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An update has emerged on Liverpool and their efforts to overhaul their midfield options ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign…

What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Liverpool?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Reds are in contact with Southampton over a potential deal to sign Romeo Lavia in the summer transfer window.

This follows their already-completed moves to sign Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Dominik Szoboszlai from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

Speaking on his YouTube channel on Sunday, the reporter said:

“Liverpool are now into the race and as I already mentioned, they are into this. They are working on Romeo Lavia and they are now having direct contacts on both player and club side.

“So, Liverpool and Arsenal are into the race and the two clubs pushing. It’s crucial to say though for Liverpool that despite signing Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, there is still the desire to bring in new players. A defensive midfielder, like Lavia. So, Romeo Lavia is now a target for Liverpool. Southampton are demanding around £50m, which is why there’s been no bid yet.”

Where would Romeo Lavia fit in at Liverpool?

The Belgian is a holding midfield player who could slot in alongside the likes of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai to screen in front of the defence.

Having a defensive-minded enforcer like Lavia alongside two creative players, while also having Fabinho as an option and Trent Alexander-Arnold inverting from right-back into central positions, could be terrible news for club captain Jordan Henderson.

The 33-year-old skipper could find his game time restricted by these new additions to the midfield, after already seeing his starts diminish over the last two seasons.

Henderson started 29 of his 35 Premier League appearances during the 2021/22 campaign before being named in the XI 23 times out of 35 outings last term.

The England international could find it difficult to get in the side over Lavia on a regular basis as the Saints ace has the potential to offer a great deal more quality out of possession.

He averaged 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game along with a duel success rate of 56% last season, while the Liverpool gem made 1.5 per outing and won 50% of his battles.

Those numbers are made all the more impressive when you consider that no Reds player with at least 15 starts managed more tackles and interceptions per league match than Lavia, who started 26 times for Southampton.

Indeed, the Belgian prodigy clearly has the quality to win the ball back for his side at an impressive rate.

The teenager, who has been hailed as a "special player" by journalist Dan George, could be an excellent anchor at the base of the midfield and as such, his arrival would be terrible news for Henderson as it could tempt Jurgen Klopp to reduce the Englishman's game time.

When Glasgow Rangers signed a relatively unknown Colombian called Alfredo Morelos in the summer of 2017, all Pedro Caixinha was expecting from the striker was that he replicated his form for Finnish side HJK Helsinki, where he had scored 46 goals in just 62 appearances.

He certainly exceeded expectations.

Despite scoring just 12 goals and finishing his final season at the Light Blues trophyless, Morelos had done enough in the previous five campaigns to go down as something of a cult hero among the Ibrox faithful.

He became the highest-ever European goalscorer for the Gers, taking the accolade from club icon Ally McCoist, while helping Rangers win their 55th league title but eventually, all good things must come to an end, with the 27-year-old leaving the club upon the expiration of his contract.

The onus is now for Michael Beale to source a replacement for Morelos during the transfer window and although Sam Lammers has arrived to bolster the attacking options, he isn’t the sort of player that can replace Morelos’ goals.

Could they perhaps lure Benie Traore to Ibrox this summer? As the youngster has been linked with a move to the club and the Gers have already had a £2.8m bid rejected by Swedish outfit BK Hacken according to Alan Nixon of The Sun (via Glasgow Live), with an offer of £4m preferred.

Could Benie Traore be the next Alfredo Morelos at Rangers?

There is no reason why the youngster couldn’t turn into Morelos 2.0, especially with his potential move to Glasgow sharing some similarities to that of the 27-year-old.

Firstly, Traore would arrive at Rangers aged just 20. The Colombian was also 20-years-old when he arrived in Scotland, joining a few days before his 21st birthday and his youthful nature certainly didn’t impact his performances on the pitch, scoring 18 goals in his debut season.

Secondly, Traore has shone for Swedish side BK Hacken over the previous three seasons, scoring 24 goals in 56 appearances and although not quite as prolific as Morelos during his tenure in Finland, it shows he has a clear eye for goal and could certainly make an impression at the Gers by joining from a Scandinavian club.

This suggests he has everything in his locker to become the heir apparent to the former Rangers hitman and with talent scout Jacek Kulig lauding the forward as a “jewel” and “talented” just last month, Beale should be giving Hacken what they demand for the player to get a move over the line as soon as possible.

