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Newcastle United appear to be in the market to further strengthen their defence in the summer transfer window after signing Nick Pope, Sven Botman and Matt Targett.

It has been reported this month that the Magpies have had an offer in the region of €33m (£28m) rejected by Sporting Lisbon for centre-back Goncalo Inacio, with the Portuguese club looking for a fee to match his €45m (£38m) release clause.

Eddie Howe must push the club to meet those demands, as the 20-year-old tank has the potential to be the ex-Bournemouth coach’s own version of Ruben Dias.

Journalist Zach Lowy previously dubbed Inacio “underrated” and Portuguese football expert Daniel Oliviera compared him to the Manchester City machine, saying: “Dias was always a natural leader and Inácio’s communication may be one area in which he can improve.

“Physically speaking, I believe the young Sporting defender would be able to handle the Premier League, as he is very strong in the tackle and in the air.

“He’s also smart in his defending, as just two bookings all season will tell you. In terms of his quality on the ball, I would probably rate Inácio higher than Dias – he’s very good on the deck and has a 91% pass completion rate in the Primeira Liga this term.

“Like I say, it’s hard to make comparisons. I’m 100% sure about one thing: the 20-year-old Inacio is a better player than Ruben Dias was at the same age.”

His statistics last season suggest that he is at a similar point in his career as Dias was in his last campaign for Sporting. In the 2021/22 Portuguese top flight, Inacio averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.15 in 28 appearances, making 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game and winning 56% of his individual battles.

His compatriot averaged a rating of 7.23 and made 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game – winning 61% of his duels – in 2019/20 to earn himself a move to the Etihad Stadium.

Since making the switch to Manchester, Dias has won two Premier League titles in two campaigns and claimed the Premier League Player of the Season award in 2020/21.

If Inacio can come in and make even half of the impact that his former Sporting team-mate has had, then he would be a sensational signing for the Magpies.

At the age of 20, he has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and follow in Dias’ footsteps by coming to England and making his mark in the Premier League.

Newcastle must now snap him up and partner him with Sven Botman to form an exciting, young central defensive partnership to hopefully last for many years to come.

AND in other news, Ashworth can seal “exciting” signing as NUFC eye swoop for £20m “generational talent”…

Transfer insider Dean Jones has delivered his verdict on the possibility of Manchester United pursuing Lyon striker Moussa Dembele this summer. 

The lowdown: Ronaldo dilemma

Amidst growing uncertainty surrounding the future of Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford, the Red Devils have already been linked with possible replacements.

One of those indexed to be lined up for the task was former France youth international Dembele, who now plies his trade in his homeland following successful spells at Fulham and Celtic.

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Upon hearing about the interest in the Frenchman, one well-informed onlooker has suggested that Erik ten Hag could use someone of the powerful centre-forward’s ilk…

The latest: ‘Really good’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones – who is a transfer insider for Eurosport – claimed that the prolific 25-cap former France Under 21 starlet would be a superb capture for Manchester United.

He said: “Dembele would be a really good one for Man Utd, he could really add a different dynamic to that attack.”

The verdict: Do it

Valued at £18million and in the final 12 months of a contract at the Groupama Stadium (Transfermarkt), Dembele represents an attainable option in the market for United and should also leave funds left in the coffers to carry out much-needed strengthening of other areas within the Carrington squad.

Operating exclusively as a frontline striker, last season the former PSG youth prospect scored 22 times and supplied five assists in 35 appearances across all competitions, showcasing his very strong finishing and heading attributes as noted by WhoScored.

Previously dubbed ‘unstoppable’ by Barry Ferguson during his time at Celtic, where the 26-year-old scored 51 times in just 94 outings, the 6-foot attacker shares similar stylistic traits with such elite names as Romelu Lukaku, Erling Haaland and Victor Osimhen (Fbref), proof by itself of a certain level of quality.

Following the departure of Edinson Cavani, there is already room for at least one additional attacker in the Old Trafford ranks regardless of where Ronaldo’s future lies and despite a lack of Premier League experience, based on current form, availability and proven goalscoring ability, Dembele is certainly a gamble worth taking.

Leeds United are reportedly on the verge of tying down Joe Gelhardt to a new contract, according to a report from TEAMtalk journalist James Marshment. 

