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Arsenal are confident that Reiss Nelson will sign a long-term contract to stay at the club very soon, journalist Charles Watts has revealed.

What's the latest on Nelson and Arsenal?

The 23-year-old has struggled to break into the Arsenal first team this season as a result of injuries and the form of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, but has delivered when called upon as a substitute.

His cameo against Bournemouth saw him provide an assist for the equaliser and score a stunning winner as Arsenal completed a dramatic comeback, and some impressive substitute appearances followed as he finished the season with six goals and assists in 18 games across all competitions.

Nelson's contract expires this summer, and it appeared that he was going to depart the club, but he now looks set to stay following a breakthrough in talks.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts revealed that there is now confidence within the club that the winger is going to commit his future to Mikel Arteta's side.

"All signs are that this is going to be a done deal with Reiss Nelson and his contract, after rejecting a few previous offers," he stated.

"A breakthrough in talks has happened and people that I'm speaking to at Arsenal think this is going to happen. Until it's signed, until it's done, you never know something can change and other clubs can come in and wave a big contract offer under his nose and he could decide to go elsewhere.

"But at the moment there is a lot of positivity that Reiss Nelson will sign his new contract, we're just waiting for it to be done and announced."

What are Arsenal's aims for Nelson?

Given that Saka played in every league game last season, Nelson can be used more as rotational cover for the England international as Arsenal return to the Champions League.

Losing Nelson for free would have made a replacement necessary, and keeping Nelson, even with a wage rise, would likely be better value than spending a large fee on another winger, when Saka and Martinelli are the undisputed first choice options.

Arteta recently described Nelson as "important," and it is hard to imagine a scenario where Nelson will have committed his future to the club without assurances over his game time.

The winger was once regarded as one of the best talents in the academy, and after a difficult few seasons and a number of loan spells away, it now seems that he is in prime position to fulfil his potential at the club.

Everton stand a good chance of keeping midfield powerhouse Amadou Onana beyond the summer transfer window, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's going on with Onana and Everton?

The midfielder has had an impressive first campaign in English football since joining from Lille last year, and earlier this season had attracted transfer interest from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.

The 21-year-old helped Everton survive the threat of relegation, and although there may be fears that he could depart this summer, the Toffees may be able to keep hold of one of their star players.

Speaking on the Here We Go Podcast, Romano claimed that Chelsea's pursuit of Manuel Ugarte is their priority, meaning any current move for Onana is unlikely, and that Everton stand a good chance of keeping the Belgian.

"I think Everton have a chance to keep the player, it's not going to be easy, but they have a chance because he really loves the club," he stated.

"He loves the atmosphere, the city, his teammates. So he has a special connection with the club. And also at the moment, while we're speaking there is nothing advanced.

"I saw new rumours about Chelsea in the last 24/48 hours, but I'm told that Chelsea are busy with Ugarte, this midfielder from Sporting, so they have not made Onana a priority.

"This is positive news for Everton. Also, let's see what's going to happen in the coming months, because maybe in July or August, some big club will arrive with big money on Onana, but at the moment the situation is quiet and the player is not desperate to leave."

How important is Onana to Everton?

The midfielder has provided a strong presence in the middle of the park for Everton and was described as "superb" following a player-of-the-match display in his side's victory over Arsenal.

Everton won just eight league games all season, and Onana started in seven of them, highlighting just how crucial he is to Sean Dyche's side, who struggled to find victory without him in the team.

The Toffees will be hoping to avoid another season where they are involved in a tense relegation battle, and building around younger talents like Onana could help them to start progressing up the table.

If a big bid does arrive for Onana, then the club may have to consider a sale, but they will be wary of the potential consequences of losing such an important player ahead of what could be another difficult campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to steal a wonderful signing from under the nose of a Premier League rival.

What’s the latest on Manor Solomon to Tottenham Hotspur?

That’s according to journalists Jack Pitt-Brooke and Peter Rutzler, who claim that Daniel Levy has sparked an interest in signing Manor Solomon on a free transfer.

Writing for The Athletic, they suggest that the chairman will seek to capitalise on a technicality this summer, which will see the Israeli winger leave his parent club, Shakhtar Donetsk, on a free transfer.

Despite spending the year on loan at Fulham, the Lilywhites are reportedly at the front of the queue for the 23-year-old.

How good is Manor Solomon?

Although the diminutive wide man had built up a reputation before his move to England, most notably for his role in the Ukraine outfits demolition of Real Madrid in 2020, it was only after his move to Craven Cottage that more casual fans became aware of his talents.

