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Manchester United are ready to table an offer of €30m (£26m) for Lille midfielder Carlos Baleba, according to reports from France.

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

ESPN have recently given an overview of the midfielders Man United could consider if they are unsuccessful in their pursuit of Chelsea's Mason Mount, with Moises Caicedo, Mohammed Kudus and Taylor Booth all being named as potential options.

West Ham United captain Declan Rice remains a target, despite heavy interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City, and the Red Devils are currently considering whether to test the waters with an official bid.

With both Fred and Scott McTominay potentially on the move this summer, Erik ten Hag may be tasked with bringing in multiple new options in the engine room, and Baleba is now emerging as a target.

According to a report from La Voix des Sports (via Sport Witness), Man United are now ready to put €30m (£26m) on the table to sign the Lille midfielder, who has been attracting the interest of several Premier League clubs.

Ten Hag's side and Newcastle United are named as the "most insistent" clubs, meaning a transfer battle could soon be on the cards, although the report stipulates we might need to wait a few weeks before there is any movement.

Who is Carlos Baleba?

The 19-year-old has only just started to establish himself as a first-team regular for Lille, having now made a total of 21 appearances, however, it is clear to see why Paolo Fonseca has kept the faith with the youngster.

In Lille's final home game of the season, the Cameroonian performed very well in a deep-lying midfield role, receiving a 7.4 SofaScore rating after winning seven ground duels, the joint-highest figure of any player on the pitch.

Not only that, the starlet also has some very impressive attacking qualities, ranking in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, highlighting his remarkable dribbling ability.

Teammate Remy Cabella has hailed the up-and-coming Lille star as a "monster", while also adding that it is "very, very hard to stop him" due to his "incredible strength" on the ball.

If Baleba continues his current trajectory, he could go on to be a top player, so Man United could be pursuing a star in the making, however, he is still very young, and he may not immediately become a regular starter.

The Italy under-21 side were left absolutely furious with the referee during their match against France after their would-be last-minute equaliser was not given despite the ball seemingly crossing the line.

What happened between Italy U21s and France?

This week, the European Under-21 Championship began in Romania and Georgia and the Azzurrini played their first game on Thursday night.

Taking on a talented French team, the Italians initially fell behind when Arnaud Kalimuendo opened the scoring after just 22 minutes.

Still, they were back level before halftime thanks to Pietro Pellegri who headed in a free kick from Newcastle transfer target Sandro Tonali.

After the break, though, Les Bleus restored their lead when Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie lost the ball cheaply inside his own box, allowing Bradley Barcola to fire in what turned out to be the winner.

However, the game probably should have ended 2-2 when Raoul Bellanova had a header cleared off the line by French defender Castello Lukeba.

In reality, it looks as though the ball actually hit the post and then crossed the line before being cleared, but without VAR in use or any goalline technology, the goal was not given.

You can see an image of the incident shared on Twitter below.

While a full replay was uploaded to Reddit.

Understandably the Italian players were incensed, protesting widely with the referee. While their manager Paolo Nicolato proved how enraged he was after the game with some fiery comments.

Indeed, the Italian coach told RAI Sport, as per Football Italia: “Honestly, I struggle to talk about the game today.

“It’s not possible to see refereeing like this and I have the impression it affected the result far too much. We were also unlucky, even if we lost to a great team.

“It was a good performance, we deserved more.”

Fans on social media were equally as baffled. Here are some of the best Twitter reactions…

One fan even pointed out the ball may have then been cleared with the use of a hand too.

Sean Dyche vowed Everton would learn from narrowly missing out on relegation from the Premier League last month.

The truth is, though, the Toffees will find themselves in the exact same position next time around unless new players are recruited – particularly up top.

What is the latest with Everton's striker search?

Everton have been linked with their fair share of attacking players already this window, including the likes of Wilfried Gnonto, Nicolas Jackson, Jack Harrison and Viktor Gyokeres.

According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, Everton are showing a particular interest in the latter, with a formal bid set to be made this week to test Coventry City's resolve.

Sporting CP are also said to have made signing Gyokeres a priority, however, potentially setting up a bidding war for a player who could potentially go this summer for as much as £17m.

Is Viktor Gyokeres a good option for Everton?

