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Burnley target Jean Butez is “keen to join” Vincent Kompany’s side this summer, according to reliable journalist Ryan Taylor.

Who is Jean Butez?

Butez is a goalkeeper who currently plays his football for Royal Antwerp in the Belgian Pro League having moved there from Mouscron back in 2020 where he’s since gone on to make a total of 129 appearances to date.

The Frenchman started all 40 league games under Mark van Bommel last season and is his manager’s firmly established number one, and with Vincent Kompany holding knowledge of players in his homeland, the 28-year-old has been highlighted as a target at Turf Moor.

L’Equipe recently reported that the Clarets have made an approach for the shot-stopper who still has another three years remaining on his contract, but despite their advances initially getting turned down, it sounds as if a deal is firmly back on the cards.

Are Burnley signing Butez?

Taking to Twitter, Taylor revealed that Burnley are currently in discussions with Royal Antwerp regarding a move for Butez who is believed to be pushing to complete his switch to the Premier League. He wrote:

“Antwerp goalkeeper Jean Butez keen to join Burnley. Talks ongoing between clubs after Clarets saw opening bid rejected. Kamil Grabara of Copenhagen another GK admired, Vincent Kompany has scouted him. #LFC have 20% sell-on clause.”

Where could Butez fit in under Kompany?

Burnley and Kompany had Arijanet Muric as their first-choice between the sticks for the majority of last season but you can never have too much competition so Butez joining could push the formerly mentioned goalkeeper for the number one gloves next season.

The DVL Management client, who pockets £13k-per-week, kept an outstanding 19 clean sheets from 34 Jupiler Pro League outings last season, form which saw him not only collect four man-of-the-match awards but also hailed “very impressive” by journalist Josh Bunting.

Furthermore, the 6 foot 2 colossus made a total of 74 saves from 100 shots on target against, giving him a save percentage of 76%, via FBRef, ever so slightly under the 76.6% of Muric showing just how close in quality the two shot-stoppers are.

Finally, Butez knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having won two trophies with Antwerp, one of those being his side's division title, so should he put pen to paper, he would be able to match the winning mentality of the current squad already in Lancashire.

The summer transfer window officially opened for business earlier this month and Brendan Rodgers has already secured his Celtic first signing ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Odin Thiago Holm has joined on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee from Norwegian side Valerenga and he may not be the last player to come through the door at Parkhead before the deadline.

Rodgers, who replaced Australian manager Ange Postecoglou after the 57-year-old completed a move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, could carry on his predecessor's work in the Asian market to bolster his squad in the coming weeks.

Indeed, the Daily Record recently reported that the Hoops are scouting Gwangju winger Eom Ji-sung, with a view to a possible swoop this summer.

Who is Eom Ji-sung?

Celtic already have Portuguese dynamo Jota as their first-choice option on the left wing and the South Korea U22 international, who is a right-footed forward, must be brought in by the manager to come in as an excellent alternative.

With the club competing in all three domestic competitions and in Europe, Rodgers needs squad depth and Eom could provide competition in the wide areas.

Jota enjoyed a phenomenal 2022/23 campaign and dropping him from the starting XI seems unlikely at this point in time. The ex-Benfica man averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.45 across 33 Scottish Premiership outings and chipped in with an outstanding 11 goals and 11 assists from the left flank.

He also racked up ten goals and ten assists in 29 league appearances in the previous season with these statistics showing that the Hoops star is a proven performer in Scotland, someone who is capable of delivering goals and assists on a regular basis.

Eom, on the other hand, is a winger who has showcased his ability in front of goal but is not quite as creative as the Portuguese hotshot. In 2022, the 21-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13 across 23 K League 2 matches and contributed with nine goals and one assist for his side.

The South Korean ace, who was hailed as an "exciting" prospect by journalist Jason Lee, only missed four 'big chances' in the division, indicating that the talented gem is not wasteful in front of goal, racked up a strike almost once every other match.

Therefore, the "underrated" Gwangju star – dubbed "underrated" by scout Ali Can Kutlu – could be a huge goal threat for out wide and provide Rodgers with an excellent option to rotate Jota with. Eom could slot in on the left for cup matches or midweek matches in order to avoid burnout for the first-choice winger.

Such an intriguing transfer is a tantalising prospect and would no doubt leave the Hoops with two exciting and young forwards to choose from on that side of the pitch.

