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Manchester United are open to the idea of selling midfielder Fred in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update regarding his future.

Has Fred been a key man this season?

The Red Devils' season came to an end on Saturday afternoon, as they tasted defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley. It was a spirited effort in the eventual 2-1 loss, but their rivals' extra quality shone through in the end.

Fred started proceedings against City, accompanying Casemiro in the middle of the park, but he has struggled to feature regularly throughout the campaign. He only started 12 of United's 38 Premier League games in 2022/23, having to make do with a squad role instead.

The £120,000-a-week midfielder's current deal expires next year, meaning that he would be allowed to leave on a free transfer at that point, should an extension not have been agreed. For that reason, it could be that United look to move him on before the start of next season, with a new update certainly suggesting as much.

Could United sell Fred this summer?

According to Football Insider, the Reds "will consider offers" for Fred once the summer transfer window opens, even though they are "in no rush to push him out of the club". In fact, the club are "likely to leave the final decision" with the player himself, should he decide that he wants a fresh challenge and more regular minutes.

The report states that "the club will be open to letting him go if they receive the right fee – but they are also happy to keep him as part of the squad for the 2023-24 campaign", having triggered a 12-month extension on the deal that was originally expiring this summer.

Fred leaving United this summer certainly wouldn't be a disaster, with the club now in a position where they need to be bringing in superior midfielders as squad options, in order to compete with City at the top of the Premier League. That being said, he is a safe pair of hands who has now racked up 213 appearances for the Reds, also being hailed as "extremely valuable" by Ralf Rangnick during his time at the club, and he has actually made more appearances this season than any other of his previous campaigns in Manchester.

Essentially, it feels like a win-win scenario for United, with the club either receiving a good fee for Fred if he does move on, or keeping hold of an experienced head who can do an effective job if he stays put, and it looks as if his future will be one to keep an eye on over the summer.

The West Ham board has been teetering for a while, endlessly agonising over David Moyes’ uncertain future.

The Scotsman has bought so much joy to East London. Incredibly, he managed consecutive top-seven finishes, as well as a commendable European excursion last season that was halted in the semi-finals by the eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt.

This term, the Irons have gone one step further on the continent and made it to the Europa Conference League Final.

Moyes and his squad are on the cusp of immortality, but failure to win this competition could spell the end for the veteran coach.

According to the Guardian, the Hammers are giving fresh consideration to Moyes’ dismissal to heighten the pressure on the game on Wednesday evening in Prague.

His fate rests upon reversing history and securing West Ham’s first major trophy in 43 years.

However, as per Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna, Brendan Rodgers is a “leading candidate”, should Moyes fail at the last hurdle.

Would Brendan Rodgers be a good fit at West Ham?

A victim of recency bias would wrongly discount the obvious quality of Rodgers. The 50-year-old has endured a difficult campaign, unable to stem Leicester City’s downward spiral that culminated in a surprising relegation.

The club only signed two players last summer to leave Rodgers exposed and unevenly supported.

Prior to this tumultuous year at the King Power Stadium, the Northern Irishman had deservedly developed a prestigious reputation as quite simply, an unbelievable coach.

He first announced his managerial brilliance to British football with Swansea, securing promotion to the Premier League in 2012 via the play-offs.

The tactician was then announced as the boss of Liverpool and although it didn't quite go according to plan there, Merseyside legend Steven Gerrard was one effusive voice, heaping praise upon his managerial style.

He said: “His one-on-one management is the best I have known. He makes you go out onto the pitch feeling a million dollars — full of confidence and belief. He is a very confident manager.”

In more recent times, Rodgers managed the Foxes to their first-ever FA Cup victory in 2021 and had the club on the cusp of Champions League football.

Jurgen Klopp has expressed his admiration for his peers' work and said: “Leicester are built like you would like to build a team. Brilliant team. What they do is really good. Exciting, fresh; defend well; play football and are especially threatening in counter-attacks."