That is a fairly sizable sum to spend on a player who has no experience of top-level football, having spent the past four seasons in the Championship and previously played for St Pauli in 2.Bundesliga.

However, prolific strikers in the mould of Gyokeres, who can also chip in with their fair share of assists, are worth their weight in gold.

The Sweden international scored 21 goals and set up ten in 46 regular-season Championship matches last season, with those 31 direct goal involvements being the most of any player in the division.

Gyokeres has a natural ability to find himself in the right zones, highlighted by his 7.16 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes last season, as per FBref, which ranks him in the top 3% of strikers across Europe's next best eight leagues.

The 11.01 progressive passes he received per 90 minutes – a completed pass of ten yards or more into his path – ranks him in the top 1% of strikers, meanwhile, and suggests he is always alert to where spaces are going to open up.

Those are exactly the type of qualities Dominic Calvert-Lewin showed at his Everton peak when scoring 29 combined Premier League goals in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

Calvert-Lewin struggled to show anything close to that form last season, though, when restricted to 15 starts due to injuries. The England international scored just two goals and assisted one more, with those stats described as "embarrassing" by Alan Shearer.

As Shearer pointed out in February, Everton are "so poor in forward positions", with Neal Maupay another who came in for criticism from the Premier League's all-time record goalscorer.

Calvert-Lewin – on a reported £100k-a-week at Goodison Park, according to Capology – cannot be relied on by Dyche next season if Everton are to avoid being dragged into another serious relegation scrap.

There are other options out there ready to plug the gap, but on the basis of last season, Gyokeres seems to perfect choice for the Toffees.

Glasgow Rangers are showing interest in winger Kwadwo Opoku ahead of the summer transfer window as Michael Beale looks set to continue with his Ibrox rebuild.

What’s the latest on Kwadwo Opoku to Rangers?

According to German outlet Fussball Transfers, Rangers have ‘signalled interest’ in winger Opoku, who plays for MLS side Los Angeles FC.

The Light Blues aren’t alone however, with Old Firm rivals Celtic also keen, alongside Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart, while several teams from Ligue 1 and the Premier League also keeping tabs on the player, as Beale faces stiff competition.

He could cost the Gers around €4.8m (£4.1m) if any move was to be sealed, which is surely within the 42-year-old's budget this summer.

Could Kwadwo Opoku move to Rangers?

With Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos departing Rangers, it’s clear Beale needs reinforcements both in the wide positions and through the middle heading into next season.

One key issue the manager has is in the right-wing area, which could well be fixed by signing Opoku.

Todd Cantwell has shone when being deployed there during his first few months at the Gers, registering 11 goal contributions from 20 games, however, with Malik Tillman returning to Bayern Munich following his loan spell, the Englishman could be pushed to a more central role in 2023/2024.

The LAFC winger has enjoyed success in America, registering 11 goal contributions during the 2022 season as he led his team to the MLS Cup, and he has continued this rich vein of form into the current campaign.

Two goals and two assists in 13 league matches underline his attacking potential from a wide position, and he averages two shots per game, makes 0.8 key passes per game and has created two big chances, solid numbers from the 21-year-old.

According to WhoScored, Opoku’s strengths include passing and long shots, while he typically likes to cut inside and dribble past opponents as often as possible, suggesting that he tends to make things happen as opposed to being static and waiting for the right chance to drop.

This proactive nature could be crucial for Rangers next term, especially with goals paramount for success, both domestically and in Europe, as Celtic scored 21 more times in the league than the Ibrox side last season, a key factor to where the title eventually ended up.

For just over £4m, the “magnificent” Ghanaian – as so dubbed by journalist Owuraku Ampofo – could be a wise investment and given he has plenty of experience in scoring and creating chances for others, it’s a move that makes perfect sense in the long run.

The goalkeeper conundrum is one of the main issues that Mauricio Pochettino must combat if he is to oversee any progression during his first season at Chelsea.

Edouard Mendy’s form has suddenly capitulated after an imperious campaign in England that culminated in the club’s second Champions League victory in May 2021.

In the final stages of last season, Kepa Arrizabalaga was the preferred choice between the sticks, but he was unconvincing and unreliable – traits that have embodied the Spaniard’s career in West London since his record-breaking £71.6m move from Athletic Bilbao.