Despite only scoring four times across 19 games this term, almost all the strikes were something truly magnificent to behold, including in the FA Cup triumph over Leeds United.

Journalist Josh Bunting even noted just how “stunning” the start of his year had been on Twitter after he had headed home an equaliser against Brentford.

With a seemingly patented technique for finding the net, cutting in from the left onto his favoured right foot, even Solomon’s running style mirrors that of Heung-min Son alongside this consistent scoring style.

Those fine finishes are best compared to the South Korean’s north London derby scorcher in 2020, as he too came inside from that flank to curl home from all of 30 yards.

Whilst their actual numbers are far from similar, Solomon has only been limited to 31 minutes per game in the league, thus explaining his lack of proficiency.

Son’s ten goals in the league have come across 2,899 minutes of play time, and thus has averaged a goal every 289 minutes. Conversely, across a cumulative 561 minutes for the Cottagers’ star, he instead finds the net on average once every 140 minutes. That does little to offset the gulf shown when the 30-year-old is on form, as he notched 23 goals last season, but remains worth noting.

Whilst their shared stature also likens Son and Solomon, the latter’s aforementioned penchant for the big occasion mirrors the former Bayer Leverkusen star, who showcased his quality in their fierce derby whilst also having scored five against Liverpool and four against Manchester United, via Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, the £20k-per-week trickster scored in both of their wins over Real Madrid in the 2020/21 campaign, as they defied the odds. This was alongside nine league goals from the flank too, to compound a successful season.

Whilst fans might note this as an underwhelming signing by Levy, again seeking to find a bargain rather than a quality option in the market, his similarities to Son would make him the perfect understudy to push him back to those old goalscoring ways.

Journalist Alan Galindo has slammed Celtic winger Jota for his "quiet afternoon" as the Bhoys failed to win in their most recent game.

What's the latest on Celtc vs St Mirren?

Ange Postecoglou and co required a late equaliser to ensure they kept their unbeaten domestic home run alive, extending it to 51 games in a row with a draw against St Mirren on Saturday.

Indeed, Celtic fell behind after only four minutes as Curtis Main opened the scoring before Kyogo Furuhashi slammed the ball home to make it 1-1 ten minutes later.

Main, however, put the away team a goal ahead before half time and it took until the 81st minute before Callum McGregor rescued a point with a late equaliser.

As you can see from the result, the Bhoys clearly weren't at their best on the day and it sounds as though one man in particular failed to make much of a positive impact.

Indeed, as noted by Galindo in the player ratings for Glasgow Live, Jota delivered an underwhelming 6/10 display and had a: "Quiet afternoon by his standards."

What award has Jota won for Celtic?

While there have certainly been more damning criticisms fired at Celtic players in the past, this sub-par display of Jota's catches the eye because he is usually so good.

Against St Mirren, the SofaScore stats show just how poor he was as he gave the ball away with real regularity, losing possession 26 times – which was more than any other player on the pitch.

He also failed to have a single shot on target, with three attempted; was successful with just two of nine attempted crosses; and was dribbled past as well.

This is hardly what we've come to expect from the £17k-p/w Celtic winger who was recently awarded the PFA Scotland goal of the season award for his superb chip against Rangers in that 4-0 Old Firm victory last September.

After the game, manager Postecoglou certainly didn't seem to happy with the overall standards shown by his side on the day.

Indeed, he told the press (via BBC Sport): "It was a tough game. St Mirren worked hard as they have all year and that's why they are what they are.

"We've gone off it a little bit the last couple of weeks, particularly the defensive side of the game, and when you do that, it's very hard then for us to play the football we want to.

Rangers midfielder Aaron Ramsey may have played his last game for the Ibrox club, journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed.

The Lowdown: January loan move

The 31-year-old arrived at Ibrox in January after making a short-term loan switch during the winter transfer window.

Disappointingly, various injuries and moments to forget saw the Welshman limited to just nine starts in all competitions for the Gers,  only five of which were in the Premiership.

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The Latest: Ramsey touted for Rangers exit

The Juventus midfielder’s arrival at Rangers looked a real coup at the time for the Light Blues, with Ibrox chief Ross Wilson hailing Ramsey’s “wonderful character” upon coming to Glasgow, but the loan deal ultimately proved to be underwhelming for the Wales international.

As a result, O’Rourke thinks that the 31-year-old may have played his last game for the club, telling GiveMeSport: “I’m sure Aaron Ramsey looked like he enjoyed his time at Rangers.

“But a deal would have to be subsidised because of his wages at Juventus if Rangers were to bring him back. As it stands right now, it looks like he might have played his last game for the club.”