After an £166m outlay last summer, Moyes conceded that the spending “has not worked as well” as he would’ve liked, and given Rodgers' ability to pinpoint a player’s best role and mould a squad, his arrival at the London Stadium could be the perfect scenario.

Described as “unbelievable” by Michail Antonio, a player he could end up coaching, the appointment of Rodgers would herald a new era that could reignite the squad and the fan base.

Manchester City winger Jack Grealish has very much been living it up since winning the treble and has now been caught amid all the celebrations begging Bernardo Silva to stay.

What has Grealish been doing in the Man City celebrations?

Over the weekend, Pep Guardiola and his team – who have a number of serious allegations against their name – completed a historic season as they beat Inter Milan to secure the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

This sealed a treble for the Manchester club – matching the 1999 efforts of their biggest rivals – with City also lifting the Premier League and the FA Cup over the course of the past campaign.

Unsurprisingly then, the Cityzens have been leaving it up ever since, with Grealish apparently leading the way when it comes to the celebrations.

For instance, numerous videos – such as this one – have caught him drunkenly stumbling around, enjoying himself to the fullest extent.

While a video has also gone viral of Erling Haaland pouring champagne over his head – with the Englishman not looking too impressed.

Is Bernardo Silva leaving Man City?

However, amid all the drunken antics, perhaps the most interesting bit of footage to emerge came via the Football Daily Twitter feed.

“Please don’t go” ðŸ™
Jack Grealish begging Bernardo Silva to stay 😅 pic.twitter.com/aJJbZAYTuR
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) June 12, 2023

Indeed, while the City players celebrate together on a tram, Grealish can be seen pressing his hands together in prayer and mouthing to Silva: “Please don’t go.”

Unfortunately, though, it seems as though the Englishman probably won’t get his wish. After all, 90min have recently reported that the City star wants to leave this summer.

Indeed, the article explains that the 28-year-old, who is contracted to City until 2025, has reaffirmed to the club that he is ready for a new challenge.

It seems he will be allowed to go with Guardiola’s side willing to do business providing they receive an offer around the £75m mark.

Barcelona were linked in the recent past and seem like a strong possible option right now but perhaps other options will emerge in the coming weeks.

Sunderland have been quick off the mark with their transfer business this summer, already bringing in centre-back Nectarios Triantis and young midfielder Jobe Bellingham, the brother of now-Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham.

But that excitement may well be offset by possible departures, with Jack Clarke a target for a number of Premier League sides, while Amad Diallo has also returned to parent club Manchester United.

Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray has admitted it is "very unlikely" Diallo will return to the Stadium of Light next season – a loan switch to a Premier League club seems the most likely option – but that is not to say there are not adequate replacements out there.

Replacing the 14 goals and three assists Diallo provided in 39 Championship matches last season will be no easy feat, but Sunderland have shown with their impressive transfer business in recent windows that anything is possible.

According to a recent report by Sunderland Nation, Swansea City's young attacking midfielder Morgan Whittaker is one of those being eyed up to fill the void left by Diallo.

Who is Swansea City attacker Morgan Whittaker?

Whittaker impressed on loan with Plymouth Argyle in the first half of last season in League One, scoring nine goals and assisting another seven in 25 appearances for the Pilgrims.

That type of form was never going to go unnoticed, and so it proved in January when Swansea recalled the 22-year-old with the aim of bolstering their own attack.

However, Whittaker took to social media at the time to say he was "devastated" his time at Plymouth was cut short. The England U20 international clearly knew what awaited him, as he started just twice for Swansea in the Championship in the second half of last season.

Whittaker's future in South Wales now appears uncertain, with Sunderland perhaps looking to take advantage by tabling a bid for a player on wages of around £5k-a-week, according to Capology.

While Whittaker has not truly had a chance to showcase his talents in three seasons with Swansea, he caught the eye at Derby County when breaking into the first team in the 2019-20 season.

As pointed out by football talent scout Jacek Kulig at the time, the Englishman possessed good pace, dribbling skills and ball control, earning him the tag "flamboyant winger".

Whittaker did play out wide a couple of times last season, but his favoured position was playing through the middle of attacking midfield, featuring there 19 times from the start of games, as per WhoScored.