Indeed, writer Jai McIntosh aptly summed up his campaign in 2022/23, suggesting the Spaniard had "improved" but in the grand scheme of things, was still "terrible".

As such, one player who has caught the attention of the Blues hierarchy is Mike Maignan, who would be an excellent solution to an ongoing problem.

What’s the latest on Mike Maignan to Chelsea?

According to La Repubblica (via FC Inter News), Chelsea has submitted an offer of €60m (£52m) for the AC Milan goalkeeper.

The Frenchman has previously attracted interest from the capital, as Frank Lampard was reportedly plotting a move for him in 2020, as per le10sport.

The 27-year-old’s future has been plunged into uncertainty as it has been revealed that Milan director Paolo Maldini will leave the club due to disagreements with club chairman Gerry Cardinale.

La Repubblica has announced that this has left many players perplexed, and they are now considering their futures, and the six-cap international is one of those who could be tempted to depart.

Would Mike Maignan be a good signing for Chelsea?

The £60k-per-week star has been in imperious form this season, having made 29 appearances in all competitions he conceded just 27 goals and kept ten clean sheets.

His string of impressive performances means that he ranks within the top 11% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for goals against per 90, as well as the highest 22% for his clean sheet percentage, according to FBref.

The former Lille man has been described as a "monster" by Goal's Robin Brainer and his international teammate Raphael Varane has also provided a glowing sentiment of his compatriot, saying: “Maignan is a goalkeeper who brings serenity, as well as having those skills in goal.

“He is a calm person, sure of his strengths, and it is true that as a defender, feeling this presence behind is important. It’s not just the potential he has but also the presence he has on goal.”

The ability to instil calmness within the defence is an unteachable trait, and it's something that Kepa has drastically failed to achieve.

His lack of presence and quality has been a defining theme of his troubled time at Chelsea.

Ian Wright feels the £150k-per-week shot-stopper “makes too many mistakes” and on his podcast ‘Wrighty’s House’ he added: “I cannot as a Chelsea fan look at that goalkeeper and feel like he’s going to help us win a game. I can’t see it.”

If Pochettino was able to secure Maignan it would be a huge coup and a logical step in what is set to be an exhaustive rebuild.

Manchester United will try and negotiate with Chelsea to land midfield target Mason Mount on a cheaper deal, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

As per The Independent, Manchester United are the frontrunners to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount this summer, though have yet to match the Blues' valuation of seeking at least £55 million to let the England international depart Stamford Bridge.

The Red Devils are in the process of being taken over and 'agreement on a price is now the only obstacle to his move to Old Trafford' amid rival interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, with Mount's preference said to be moving to Manchester United.

90min have revealed that Mount is said to be sitting down with his current employers next week for a meeting over his future in west London, as he is set to enter the final year of his £80k-a-week contract at Chelsea.

Mauricio Pochettino, who will manage Chelsea next term, is a big admirer of Mount and wants him to be a key part of his squad heading into 2023/24 if he can fend off admiration from Premier League clubs in his services.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that Manchester United may try to land Mount for a cheaper price to reflect his contract situation at Chelsea.

Jacobs told FFC: "When I talked to the suitors, they believe that Mount should be worth, given the contract situation, £15-£20 million less than that, so there would be some negotiation to be done in order to broker a deal. All parties, regardless of what happens, whether Mount stays or goes, would like a speedy resolution. Mount wants to know his next club early in the window. Manchester United want to get business done early if they possibly can, despite the complications that I've outlined and Chelsea know that if Mount tells them he has no interest in staying and signing a new deal, that they will need the fee."

Would Mason Mount be a good signing for Manchester United?

Mount is a talented midfielder with plenty of Premier League experience and would fit nicely into Erik Ten Hag's project at Old Trafford as he looks to build on an impressive debut season in charge.

The 24-year-old did endure an inconsistent 2022/23 campaign with Chelsea, registering three goals and six assists in 35 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored also takes into account that Mount has been a creative force at the Blues in a campaign of disappointment, averaging around 1.3 key passes per match in the English top-flight.

Previously labelled as "unbelievable" by former Chelsea icon Joe Cole, it isn't hard to see why Chelsea are desperate to keep hold of Mount for next season, though Manchester United look to be in pole position to offer the Portsmouth-born ace a Stamford Bridge escape route, as things stand.

