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Watford midfielder Will Hughes appears to be closing in on a move to Crystal Palace, according to The Athletic’s Dominic Fifield.

And, as to be expected, a number of Eagles fans have been sharing their thoughts on social media.

Fifield posted an update on Twitter on Thursday, suggesting Hughes could be the first of a few late additions at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles look set to pay Watford an initial £6m for Hughes which could rise to £10m in the future with various add-ons.

The 26-year-old is now set to undergo a medical with Palace and discuss personal terms.

Fifield’s story also claimed that Patrick Vieira’s side are in the market for a new striker and a right-winger before the deadline closes.

Palace fans react

The news regarding Hughes and other possible arrivals at the club in the final days of the window went down well with these Palace supporters, with one ‘excited’ at the update and another labelling it as ‘great news’.

“Yesssss”

Credit: @JoelGray_

“Finally we move”

Credit: @PrideOfSouthLDN

“Happy days.”

Credit: @wallHil59834857

“Pretty excited about this signing. As close to a Cabaye replacement as we’re going to get”

Credit: @PeterJM83

“Finally some news”

Credit: @ReeceJMT

“Cheers Dom! Great news! Here’s to a few more in due course! Hopefully a striker or two and a winger”

Credit: @stephenpengi69

In other news: ‘Imagine’, ‘No way’ – Lots of CPFC fans go wild as ‘absolutely incredible’ transfer link emerges. 

A reason has now been given why Newcastle United’s Deadline Day offer for Boubacar Kamara was rejected.

The Lowdown: Late offer

As per Le Phoceen, the St. James’ Park faithful made a last-minute offer to try and sign the Marseille ace on Transfer Deadline Day.

However, he would have been ‘extremely hesitant’ to have made the move to the North East.

The Latest: Deal off

As per The Athletic, Kamara decided that he wanted to stay at Marseille in the end, despite offers from both Wolves as well as the Tyneside club.

The Ligue 1 team had hoped to move him on given that he only has a year left on his current deal, and now it is anticipated that he will either sign a new contract or leave on a free transfer in 2022.

The Verdict: Shame

It is a shame that a move for Kamara to Steve Bruce’s side eventually fell through.

Once dubbed a ‘phenomenon’ by his former teammate Rolando back in May 2020, the Frenchman still has a lot of potential at just 21 years of age, and his ability to be equally as comfortable at centre-back as well as in defensive midfield (Transfermarkt) would have been a valuable asset to have in the squad.

Nonetheless, the Magpies only managed to bring in one player on a permanent deal in Joe Willock from Arsenal, and given that he was on loan there last season, fans have every right to be worried about the lack of improvement from last term.

In other news, find out why this Toon ace’s move was blocked here!

Liverpool were recently linked with a move for Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman and the player could be available for a transfer at the end of the season if the opinion of a former Bayern official is correct.

What’s the story?

The Reds were one of several sides believed to be keen on securing the highly-rated 25-year-old’s services over the summer, but he ended up staying put due to his £86 million price tag despite the extensive speculation.

Now though, in an interview with German outlet BILD TV (as relayed by The Mirror), Bayern’s ex-sporting director Christian Nerlinger was asked about Coman’s future as he continues to be linked with a move away from Bavaria.

“I don’t think he will stay in Munich. Bayern had a recent tendency to lose players for free,” Nerlinger stated.

“But you can’t do that in the long run; you have to sell players from time to time if the offer is right. Coman is an excellent player, but given the situation, I think Bayern will consider selling him.”

Coman’s current contract expires in the summer of 2023, meaning Die Roten may only have the next two transfer windows to secure a substantial fee for the forward’s services.

Fans would be buzzing

The France international is set to be out until October, after making just four appearances this season, due to discovering a minor cardiac arrhythmia, which had seen him struggle with shortness of breath.

“‘King’ had an operation yesterday, he had a minor heart rhythm disturbance. I’ll explain that with my little medical expertise,” Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann revealed at a press conference on Saturday:

“There are two strands that activate the sinus node. One of them was cut off so that there would be no additional blow. Sometimes he had less air for a short time and was less productive.