The lowdown: Breakout season

Signed from Wigan having come through the academy at the Championship outfit, Gelhardt shone for the Whites’ Under 23s, scoring 18 times and supplying six assists in 28 outings.

That form led to a senior bow for the 20-year-old England youth international in September 2021 against Fulham in the Carabao Cup, scoring from the spot in a 6-5 victory on penalties for the Yorkshire club.

Currently under contract at Elland Road until 2024 (Transfermarkt), Leeds are now seemingly on the brink of rewarding Gelhardt for his breakthrough into senior recognition with fresh terms and a prolonged stay…

The latest: ‘On the verge’

Taking to Twitter to cite the report from TEAMtalk, Marshment claimed that the 25-times-capped England youth starlet is in line for a ‘new five-year deal’ at the Whites.

He stated: “As per TEAMtalk sources, Leeds United are on verge of announcing new five-year deal for Joe Gelhardt, earning 20-year-old 55% pay-rise.”

The report claims that Liverpudlian sensation Gelhardt – who was hailed as an ‘astonishing’ talent by talkSPORT reporter Adrian Durham – is ‘likely to play an increasingly big role’ for Jesse Marsch in 2022/23 and will receive £25,000 per week, a reflection of becoming ‘very much part’ of the American’s plans.

The verdict: Smart business

Having flirted with relegation and the subsequent possibility of losing key players for cheap, tying down important assets such as the £5.4million valued youngster has to be regarded as a sensible business by Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizanni.

Last season, Gelhardt scored twice and provided four assists in 20 appearances in the Premier League, including a 94th-minute winner against Norwich City to give Marsch his first victory and ultimately keep Leeds in the top flight after surviving by just three points on the final day with a worse goal difference than 18th place Burnley.

This can only be viewed as a step in the right direction as Leeds attempt to future-proof their brightest talents.

Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch has shared a serious injury concern on young goalkeeper Dani van den Heuvel, as reported by Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Van den Heuvel at Leeds

Van den Heuvel made the move to Elland Road back in 2020 from Ajax following the club’s promotion to the Premier League.

The 19-year-old signed a new deal with the Whites last year through to 2024 and has made 22 appearances at youth level.

The youngster won the Premier League Youth ‘Save of the Year’ award last season following his brilliant stop at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, however, it looks as if he won’t be featuring in the near future.

The Latest: Hay’s post

Leeds correspondent Phil Hay was at Thorp Arch on Thursday for Marsch’s first pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s opener with Wolves.

Hay posted on Twitter that Van den Heuvel ‘is recovering from a bad neck injury suffered in a road traffic accident in Holland, while he was away with the Netherlands’ youth set-up’.

The goalkeeper damaged vertebrae, with the concern more about his health over his fitness in a football sense.

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The Verdict: Speedy recovery

Van den Heuvel is now back in the gym and is showing ‘really good progress’, which is a hugely positive step following what appears to have been a traumatic experience over the summer.

Hopefully, he’ll be back on the pitch in good time and will continue his development at Thorp Arch. Leeds clearly think highly of the Dutchman after handing him a new deal last year, so fingers crossed he’ll continue to impress when he returns and challenge Kristoffer Klaesson in the U21s.

Liverpool are ‘preparing an offer’ for Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, as per Liverpool Echo writer Charlotte Coates.

The Lowdown: Thiago’s injury

The Reds suffered a tough start to the Premier League season on Saturday as they drew 2-2 away to newly-promoted Fulham, twice needing to come from behind to earn a point.

Topping off a difficult afternoon, star midfielder Thiago Alcantara limped off the pitch just six minutes into the second half after what appeared to be a relatively mild incident.

This adds to Liverpool’s midfield injury list, which also includes the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones.

The Latest: Coates shares Brozovic news

Coates has shared an update on the Reds’ midfield situation, touting interest in Croatia international Brozovic despite Jurgen Klopp’s apparent reluctance to dip into the transfer market for the rest of the summer.

Taking to Twitter, the Liverpool Echo journalist claimed: “Liverpool are said to be ‘preparing an offer’ to sign one of Serie A’s top midfielders in Marcelo Brozovic #LFC”

The Verdict: Ideal target

When looking at Brozovic’s underlying statistics, the numbers suggest that the 29-year-old would do a fine job in the middle of the park at Anfield in Thiago’s absence.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the Inter Milan midfielder ranks in the 97th percentile for passes attempted and progressive passes, and in the 96th percentile for pass completion, so it’s no wonder he he has been dubbed one of the foremost players in his position in Serie A.