The success of Morelos has shown that signing players who have performed well in countries such as Finland can pay dividends and there is no doubt that Traore could become the next big attacking talent at the club should he make the move in the coming weeks.

Tottenham Hotspur seem set to bolster their ranks further given their strong start to the window, with one more addition in their sights…

What's the latest on Tosin Adarabioyo to Tottenham Hotspur?

Having secured the permanent signing of Dejan Kulusevski, and seemingly acquired goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, the latest on their pursuit of Tosin Adarabioyo comes from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter to issue an update on the future of the Fulham centre-back.

The Italian journalist wrote: "Tosin Adarabioyo is one of the options monitored by Tottenham as [a] new centre-back as he has decided to leave Fulham."

This interest was supplemented through the words of writer Fabrice Hawkins, who suggested the west London outfit will seek to recoup at most €15m (£13m) if they are to allow their star defender to leave. His acquisition could also spell bad news for Eric Dier, given the 6 foot 5 ace arguably offers a huge upgrade on the struggling stalwart.

Would Tosin Adarabioyo improve Tottenham Hotspur?

The 25-year-old has been an ever-present figure in Marco Silva's Craven Cottage revolution, helping guide them up from the Championship and onto an unprecedented tenth-placed finish, in which European football was at one point a serious possibility for the promoted side.

Whilst the £40k-per-week stopper has been masterminding his rise to prominence, Dier has arguably seen a large drop-off in recent years. Despite featuring 361 times for the Lilywhites, last term marked one of his weakest amid all the turmoil and manager upheaval.

The 29-year-old almost acts as a lightning rod for criticism in north London, when in reality, the England international has been hung out to dry given a viable replacement has never really been secured.

His 6.86 average rating during that aforementioned campaign was beaten by Adarabioyo's 6.89 figure, largely upheld through an 82% pass accuracy, 71% dribble success rate, 1.2 tackles and 5.5 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

The ability to always be in the right place to remove danger, yet swan out of defence with poise and confidence, makes the former Manchester City gem the archetypal modern-day central defender. Journalist Peter Rutzler even suggested that his acquisition for such a nominal fee was "ridiculous" business, and they are now set to make a keen profit.

Meanwhile, Dier has been branded "nowhere near" good enough for the club by pundit Darren Ambrose, which FBref appears to emphasise. Defensively, the £85k-per-week dud's greatest strength is his aerials won per 90, but even then, he only ranks in the top 24% when compared to top centre-backs across Europe.

Meanwhile, Adarabioyo obviously excels in his ability to get the ball away to safety, and when pitted against the same group, ranks in the top 2% for clearances per 90.

To further outline the gulf in quality, it is worth showcasing that the Cottagers conceded ten fewer goals than Spurs last season, despite the quality of their team on paper being far worse.

He would surely come in and add some much-needed composure and solidity to a fragile defence that Ange Postecoglou has been tasked with fixing. For the touted sum too, it would be a shrewd way to slowly remove Dier from his starting role.

Tottenham Hotspur have got 'good lines open' and will push to try and sign Leicester City midfielder James Maddison this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving James Maddison?

As per Sky Sports, Tottenham are keen on signing Maddison this summer; however, they face fierce competition to land the £110k-a-week ace from Newcastle United.

Due to the fact that Spurs have finally found a new manager in the form of Ange Postecoglou, they could now 'formalise' their interest in Maddison in the coming weeks.

According to the Northern Echo, the prospect of being able to relocate to London would appeal to Maddison, which is something that could give the Lilywhites an advantage in the race for his signature.

Postecoglou is said to value Maddison as a key target this off-season and Spurs have opened preliminary discussions with Leicester City at board level.

90min journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking on the Chasing the Transfer podcast, has indicated that Tottenham may be frontrunners to sign Maddison, stating: "I think Tottenham are in pole position here. As long as Maddison likes Ange Postecoglou and wants to play Ange ball at Tottenham, I make them favourites at this point. They’ll pay more than Newcastle are willing to pay.”

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Tottenham will pull out all the stops to land Maddison this summer.

