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Sunderland manager Alex Neil has shared an update regarding the Wearside club’s current situation regarding their efforts in the transfer market.

What’s the latest?

Speaking on the matter (via Chronicle Live), Neil had this to say on how things currently stand and what his squad could look like by the end of the summer transfer window.

“We’re going to go into these first few games quite light in some areas. It’s not through a lack of effort behind the scenes, it’s because the teams we are dealing with are reluctant to let their players out at the moment and we have to bide our time.

“But we’re still players light, so the likelihood is that by the end of the window the squad will look different to how it looks at the moment. You don’t get handed your squad and told that that’s your squad for the remainder of the season, because if that was the case you could get a lot of work in early doors.”

After finally making their way out of League One, the Black Cats have secured deals for the likes of Daniel Ballard, Ellis Simms and Aji Alese among others.

They have also seen players such as Will Grigg, Aidan McGeady and Lee Burge wave goodbye to the club on free transfers.

Sunderland’s first game of the new season saw them draw 1-1 against Coventry City after Jack Clarke’s 12th-minute opener was cancelled out by an 84th-minute equaliser from Viktor Gyokeres.

Now that Neil has revealed that not only are the club trying to get more players through the door, but players that their clubs don’t want to see leave, this should be an exciting thing for Sunderland fans to hear regarding the level of quality that the Black Cats’ apparent targets have.

Also, with the Sunderland boss mentioning how different the squad will look by the time the window closes, this should fill a lot of fans with confidence that more players will arrive before September 1st.

With the club already strengthening their defence and attack, as well as already having a healthy number of midfield options, it will be interesting to see what sort of players do make the move to the Stadium of Light between now and the end of the transfer window.

A claim has emerged on Leeds United and their pursuit of attacker Ismaila Sarr in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the Whites have not submitted a bid to sign the Senegal international this week.

This comes after it was reported that the club were close to agreeing a deal to snap the winger up from Championship side Watford.

Romano tweeted:

“Many clubs are following Ismaila Sarr situation as potential final signing, but there’s no proposal from Leeds United despite rumours.

“There are no negotiations ongoing between Leeds and Ismaila Sarr or Juan Mata.”

Potential blow

This news comes as a potential blow to Whites manager Jesse Marsch as Sarr could have come in to provide competition in the wide areas and add a different type of threat on the wing.

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He has made a flying start back to life in the Championship this season with one goal and one assist in two matches for the Hornets, scoring from inside his own half in a draw with West Brom earlier this week.

This shows that he is a player capable of creating something out of nothing. He can spark a game into life with a moment of genius, although it seems unlikely that scoring from 50 yards out will become a regular occurrence for him.

The gem offered a glimpse of what he is capable of in the Premier League last term as he scored five goals and created five ‘big chances’ in 21 starts.

Crysencio Summerville, who has zero goals or assists in the top-flight in his career, was needed off the bench against Wolves on the opening day and this suggests that Marsch is not blessed with quality depth.

Brenden Aaronson started on the right wing and Jack Harrison out on the left, which left Summerville as the only wide option with Luis Sinisterra out injured.

Therefore, bringing the Watford man in could provide Marsch with much-needed depth as he has proven that he can perform in the Premier League, whereas Saturday’s substitute is yet to make his mark on the division, and can play on both wings and through the middle.

Along with this, Sarr is a player with the potential to grow over time. At the age of 24, he has many years left ahead of him to develop his game and improve his output at the top end of the pitch.

This means that he would a signing for the here and now as well as the future. Marsch may have enjoyed helping the gem to fulfill his potential, but it now appears as though the club are not pursuing his signature and he could be on his way elsewhere.

Therefore, the Whites not submitting an offer for the forward could be viewed as a blow for the American head coach.

Nottingham Forest are weighing up a potential summer move for free agent Cheikhou Kouyate this summer, according to journalist Santi Aouna.

The Lowdown: Forest still looking for midfielder

Steve Cooper has enjoyed a highly productive summer in the transfer market, bringing in lots of exciting new faces following their return to the Premier League.

Saturday’s 2-0 defeat away to Newcastle United was proof that it isn’t going to be easy for Forest to stay up this season, however, and a new central midfielder remains a priority as the club chase a deal for Morgan Gibbs-White.

Now, a fresh update suggests that the Reds may have more than one central midfield player on their shortlist…

The Latest: Kouyate linked with move

According to Foot Mercato‘s Aoune on Twitter [via Sport Witness], Forest are interested in signing Kouyate, who is currently a free agent after leaving Crystal Palace at the end of last season.

It is stated that ‘following the failure in the Gueye dossier, Nottingham Forest could look into Cheikhou Kouyate’, although ‘Turkish clubs are also interested’.

The Verdict: Still a force?

In truth, Kouyate doesn’t feel as exciting an option as some past midfielder targets – at 32, he arguably isn’t the player he was and there would be concern that he wouldn’t be able to offer his past energy and dominance in the middle of the park.

That being said, Kouyate possesses huge experience, including 258 Premier League appearances and 82 caps for Senegal, so he could be a good foil for younger figures around him.

Patrick Vieira hailed the 6 foot 2 ace for the way he ‘wins so many balls’ during his time at Palace, and his destructive tendencies in the middle could actually partner up well with a more creative signing like Gibbs-White – he’s won a whopping 554 tackles during his career in England’s top flight.