The Verdict: What went wrong?

Ramsey’s lucrative move to Serie A side Juventus shares similarities to that of his short-term loan switch to Rangers, as the Welshman’s struggles to keep himself fit overshadowed his performances on the pitch. Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst even acknowledged the 31-year-old’s “quality”, but also admitted that the midfield wizard occasionally had a “difficult” time of it in Glasgow.

In fact, the midfielder was ranked just 14th out of the entire Rangers squad for his performances in the Premiership (via SofaScore), while his last (and telltale) contribution in blue may well have been the agonising penalty miss in the shoot-out defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final.

Therefore, it indeed seems unlikely that we will see Ramsey in a Blues shirt again next season.

In other news: One Rangers man is reportedly close to signing a new contract

Journalist Jacque Talbot has revealed that Newcastle United now ‘want’ to sign Renan Lodi this summer.

The Lowdown: Targett alternative?

It is not guaranteed that the St. James’ Park faithful will sign Matt Targett on a permanent deal from Aston Villa this window, despite 97.5% of surveyed supporters wanting him to stay.

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Thus, they may have to look at other targets in the left-back area in case the Englishman stays put at Villa Park, albeit in what would be a pretty surprising twist.

The Latest: Lodi wanted

Taking to Twitter, Talbot has revealed that they now ‘want’ to sign Lodi, with the Atletico Madrid left-back ‘keen’ on a move to the North East:

“Told Renan Lodi is yet to hear from Atletico and Newcastle regarding the move but club want him and the player is keen.”

The Verdict: Options…

Of course, the Tyneside outfit could still go back in for Targett, but it is good to see them exploring other options, especially in the form of Lodi.

Described as a ‘very dangerous’ player by Atletico manager Diego Simeone, the Brazilian has proven himself at the highest level, playing in the UEFA Champions League this season, while also helping Atletico win the La Liga title last campaign ahead of the likes of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

Nonetheless, the Magpies were already able to lure another one of their full-backs in Kieran Trippier to the club in January, and so they should back themselves to get a deal done for Lodi as well.

In other news, find out which ‘exemplary’ soldier NUFC are now ready to sign here!

West Bromwich Albion haven’t been shy when it comes to spending money on bringing new players to the club over recent years.

Taking a look into the past, though, it seems that the Midlands club made the mistake of not signing one player in particular when they had the chance, indecision which they will have undoubtedly gone on to regret.

According to former Albion technical director Dan Ashworth, the club were interested in signing Nemanja Matic before he joined Chelsea in 2009.

Ashworth revealed that the Baggies could have signed the Serbian for a cut-price fee of €200k (£170k) but ultimately didn’t.

In the 2009 summer transfer window, the west London club secured the midfielder from Slovakian outfit MFK Kosice in a deal worth £1.5m. The Blues then sold Matic to Portuguese club Benfica in 2011 before re-signing him for £21m in January 2014.

In the summer of 2017, the midfielder made the move to Manchester United in a deal worth a reported £40m.

With 526 senior club appearances under his belt, the 33-year-old – who is currently picking up £120k-per-week according to Salary Sport – has scored 25 goals and delivered 36 assists across all competitions.

The veteran has also won numerous trophies in his career, including three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and one League Cup, all with Chelsea.

Since the 2017/18 season, the former Stamford Bridge colossus has racked up an average pass completion percentage of 88.2%, along with 198 shot-creating actions, 230 tackles, 207 successful aerial duels and 182 interceptions in the Premier League.

This shows just how impressive the 33-year-old he has been in the English top flight for so many years and highlights the sort of player that the Baggies could have had in their ranks.

Labelled a “top-class professional” by his United boss Ralf Rangnick and a “genius” on the pitch by his former manager Jose Mourinho, Matic would undeniably have been a great signing for West Brom if they were able to get him for the fee that Ashworth mentioned.

Despite the nightmare outcome of missing out on signing the former Chelsea star, Albion will have to put it behind them and focus on the players they currently have in their squad, along with those they want to sign in the summer.

In other news: West Brom can finally land Pereira replacement as Bruce now eyes £6.3m “game changer”

Manchester City are three games away from potentially securing their fourth Premier League title in five years.

Despite the focus being on making sure they lift the league trophy once these three games are played, it seems as though a development has emerged regarding a potential summer transfer swoop that the Citizens have been mentioned with recently.

What’s the news?

According to journalist David Ornstein in a recent report for The Athletic, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has “opted against” joining City after the Frenchman was linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium last week.

Given how successful City have been in recent years in terms of winning domestic trophies, it’s surprising that the France international has passed up a potential opportunity to join them.

