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Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly closing in on the signing of Swansea City midfielder George Byers, according to a fresh development which emerged on Wednesday morning.

The Lowdown: Sheff Wed busy in the transfer market

The Owls are having a productive time of things in the summer transfer window, as Darren Moore builds his own squad at Hillsborough.

Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Lewis Wing both arrived on loan on Tuesday, joining Jaden Bowen, Jack Hunt, Dennis Adeniran and Olamide Shodipo as fellow signings.

The Latest: Owls close in on Byers signing

It now looks as though a seventh arrival is on the horizon, with Yorkshire Live reporting that Byers is set to join from Swansea.

A move for the 25-year-old will be reportedly be completed imminently, barring ‘any last-minute hiccups’, as Wednesday continue to look busy.

Byers spent half of last season on loan at Portsmouth, making 14 appearances in League One, and his current Swans deal expires next summer.

The Verdict: Another shrewd addition

Byers could be another interesting signing for the Owls, adding more depth in the middle of the park, especially if Barry Bannan potentially moves on.

At 25, he is both experienced and young enough to be a long-term acquisition for Moore’s side, helping them mount a genuine League One promotion push next season.

He only started four league matches last term, so perhaps a new environment is exactly what he needs, and averaging 2.7 shots per 90 minutes he certainly could carry a goal threat from midfield if he can find more consistent playing time.

In other news, two clubs are reportedly keen on a move for one Sheff Wed player. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace and Wilfried Zaha have an agreement in place that will see the club evaluate any offer that comes in for the winger, Michael Bridge has told The Transfer Tavern.

Zaha has made his desire to play for a top European side known, discussing the matter in an interview with The Face back in May.

He has since been linked with both Everton and Tottenham, who are both said to be interested in him, though nothing is yet to materialise.

Should a bid eventually be made by either club, however, it will be considered, according to Bridge.

“This is how it stands right now. There’s an agreement with him and the board that they would look at any offers if they came in,” the Sky Sports journalist said.

“He’s got a fantastic relationship with Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman. He hasn’t really been a moment’s problem; he hasn’t gone on strike.”

If Palace do end up keeping Zaha, then this would have been a really great transfer window for the club.

The Eagles have managed to reinvigorate an ageing defence by bringing in both Marc Guehi, 21, and Joachim Andersen, 25, from Chelsea and Lyon respectively. The duo look likely to replace the likes of Gary Cahill, who is now 35, and Scott Dann.

Nottingham Forest are interested in a deal to bring Morgan Rogers to the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that Forest are showing a considerable amount of interest in the Manchester City winger ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

The report continues by stating that, despite the fact it would take a bid totalling £9m in order to secure the permanent transfer of the 19-year-old, Dane Murphy could be planning to test the waters with a heavily structured offer.

Finally, it is claimed that the new Forest CEO is extremely keen to sign young players with high ceilings for the Reds, with the England U19 international fitting this criteria perfectly.

Imagine him and Johnson

With The Athletic reporting that Rogers came onto Forest’s radar when the club were monitoring the progress of Brennan Johnson’s loan at Lincoln City, where the Manchester City youngster also spent last season on loan, the prospect of the duo reuniting at the City Ground this summer should certainly be a mouthwatering prospect for both Chris Hughton and fans of the club alike.

Indeed, over his 28 League One appearances for Michael Appleton’s side last time out, the £1.17m-rated Rogers scored six goals, registered two assists and created nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns saw the man the Lincoln boss dubbed an “outstanding” talent earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.09, ranking him as the Imps’ second-best performer in the third tier of English football.

Meanwhile, over Johnson’s 43 League One appearances for Lincoln last term, the 20-year-old bagged 11 goals, provided 12 assists and created four big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.3 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the Forest youngster an average SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking the winger as Appleton’s sixth-best performer in the third tier.

As such, should Murphy go on to secure a deal for Rogers this summer, it would undoubtedly be a massive coup for Forest, with the signing of the £19k-per-week starlet not only helping to solve the club’s goalscoring issues of last season – with only Derby County scoring fewer than Forest’s 37 league goals last term – but also creating a partnership with Johnson that could well mark the beginning of a new and incredibly exciting era at the City Ground.

In other news: Bye-bye Bong: Murphy must sanction NFFC swoop for £8.9k-p/w gem, he won’t cost a penny

Former Rangers defender Graham Roberts has ramped up the pressure on Steven Gerrard by describing tonight’s Champions League game as the biggest of his managerial career.

Gerrard’s side are trailing 2-1 in their third qualifying round tie following their defeat against Malmo in the first leg in Sweden last Tuesday.

However, Steven Davis’ last-gasp stunner has put the Scottish champions in with every chance of moving one step away from qualifying for the group stages of Europe’s elite competition for the first time since 2010.

But there’s extra pressure on Rangers at what will be a red hot Ibrox with fans returning, not only with a large financial boost on the line, but because the Gers lost their 41-game unbeaten Scottish Premiership run at Dundee United on Saturday.