Comparing Diallo and Whittaker last season is made a little tougher by the fact the latter played across two divisions, including a league below. However, the pair were similar in terms of goals scored per 90 minutes (0.45 and 0.41 respectively), while Whittaker edged things in terms of assists – 0.29 v 0.10.

Both players were also very similar in terms of their shooting, with Whittaker finding the target from 39.3% of his efforts, compared to 39.1% for Diallo. Whittaker found the net from 0.11 of those shots; not too dissimilar to Diallo's 0.16.

They also each showed an equal willingness to win the ball back high up the pitch, with Diallo averaging 0.17 tackles per 90 minutes in the attacking third, while Whittaker averaged 0.21.

The truth is that Sunderland fans would easily take Diallo over Whittaker if they had the choice of signing both men this summer. But with the United man surely out of their reach, Whittaker seems as good a choice as any to land on the cheap.

After all, Sunderland have shown with the likes of Clarke, Ross Stewart and others that there are plenty of unpolished gems out there waiting to step up.

Leeds United and AS Roma are finalising a new agreement over the transfer of defender Diego Llorente.

What’s the latest Leeds transfer news involving Llorente?

The Whites, now under new ownership in the 49ers Enterprises, have plenty to sort out this summer ahead of the 2023/24 Championship season.

A new manager is yet to be brought in, and a number of incomings and outgoings also need to materialise in what is set to be a frantic few months.

One player who looks on course to leave once again is Llorente. The 29-year-old was sent out on loan to Roma during the January transfer window and made 12 appearances under Jose Mourinho.

Hailed as “brilliant” in the media against Lazio, there was an option set in place to make a move permanent this summer, but after some negotiations, Roma appear to be attempting to lower that agreement, which was set at aroumd £15.3m.

MOT Leeds News relayed an update from Italian outlet Il Romanista regarding Llorente and Roma in the last 48 hours. They claimed that Roma sporting director Tiago Pinto is now "finalising" a new agreement with Leeds chiefs to sign the defender, which could be worth just £8.5m, with relegation harming their negotiating power.

Who else could leave Leeds this summer?

Llorente fell out of favour at Leeds during the 2022/23 season, making just seven Premier League starts. His Transfermarkt valuation dropped from €20m to €12m during his time at Elland Road, so possibly bringing in £8.5m and getting his £56,000-a-week wage off the books may be viewed as good business by the new Leeds owners.

However, he isn’t the only player who is expected to leave Yorkshire following the club’s relegation. Phil Hay previously claimed Leeds exits for the likes of Illan Meslier, Robin Koch, Brenden Aaronson, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, Marc Roca and Rodrigo are all expected.

Leeds had a total of 10 players out on loan last season as well, one of which was Tyler Roberts, who looks set to move to fellow Championship side Birmingham City after the Whites accepted an offer.

Therefore, Llorente and Roberts could well be the first of many to leave Elland Road, and when a new manager is appointed, we could see a number of players brought in as the 49ers look to take the club back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Adama Traore is expected to leave the club this summer when his contract expires, according to Dean Jones.

What's the latest on Adama Traore?

After joining the club permanently back in 2018, Traore is getting ready to call quits on his Molineux career. The forward's contract expires this June and it looks as if the Spanish international is readying himself for a move across Europe.

The baby-oiled winger has consistently flattered to deceive at Wolves, showcasing his raw pace and power on a frequent basis but often failing to find the finishing touch in key moments.

On his day, the 27-year-old is unplayable, but those days have been few and far between in recent seasons, with the former Barcelona player only managing three goals and two assists in 40 matches last term.

Stefano Pioli's Milan could very well be his next destination, while Jose Mourinho holds an interest in the attacker at Roma. Traore is currently on £55,000-a-week and, given he will require no transfer fee, could be a sensible option for both Italian clubs in the market.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Dean Jones stated: "Adama Traore is likely to go soon. He has got a couple of options, being looked into at the moment, that will probably accelerate over the course of this week."

