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Liverpool target Matheus Nunes is “no longer a priority” for Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest on Nunes to Liverpool?

The Portugal international first made the move to the Premier League in August 2022 when he put pen to paper at Molineux, but there was a chance that he could have instead been on his way to Merseyside. The Old Gold midfielder reportedly held talks with the Reds regarding a switch before signing for the Midlands outfit, and in a bid to fend off further interest, The Mirror have reported that they have removed the £44m release clause that was included in his terms.

Football Insider, however, claimed that Klopp is still pushing to sign the 24-year-old despite his price tag now increasing to £50m, though it would appear that they have since had a change of heart on their pursuit.

According to Romano (via CaughtOffside), Liverpool are chasing Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch and Nunes has therefore dropped down the pecking order. He said:

“Ryan Gravenberch is one of many names appreciated by Liverpool, not the only one. There are many opportunities, also Bayern still hope to be able to keep the player. Gravenberch will decide in May/June after speaking to Thomas Tuchel and the board.

"Matheus Nunes is one of the players monitored by Liverpool – Jurgen Klopp himself said in press conferences that they have almost 12 players in the list… but Nunes is no longer a priority target. Just one of the players followed by them.”

Are Liverpool right to cool their interest in Nunes?

Liverpool have recently ended their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham as a result of the financial package being too big, and even though Nunes was previously dubbed an “unbelievable” player by former professional Goncalo Santos, they are correct to back away from a second target.

The Rio de Janeiro native has scored just one goal and provided the same number of assists since the start of the season when he joined Wolves, as per Transfermarkt, so lacks any kind of attacking prowess or contribution in the final third, yet failing to prove himself in the top-flight despite making 25 starts this campaign.

Nunes also currently pockets £100k-per-week which he would likely want increased should he join a club the size of Liverpool, and they shouldn’t pay that much to a player who is not setting the world alight. They would instead be better off spending their budget on targets at the top of their game and one who would definitely make a positive difference to the team in the centre.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has boldly predicted that Sven Botman will score a winner for Newcastle United in their final game of the season.

What's the latest on Newcastle and Sven Botman?

The Magpies face a big test over the coming months if they are to secure a top-four finish and qualify for the Champions League.

As things stand, they sit third in the Premier League, with a three-point lead on fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, while also having played one fewer game than Spurs.

With that in mind, with nine Newcastle games to play, it's in their hands. Even so, it won't be an easy task and it could come down to the narrowest of margins.

While discussing the run-in on NUFC Matters, Jacobs looked ahead to the final day of the season when NUFC play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Not only did he predict a 2-1 away win, he also named the potential match-winner, saying (9:57): “For me, that will be Chelsea one, Newcastle two.

"And I've got a sneaky suspicion –which again is a very bizarre thing to say – that it will have a Sven Botman winner in that game.

"I don't know why, I've just got it in my head."

Has Botman scored for NUFC?

The Dutch defender only joined in the summer, signing a five-year deal for a fee in the region of £35m after arriving from Lille.

Since then, the £90k-p/w star has wasted little time in establishing himself as a key part of Eddie Howe's defensive plans. Indeed, Botman has played in all but two Premier League games, losing just twice in that time.

However, what makes Jacobs' prediction even wilder, is the fact that Botman is yet to score for the club across 35 appearances in all competitions.

Seeing as things are pretty tight right now in the race for a Champions League spot, there is every chance Newcastle could go to Chelsea on the final day of the season needing a win to secure qualification.

And so it certainly would be a fantastic moment for the club if Botman was to pop up with a winner that also happened to be his first goal in black and white.

His manager certainly seems to think highly of the 23-year-old. Indeed, on the club's run to the Carabao Cup final, he called Botman "excellent".

After the win over Bournemouth, he told the press: “Sven Botman was excellent tonight – I thought that was his best game for us aerially. He was dominant against their strikers.

"His use of the ball this season has been excellent but he’s also come on a lot in other areas. It was a good night for him – and us."