That defeat at Tannadice Park equalled the number of competitive fixtures Rangers lost throughout the whole of last season in 90 minutes, meaning a victory is much-needed.

Asked whether tonight’s clash with the Swedish giants is the biggest since the appointment of Gerrard three years ago, Roberts exclusively told Football FanCast:

“I would say so, tonight there’s big pressure. The club will be banking on £30m guaranteed for the Champions League.

“If they get knocked out tonight, they go into the Europa League, which is not the same.

“They’ll be banking on that. It will be tough, but with the Rangers support back tonight and 50,000 screaming, it’s a tough old place for away teams to go, and the bears will suck that ball into the net.”

Kevin Phillips has urged Glasgow Rangers to sell Alfredo Morelos as soon as possible and believes it is the right time for the Colombia international to leave.

The Lowdown: Morelos future up in the air

Morelos’ future has been the subject of much speculation this summer, with Porto in particular said to be interested in his services.

The 25-year-old was even said to have agreed personal terms with the Portuguese outfit (Antena 1), but there has so far not been any concrete offer for the striker.

The Latest: Phillips urges sale

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips has urged the Gers to sell Morelos this summer. He said:

“I’ve been saying it’s time for Morelos to go for a while now.

“It would help them out financially too if they need that extra cash now.

“There are always issues with him, you know he will miss games in the season.

“Whether that’s through a red card or an accumulation of quite a few yellows.

“I would imagine Rangers are expecting an offer for him now, other clubs know all about the financials.

“I think he will go.”

The Verdict: Will there be a better time?

Unless Morelos signs a new contract at Ibrox – which would be a shock considering he has previously revealed his desire to play in a more prestigious league (Goal.com) – there will surely never be a better time for the Gers to let Morelos go.

With two years left on his current deal (Transfermarkt), he still has a strong sale value. If the Gers were to wait another year, the potential fee they could receive for his services would be significantly lower.

Of course, Morelos is a striker with plenty of talent as he has shown with 95 goals in 185 appearances for Rangers, but Steven Gerrard does have a number of other options at his disposal in Fashion Sakala, Cedric Itten, Kemar Roofe and Jermain Defoe. If Morelos wants to leave, the Gers should respect his wish.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this interview.

Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore ‘remains of interest’ to Liverpool as the Reds seek to recruit another attacker, according to 90Min. 

The lowdown

The Spain international didn’t register a Premier League goal or assist until April last season, eventually finishing the campaign with four direct goal contributions (via Transfermarkt). However, he led the division for successful dribbles per 90 minutes with 4.1, edging Newcastle United’s Allan Saint-Maximin (via WhoScored).

Traore played all 90 minutes as Bruno Lage’s Wolves tenure began with a 1-0 defeat at Leicester City on Saturday. He was guilty of missing what BBC Sport’s Phil Dawkes called a ‘golden chance’ at 0-0 after racing through on goal.

The latest

According to 90Min, Liverpool hope to ‘add at least one forward’ to their ranks before the end of the window, and Jurgen Klopp is a fan of Traore.

The Reds are ‘ready’ to facilitate the signing by offloading Xherdan Shaqiri, who’s ‘close’ to joining Lyon, and Divock Origi. Wolves’ stance is that the 25-year-old can leave for the right price, and that price happens to be £40m, but Liverpool are hopeful of negotiating a lower fee.

The Spaniard wants to leave Molineux this summer, having expressed a clear reluctance to sign a new deal.

The verdict

If Traore isn’t entertaining the idea of a contract extension, Wolves will soon come under pressure to sell. He still has two years left on his current deal, but they need to be mindful of the situation as his contract winds down.

£40m may seem an optimistic valuation for a player who struggled to make an impact for most of last season, but Traore showed in 2019/20 what he’s capable of producing when at his best.

He scored six goals and set up another 12 in all competitions that year, striking up a devastating partnership with Raul Jimenez. If he does stay at Molineux, the returning Mexican striker should bring the best out of him once again.

In other news, some Wolves fans slammed this man’s performance at the King Power Stadium.

An update has emerged on Everton target Jesse Lingard, regarding Manchester United’s valuation of the midfielder.

What’s the talk?

According to The Express, Manchester United are now willing to accept offers in the region of £20m for Everton transfer target Jesse Lingard.

The report claims that West Ham are interested in snapping him up on a permanent deal following his loan spell with the club, whilst the Toffees have been linked with a swoop for him this summer.

New Tim Cahill

Everton have reportedly told James Rodriguez that he is free to find a new club between now and the end of the window, which means that Lingard could be brought in as a direct replacement for the ex-Real Madrid man. It could be time to wave bye-bye to James and say hi to the England international, especially given this latest update.

With Lingard available to buy for £20m, Rafa Benitez and Marcel Brands must act on their interest and submit an offer for him. They could run the risk of West Ham, or another club in England or abroad, swooping in to snap him up if they do not move with urgency, which is why they must prepare a bid immediately.