Wolves have already lost another star player in Ruben Neves, who joined Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia for £47m, while Joao Moutinho and Diego Costa will leave the club when their contracts expire in June. Meanwhile, Conor Coady is set to leave for Leicester City on a permanent deal.

In terms of incomings, Adama's namesake Boubacar Traore has already agreed a permanent switch to Molineux following his loan from Metz last season, while Matheus Cunha will follow the same path from Atletico Madrid.

Julen Lopetegui will be hoping to have enough funds to bolster his squad this summer and will need to reinvest the money received from Neves' transfer wisely.

Who are Wolves signing?

There hasn't been a vast amount of transfer news coming from Molineux, with most of the focus on outgoings so far in the window.

One man that has been linked with a move to Wanderers is Sevilla's Lucas Ocampos, fresh from his Europa League triumph with the Spanish club. The Guardian report that a £13m switch could be on the cards, although Fulham are also in talks for the winger.

The Argentine spent the first half of last season on loan with Ajax, before returning to Seville, and has 11 caps for the Argentina national team.

Tottenham Hotspur have started the summer strongly, but to truly usher in a new age, it is their defence that must now be made a priority…

What's the latest on Pau Torres to Tottenham Hotspur?

Now, according to the Daily Mail, it seems this might well be the case. After all, they note that the club are a big admirer of Villarreal's Pau Torres.

Whilst the report notes Aston Villa as the true credible interest, with their pursuit of the Spanish stopper understandable given Unai Emery's familiarity with his game, their reluctance to pay more than £35m could allow the Lilywhites to swoop in. Especially given his release clause reportedly stands at €65m (£56m).

Having already secured a permanent deal for Dejan Kulusevski, and more recently snatched James Maddison from Leicester City, it seems that the hierarchy are prepared to back Ange Postecoglou suitably to help take them back to the top.

How good is Pau Torres?

Having been a star man for the Yellow Submarine for many years, leading to his 23 caps for Spain, the 26-year-old is vastly experienced considering he still has the bulk of his career ahead of him.

Should he choose to spend those prime years in north London, it could provide the perfect springboard for him to become a hero under the Australian tactician. Especially given he will follow Clement Lenglet as his replacement for that left-sided centre-back spot, with the bar hardly being set exceptionally high.

Having spent last term on loan at the club, the Barcelona dud could only muster a 6.65 average Sofascore rating in the Premier League, the third-lowest of anyone within the Spurs squad who started over five games. To be rated as one of the worst players in a team that truly crumbled speaks volumes for his ability to play at this level.

Meanwhile, Torres was maintaining a 7.04 average Sofascore rating in La Liga, building upon his 7.09 figure from the season prior. He has remained a consistently classy asset at the back, with his piercing left foot and powerful physique lending to his success.

The former rating was upheld through 4.1 clearances and 1.3 tackles per game, yet he would also maintain an 85% pass accuracy alongside a 79% dribble success rate, via Sofascore, numbers that eclipse Lenglet in some areas, with the Frenchman posting 2.6 clearances per match and completing just 64% of his dribbles.

Given how Postecoglou will likely instruct his defenders to be the first line of creativity, striding out from the back with poise and purpose to kickstart attacks, there are arguably few more suited to such a ball-playing philosophy than this 6 foot 3 titan.

To emphasise this further, when compared to other centre-backs across Europe, Torres ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes, the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90, via FBref.

A former coach of his, Paco Lopez, always expected great things from his pupil though, as he noted: "I have followed his career, I always had a certain weakness for him.

"I had put my confidence in him, helped him jump up through the ranks. So I was not surprised by his progress, not at all. When we played against Villarreal, I spoke with him for a good while. As always, he is a sensational kid, very humble, the same as when I had him."

Given this effusive praise can be contrasted with the claims of journalist Roy Nemer, who branded Lenglet a "defensive liability" back in 2020, such a switch marks a no-brainer for the Lilywhites who would be sealing a seismic upgrade.

Sunderland look good value to challenge for the Championship play-offs once again next season after getting the majority of their transfer business sorted early in the window.