Jones told FFC: "The fact that he has to move this summer means that other teams are going to obviously be looking at it and could make a move at any moment. Tottenham kind of have to prioritise it because of that, I understand that they've got good lines open to try and make it happen."

Would James Maddison be a good fit for Tottenham Hotspur?

Maddison, who has been hailed as a "magician" embodies the type of flair and intuition that Tottenham were missing during this campaign and would be a very intelligent capture by Postecoglou if he was able to land the England international.

All in, Maddison made 32 appearances in all competitions for Leicester City in 2022/23, registering ten goals and nine assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.

Functioning as a midfield technician for the Foxes, Maddison was also able to provide an inventive spark from the middle of the park and successfully carried out 138 short-creating actions in the Premier League, as per FBRef.

WhoScored also note that the Coventry-born playmaker carried a keen goal threat this term and took on an average of 2.8 shots per match in the English top flight.

Interest in his services is likely to be widespread this summer and it will remain to be seen where Maddison chooses to take the next step in his career over the next few months.

Aston Villa are eyeing a move for rising Japan star Keito Nakamura, but NSWE will have to fend off a mega transfer battle to get a deal done this summer, report The Daily Mail.

What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?

Unai Emery is expected to go on somewhat of a shopping spree in the current transfer window, with the Villans set for a challenging 2023/24 campaign in four competitions, having secured UEFA Europa Conference League qualification on the final day of the season.

NSWE are reportedly happy to back their manager with some serious funds, and they’ve made a positive start already by bringing in Leicester City and Belgium star Youri Tielemans.

The Villans are clearly seeking more midfield reinforcements though, considering they are also linked with the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Manu Kone, and The Daily Mail are now reporting another new target.

According to the newspaper, NSWE are battling with Liverpool, Burnley, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach, Lille, Reims, Lyon and Feyenoord for LASK star Nakamura, and the player is expected to jump to a new club this summer.

Who is Keito Nakamura?

The 22 year-old, who plays as an attacking midfielder or as one of the wide roles in 4-2-3-1 formation, has burst onto the scene in the Austrian Bundesliga this season, scoring 14 times and providing seven assists in 31 league appearances, adding another three goals in cup competitions and finding the net once in two Japan caps.

His importance in his side’s Europa League qualification has apparently sparked the mass interest from across the continent, and it’s easy to see why when hearing from people who have seen the youngster play.

The £4,000-p/w Nakamura led all Japanese players in Europe aged 26 and under for direct goal contributions this season – beating the likes of Brighton star Kaoru Mitoma – and talent scout Jacek Kulig believes he’s a “brilliant” prospect who has been “absolutely on fire” throughout this season.

Given the rise of Japanese players throughout Europe’s top leagues in the last few seasons, with Mitoma shining in the Premier League, Celtic utilising several Japan internationals and Daichi Kamada thriving in the Bundesliga, Villa could certainly strike lucky by taking a dip into a previously underappreciated market.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Clement Lenglet will be "first out the door" as Spurs decide not to make his loan deal permanent, according to journalist Wayne Veysey.

Who could Spurs axe this summer?

Ange Postecoglou's arrival at Spurs marks the beginning of a new era as chairman Daniel Levy finally appoints Antonio Conte's successor, over two months after the Italian departed north London.

The 57-year-old will officially begin work on July 1, with Levy excited by his arrival and explaining exactly why he's the perfect fit to Tottenham's official website.

“Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play," explained Levy."He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our Club. We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead."

Postecoglou may already have a vague idea of whom he'd like to keep at N17, with many players facing the axe.

Hugo Lloris, Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Lenglet, Eric Dier and Ben Davies have all been tipped to potentially leave, while Spurs are also planning to offload Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Harry Winks (The Telegraph).

Going back to Lenglet, reporter Veysey has shared an update on the Frenchman's future at Spurs, and it's claimed he will "be first out the door" as the north Londoners decide not to make his loan deal a permanent one.

Writing for Football Insider, Conte's departure in March apparently ended any hope of the centre-back staying indefinitely, with Lenglet also thought to be on around £204,000-per-week.

Lenglet is now likely to go following Postecoglou's appointment as manager and the 27-year-old seems set to return to parent club Barcelona this month when his temporary deal expires.

It's added that the club, and by extension Levy, are "preparing for major changes" behind-the-scenes.