“That’s why we did a long-term ECG (electrocardiogram) and found something that could be fixed quickly,” the young tactician explained.

It’s a potentially concerning setback for Coman, but the skilful forward has already achieved so much in his career. Despite being just 25, he has already won 24 major trophies in his career, including the Champions League, and was lauded by his youth coaches from an early age.

“His reading of the game and his technique stand out and make him formidable,” claimed France’s Under-17 coach Patrick Gonfalone back in 2012, when Coman was just 16.

Liverpool supporters would likely be buzzing if their club could secure a deal for Coman.

The Reds do seem a bit short of attacking options following the departure of Xherdan Shaqiri, and Klopp’s charges lack the strength in depth of their domestic rivals.

Coman’s arrival at Anfield would change that, though, and he could provide the necessary spark for Liverpool to return to the Premier League summit.

And, in other news…Signed for £34m, now worth £90m: Edwards struck gold with “exceptional” Liverpool gem 

With Lee Johnson having seen his Sunderland side get their League One campaign off to the best of starts on Saturday, the 40-year-old’s attention will now be on the Black Cats’ EFL Cup fixture on Tuesday evening.

And, with the Mackems set to face League Two side Port Vale in the cup competition, Johnson may well use the opportunity to afford a number of the club’s peripheral first-team players and up-and-coming youth talents some valuable game time.

One such player the 40-year-old simply must consider starting, who just so happens to fit into both of the categories mentioned above, is Josh Hawkes.

Indeed, the 22-year-old has been tipped to make a big impact within the Sunderland side this season by Johnson himself, with the manager stating his belief that the left-midfielder is an “exciting” prospect, as well as claiming the youngster has the “ability to turn a game on its head.”

However, with Hawkes being an unused substitute in the victory over Wigan Athletic last weekend, the Mackems manager has been presented with something of the perfect opportunity to allow the midfielder to demonstrate his ability at professional level against Port Vale.

And, if the £510-per-week man can reach anywhere near the level he hit for the Black Cats U23 side last season, we would not bet against him lighting up the fixture on Tuesday evening.

Indeed, over his 22 Premier League 2 appearances last time out, the 22-year-old scored 14 goals and registered seven assists, firing his team all the way to the promotion play-off final – in which they narrowly lost out to Crystal Palace U23s 1-0.

As such, it is evident that Hawkes is a player with a significant amount of potential, in addition to already being an extremely accomplished player.

However, the next step is clearly establishing himself within the Sunderland first-team, something that it is obvious the youngster has the ability to do, all that is required is Johnson’s faith, trust and patience.

In other news: Get it done: KLD must sanction SAFC summer swoop for “brilliant” £360k-rated dynamo

According to 90min.com, Glasgow Rangers and Steven Gerrard are interested in bringing out-of-favour Liverpool forward Divock Origi to Ibrox this summer.

The Lowdown: Gers looking to improve

The Gers enjoyed a fantastic campaign last time out as they won the Premiership for the first time in 10 years.

That means they qualified for the Champions League as a result, meaning the Ibrox outfit must improve their squad to be able to compete at that level. They have so far brought in Fashion Sakala (rangers.co.uk) and John Lundstram, but they will no doubt want to add to those new arrivals.

The Latest: Gers eye Origi

As per this latest report, Rangers are interested in signing Origi this summer.

A number of other clubs are also in pursuit however, with West Ham, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Newcastle and Celtic also named.

The Verdict: A coup

While Origi is not particularly high up the pecking order under Jurgen Klopp at the moment, he would still be a huge coup for the 55-time Scottish champions.

With 59 goals in 284 career games to his name (Transfermarkt), he is not the most prolific, but two goals in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona in 2019, as well as a strike in the final, show he can perform at the highest level and does not suffer under pressure – that is crucial under the intense expectations on both sides of Glasgow.

In the past, Klopp has called him “outstanding” (sportskeeda.com) – there is no doubt Origi would provide some additional quality at Ibrox. Valued at £10.8m (Transfermarkt), it is unlikely he would come cheap, but if the Gers want to compete in the Champions League, the Belgium international would be very welcome north of the border.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this Club 1872 move.