With 233 senior appearances to his name for the Red Devils, Pogba has found the net 39 times and delivered 51 assists.

Supporters will be gutted

During his time with Juventus between 2012 and 2016, the Frenchman scored 34 goals and provided 40 assists in 178 appearances across all competitions.

This shows just how much of an attacking and creative player the 29-year-old can be from the midfield and why it’ll be a blow for City to potentially miss out on signing him on a free transfer this summer once his deal at Old Trafford runs out.

The City fans will also be gutted to hear that a move across town from United won’t be on the cards.

Given the success that the Citizens had with their 2009 swoop for Carlos Tevez, who went on to score 73 goals in 148 appearances for them, it would have been a great sight for the City fans to see something similar happen with Pogba, having both had spells with United.

Furthermore, with current City midfielder Fernandinho set to leave the club in the summer when his contract expires, they will now have to look elsewhere in order to find a suitable replacement for the Brazilian veteran, and presumably at a costly price too.

In other news: “Man City will..”: Romano drops behind scenes transfer claim, it’s bad news for Pep

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronkhorst has been handed a big lift at Ibrox ahead of next season’s Champions League…

What’s the talk?

A decision has now been made that will have big implications for teams in Scotland and Rangers specifically as it directly impacts how they will be able to qualify for the Champions League next term.

Indeed, The Scotsman have reported that UEFA has now decided to ban all teams in Russia from European competitions for the 2022/23 campaign.

For starters, the champions of the Premiership will gain automatic qualification for the competition, with Rangers currently sitting six points behind their rivals in the table.

Secondly, the runners-up in the Scottish top-flight will now enter into the third qualification round, instead of the second, next term.

Van Bronckhorst will be delighted

The Ibrox giants head coach will surely be delighted with this news as it is a huge boost to his side heading into next season.

This change to the qualification rules means that the Gers have a better chance of making the group stages of the Champions League as they will not have to play the first two games that they would have otherwise had to play.

They are set to skip the second round, assuming they finish second in the Premiership and do not win the Europa League, and van Bronckhorst will be buzzing with that. Not only does it increase their chances of qualifying, as it removes the possibility of them being knocked out before the third stage, but it also means that his players have two fewer games to deal with.

Rangers will, therefore, have a smaller risk of burning their players out as they will save, at least, 180 minutes of football in the early parts of 2022/23. The head coach will be delighted by this as it will keep his players fresh and fit to compete on all fronts next season, with the Gers potentially competing in the Champions League, Premiership and both domestic cups.

Although, it is worth stressing that Rangers can still qualify for the group stages of Europe’s premier competition without needing to go through the qualifying rounds. If they are able to overturn their 1-0 deficit against RB Leipzig on Thursday and then win in the final of the Europa League then they will follow the winners of the Premiership into the tournament at the same stage.

AND in other news, Rangers played an Ibrox blinder with £22k-pw “cornerstone” who’s like “Graeme Souness”…

Manchester United are reportedly ‘on pole’ to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer.

The Lowdown: Nunez links with Man Utd

New United manager Erik ten Hag is set to make a start on the club’s summer targets soon, and it looks as if a star striker is high on his wish list.

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Benfica’s Darwin Nunez has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford, with recent reports suggesting that Ten Hag has made an ‘express request’ to sign the Uruguayan.

United are now ‘one of the best-placed clubs’ to land the  22-year-old striker this summer, but it looks as if another marquee forward could arrive in Osimhen.

The Latest: Osimhen transfer latest

Sport Witness relayed an update from La Repubblica regarding United and Osimhen.

They claimed that the Red Devils are currently ‘on pole’ to sign the Nigeria international, although Premier League rivals Newcastle United are also ‘ready to go crazy’ for the Napoli star.

A €90m (£76.8m) figure was mooted for the 23-year-old, who was labelled ‘highly unpredictable’ during his time at Wolfsburg.

The Verdict: Sign them both?

You could argue that United could do with signing both strikers this summer, with Edinson Cavani set to leave the club at the end of the season.

Ten Hag could be left with Cristiano Ronaldo as his only senior centre-forward, although Anthony Martial will return from his Sevilla loan spell in the summer.

Nunez and Osimhen have both had outstanding seasons in front of goal, and with the former able to play out wide and in a deeper second striker role, they could both possibly find a spot in Ten Hag’s side.

However, the pair would come at a big cost, potentially more than £150m combined, a figure which is thought to be just about within Ten Hag’s budget.

In other news: Man Utd want to hijack Man City’s move for ‘explosive’ star who ‘has no weakness’.