Who is Clement Lenglet?

Signing for Barca from Sevilla in 2018 for around £32 million, the France international has arguably failed to become a regular there and opted to join Spurs last summer.

He went on to make 26 league appearances under Conte, Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason with seven appearances in the Champions League – where he managed to get on the score sheet once (WhoScored).

Conte was full of praise for Lenglet at one time, saying this on him last August after one of his first ever appearances for the club.

"I’m happy for Lenglet, for Clement, because he came in with personality. We need a player to play, to play with personality, to have the quality to play football, also to attack. It was positive."

Tottenham Hotspur wing-back Ivan Perisic now wants to leave Spurs this summer, and specifically has a desire to re-join former side Inter Milan.

Who could leave Spurs this summer?

This summer could be one of the most crucial at Spurs in recent memory as chairman Daniel Levy attempts, and arguably fails, to spin many different plates.

The north Londoners, having failed to secure European football for next season, are also still on the lookout for a new manager after parting company with Antonio Conte over two months ago.

Tottenham are also said to be chasing a sporting director to replace the departed Fabio Paratici, who was forced to resign from his managing director role following a 30-month worldwide ban from football.

Amidst all of this work, Spurs are in danger of falling in behind in the transfer market, even if some reports suggest they're already pushing for James Maddison of Leicester City.

To balance the books and fund transfers of this ilk, the Lilywhites will need to offload squad members, with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, defender Davinson Sanchez and midfielder Giovani Lo Celso being among the names who could depart.

As well as the aforementioned trio, a report by Calciomercato from Italy now suggests that 2022 summer signing Perisic may soon follow.

According to their information, the Croatia legend wants to leave Spurs this summer, and is desperate to re-join Inter – who have just reached a Champions League final without him.

The outlet claims Perisic "pushes" to wear the Nerazzurri jersey again, and the 34-year-old has a "desire to say goodbye to London" after just one year.

The versatile player has apparently maintained good relations with Inter in recent months, with it now looking like he is eyeing a San Siro reunion.

Who is Ivan Perisic?

Signed by Spurs in the summer of 2022, Perisic formed one of the major contingent of signings bought to back Conte for the 22/23 campaign.

Thereafter, the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich star went on to make 34 Premier League appearances under Conte, Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason (WhoScored).

He also ranks in Tottenham's top ten best-performers by average match rating for last season, having registered more assists (8) than any other Spurs player in the division (WhoScored).

Perisic, called a "top class player" by journalist Siavoush Fallahi, arguably impressed and justified that tag with his contributions going forward.

Only fellow wing-back Pedro Porro averaged more crosses into the box than Perisic, and going by these numbers, Inter may well be interested in taking their former star back.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag holds a "serious interest" in signing Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount this summer, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

Will Mason Mount leave Chelsea?

Despite reports at the end of April indicating that Mount would be willing to commit to a new long-term deal at Chelsea, there has seemingly been no progress in that regard, and he could well be on the move this summer, with a number of teams interested.

Football Insider report that Man United are now confident they will win the race for the England international, despite interest from Liverpool, who are said to be keen on agreeing a deal, while Arsenal have also been named as potential suitors.

There is still a chance the 24-year-old remains at Stamford Bridge, as new manager Mauricio Pochettino has made it clear he wants him to stay, however with the Red Devils said to be "pushing", it remains to be seen whether he is willing to extend his stay.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, Crook has now claimed that Ten Hag has been a fan of the £80k-per-week Chelsea star for quite some time, which could potentially open the door for a summer move to Old Trafford.

The talkSPORT reporter said: "I think ten Hag has serious interest. I think he's been an admirer of Mount since he played in the Netherlands at Vitesse and the midfield is an area that still needs some surgery."

Should Man United sign Mason Mount?

There may be some understandable concern about Man United making a move for the Englishman, as his 2022-23 campaign was not his best by any stretch, registering just three goals and two assists in 24 Premier League appearances.

That is a considerable drop-off from the previous season, during which he recorded a remarkable 11 goals and ten assists in the top flight, reaching double figures for goals for the first time in his career.

However, the Cobham academy graduate offers a lot more than just attacking contributions, as he has also played a critical goal for Chelsea defensively over the course of the past year, averaging 1.98 tackles per 90, in the 88th percentile compared to his positional peers.