Manchester United will not be involved in a potential summer transfer war for the Napoli striker Victor Osimhen amid their ongoing hunt for a new forward.

How much will Victor Osimhen cost?

United made a solid start to life under Erik ten Hag over the course of the 2022/23 campaign, but there is clearly still room for improvement.

The Red Devils secured their spot in the Champions League or the upcoming campaign as well as getting their hands on the Carabao Cup.

But it was apparent the Premier League giants were lacking a key figure up front to lead their attack.

Marcus Rashford ended the campaign with 30 goals across all competitions, however, only 17 of those came in the Premier League.

This has seen the likes of Harry Kane heavily linked with a potential move to the Theatre of Dreams over the course of the coming months.

However, recent reports have suggested this is no longer a possibility for United as they expect Tottenham Hotspur's asking price for them to be far too high.

And there has even been some links to the Napoli talisman, Osimhen, who has endured a stunning campaign which has the Serie A champions reportedly valuing him at around £128m.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano said: "Mentioning strikers, let me clarify one thing on Victor Osimhen."

"For Victor Osimhen, on Manchester United's side they feel is too expensive at current conditions €150 million – this is what Napoli want for Victor Osimhen.

"And so, at the moment, Man United are not entering into any bidding war for Victor Osimhen because €150 million is considered too much."

Which striker will Man United sign?

It is apparent the Red Devils are not overly keen on the notion of paying big money for a striker this summer.

Kane and Osimhen offer United with an opportunity to make a huge statement in the market ahead of what will likely be another competitive Premier League campaign.

However, it seems the Red Devils – for whatever reason – will be delving into the market for a potentially cheaper alternative.

According to some reports, Danish youngster Rasmus Hojlund is believed to be on the radar of those at Old Trafford this summer.

“It's a huge club, so I must have done something right if it says they want me. My goal is to reach the top shelf, and you can say that Manchester United is. So it will be huge,” he told a Danish outlet amid the links to the Red Devils.

However, it does seem as if the 20-year-old could potentially also come at a big asking price this summer with some reports suggesting Atalanta have an £86m valuation of the youngster.

Arsenal are one of the Premier League teams that hold an interest in a top European talent but will have to battle for his services…

What's the latest on Nico Williams to Arsenal?

That's according to 90min, who note that Aston Villa have opened up talks over a move for Athletic Bilbao attacker Nico Williams.

Whilst the allure of Unai Emery is sure to play a role in this potential move, should the Gunners get involved, Mikel Arteta could pose just as attractive a proposition for the young Spaniard.

After all, the report goes on to note that he is well appreciated by the north London outfit, who are keeping tabs on the situation.

His €50m (£43m) price tag could even put the league's runners-up in the driving seat though, given their bolstered finances after returning to the Champions League.

With Fabrizio Romano also detailing their interest in Kai Havertz, this could provide an impressive double swoop to bolster their attack and bridge the gap towards the treble-winning Manchester City.

How good would Nico Williams and Kai Havertz be?

In acquiring this 20-year-old Spanish international who has starred on both wings, immediately he would offer ample competition for both Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

Whilst perhaps not as technically proficient as the latter, his blistering speed and immense dribbling capacity would make him a frightening asset for all opposition full-backs, surely creating space and chances for Havertz.

After all, journalist Shina Oludare branded him a "sensation" just last year, pleading with him to declare for Ghana over Spain.

Although his time at Chelsea has been tough amidst their ever-changing manager scenario, he has still notched nine goals this season from various positions.

Also, when compared to other forwards across Europe, he sits in the top 6% for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes received and the top 9% for progressive passes all per 90, via FBref.

The German will happily accept the ball on the turn and then has the quality to then pick out a teammate.

Should he then seek out Williams, who ranks in the top 5% for progressive carries per 90 and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90 when compared to the wingers across the continent, the two could pose a deadly combination.

This kind of electricity on the ball even saw him describe himself as "a dribbler, like Neymar, [Ousmane] Dembele and Kylian Mbappe."

With the latter dropping deep to supply the other, who has scored six goals and assisted a further five in La Liga most recently, they could be that added bit of quality needed to push them on even further in their race for the title.

Chelsea will hold a meeting with Inter Milan at some stage this month to discuss the possibility of acquiring Andre Onana over the summer window.