Former Everton star Michael Ball insists that Kalidou Koulibaly would be a superb signing for the club this summer as Rafael Benitez bids to raise the standards at Goodison Park.

Koulibaly has been linked with an exit from Napoli this summer, and The Daily Telegraph have reported that he could move for around £35m in this window, a figure that is half of the price Napoli were demanding last year.

The central defender is approaching the final two years of his contract and Everton have been linked with a potential swoop for the Senegal international.

They were reported to have tabled an offer in July, though it was swiftly rejected by the Italian club.

Koulibaly has been with the Serie A club since 2014 and has made 283 appearances, scoring 11 goals, and is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in Europe.

And Ball believes he is exactly the type of player that Benitez should be targeting after his appointment at Goodison Park.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Moving forward, you want to improve year on year and if you bring in the types of Koulibaly into your football club it’s only going to raise the bar in training, competition for places, for the other players, to either reach that level or move on elsewhere and give Rafa Benitez an opportunity to spend money elsewhere in that team.”

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has dropped an update on Aston Villa’s plans for the rest of the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side have had an eventful window thus far, waving goodbye to captain Jack Grealish but welcoming the likes of Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings, among others, into the club.

Now, Evans has said that Villa’s business might not be done just yet, and that there’s one position they’re intent on targeting to strengthen this summer.

He said: “Smith would still very much like to sign a defensive midfielder. With Douglas Luiz returning late from the Olympics and question marks over whether Marvelous Nakamba can take Villa onto the next level, the head coach is hoping for another player in before the deadline. A move for James Ward-Prowse looks unlikely, though, as Southampton aren’t interested in selling.”

Good news for Villa fans

While the Midlands club have made some impressive improvements to their attacking options, bringing in a new dominant holding midfielder should be the priority heading into the final few weeks of the transfer window.

Villa’s most natural option in that role at the moment is Marvelous Nakamba, and with reports recently claiming that Everton are interested in signing him, it paints a real picture of just why the club could do with a new starting player in that position.

None of Villa’s midfield options managed more than 1.7 tackles or 1.3 interceptions per game, and having that effective screen presence in front of the back four could be the key to unlocking the best out of Villa’s array of attacking talent.

Evans’ update that Smith “would very much like to sign a defensive midfielder” should be music to the ears of Villa supporters, who could feel that the addition of an anchor man could be the final piece of their jigsaw heading into the new Premier League season.

Meanwhile, Villa must land this star who Messi rates highly…

An update has emerged on Sunderland target Todd Kane, regarding QPR’s plans for him in pre-season…

What’s the talk?

According to West London Sport, QPR have axed Sunderland target Todd Kane from the senior squad and have forced him to train and play with the under-23 side in pre-season following his falling out with Mark Warburton last season.

London Football News reported earlier this summer that Charlton, Portsmouth and Sunderland are all looking at Kane as a potential target to bolster their squad ahead of the League One campaign.

Fans would hate it

Following the departures of Max Power and Conor McLaughlin at the start of the month, Sunderland are in desperate need of a right-back addition to the squad.

Lee Johnson currently has no senior, natural, right-back options at his disposal and Kane could be being looked at to solve this problem as he is a Championship-experienced player in that position.

The 27-year-old has plenty of games under his belt at Championship and Eredivise level, with over 150 career appearances for a host of clubs, including Hull, Forest, Groningen and QPR. Sounds good for a player targeted by a League One club right? Yes, but his pedigree is not why Sunderland fans would hate this deal. His attitude is the reason supporters would likely not be able to get behind any swoop for the ex-Chelsea man.

Kane conducted an interview last season claiming that he was better than his teammate Osman Kakay, voicing his confusion at being on the bench behind the right-back. His manager, Warburton, was then forced to respond to the situation and pointed out that respect is important for him as a coach, with Kane failing to show it for hit teammate.