However, questions regarding the future of Jack Clarke refuse to go away, while Tony Mowbray has also confirmed he will be without some key men when the new campaign gets underway in a month's time.

What Sunderland players are injured?

Speaking on Monday, Mowbray revealed in quotes carried by Chronicle Live that Corry Evans and Ross Stewart "won't be making the start of the season".

Dennis Cirkin, meanwhile, is "touch and go" for the big kick-off, while new signings Jenson Seelt and Nectarios Triantis are both nursing injuries and are being monitored.

All four would arguably have made Sunderland's starting line-up to face Ipswich Town on August 6 – and the latter two still might – with the absence of Stewart, in particular, a blow for Mowbray.

Are Sunderland going to sign Ellis Simms?

Stewart scored ten goals and assisted a further three in just 13 Championship outings last season – his average of 1.12 direct goal involvements per 90 minutes being the best of any Sunderland player, as per FBref.

However, the Achilles injury that cut his 2022-23 season short in January is also going to rule him out for the start of the 2023-24 campaign, and it remains to be seen how long it will take the striker to return to his previous best – if he ever does.

Sunderland also saw Amad Diallo return to parent club Manchester United at the end of the previous season, while Premier League clubs will continue to circle for Clarke, meaning Mowbray must surely move for another attacker to join fellow new recruit Hemir.

In Everton striker Ellis Simms, they could have the perfect choice. Simms was next on the list of the Black Cats' most proficient players last season, averaging as he did 0.72 goals and assists per 90 minutes across 17 regular-season matches.

The 0.56 goals per 90 scored by Simms last season came from an expected goals (xG) value of 0.39, meaning he scored 0.17 goals per 90 more than expected on the basis of his chances, whereas Stewart's 0.86 goals came from an xG of 0.84, so he scored near enough at exactly the rate you would expect.

What this tells us is that Simms is a deadly finisher at Championship level – or an "absolute nuisance" for opposition players, as Sunderland Echo reporter Phil Smith put it last season.

Simms struggled to have as big an impact in the Premier League last season when being recalled by Everton in January, and the Toffees appear to be ready to cash in if the right offer is made.

Ipswich Town are believed to have already had a £4m bid rejected for Simms, who is reportedly on as little as £3.3k a week, suggesting Sunderland had better follow up on their own interest swiftly.

Rather than gamble on the fitness of Stewart, Sunderland's hopes of promotion to the Premier League may well come down to whether or not they can bring Simms back to the Stadium of Light.

While Tottenham Hotspur have been rather active in the transfer window so far – with Manor Solomon becoming the fifth signing of the summer – it looks as if Ange Postecoglou is set to press on with further additions, as part of his summer squad overhaul.

Amid reports that the likes of Joe Rodon, Japhet Tanganga and Davinson Sanchez could be on their way – with Clement Lenglet having returned to Barcelona – new recruits at the heart of the defence are seemingly a necessity, with the new Spurs boss no doubt hoping to improve a backline that conceded 63 league goals last term.

That search for quality replacements at centre-back has seen the Lilywhites focus on both Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven of late, with Fabrizio Romano having stated that the club are "advancing" in their negotiations for the latter man.

That being said, however, there also said to be possible concerns over the Wolfsburg man's potential price tag, with journalist Ben Jacobs stating that the north Londoners could even "abandon" their pursuit of the 22-year-old as a result.

Alternative targets could need to be considered, hence why turning to Borussia Monchengladbach's Ko Itakura could be a wise move, with reports in Germany stating that the 26-year-old is of interest to those at N17.

The versatile defender – who can also feature in midfield – was believed to be the subject of interest from Postecoglou during his time at Celtic, having been linked with a move to the Hoops in both 2021 and 2022, prior to joining his current side.

If the Greek-Aussie can finally get his hands on the Japanese international this time around, he could represent a dream alternative to Van de Ven…

Who is Ko Itakura?