How much is Andre Onana worth?

A hugely underwhelming 2022/23 campaign for the west London side is expected to see a lot of change happen at Stamford Bridge over the summer.

The main change – which has already been confirmed – is the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino in the dugout following the sacking of Graham Potter.

And despite the Blues having spent huge sums of money since the arrival of Todd Boehly, there is no shortage of transfer speculation surround the Bridge already.

Indeed, it is believed the Blues will be looking to add a new goalkeeper to their squad this summer despite the Londoners ending the campaign with an impressive defensive record.

One name who is being heavily linked with a potential move to the Bridge is the Inter Milan shot-stopper, Onana, who has recently played in the Champions League final.

According to reports in Italy (via Inter1908), the Serie A giants would be looking for a fee in the region of €50m (£42.8m) this summer for the Cameroonian goalkeeper.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the two clubs are set to hold a meeting later this month where he expects the 27-year-old to be mentioned heavily:

"And we know about the Chelsea interest, in particular, from what I'm told, there is one specific director in the Chelsea board who is a big fan of Andre Onana."

"What we can say is that in the next days, and this is going to happen in June, Chelsea and Inter will speak. They will have a direct talk they will discuss Romelu Lukaku because, formally, Romelu Lukaku will return to Chelsea now. They will discuss also the situation and this appreciation from Chelsea for Andre Onana."

How much does Andre Onana earn?

The Cameroonian has had a turbulent couple of seasons which even included a lengthy ban following an investigation into banned substance usage.

On top of that, he was recently sent home from the winter World Cup after a disagreement with his manager and has since quit the national side.

However, this is a goalkeeper who has had an impressive campaign for the Serie A giants despite Simone Inzaghi's men not quite being at their best.

Indeed, over his 13 appearances in the Champions League this season, the 27-year-old was able to keep a stunning eight clean sheets.

It is reported the shot-stopper earns in the region of £63k-per-week at Inter which is less than half of what Kepa is believed to be on in west London.

Chelsea are said not to be the only club who could potentially make a move for the 27-year-old this summer with Tottenham Hotspur also linked with Onana.

However, considering they hold a potential trump card with Romelu Lukaku, it will be intriguing to see how a potential deal could pan out for the Cameroonian.

Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie "has offers" from the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur named and being "better positioned" than a rival to move, according to reports.

Who will Spurs sign this summer?

The Lilywhites, after finally ending their long and drawn out search for a new manager with the appointment of Ange Postecoglou, are now set to turn their attention to the transfer market.

Spurs announced Postecoglou's hire on Tuesday morning, with chairman Daniel Levy expressing exactly why he elected to move for the Austrailian over other standout candidates like Luis Enrique.

“Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play," explained Levy on Spurs' official website.

"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."

Now, the north Londoners will be identifying transfer targets for the looming summer window, with Leicester City star James Maddison, Man United defender Harry Maguire and Brenford's David Raya all linked in the last few days.

Another name Spurs supporters will be familiar with is Kessie, who former managing director Fabio Paratici apparently tried to sign for Antonio Conte.

According to Spanish news outlet Sport, Tottenham have reignited their interest in the Ivory Coast international, and the midfielder "has offers" from England.

Spurs and Liverpool are named as the clubs offering Kessie a way out of Barca while Inter Milan are currently failing in their attempts to negotiate a part-exchange.

Italian clubs apparently don't have that much money to spend this summer, leading to Inter exploring swap deal proposals as a solution as they attempt to move for Kessie.

They're set to revisit it after the Champions League final against Man City, but if they can't get it done, Tottenham and Jurgen Klopp are there. Spurs, according to this report, are apparently "better positioned" than rivals Liverpool to sign him.

Who is Franck Kessie?

Joining Barca from AC Milan on a free deal in the summer of 2022, Kessie has gone on to make 28 La Liga appearances under Xavi, but the vast majority of them have been substitute appearances.

The African had to wait patiently for a chance to impress but got his opportunity late in the campaign – with members of the press explaining how he had an "impeccable" 2023.

If Kessie were to potentially take a pay cut on his £199,000-per-week wages, he could be a good signing for Spurs, especially given some of his past numbers for Milan.

As per WhoScored, the 26-year-old scored an impressive 13 goals and four assists over 36 Serie A starts for the Rossoneri over 2020/2021. If he were to rediscover this form at Spurs, it would certainly benefit Postecoglou.

