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West Ham United have made an offer for Borussia Monchengladbach centre-back Nico Elvedi.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Andreas Boni, with the Swiss journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, despite OGC Nice holding a long-term interest in the centre-back, the Ligue 1 side now have serious competition in the race for the 25-year-old’s signature – with David Moyes believed to have tabled an offer for the Switzerland international.

The former Arsenal and Manchester City target is believed to be available for a figure in the region of £16m this summer, although the value of West Ham’s offer for the defender is not revealed by Boni – while the Swiss reporter also suggested that Elvedi remaining at Borussia-Park is still a possibility for the centre-back.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Nice has competition: Premier League club West Ham has made an offer for Nico Elvedi. Stay in Gladbach like a change possible.”

Varane 2.0

Considering just how impressive Elvedi has been for Gladbach ever since his arrival at the club back in the summer of 2015, it is not difficult to understand why Arsenal, Manchester City and now West Ham have all been keen to bring the centre-back to the Premier League.

Indeed, the £16.2m-rated talent’s time at Borussia-Park is summarised nicely by his performances over his four Bundesliga appearances so far this season, with the defender helping his side keep one clean sheet, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, one tackle, 2.5 clearances and winning 3.0 duels – at a success rate of 71% – per game.

The £26k-per-week centre-back has also impressed with the ball at his feet, enjoying an average of 81 touches, completing 69 passes – at a success rate of 94% – and playing 2.0 long balls per fixture, as well as chipping in going forwards with one goal.

These returns have seen the 38-cap international who Derek Rae dubbed a “scoring sensation” average an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as Monchengladbach’s sixth-best performer in the top flight of German football in 2022/23.

However, while it is clear to see that Elvedi is extremely solid at the back, in addition to posing a very real threat going forwards – having scored 12 goals and registered nine assists over his 241 appearances for Gladbach – it is undoubtedly the defender’s passing ability that stands out as his best trait.

Indeed, according to FBref, the 25-year-old ranks in the top 2% of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for passes completed and the top 17% for passes attempted per 90 over the last 365 days – with these returns seeing the website list Raphael Varane – a player who also excels in passing statistics – as Elvedi’s most comparable player.

As such, with Craig Dawson looking to be on his way out of the London Stadium in the coming days, it is indeed easy to see why Moyes looks to have made a move for the Swiss sensation, and, should the 59-year-old manage to get a deal over the line for the centre-back in the coming days, he could well have unearthed his very own Varane in east London.

Liverpool are among a number of clubs ‘keeping tabs’ on Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to a report from 90min. 

The lowdown: Rising star

Signed from boyhood club Independiente in February 2021, Caicedo was immediately sent out on loan to Belgian outfit Beerschot V.A. for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign.

The 20-year-old fully fledged Ecuador international – who had racked up 31 senior domestic outings before leaving his homeland – made 14 appearances whilst in Belgium, directly contributing to three goals in the process.

Having returned to Brighton in January and becoming their highest-rated performer almost immediately, now it seems Caicedo is attracting attention from multiple big hitters…

The latest: ‘Keeping tabs’

As per 90min, Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus and Atletico Madrid are all ‘keeping tabs’ on the 23-cap starlet.

It’s claimed Manchester United are also keen, however, Brighton have ‘no intention’ of selling Caicedo this summer as the talented defensive midfielder fills the void left behind by Yves Bissouma.

The report also states that the Anfield outfit, along with those other aforementioned suitors are all monitoring the ‘progress’ of the ace who was dubbed an ‘absolute monster’ by Norwegian journalist Jonas Adnan Giæver.

The verdict: One to watch

Having already set their stall out that there would be no further incomings this summer despite the current midfield injury crisis, it seems unlikely that FSG and Julian Ward would act on their admiration and attempt to add Caicedo to Jurgen Klopp’s ranks this month, particularly after distancing themselves from a move for Matheus Nunes earlier in the window.

Instead, it seems far more plausible that the Reds’ chiefs will continue to assess the talented Ecuardorian’s performances throughout his first full Premier League campaign and potentially make their move either in January or beyond.

That said, currently holding an estimated market value of just £5.4million (Transfermarkt), given Brighton’s stubbornness when it comes to demanding premium fees for their players, making a swoop to bring Caicedo to Anfield before he realises his full potential would certainly be the less expensive of the two options.

Already seemingly a mainstay in Graham Potter’s plans having played every minute of the opening two games this term, the youngster – who shares similar stylistic traits to Leander Dendoncker, Thomas Delaney and Abdoulaye Doucoure (FBref) – seems ready to make a major impact on the big stage.

In those two matches, Caicedo has earned an impressive 7.10 Sofascore rating whilst winning 6.0 duels on average per game, outperforming Liverpool defensive midfielder Fabinho as the 7.05 rated Brazilian averages just 3.5 successful duels at present.

Pundit Paddy Kenny has been giving his thoughts on recent news involving Aston Villa midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Contract demands

Chukwuemeka, who Steven Gerrard has backed to be “a big player”, is into the final 12 months of his Villa deal. He has been linked with an exit after rejecting a new contract and was left out of the squad that travelled to Australia for a pre-season tour.