Warburton told West London Sport:

“I’m very aware of what was said. But what we speak about as a squad stays private. We’ll never disclose that.

“For me personally, amongst the squad and amongst the staff, respect is paramount.

“We’re in a very competitive business but it’s important to me that we all speak with respect.”

This suggests that the arrival of £7k-per-week dud would not be good for the spirit in the dressing room if he was faced with a negative situation. He has shown that he does not react well to adversity and Sunderland cannot afford to carry players who are not up the fight and who could down tools when the going gets tough.

His banishment to the under-23’s squad is just the latest example that Kane is not the right man to keep around a harmonious dressing room.

Therefore, Sunderland should be avoiding this deal at all costs, it would be a disaster if they took him to the Stadium of Light.

AND in other news, SAFC handed key boost in pursuit of “undroppable” £1m-rated gem, Johnson needs him…

Frank McAvennie has warned that Andriy Yarmolenko could prove to be a ‘virus’ in the West Ham dressing room if he expresses a desire to leave and isn’t granted a move.

McAvennie, who played for the Irons between 1989 and 1992, was speaking to West Ham Zone.

The lowdown

According to Roshane Thomas, West Ham correspondent for The Athletic, Yarmolenko is considering his future this summer. The Ukrainian international started only one Premier League game under David Moyes last season, making a further 14 substitute appearances.

The 31-year-old, listed by Spotrac as the club’s highest earner, is about to enter the final year of his contract.

The latest

McAvennie says that Yarmolenko’s work ethic has cost him a more regular starting place and he urged West Ham to comply with any transfer request, expressing a fear that the ‘good atmosphere’ in the camp may be affected by a player ‘moping about’.

The 61-year-old told West Ham Zone: “I think he’s Moyes’ kind of player, he obviously just isn’t working hard enough for him.

“I think if Yarmolenko wants to move, Moyes will have to get him out because he could change the mood in the dressing room, which has a good atmosphere at the moment.

“I don’t know the boy but he could be a virus.

“It’s better to get rid of them sooner than later if they don’t want to be there, moping about, which will he be if he’s upset at not playing.”

The verdict

Yarmolenko would probably argue that his lack of minutes is mostly down to his misfortune with injuries rather than a lack of commitment to the cause.

McAvennie is right to point out that the mood at West Ham seemed immensely positive last season, and that was perhaps the foundation of their success.

You wouldn’t want to do anything to put that at risk, but they need a larger squad now with European commitments, and every high-achieving club has to face the challenge of keeping peripheral players happy.

In other news, West Ham are now willing to pay European giants for this star. 

Fulham have been dealt a boost to their hopes of keeping Harrison Reed at Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth, who revealed in a recent Q&A session on the newspaper’s website that Leeds United do not currently have the 26-year-old on their list of summer transfer targets, despite him being a player who is admired by the club.

This news comes following a report by the Daily Mail earlier this month that suggested Marcelo Bielsa’s side were plotting a summer swoop for the £9m-rated Fulham man, however, following Smyth’s update, this does not appear to be the case.

Fans should be buzzing

Considering just how important Reed has become within the Fulham team over the past two seasons, the news that the midfielder looks on course to remain at Craven Cottage ahead of next season should leave fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, over his 25 Championship appearances during his debut season with Scott Parker’s side back in 2019/20, the £31k-per-week man registered one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and winning 4.5 duels per game.

These returns saw the former England U20 international earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.81, ranking him as the club’s joint 16th-best performer in the league, with his displays helping the Cottagers earn promotion to the Premier League.

Over his 31 top-flight appearances the following season, Reed provided two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.6 interceptions, two tackles and winning four duels per match.

These returns saw the man Shane Long dubbed an “immense” player earn an improved average SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as Parker’s 11th-best player in the Premier League.

As such, it would very much appear as if keeping Reed at the club this summer is key to Fulham’s hopes of going on to secure an immediate return to the top flight of English football next season, meaning that the news Leeds are not considering a move for the 26-year-old is fantastic for everyone involved with the Cottagers.

In other news: Major Fulham managerial development confirmed, Khan will be buzzing