Newcastle United continued their rampant recent form with a thumping 5-1 victory over relegation strugglers West Ham United on Wednesday evening, with Eddie Howe’s side strengthening their hold on third place in the Premier League.

Just a matter of days after overpowering top-four rivals Manchester United, the Magpies looked rather ferocious again at the London Stadium, with both Callum Wilson and Joelinton netting a brace, while substitute Alexander Isak bagged his fourth goal from his last four top-flight games.

On a day of overwhelming positives for the St James’ Park outfit, it was undoubtedly that man Wilson who stole the headlines, with the England international yet again proving a thorn in the side of the Hammers after bagging his 11th and 12th goal against yesterday’s opponents in just 13 career meetings.

We at Football FanCast had suggested prior to the match that it would be an astute move to slot the 31-year-old back into the starting lineup due to that stellar record against the Irons, with the Coventry-born ace undoubtedly warranting the faith of his manager after getting the nod over man of the moment, Isak.

While Wilson’s impact may have perhaps been expected due to his remarkable history in the fixture, there were few who anticipated the returning Joelinton to also bag a double, with the Brazilian maestro proving yet again just why he has been “magic” for Howe this season, as per Simon L’Estrange.

How did Joelinton perform against West Ham?

After only featuring off the bench against the Red Devils last Sunday – after serving a two-game suspension prior to that – the 26-year-old more than made his mark after replacing Joe Willock in the starting XI, having been a “tireless” presence in the centre of the park, according to writer James Nalton.

The ‘rock solid’ machine – as hailed by the Chronicle’s Lee Ryder – showed great composure to round the advancing Lukasz Fabianski to bag his first of the night – and Newcastle’s second – before capping a fine individual and collective performance with another goal at the death from the angle.

The £85k-per-week man was truly “outstanding” on the night – according to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope – with his 8.5 match rating, as per Sofascore, the highest of any player for either side.

That stellar rating was more than justified due to the 27-pass ace’s all-round display, having also proved a real asset in a defensive sense after winning six total duels and earning two fouls for his side.

While the former Hoffenheim powerhouse did lose possession on 14 occasions, he was able to offer a real dynamic and creative threat in the final third after registering one key pass and completing his solitary dribble attempt, with the home side having simply been unable to live with his desire to surge forward from deep.

Following his recent absence from the side, Joelinton certainly reminded both his manager and supporters of his importance to the Magpies’ midfield machine, with it set to prove difficult to dislodge the all-action hero from now on.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has shared a definitive update on the future of Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe amid his current loan spell at Nice.

Who could leave Arsenal this summer?

There are currently a few players who could depart north London this summer as Mikel Arteta's current crop chase a long-awaited Premier League title.

The Gunners are sitting eight points clear of league champions Man City, and as things stand, they're on course to win a first domestic crown in nearly 20 years. It appears Arteta has now found that perfect balance in his squad after years of building. Some names, however, find themselves on the periphery of the Spaniard's plans.

Nuno Tavares, after his 21/22 debut season at Arsenal, could leave this summer and is currently out on loan at Ligue 1 side Marseille. Meanwhile, the likes of Kieran Tierney, Mohamed Elneny and Rob Holding have also been mentioned as potential candidates to depart the Emirates Stadium.

Alongside the aforementioned players, Arsenal winger Pepe, who is currently on a temporary deal at Nice, is firmly up for the chopping block as Sheth drops an update on the 27-year-old.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the Sky journalist claims Arteta has 'made it clear' that Pepe is no longer in his plans moving forward. Sheth explained:

"I don't even think the form of those players [Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli] is going to have an impact at all because I think Mikel Arteta has made it clear that he's not in his plans."

"He wasn't a Mikel Arteta signing, remember. This was a signing made by Unai Emery and Emery has since said he actually wanted to sign Wilfried Zaha, but the club decided that they were going to go for Nicolas Pépé — maybe because of his attributes and maybe because of his age as well."