Hailed as a "superstar" by Rob Guest, Mount could be an excellent addition to Ten Hag's squad if he is able to reignite his previous form, and Man United should undoubtedly come forward with an offer this summer.

Referee Andre Marriner and his VAR team may have made a big mistake in the recent Newcastle United draw as he failed to send off Bruno Guimaraes.

What’s the latest on Newcastle and VAR?

Eddie Howe’s side were able to secure a spot in the top four and this qualify for the Champions League despite being held to a draw against Leicester City.

The Magpies dominated with 78 per cent possession, 12 concerns to one, and 23 shots to one, but still couldn’t score as the game ended 0-0 (via BBC Sport).

Even so, Newcastle will be delighted to get that one point that means they cannot be caught by Liverpool who are fifth in the Premier League with only one game to play.

However, they can potentially count themselves lucky to have completed the game with 11 men on the pitch as Guimaraes landed a brutal challenge on Boubakary Soumare.

In the end, the referee only opted to dish out a yellow card but as you can see by the still image shared on the TalkSport Twitter feed, it was bad foul potentially deserving of a red card.

You can also see the footage here.

Did Bruno Guimaraes deserve a red card?

In the end, Guimaraes wasn’t sent off with VAR opting not to upgrade the yellow card to a red but as you can see with how high his studs are raised, he’s a lucky boy.

Had that been a dismissal, Newcastle may well have lost the game and not secured Champions League football on the night as they would have had to play from the eighth minute onwards with just ten men.

In the ChronicleLive player ratings, journalist Lee Ryder noted the midfielder was “lucky to stay on with a wild challenge.”

He wasn’t the only one to comment on the bad tackle either, with football writer Craig Hope also adding: “That looked like a red card to me?”

After the game, Foxes manager Dean Smith wasn’t happy about the tackle. He told the press: “I do feel that Bruno could have been sent off. It was a dangerous lunge that endangered the opponent.”

Liverpool are understood to have concrete interest in Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves.

What’s the latest on Ruben Neves' future?

Football Insider reported earlier this week that the Merseyside outfit are eyeing a summer swoop for the 26-year-old.

Although Barcelona has been tipped as the favourites for the Portuguese’s signature, it is believed that Wolves are only willing to accept a deal involving cash, rather than a player exchange for their captain, so the Reds are patiently waiting to see how the situation unfolds.

After the Midlands club played their last home game of the season in a 1-1 draw with Everton, Neves fuelled the uncertainty with a poignant statement on his future sayng: “Let's see what's going to happen. I always say the same thing, I truly love to be here. But I never hide that I want to play Champions League football."

Although Jurgen Klopp’s side faces an outside chance of securing the top four, a move to Anfield would be an extraordinary step up for Neves, who deservedly should play European football in some capacity next season.

What could Neves bring to Liverpool?

The £50k-per-week star joined Wolves in 2017 and has made 252 appearances, achieving promotion from the Championship in his first year and has since made Wolves a sturdy and competitive top-flight side, who have barely been threatened by relegation.

This season, the former Porto prodigy has appeared on 34 occasions in the Premier League and has recorded the second-highest average rating (6.98) in the whole squad, according to WhoScored.

Hailed as "fantastic” and "amazing" by his teammate Jose Sa, the titan has evolved as a splendidly component all-rounder – this is showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 22% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive passes per 90, as well as the highest 15% for interceptions.

However, beyond the stats, Neves is a commanding pillar of leadership and experience. In October 2015, he became the youngest player to start as a captain in the Champions League, aged 18 years and 221 days.

The £45m-valued talent was also announced as the permanent Wolves captain at the start of the current campaign, meaning Liverpool could repeat their Jordan Henderson masterclass if they seal such a deal.

Not only would they be plucking a star midfielder away from another English club, but they'd also be bringing in a player with outstanding leadership skills.

The Englishman has been a stalwart for the Reds and has made 491 appearances for the club, and as he approaches his 33rd birthday, the integration of Neves, another skipper who embodies Henderson’s incredible leadership, would be a smart move.

A fountain of experience, the 39-cap international would need no time to acclimatise to English football and would seamlessly slot into Jurgen Klopp’s team.