Called an "amazing player" by former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson, perhaps Kessie needs another opportunity.

Chelsea's need for a new striker is likely atop Mauricio Pochettino's list, and thus he seemingly has plenty of options should certain assets refuse the move.

What's the latest on Dusan Vlahovic to Chelsea?

That's at least the thoughts of transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who offered an update on the Blues' pursuit of Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic.

Taking to Twitter, he detailed the various suitors who might make a move for the youngster this summer:

"Vlahović, one of the names in Bayern list and really appreciated by Tuchel.

"Chelsea and Man United are also well informed on the situation but it all depends on Juventus. Up to them. Dusan, always been in Bayern radar and remains there, as reported last week."

Given the west London outfit has also been touted with a swoop for fellow Serie A marksman Victor Osimhen, this report could represent a fall-back option should they fail to secure Napoli's star man. A reported price tag of £100m could put off Todd Boehly, especially when just €90m (£78m) could be enough to tempt his alternative.

How good is Dusan Vlahovic?

Although the Nigeria international has stolen the goalscoring show this term in Italy, with his 30 goals in all competitions making him the division's top scorer, Vlahovic has quietly bagged a solid amount in what has been a torrid year in Turin.

Having seen a 15-point deduction in January, this was later overturned in April before a further ten points were stolen just last month.

The Italian giants have therefore never really known exactly where they stood in the league, resulting in mixed performances. Amidst all the turmoil, the 23-year-old has still mustered 14 goals in all competitions.

It is worth noting that in the campaign prior, which was uninterrupted by such distractions, he recorded 35 goal contributions split across both Fiorentina and his current club and was only second to Ciro Immobile in the top scoring charts.

Standing at 6 foot 3, he has all the physicality of Osimhen with a similar level of goalscoring ability when on form. Italian journalist Carlo Garganese even took to Twitter during that outstanding breakout term, as he gushed:

"Dusan Vlahovic is a MONSTER. He reminds me so much of Christian Vieri. He is 22 and he fights three defenders at a time. Scary how strong he is. Imagine him in a few years when he’s a man."

Pochettino would give himself the best possible foundation for immediate success should he secure the Serbia international, building on their 38 goals from the recently-ended campaign which left them as the Premier League's joint-fifth lowest scorers.

Although on the surface Osimhen is the more exciting option, as a similar physical marvel with that lethal scoring touch, the gulf is not as clear when both are placed in firing teams. Vlahovic might seem like an alternative to the 24-year-old, but could actually be just as good at a year younger and nearly £20m cheaper.

A significant West Ham United transfer update has now come to light involving Wolfsburg forward and current Torino loanee Josip Brekalo.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing fresh faces…

Hammers boss David Moyes, having guided his side through another memorable Premier League season, reportedly has fresh faces on the agenda before the beginning of 2022/2023.

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The Times say he’s set to target a central defender, new midfielder and striker with West Ham having failed to bolster the latter position in January.

Moyes needs an alternative option to Michail Antonio given the Jamaica international’s concerning injury record in past campaigns with news now emerging on Croatia international Brekalo.

The Latest: West Ham open discussions…

According to Calciomercato.it, West Ham have opened discussions to sign Brekalo by expressing their interest – emerging as one of the clubs to either lodge a ‘draft offer’ or ‘formal request of information’.

Indeed, the Italian source also claims that Moyes’ side have made a ‘concrete’ pre-summer move for Brekalo alongside the likes of Atletico Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt and Southampton.

The Verdict: Ideal man?

The 30-cap ace has seriously impressed whilst on loan in Serie A from Wolfsburg with members of the media even calling his form ‘frightening’ (Josh Bunting, Islington Gazette).

His seven goals and two assists domestically just scratch the surface of his quality with Brekalo also averaging more key passes per 90 than any regular Torino regular over 2021/2022 (WhoScored).

The forward averages 1.3 successful take-ons per 90, a greater number than all of his teammates, leaving little wonder Moyes and co have now made contact.

In other news: Report: Moyes now very likely to make major bid for ‘world class’ player who ‘likes’ West Ham! Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Raheem Sterling to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a claim made by Ben Jacobs, with the CBS Sports Golazo presenter revealing in a recent interview with The Gooner Talk that, despite recent reports linking Arsenal with a move for the Manchester City forward at the end of the current campaign, it is actually Spurs who are leading the race to sign the 27-year-old.