Should Pepe leave Arsenal?

Since signing for the club from Lille in a club-record £72 million move back in 2019, Pepe has struggled for consistency despite being called 'fantastic' at points by Arsenal legends like Robin van Persie.

Over his appearances last season, the £140,000-per-week ace managed just a goal and two assists over 20 league cameos as Pepe couldn't exactly kickstart a purple patch of form. Arsenal ultimately missed out on a top four finish that year with Arteta arguably needing more from such an expensive club acquisition. Across his whole career, spanning 112 games, he has mustered just 27 goals and 21 assists.

This season, however, the Ivorian has dazzled on loan at Nice as he looks to reinvigorate his career – averaging more attempts and successful take-ons per 90 than any other player in Didier Digard's squad, all while scoring six goals (WhoScored).

It may well be best for all parties to go their separate ways with Pepe clearly shining back in France, and Edu will be hoping that will drive up his market value ahead of a potential permanent sale this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur now want Burnley boss Vincent Kompany as a potential replacement for Antonio Conte, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs manager search…

Spurs have drawn up a shortlist of managerial candidates to take Conte’s role with many names currently being considered by chairman Daniel Levy.

Fabio Paratici is apparently leading the Spurs succession plan with some big names like Mauricio Pochettino, their former boss and fan favourite, standing out as perhaps the best candidates.

Other than the Argentine, Roberto De Zerbi, Luis Enrique, Thomas Tuchel, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank are also in the frame.

Abroad, Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner has also been linked with the Spurs job, coming after Conte’s astonishing post-Southampton rant last weekend.

“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart (in),” said the furious Italian.

“Why? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.

“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stays here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.”

The Latest: Spurs target Kompany…

According to journalist David Hytner, writing for The Guardian, a new name has now come to light as Spurs target Kompany.

The Clarets head coach is apparently ‘of interest’ to Tottenham now following his brilliant full debut campaign in charge at Turf Moor.

Kompany has taken Burnley to the Championship summit and his high-flyers could even become one of the few second tier winners to surpass 100 points.

The Verdict: Left-field option…

Bar his spell at Anderlecht after leaving Man City in 2019, Kompany has little experience outside of Burnley and he could be seen as a risky move.

The Belgian does have his credentials as a natural born leader and he cemented himself into City folklore following a fantastic decade at Eastlands.

The ex-Blues captain has also been praised for his ‘miraculous’ job at Burnley this season by Tony Cascarino, who went on to say Kompany would be an ‘excellent appointment’.

However, despite Cascarino’s praise, we’re in slight disagreement,

The 36-year-old could be seen as one of football’s most promising up-and-coming managers but his huge potential right now is perhaps not enough to make him a top Spurs candidate.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has stated that the "big difference" currently between Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe is that the former has "heavyweight" financial and legal experts to help him with the Manchester United takeover, while the latter has adopted a more personal approach.

What's the latest on the Man Utd takeover?

While the Glazer family are potentially ready to sell the Premier League giants, much speculation exists over just who could end up taking over in the near future.

As things heat up, Sir Jim Ratcliffe was recently spotted in person at Old Trafford. However, Sheikh Jassim didn't actually show his face 24 hours earlier when his team also met United’s chief executive Richard Arnold (via The Telegraph).

While talking about the situation on the UnitedPeoplesTV podcast, Jacobs explained that Sheikh Jassim has more "experts" to help him get a deal done but by "showing face" perhaps Sir Jim Ratcliffe has helped his cause.

He said: "It can't hurt to be there in person talking all day to Raine representatives. And we expect the meetings to also go on relatively late, probably nine or 10 hours as well.

"The big difference between Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim's approaches is that Sheikh Jassim has sent executives from the world of banking, and finance, and advisors and their heavyweights. And it's pretty much the best bench from that industry.

“Whereas with Jim Ratcliffe, it's INEOS in-house, and it's a mix of business – all the co-founders are there – and sport. So a slightly different approach.