Everton are turning their eyes towards the summer transfer window, as the Blues have been linked with a Premier League starlet.

With survival confirmed, Sean Dyche can place his focus on improvements ahead of the 2023/24 campaign as the club must avoid a repeat of the previous two seasons.

In a year of struggle both on and off the field, Everton have had some shining lights, one being the performances of Amadou Onana, who could potentially remain at Goodison despite rumours suggesting his departure.

The latest transfer link could be an exciting one for Dyche should Onana remain a Toffee, as the Blues could swoop for an electrifying midfield partner for the Belgian.

What’s the latest on Shea Charles to Everton?

As reported by the Daily Mail, Everton are one of the clubs interested in Manchester City U21 midfielder Shea Charles.

The Northern Ireland international has gained interest from the Bundesliga, with RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund also rumoured to be “admirers” of the player.

The 19-year-old made his debut for City last weekend against Brentford as a substitute, and is contracted to the champions until 2027.

What could Shea Charles bring to Everton?

Pep Guardiola handed the teenager his first minutes for the first team last Sunday, as he played 27 minutes earning an impressive 7.0 Sofascore match rating in the process.

It was a difficult game for the champions who were defeated 1-0 away from home, however, the Spaniard was full of praise for the academy graduate after the fixture, hailing him as “so good” and “so composed” on the club’s official website.

It’s praise indeed from one of the greatest managers of all time, however, his compliments are supported by his impressive numbers, hinting that he has an exciting career ahead of him.

On his Premier League debut, the teen won 100% of his aerial duels, as well as four out of five of his ground duels in midfield, making four tackles and one interception in just under 30 minutes of play – as per Sofascore.

The Manchester-born ace, lauded as “terrific” by journalist Mark McIntosh, could be an exceptional future addition to Everton’s midfield, alongside the talents of Onana.

Goodison’s midfield gem has similar attributes to the City youngster, inspiring the thought that they could be a commanding duo in the middle of the park together.

The Belgian has averaged 2.60 tackles per 90 over the past year, as well as an average of 2.17 successful aerials per 90, placing him in the top 6% of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues in terms of winning challenges in the air – as per FBref.

With Onana being just 21, and Charles only 19, Dyche could have a midfield pairing for years to come, in two players that are combative both in the air and on the ground, as supported by their numbers.

There are lots of indicators to suggest that Charles is ready to take the leap into senior football, not just through his performance on his debut, but his integral presence in City’s U21 side, starting in all 26 of his appearances in Premier League 2 – as per Transfermarkt.

Whether the player would be available to purchase permanently, or as a loan deal is yet to be discovered, however with such talent shown in his youth career, Dyche could unlock a generational talent in Everton’s midfield.

Wolverhampton Wanderers look as though they may face a summer battle to keep hold of their highly rated midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.

That is according to a report from Yorkshire Live, who interviewed 22-year-old.

What’s the word?

When pushed on his Wolves future, the Old Gold loanee said: “I have had ongoing conversations throughout the season. I was going to go back in January but wanted to stay here. Anything is possible. Whether up or down I absolutely love this place.”

With Gibbs-White named as Sheffield United’s player of the season, the Yorkshire club clearly reciprocate those feeling towards the starlet, something which is bound to worry the Wolves faithful.

Lage surely gutted

With this latest admission coming from the mouth of Gibbs-White, Wolves manager Bruno Lage will surely have his reservations as to whether he will have the luxury of including the 22-year-old in his plans for next season.

The versatile midfielder, who been described as a “breath of fresh air” by Sheffield United team-mate Chris Basham, has had an unbelievable campaign in the Championship and has played in advanced positions for the Blades, having found his goalscoring touch whilst forming a brilliant partnership with Iliman Ndiaye along the way.

On his relationship with the former Boreham Wood talent, Gibbs-White said: “When I first came here we clicked straight away with the way we played in training. All the boys hate it when we are on the same 5-a-side team. When we are on the pitch I just know where he is going to be you’re on the same wavelength he enjoys football and plays with a smile on his face he’s creative and he’s like me, so I have seen that in him straight away.”