The journalist goes on to state that this is down to Tottenham offering the England international assurances about his position in their first-team squad, while it is also believed that the former Liverpool starlet is keen to work under the management of Antonio Conte.

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Regarding the interest in Sterling, Jacobs said:  “Sterling is an interesting one, because I do think that the door is open for Sterling to leave Manchester City. I think there will be almost a North London derby-style pursuit for Sterling and, from what I gather, should he leave Manchester City, Tottenham are ahead of Arsenal in that particular pursuit.

“So, if Sterling is to join Arsenal, then Edu and [Mikel] Arteta are going to have to move quite quickly, but I think that Sterling is very intent – even though he will know Arteta very well – to play under Conte as his next manager if he is to make a move.

“The reason for that is because Tottenham have given him guarantees about style and about position. I think that Tottenham’s pitch is around ‘let’s get you back to doing what you do best,’ which is scoring goals, and I think Arsenal’s pitch is going to be ‘let’s get you back to what you did at the beginning of your career,’ which is being a very fluid, very versatile wide player that cuts inside.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how talented a forward Sterling quite clearly is, the prospect of the winger linking up with the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is sure to be something that will have left the Spurs faithful buzzing, particularly if Fabio Paratici can land the 27-year-old ahead of Arsenal.

Indeed, according to FBref statistics, the £76.5m-rated attacker ranks in the top 15% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty xG per 90 minutes, as well as the top 22% for assists, the top 16% for xA, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for passes completed, the top 2% for progressive carries and the top 3% for dribbles completed over the last 365 days.

The £200k-per-week dynamo’s defensive metrics are also impressive, with FBref ranking the 74-time capped international in the top 17% of forward’s in Europe’s big five leagues for tackles per 90, in addition to the top 23% for interceptions over the last year.

Speaking more generally, it is clear to see that the signing of a player who has scored 153 goals and registered 118 assists over his 466 appearances for both Liverpool and Manchester City would be an excellent addition to Spurs’ current attacking options – with Sterling boasting an extremely impressive record of a direct goal involvement every 126 minutes of football played.

As such, should Tottenham go on to land the 27-year-old – who is reportedly available for around £45m – this summer, it would certainly appear something of a coup for Paratici and Conte, while also being a signing that could help to transform Spurs from a top-four contender to a title challenger next season.

AND in other news: “Being monitored”: Kilpatrick drops Spurs transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Paddy Kenny has been left reacting to some Everton news that has now emerged on Richarlison ahead of the clash with Leicester City.

The Lowdown: Investigation

As per iNews, Richarlison is now being investigated by the police, after he threw a lit flare while celebrating his winning goal during the 1-0 win against Chelsea in the Premier League at Goodison Park last weekend.

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The Brazil international is also at risk of disciplinary action from the FA, although they have paused their own investigation for now.

The Latest: Kenny reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds United and Sheffield United goalkeeper Kenny has now given his reaction to the news, claiming he will be ‘lucky’ to avoid a ban, which will be a big ‘blow’:

“He will be lucky to avoid a ban for that, you can’t do it.

“I get that emotions get high. Everton are in a real pressure situation and everyone is stressed.

“There are processes in place for this. You leave the flare and a steward will come on and deal with it.

“I don’t know where Richarlison was trying to throw it. I’m sure he wasn’t trying to hit a fan.

“But he could have really hurt someone. Even after carrying it around, I’m not sure why he threw it into where people were sitting.

“He will be fined, there is no doubt about that. I think the FA would be well within their rights to ban him which would be a blow to Everton.

“He is the guy to score the goals to get them out of this so if he gets banned he will look very silly.”

The Verdict: Worrying

It certainly is worrying that Richarlison could now receive a ban for his actions, given that there are only a few games left of the season to go.

It is not clear how many matches he would be banned for, but starting with a trip to Leicester City on Sunday afternoon, the Toffees have some winnable fixtures coming up that will be crucial in getting them out of the relegation zone.

With four goals and one assist in his last six appearances in the top flight, including the winner against Chelsea last time out (Transfermarkt), Richarlison is a player on form, and so losing him will certainly hinder their chances of winning some of those remaining games.

In other news, find out what big Blues transfer boost has now emerged here!