"And you could argue that Sheikh Jassim's delegation had more experts to get a deal done in terms of negotiating, lawyers, financial experts. But Jim Ratcliffe is showing face, and is bringing football experts as well."

Will the Glazers sell Man Utd?

It still remains unclear if the Glazers will be willing to sell their prize asset. After all, a report in ESPN suggests that the family has been "underwhelmed" by the touted valuations of the club.

However, Sheikh Jassim may have just pushed himself ahead in the race with Sky Sports stating that he would now be "willing to overpay" to get closer to the desired £6bn figure.

With that in mind, perhaps Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have to do more than just charm the club with his presence. After all, it seems more likely the Glazers will only really care about who can provide them with the highest offer.

Even so, you never know how things can twist and turn behind the scenes, so perhaps Sheikh Jassim will come to regret not attending the recent meeting in person.

Chelsea will be looking to make it four wins in a row when they take on struggling Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.

Graham Potter looks to have finally found some consistency in his side, with the Blues impressive in recent displays against Leicester City and Borussia Dortmund.

However, with Sean Dyche having also improved Everton significantly since his arrival at Goodison Park, Potter must think carefully about whom to pick from the start on Saturday.

While the English manager has been boosted this week by the return of Reece James, after he missed the trip to Leicester through illness, it is arguably Conor Gallagher who should come into the side against the Toffees.

Should Gallagher start for Chelsea against Everton?

After his phenomenal performances on loan at Crystal Palace last season, which saw Gallagher earn an England call-up following his eight goals and three assists for the Eagles, it was widely expected that he would go from strength to strength at Stamford Bridge.

Things have sadly not worked out that way for the 23-year-old, with the plethora of talent available to Potter meaning he has been limited to just 10 starts and 13 substitute appearances in the top flight, in which he has just one goal and one assist, with a disappointing 6.59 rating from WhoScored.

However, he has history against Everton, as he was the best player on the pitch for Palace last season as they dispatched the Toffees 3-1 at Selhurst Park, as he scored the opener before grabbing his second thanks to a "special" finish – in the eyes of Patrick Vieira – past Jordan Pickford.

There is no doubt that the Englishman has talent, as he was able to emphasise that in abundance last season with the Eagles, but he needs a run of games to show that he can still be a great option for Potter in midfield.

The former Brighton boss may have added Enzo Fernandez to his squad in January, while he still has top-class midfielders such as Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante at his disposal, but Gallagher is an exciting prospect who has come directly from Chelsea's academy, and that must count for something in Potter's mind as he continues to build for the future at Stamford Bridge.

The young midfielder needs a confidence boost at Chelsea and perhaps against the same opponents, he could replicate his performance from last season and inspire Potter's side to another three points on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks has taken to Instagram to provide a response to comments that he recently made on his parent club.

What did Harry Winks say?

The Englishman is currently spending the final few months of his season-long loan deal in Serie A with the Italian strugglers, Sampdoria.

Winks has become a regular in their starting XI having started the last eight of Sampdoria's league games following a lengthy injury which kept him sidelined (via Transfermarkt).

However, did recently comment about his time away from north London and suggested the club had not been in contact with him:

"I can only focus on the next match, but I am proud to have made this choice. Nobody from Tottenham has contacted me, not even the coach. I was and am fully focusing on Sampdoria," he said.

But on Thursday afternoon, the 27-year-old posted on his Instagram story to clarify his comments, claiming he had not heard from Spurs on their plans for next season:

"I just wanted to clarify [that] my comments about no contact from Spurs were in regards to plans for next season. There are still plenty of games left this season for both Sampdoria and Spurs and this has to be the full focus for both.

"Having been at Spurs since the age of 5, I have nothing but respect for everyone at the Club."

Will Spurs sell Winks in the summer?

Winks will arrive back in north London with just one year remaining on his current deal with the Lilywhites having spent the year away in Italy.