This is comparable to Thiago, who has been deemed one of the best passers in the game, with the 30-year-old ranking in the 98th, 99th and 92nd percentiles respectively for these statistics (via FBRef).

Therefore, if Liverpool are keen on an imminent addition at Kirkby, Brozovic could be a brilliant signing for Klopp’s squad, bringing with him ample experience at Serie A, Champions League and World Cup level.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has suggested that West Ham United defender Craig Dawson could be rested for the Europa Conference League qualifier against Viborg this week. 

The lowdown: Defensive mainstay

Since arriving from Watford on a permanent basis following a loan spell, Dawson has established himself as a regular in the David Moyes starting XI for the Irons.

The 32-year-old former England youth international has made 73 appearances for the Hammers, taking an overall career tally to 437 professional outings, chipping in with seven goals and two assists in the process.

However, after being left out of the defeat to Manchester City at the London Stadium last weekend, one specialist has suggested that Dawson could be used sparingly over the coming weeks…

The latest: ‘Looking to leave him out’

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery – who runs the popular Premier Injuries site and contributes to Sky Sports – suggested that should the 16 times capped Under-21 star feature against Nottingham Forest then rest may well be in order.

He said: “This is something that Dawson has carried over from pre-season. But it’s certainly not an injury we would expect to be long-term.

“David Moyes will be looking to bring him back as soon as humanly possible, with Zouma the only recognised, experienced centre-back at the moment. That Europa Conference League tie against Viborg – no disrespect, but that would be a game you’d fully expect West Ham to win comfortably, even if they’re not at full strength.

“If Craig Dawson is to return this weekend, then I’d suggest Moyes would be looking to leave him out for that European game. That’ll keep him fresh for next weekend.

“It could go the other way. If he missed out on Sunday, then he could use that European game to give him some minutes. We could also see Ogbonna feature in that game, as he’s been building fitness with the Under-23s.”

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The verdict: Defensive dilemma

Moyes has found himself in somewhat of a predicament in the central defensive department once again after new signing Nayef Aguerd was ruled out, Angelo Ogbonna continues his comeback and Issa Diop headed to Fulham.

Last week in the absence of the man once hailed as ‘brilliant’ by Gary Neville during a meeting with Chelsea, talented full-back Ben Johnson was forced to act as a makeshift centre-back against City, far from the ideal situation given the strength of the opposition on opening day.

Even with Dawson’s potential return in mind, West Ham need to add another defensive option following Diop’s departure and GSB should be pushing to turn links to the likes of Thilo Kehrer and Jakub Kiwior into something more substantial.

Everton are reportedly fighting Tottenham Hotspur to sign James Garner, as Nottingham Forest pull out of the race for his signature.

The Lowdown: Impressed at Forest

Garner impressed a lot during his loan spell at Forest from Manchester United last season, and so it is not a surprise to see him linked with a move to a Premier League club.

Hailed for his ‘unbelievable’ set piece delivery by former Forest teammate Ryan Yates, Garner managed an impressive eight goals and ten assists in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt), helping Steve Cooper’s team win promotion up to the top flight.

The Latest: Everton in race

As per Football Insider, Forest are out of the running to sign Garner, following his successful loan spell at the City Ground.

It leaves just the Toffees and Spurs in the race for his signature, with United demanding between £14-15m to sell him before the transfer window closes.

The Verdict: Prioritise a striker

The Goodison Park outfit should be prioritising signing a striker first before they bring in another central midfielder in Garner.

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They have already signed Amadou Onana from Lille, and look set to announce the capture of Idrissa Gueye from PSG, so while Garner created more chances than any Reds player last season, his signing should not be the first port of call.

They have still not brought a new striker in following the injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and so this must be their priority before recruiting anyone else.

Leeds United remain interested in a deal to bring Armando Broja to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Ben Jacobs, with the CBS Sport journalist revealing in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, following a number of reports linking Victor Orta with a move for the Chelsea centre-forward in recent weeks, Leeds – as well as Everton – are indeed one of the clubs in contention for the £30m valued 20-year-old over the remainder of the summer transfer window.

Regarding the Whites’ interest in the Albania international, Jacobs said: “Everton are also circling around Broja and Leeds United, I think, will be in the mix as well.”