FI revealed earlier in the month that the 18-year-old is holding out for a new contract worth £100,000-a-week and is attracting interest from both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Latest: Kenny reacts

While all the talk recently has been of Gerrard’s decision to hand John McGinn the armband instead of Tyrone Mings, Kenny is still in disbelief at the news on the young midfielder.

Talking to FI, the former Premier League shot-stopper labelled Chukwuemeka’s reported demands as ‘ridiculous’ and said that ‘football has gone crazy’ with the figures mentioned.

“They have to do everything in their power to keep him.

“But if you are paying an 18-year-old who is not at Premier League level £100,000-a-week, that’s another level, ridiculous.

“If it was bonus related, then I could maybe understand but that as a straight-up wage is far too much at that age.

“Villa will get something for him if he goes but obviously they could get a lot more if he signs that deal.

“It’s a tough one because how can an 18-year-old at Aston Villa ask for that much money? Football has gone crazy.

“It’s not like he has come in and scored 20 goals, he is an unbelievable player and I do think he will be a star.

“The only thing I can think of is that he really wants to leave as soon as possible, but then just say that instead of demanding the money.”

The Verdict: Crazy indeed

Chukwuemeka is clearly a potential future star with some of Europe’s biggest clubs keen on his services, however, he has only made two Premier League starts, so to start demanding a £100,000-a-week salary is, as Kenny says, crazy.

You’d expect that Villa will want to keep hold of the versatile midfielder, but they won’t be held to ransom and Gerrard certainly won’t go easy on such bizarre demands, so a summer exit could well materialise.

That may suit all parties as Villa would be in line to receive a fee and Chukwuemeka could get his big salary, but leaving it until the New Year would mean Villa could lose him for next to nothing.

Celtic have seen a number of young players make moves away from the Parkhead club over the past few weeks such as Karamoko Dembele, Luca Connell, Kerr McInroy and Ewan Henderson.

Another young player making a name for himself at one of Europe’s top clubs that has been mentioned with a reported £2m move to Glasgow this summer is Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Edouard Michut.

Having joined PSG’s youth ranks from Versailles back in 2016, the 19-year-old has gone on to make 17 appearances for the club across their senior and youth sides, chipping in with one goal and one assist along the way.

With eight senior appearances to his name for the French giants, five of them came during their previous Ligue 1 campaign, where he managed to assist a goal from Thilo Kehrer during PSG’s 1-1 draw against Olympique Lyon back in January.

To further highlight what sort of player Michut is, football talent scout, Jacek Kulig described the teenager as a “highly technical and creative playmaker” and a “fantastic” young prospect at PSG.

In fact, Kulig also spoke about the French starlet in the same breath as Barcelona youngster Gavi, in terms of their “natural football IQ” as well as their ability to “already have three passing options in their heads before even controlling the ball.”

At the age of 17, the Barcelona prodigy, who has a hefty market value of around €70m (£59m) according to CIES, already has 46 senior appearances to his name for the Spanish club.

In those appearances, Gavi has managed to score two goals and provide six assists in the process.

Hailed as an “erupting volcano” by Luis Enrique, the Spaniard certainly looks likely to have a big career ahead of him.

Taking all of this into account, if Celtic were able to land their own version of the Barcelona starlet in the shape of Michut, this could be a very exciting move for the Parkhead club to make.

With the several young players that have waved goodbye to the club in recent weeks, it’s safe to say that the Hoops have the space to add a young talent to their ranks that could have what it takes to force his way into Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

AND in other news: Ange can finally axe Celtic’s £4.05m-rated “monster” with move for “perfect” £3.4m gem

Sunderland journalist and podcaster Philip West has been left thrilled by some ownership news that has emerged from the Stadium of Light.

The Lowdown: Ownership reshuffle

As per the official website of the Wearside club, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has increased his ownership stake to 51%, and Juan Sartori 30%.

In turn, Charlie Methven has sold all of his shares, and Stewart Donald has sold his stake down to 19%.

It was reported that cryptocurrency group The Fans Together (TFT) were ‘moving closer’ to a takeover deal for the Black Cats, but that bid now looks to have collapsed judging by the latest update.

The Latest: West thrilled

Taking to Twitter, West, who writes for Roker Report, was left thrilled by the news, claiming that it is ‘massively positive’ for the club:

“Massively positive news today, with Charlie Methven’s departure and the worrying spectre of the TFT group removed from the equation as well. Hopefully we can now ramp up the planning for next season & get ready for the challenges to come!”

The Verdict: Step forward

Methven selling all of his shares and Donald reducing his significantly is certainly a big step forward for SAFC.

Finance expert Kieran Maguire has previously labelled the pair as an ’embarrassment’ after the club dropped down to League One and only last season bounced back up, while he also claimed that the TFT bid was ‘nonsense’ and giving an ‘illusion’ to the supporters of what they want to hear (Football Insider).

Nonetheless, Alex Neil’s side can put all of that behind them now and concentrate on making a good start to life in the Championship.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are plotting a move for highly-rated Hull City winger Keane Lewis-Potter this summer but face competition from several other Premier League clubs.