In the Championship, Gibbs-White has scored the same amount of goals (11) as Wolves duo Raul Jimenez and Hwang Hee-chan combined in the Premier League – a real statement from the England under-21 international, who has registered a total of 20 goal contributions in 35 domestic appearances.

He could offer serious potency to the Wolves attack next season and could even play as a centre-forward for the Old Gold, having struck four goals and two assists in the six games that he functioned as a striker for Sheffield United this season.

Therefore, if the 22-year-old is offered a permanent deal by the Blades and if he accepts it, Lage could be left gutted at the prospect of seeing the talented and prolific youngster slip through the Molineux net.

In other news – Mendes links: Wolves now plot bid for “exciting” 20y/o wonderkid, Lage will love him 

Sunderland are interested in signing Jobe Bellingham, who is the younger brother of Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham.

That is according to a report from the Daily Mail, who claims that the Black Cats are willing to “explore an ambitious” move for the 16-year-old.

As claimed here on Football FanCast yesterday, it is claimed that Kristian Speakman has a close relationship with the Bellingham brothers’ parents and having functioned as Birmingham City’s academy manager, is said to have played a key role in the youngster’s development.

Jobe’s influence

If Sunderland are able to pull of a summer coup for the £450k-rated starlet, it will be a real signal of intent and could present Black Cats boss Alex Neil with a youthful, energetic option in attack.

The signing would also potentially give the 40-year-old his new Alex Pritchard, who has been vital in their quest for promotion this term, racking up seven assists in 38 games and scoring four goals.

Given the example that Dortmund star Jude has set, his brother could certainly be on track to better Pritchard’s total this season, but at this early stage of his career, needs assurances over regular minutes.

Despite featuring twice for the Blues in the Championship this season, Jobe has played the majority of his football in the Premier League 2, where he has provided one assist in 13 games. However, having featured in the U18 Premier League on nine occasions, he has scored five goals from an attacking midfield position.

Whilst his potential is clearly there, the surroundings, along with regular minutes, are the most important aspects surrounding Bellingham’s development at the tender age of 16.

His arrival at Sunderland could be both integral to his career and further down the line, even detrimental to Pritchard, who operates in the same position as the youngster.

The biggest factor will surely be dependent on the level of football that Sunderland are playing come next season.

In other news: Craig Hope: Speakman plotting “ambitious” SAFC swoop for gem, it’ll delight Neil

A major claim has emerged on Premier League side Newcastle United and their interest in French striker Hugo Ekitike…

What’s the talk?

Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson has revealed that the club will step up their pursuit of the 19-year-old in the summer as they attempt to bolster their attacking options. Stade Reims are prepared to cash in on the young talent and PIF are now looking to take advantage of the situation.

The reporter Tweeted: “NUFC will make a new move for Hugo Ekitike this summer – with Reims ready to sell the teenager. January’s deadline-day events won’t stop Newcastle going back in for Ligue 1 striker…”

This comes after Pete O’Rourke recently claimed that the Toon are set to be the ‘favourites’ to land him in the upcoming window after missing out on his signature in January.

Supporters will be delighted

The Magpies supporters will surely be delighted with this latest update as it means that the club will be making a bid/attempting to sign Ekitike in the coming months. Couple this with O’Rourke’s claim and you are left with the exciting prospect of the attacker landing at St. James’ Park ahead of next season.

After PIF failed to get a deal over the line on deadline day, as Wilson hinted at, the fans will be buzzing with their willingness to go back in for him. It shows that the owners do not want to settle for second best and are determined to get their number one target through the door to improve Eddie Howe’s options at the top end of the pitch.

This is an impressive mentality and shows that the club will not be easily deterred when chasing targets, lessening the chances of them moving further down their list of potential signings and bringing in someone who may not be as good as they hoped.

The supporters will, therefore, be pleased with the club’s approach and they will be delighted if it ends up working in the pursuit of Ekitike. In Ligue 1 this season, he has scored nine goals and provided two assists in just 14 starts for Reims, which shows that he has the quality to score goals on a consistent basis at the top level.

He also has the potential to improve further and develop over time. At the age of 19, he is a player Howe can work with in the years to come and supporters will surely be excited to see such a promising, young, gem join the club.

AND in other news, “NUFC want..”: Mark Douglas drops big Darsley Park transfer claim that’ll delight Howe…