Benitez could unearth Tim Cahill 2.0 with a deal for the attacking midfielder, as he is someone who is capable of chipping in with goals from behind the striker. The retired Australian scored six or more Premier League goals in six separate seasons for the Toffees, regularly providing a goal threat from midfield for the club over the course of a number of years – in total, he finished with an impressive haul of 68 goals in 278 games for the Merseyside club.

With Lingard, Everton could finally find the heir to his goalscoring throne. The 28-year-old spent the second-half of last season on loan to West Ham and proved to be an instant hit, with a stunning nine goals and five assists in 16 league appearances.

In his last 30+ appearances season for Manchester United, Lingard managed eight goals and six assists in the Premier League. This suggests that he has the quality to score and assist goals on a regular basis if given the game time to make an impact.

Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand once hailed Lingard as an ‘intelligent’ footballer and claimed that he could play in any team. Ferdinand said on Five:

“I’ve argued with pundit after pundit, on-air, and off-air. He could play in any top team because he’s an intelligent footballer. He can play off one touch or two touch.

“He gets judged on his antics on social media. Some people, it rubs them up the wrong way, and they don’t like him because of it and a lot of the youngster generation love it.

“But if you’re looking at him as just a cold footballer, anyone who knows football surely has to see the kid has a talent.”

This shows how highly Ferdinand rates the midfielder and is another reason why Benitez must sanction a deal for Lingard in the coming days.

Dubbed as “special” by Stuart Pearce, if Everton can bring the Englishman through the door then they could have their new Tim Cahill…

AND in other news, Everton could sign major Doucoure upgrade in “very complete” £55k-p/w powerhouse…

Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield cannot see Aston Villa making a late move for Lazio attacker Joaquin Correa.

Correa has been linked with a move to Villa, with Il Messaggero (via Sport Witness) reporting at the start of the month that the Midlands club were one possible destination for the 27-year-old this summer.

However, Inter Milan currently look to be winning the race for Correa. According to Italian broadcaster SportMediaset (via SempreInter), the Serie A champions have agreed personal terms with the £27m-rated player as they look to tie up a deal.

And Hatfield is not expecting a late challenge from Villa, who have already bolstered their attacking options in this transfer window.

“I don’t see it happening,” the Aston Villa journalist told FFC. “He just doesn’t strike me as a Villa player.

“When you see links regarding players and Villa, Dean Smith seems very intent on signing those with some Premier League experience and if not, then someone who’s shown real potential.

“I don’t see Correa really fitting the mould for Villa. It seems very much like paper talk.”

As touched on earlier, Villa have already splashed out on attacking reinforcements this summer, bringing in the likes of Danny Ings, Leon Bailey and Emiliano Buendia.

Considering that, unless there is an outgoing before the transfer window closes, it is hard to imagine the Villans bringing in another attacker.

It will be ‘very difficult’ for Everton to send James Rodriguez the other way as they try to sign Luis Diaz from FC Porto, according to Carlos Aleman.

The lowdown

A right-back and a winger are on Everton’s shopping list ahead of Tuesday night’s transfer deadline, but the Blues are said to be reliant on James leaving in order to free up the funds (via The Athletic).

With Porto right-winger Diaz a target, one possible solution could be a part-exchange deal with the two-time European champions involving James.

The Colombian, of course, only moved to Goodison Park from Real Madrid last summer.

The latest

In a tweet, Aleman wrote that the proposed move is ‘very complicated’ but urged ‘patience’.

Everton are ‘trying to make something concrete’ with Diaz, but the stumbling block ‘has always been’ James’ salary.

The verdict

This kind of scenario was always a risk when Everton signed James, particularly in the midst of a pandemic.

According to Marca, his salary is around £7million per year, which equates to a shade under £135,000 per week.

If, for whatever reason, Everton needed to offload him, those wages were always likely to throw a spanner in the works.

In fairness, James performed well last season and there has been an unforeseen change of management, so they shouldn’t be criticised too harshly, but it feels best for all parties if they can figure out an exit now.

In other news, this Everton target is set for crunch talks with his manager.

Celtic were keen on securing a late deal for striker Kevin Nesbit but baulked at Hibernian’s £4million asking price, according to The Celtic Way reporter Anthony Haggerty.

Ange Postecoglou, who was appointed as the Bhoys’ new manager in June, brought in a host of fresh faces during the transfer window and was also eyeing Scotland international Nesbit all summer.

According to PLZ, via the Daily Record, Celtic also sounded out the possibility of being able to clinch Nesbit’s services with former Hibs frontman Leigh Griffiths and cash going in the opposite direction.

However, Hibs boss Jack Ross rubbished claims of a transfer being in the offing a matter of days before the deadline and, while Griffiths has joined Dundee on loan until the end of the season, Nesbit has remained with his current employers.

The 24-year-old has already scored three goals this season and Haggerty insists Celtic were interested but unwilling to meet the frontman’s valuation.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “They quite like Kevin Nesbit but they didn’t know if he was worth the £4million Hibs were looking for in terms of a transfer fee.

“There was talk of Celtic offering cash plus a player on loan and I thought there might have been a deal to be done there.”