Ex’s claim that – following the club’s prospective £10.1m signing of Thilo Kehrer – the Hammers are close to agreeing a deal for the defender as their seventh summer signing is sure to have left the 59-year-old buzzing.