What’s the story?

According to Football League World, Wolves are interested in signing the 21-year-old starlet but West Ham United are the club currently in pole position for his signature.

The player’s eye-catching performances for Championship side Hull last season sparked interest from many top clubs with Brentford making a move for him in January only for a bid to be rejected.

However, it looks like he will leave this summer, and if a club matches the Tigers’ asking price of £20m then it’s likely they will accept.

Lage needs him

If he did move then he would be a welcome addition at Molineux, further adding to the crop of exciting young talent at the club. He’s a player that would certainly suit Bruno Lage, so Wolves should do everything than can to sign him.

He was directly involved in 16 goals in the league last season and was the top scorer for the East Yorkshire outfit, given this it’s no surprise that they are commanding a high fee to secure him.

Lewis-Potter’s former manager Grant McCann has dubbed him a “special talent”, and with him recently making his debut for the England U21 side he’s definitely one to keep an eye on.

Hull have a record of producing top talents, most recently Jarrod Bowen secured a Premier League move to West Ham and has since gone on to become one of their best players.

If Lewis-Potter can replicate the success he has had then it would be well worth the investment required.

The Wanderers are also in need of attacking reinforcements or they could find themselves in trouble next season. They scored just 38 goals in the league last season, with their top scorer Raul Jimenez only netting six.

Signing Lewis-Potter would help increase that tally and he will only improve the older and more experienced that he gets.

Lage needs to make attacking signings, and although some might say this one would be a risk, it’s worth taking and would see Wolves gain an advantage over their rivals.

AND in other news: Shi can solve big Bruno Lage headache with Wolves swoop for “world-class” machine…

Leeds United could make a move for New York City FC forward Valentin Castellanos this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Castellanos links

The Whites were credited with an interest in Castellanos back in February when they reportedly made contact with the forward’s representatives and were willing to pay £10.3m for the 23-year-old, who has been hailed as ‘top-class’ by Ronny Deila.

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Castellanos, primarily a striker who can also play on the wing, has contributed to 76 goals in 126 games for the MLS side.

The Argentine is under contract until 2025, but it appears as if a move to Elland Road is still a possibility.

The Latest: Leeds update

Jones provided GiveMeSport with a Leeds transfer guide on Thursday evening, shortly after Brenden Aaronson was announced as the club’s first summer signing.

When it came to who else the Whites could sign this summer, Castellanos was mentioned, with Jones describing it as ‘one to keep an eye on’.

The Verdict: Needed?

Leeds lacked quality in front of goal last season, with star striker Patrick Bamford limited to just seven Premier League starts due to a number of injuries.

Wide man Raphinha was the club’s top scorer with 11 goals, however, it looks as if he could be on the move to Barcelona over the coming months.

Therefore, bringing in a player like Castellanos, who has scored goals for fun in the USA, appears to be a shrewd move and would help Jesse Marsch implement his preferred 4-2-2-2 system in his first full season in charge, possibly striking up a partnership with Bamford.

In other news: ‘Wow…’ – Sky Sports man now reacts to big update on Kalvin Phillips’ Leeds United future.

Newcastle United journalist Dominic Scurr added his take to the speculation surrounding Newcastle United and the pursuit of Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson. 

The lowdown: Recent reports

Reliable journalist for the Manchester Evening News, Samuel Luckhurst, has this week claimed that the Magpies are ‘closing in’ on a move for Henderson.

It is believed that the 25-year-old was heading to North East this week to put the final pieces of a move together ahead of the summer transfer window, as Magpies boss Eddie Howe prepares for a busy off-season.

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However, it now appears that the switch may not be as far along as Luckhurst claims following a contradictory report…

The latest: Scurr’s update

Taking to Twitter in response to reports elsewhere, The Shields Gazette journalist Scurr was quick to state that ‘sources at Newcastle’ have denied a move is close to completion.

Citing his own story, he stated: “Reports suggesting MUFC goalkeeper Dean Henderson is on the verge of completing a move to NUFC. But sources at Newcastle have been quick to play down the story.”

Within the report, Scurr confirms Henderson is a target who has been ‘discussed’, likely for a season-long loan deal, but also reconfirms that those close to the club have ‘quickly played down’ the likelihood of it happening in the coming days.

The verdict: Make it happen

Whilst few could question the service of 33-year-old Martin Dubravka since arriving at the Toon in 2018, it’s no surprise that Howe would be on the lookout for additional goalkeeper options to challenge the Slovakian.

Capped once by England, Henderson enjoyed a stellar 2019/20 campaign whilst on loan at Sheffield United, earning a 7.00 Sofascore rating whilst making 2.7 saves on average per game and keeping 13 Premier League clean sheets.

Since returning to Old Trafford the £16.2million valued man – dubbed as possessing ‘insane’ ability in 2020 by then-teammate Sander Berge – has found opportunities hard to come by as understudy to David de Gea and a summer move could suit all parties, including Newcastle.

In other news, find out which £36m-rated star NUFC could now sign for free here!

Tom and Sam Curran could become the first brothers to play in the same England XI this century. Can you name all the sets of brothers who have played together in an international in the past 30 years?

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2018