“Devastating” signing

With Leeds’ wish to add a new centre-forward to Jesse Marsch’s first team squad prior to September’s transfer deadline being well known – with the Whites having already missed out on the likes of Charles De Ketelaere and Arnaud Kalimuendo this summer – the argument that Broja would be an incredible signing for Orta to pull off is an easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 32 appearances – only 21 of which came as starts – while on loan at Southampton last season, the £19.8m-rated talent more than proved his ability in the top flight of English football, scoring six goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as missing a further five big chances of his own.

And, while this latter stat is typically perceived as a negative, with the 20-year-old’s composure in front of goal only likely to improve with greater experience and age, the fact that Broja was getting into scoring positions so regularly last season should very much be viewed as a positive by Leeds.

Furthermore, according to FBref, the £7k-per-week attacker also ranks in the top 15% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for dribbles completed per 90, in addition to the top 31% for progressive carries, the top 14% for aerial duels won, the top 16% for blocks, the top 20% for interceptions and the top 24% for pressures over the past 12 months.

These metrics prove that the player who Sergio Porrini dubbed “devastating” is not only incredibly effective in his progression of the ball and a threat in the air, but is also a forward who works extremely hard in a defensive capacity – something that would very much appear to suit Marsch’s high-pressing system at Elland Road.

As such, should Orta indeed manage to get a £30m deal over the line for the reported Everton, Newcastle United and Real Madrid target prior to the closure of the current market next month, it would seem as if the Spaniard will have added a devastating weapon to the Whites’ attacking arsenal ahead of the bulk of their 2022/23 campaign.

Journalist Ryan Taylor has shared his belief that Everton could make a late summer move to sign Ismaila Sarr.

The Lowdown: Everton interested in Sarr

As per The Daily Mirror, the Goodison Park outfit are among a number of Premier League clubs who have been interested in signing Sarr, along with Manchester United, Leeds United and Crystal Palace.

Aston Villa had a bid accepted by Watford for the winger, but that deal is now off, potentially opening the door for the Merseyside club to swoop in.

The Latest: One to keep an eye on

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Taylor has said that Sarr could still move before the transfer window closes, with Frank Lampard’s team one to especially ‘keep an eye on’.

Following the collapse of the 24-year-old’s move to Villa, the reporter stated: “I think Sarr is a player that could move elsewhere in the Premier League in the final weeks of the window. Everton are one that I would keep an eye on.”

The Verdict: Exciting

After the capture of striker Neal Maupay from Brighton and Hove Albion, it is certainly exciting for Everton supporters to hear that Lampard could further bolster his forward line with a move for Sarr.

Hailed as a ‘game-winner’ and ‘a bit of a freak’ by former Hornets team-mate Ben Foster for his blistering pace, Sarr has scored eight assists in the Premier League

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He is already off the mark in the Championship this season too, with a goal and an assist to his name.

Having only scored a mere three goals in their opening four league games this term, coupled with the injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Everton will be desperate to add some more firepower to their ranks, and Sarr could be the perfect player for them target before the transfer deadline.

Crystal Palace have reportedly made a £27m bid for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher ahead of tonight’s Premier League clash at home to Brentford.

The Lowdown: Gallagher loan spell

Described as a ‘monster’ in midfield by journalist Tom Dutton, the England international enjoyed a brilliant loan spell under Patrick Vieira last season, making 39 appearances in all competitions.

The 22-year-old won Palace’s Player of the Season award and was also nominated for the PFA Player of the Year accolade.

The midfielder has struggled upon his return Stamford Bridge under Thomas Tuchel, receiving his first career red card at the weekend, and it looks as if the Eagles want to bring him back to Selhurst Park late in the transfer window after making an approach earlier in the month.

The Latest: Palace bid

The Sun relayed a report from The Times regarding Palace and Gallagher.

They claimed that a £27m offer has been tabled by Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman, with the Eagles hopeful that a permanent agreement can be reached.

The Verdict: Statement…

Gallagher, who has scored 28 senior goals during his career, starred under Patrick Vieira last season, so it makes sense for Palace to test the water with a late offer.

The midfielder hasn’t had the best of starts to the season with Chelsea, with his first start coming in a 3-0 defeat to Leeds.

He followed that up with a red card against Leicester, so all parties involved may well be open to the idea of a £27m move, making this one to watch prior to Thursday’s deadline.