There has been much talk around the "crazy" speed of Van de Ven – as hailed by Ruben Jongkind – although Itakura also seemingly possesses remarkable recovery speed, having been described as "incredibly fast" in the past by pundit, Hans Kraay.

Once lauded the "one of the very best central defenders in the Eredivisie" by Kraay during his time in the Netherlands with FC Groningen, the 6 foot 2 machine was also previously on the books at Manchester City, albeit without ever making an appearance for the Etihad outfit.

As for the most recent campaign, the Yokohama-born rock appeared to enjoy a better season in the Bundesliga than that of Van de Ven, having shown his defensive strength after averaging 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game from his 24 league outings, while also winning 62% of his total duels.

The young Dutchman, by contrast, averaged only 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game from his 33 appearances in the German top-flight and won just 60% of his total duels, while the 6 foot 4 brute's average match rating of 6.85, as per Sofascore, was far below that of his Gladbach counterpart (7.01).

While Van de Ven's ability to play out from the back ensures that has performed better over the last 365 days with regard to progressive carries per 90 (1.30 v 0.86) and successful take-ons per 90 (0.58 v 0.36), Itakura is certainly no liability on the ball, ranking in the top 7% for pass completion among his European peers – with the Wolfsburg man ranking in just the top 27% in that regard.

The fact that Itakura has also performed so impressively of late should make him a wise defensive alternative for Postecoglou, with it clear to see why the Spurs boss has been keeping close tabs on the £31k-per-week ace since his days in charge at Parkhead.

A new name has emerged as a reported transfer target for Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign…

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

According to Ukrainian outlet FootballHub (via Sport Novyny), the Hoops are the leading contender to land Shakhtar Donetsk winger Tete during the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Brazilian forward has requested a move away from the team as he would not like to return to Ukraine, after loan spells with Lyon and Leicester City over the last 18 months.

It does not state how much Shakhtar would demand for the 23-year-old ace's services or name any of the other sides in the race for his signature.

However, they may not have much leverage in negotiations as the player's contract with the club expires at the end of December later this year, which means that he will be a free agent when the January window opens for business.

How good is Tete?

Tete is a wide attacker with the potential to be the dream heir to Liel Abada, who has been linked with a £10m switch to the Premier League this summer, at Parkhead next season.

The Hoops head coach already knows all about the talented maestro as the Northern Irish tactician signed him for the Foxes at the start of 2023.

Rodgers hailed the gem's touch as "immaculate" and said: “Tete was what I have been talking about for 18 months – a right-winger that can take the ball, pass the ball, look after it, make runs and work.”

They were only able to work together for nine competitive matches, though, as the Foxes battled against relegation, which meant that Tete only contributed with one goal.

However, the £21k-per-week dynamo's form with Lyon in France suggests that the quality is there for him to be an excellent replacement for Abada, should the Israel international move on before the deadline.

The Brazil U23 international produced eight goals along with eight assists across 26 Ligue 1 outings, which meant that he averaged a goal contribution every 1.44 games on average.

Abada, meanwhile, scored ten goals and provided five assists in 34 Premiership matches, which works out to an average of one direct involvement every 2.27 outings.

The 21-year-old hotshot was Ange Postecoglou's third-top scorer in the league last term as only Kyogo Furuhashi (27) and Jota (10), who has since left to join Al Ittihad, found the back of the net more often than him.

His goalscoring talents make him an important member of Rodgers' squad, particularly after the former Benfica star's move to Saudi Arabia, and that is why signing a winger with the quality to offer a similar threat is important.

Therefore, Tete, who was once dubbed a "hurricane" by Shakhtar CEO Sergei Palkin, could be the dream heir to Abada as his form for Lyon indicates that the ability is there for him to be a regular scorer from a wide position.

The exciting 5 foot 9 talent could even be an upgrade on the Premier League transfer target due to his ability to assist goals more frequently from the right wing, as Jota (11) was the only Hoops winger with more than eight league assists last season.

Tete's pre-existing relationship with Rodgers, along with the manager's comments on him, also means that he could be able to hit the ground running due to his familiarity with the ex-Liverpool coach's style of play.