But as aforementioned, it has been a difficult campaign for the Englishman on the whole having suffered from an ankle injury which had kept him out of action until January.

The injury was so severe that the midfielder was forced to undergo surgery back in November to help rectify the issue.

As a result, Winks has missed the majority of the season in Italy which has meant his opportunity to leave Spurs for the season and show them what he can do has been hindered.

And in a side which look destined for relegation, it has not been an easy environment for the 27-year-old to return to considering they have only won two games all season.

Spurs are expected to look for a new midfielder in the summer but considering the difficulties Winks has endured, it is difficult to imagine him returning to the fold ahead of next season.

West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca is likely to leave the London Stadium during the summer transfer window, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Scamacca disappoints at West Ham

The 24-year-old moved to the Hammers from Sassuolo last summer, coming in as a big-money addition who would hopefully add real firepower to the attack.

Scamacca has been a disappointment in east London, however, scoring just three goals in 17 Premier League appearances and netting only once in the competition since early October.

Recent speculation suggests a summer departure could be on the cards for the striker, as West Ham look to recoup some of the money they paid for him.

The Latest: Summer exit predicted

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor reacted to the exit rumours surrounding Scamacca, revealing he actually ‘expects’ a departure to happen:

“I feel like it would be quite easy for him to potentially leave because I don’t think he’ll be short of suitors.

“Obviously, PSG were sniffing around and top Italian clubs would definitely take him. I don’t think his value would have decreased too much.

“I’m interested to see how it works out. If I had to make a call on that, I’d say that I would expect him to leave.”

The Verdict: One that didn’t work out

So much was expected of Scamacca last summer, but as can be the case with so many signings from abroad, the pace of the Premier League has seemed to have got the better of him.

The nine-cap Italy international did make a promising start, actually scoring in three matches in a row in October, in all competitions, and Declan Rice called his ability ‘crazy’ at one point.

A knee injury suffered in January certainly hasn’t helped Scamacca’s plight, keeping him largely out since then, but the summer does feel like the right time to make a swift change, in terms of having a chance to get a good fee for him.

Leeds United’s season has gone far from how they would have wanted it to, especially after avoiding the drop last season and investing heavily in Jesse Marsch.

The American had replaced the legendary Marcelo Bielsa, who was reluctantly dismissed after an abysmal run had the Whites cruising towards relegation. 

However, many fans would likely have welcomed the Argentine back with open arms before Javi Gracia was decided as the man to rescue them from another upcoming dogfight.

Whilst he faces many trials to get this great club back on track, arguably the most immediate is to inject some confidence into a side that cannot find their cutting edge in the final third, having scored just once in their last five matches in all competitions.

Jack Harrison in particular has disappointed, with many likely wishing his deadline day move to Leicester City had gone through now. However, under Gracia’s regime, there is reason to believe he could be reborn. 

How has Jack Harrison played for Leeds this season?

The 26-year-old, who joined the club permanently after several loan spells under Bielsa, has become a mainstay in the team across various managers now.

He has often offered a constant threat, with goals and assists coming from the dynamic winger who is not afraid to do the dirty work.

However, after 22 league games this term, he has just one goal to his name. This is a far cry from the eight he managed last campaign, which proved integral in their survival.

Having since lost Raphinha, who was their top scorer during that season, Harrison has wilted when they needed him most.

It is this quality that shone through last year that gives hope that he truly could be revitalised under a new regime, especially Gracia’s, who has been known to prioritise a 4-4-2 system in the past. Harrison is certainly an old-school winger, who thrives when his prerogative is to find the byline and dig out a cross. He boasts a wicked left foot for such a moment.

The £50k-per-week speedster has been a “hero of Leeds” in the past, as sports podcaster Chief noted. But as recently as last month, journalist Jake Winderman outlined how “awful” he had been under Marsch, as he was “getting the ball taken off of him way too easily.”

It will not be an easy task to resurrect his form, but doing so could be integral in Gracia securing safety for another season and making the English attacker a hero once again.