The 2022 Africa Cup of Nations winner wouldn’t necessarily come in as a key starter every week but he could be a strong squad player – the fact that he would arrive on a free transfer would make it less of a gamble, too.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte wants to sign Nicolo Zaniolo from AS Roma before the summer transfer window closes, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Italian journalist Xavier Jacobelli delivered an update on the situation to Radio Radio (via Tutto Juve), he said:

“Zaniolo depends on Tottenham. Since when and how the English club wants to move. They have so much money. Conte wants Zaniolo at Tottenham, he values ​​him very much.”

The north London side have been linked with a move for the attacking midfielder for several weeks and it’s believed that the Serie A outfit would sell the Italy international for around £50m.

Eriksen’s true heir

It’s no secret that Spurs are in the market for a creative influence in the engine room and it’s easy to see why as it has been something they have lacked ever since the departure of Christian Eriksen back in January 2020.

Over a seven-year spell in N17, the Danish playmaker provided the team with 69 goals and 90 assists across 305 appearances, averaging one direct contribution every 151 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

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Such form led to some high praise indeed – journalist Josh Wright dubbed him a “wizard,” whilst his former manager Mauricio Pochettino once lauded him as a “special person” too.

Since his departure two-and-a-half years ago, the likes of Tanguy Ndombele (one contribution every 272 minutes) and Giovani Lo Celso (one contribution every 326 minutes) have failed to step up, with Dele Alli even being sold.

The £150k-per-week playmaker is now at Premier League rivals Manchester United, having enjoyed a six-month spell at Brentford last campaign.

Zaniolo would be an intriguing candidate to fill that void at Hotspur Way heading into the final two weeks of the summer transfer window.

The 23-year-old, who is capable of playing through the middle as a no.10 or second striker as well as out on the right flank, provided the Giallorossi with eight goals and nine assists last season as they clinched the Europa Conference League trophy.

That’s either better or close to what both Lo Celso and Ndombele have managed in their three years at the club.

His ability to deliver from a deep-lying midfield role has seen the Italian dynamo compared to both Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, whilst journalist Zach Lowry once labelled him a “lethal playmaker” and the “crown jewel” of Roma.

Over the last two Serie A campaigns, Zaniolo has averaged at least 1.3 key passes per 90, highlighting his ability to get on the ball and create in the final third. And when compared to his positional peers across Europe, the £75k-per-week star ranks inside the top 6% for total shots (3.25 per 90) and the top 16% for touches in the opposition’s box (5.67 per 90).

Therefore, it would make sense to follow up Conte’s demands to sign Zaniolo as he could well emerge as the true heir to Eriksen’s throne at Tottenham Hotspur.

It’ll have taken a while but if the Italian head coach wants him, then sporting director Fabio Paratici ought to deliver for the benefit of the club.

AND in other news, After Udogie: Spurs plotting swoop for £17m “playmaker”, he’s better than Zaniolo…

West Bromwich Albion are reportedly looking to secure a deal for Sheffield United striker Oliver McBurnie.

What’s the news?

According to a recent post from journalist Alan Nixon on his Patreon page (via Football League World), the Baggies are considering making a late move for the attacker before the summer transfer window closes.

The Midlands club will be without Daryl Dike for a while through injury, and also missed out on signing Liam Delap and Keinan Davis after both were linked with moves to the Hawthorns, so it’s easy to see why they are looking to add some attacking reinforcements to their squad.

A big mistake?

That said, bringing McBurnie to the club would, in our view, be a big mistake.

Back in the 2019 summer transfer window, the Blades shelled out a then club-record fee of £20m to sign the striker from Swansea City.

With 98 appearances to his name for the Yorkshire club, the 26-year-old has only managed to find the back of the net eight times, meaning he has cost them a whopping £2.5m per goal.

What’s made matters even worse is that he has also suffered his fair share of injuries during his time at Bramall Lane.

This means that not only is he unreliable in terms of his availability, but he also isn’t particularly effective in front of goal when he is on the pitch.

Furthermore, the player has been involved in recent controversies that could make him a risky addition to the squad in terms of his behaviour and attitude too.

Last season saw the Scotsman make 28 league appearances for the Blades but he failed to score even one goal for his side.

In fact, out of the 29 attempts he had at goal throughout the previous campaign, only eight of them were on target, leaving eight other United players testing opposition goalkeepers on more occasions.

Previously labelled as being a “desperate” player by former Hibernian midfielder Tam McManus, McBurnie would not be a useful addition to Steve Bruce’s squad given the poor goalscoring form he’s shown since becoming a Blade.

With all of that in mind, it would be in West Brom’s best interests to forget about signing the Scotsman and move on to other potential striker targets they could get in before the window closes.

Fabrizio Romano has name-checked Crystal Palace when providing an update on Watford forward Ismaila Sarr.

The Lowdown: Sarr links

The Eagles have been linked with a move for Sarr this month, with reports even suggesting that Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman were rushing to sign the Senegal international.

It seemed as if Palace were going to miss out on Sarr to Aston Villa after they agreed on a £25m deal for the forward, who Ben Foster labelled as a player with “scary” ability.

However, a move to Villa Park has now fallen through, and it looks as if a potential transfer to Selhurst Park could still be on the cards.

The Latest: Romano’s claim

Romano, writing for Caught Offside on Tuesday, provided an update regarding Sarr.

He relayed the news on a transfer to Aston Villa falling through, before name-checking Palace as a suitor and describing the situation as ‘open’.

The Verdict: Time to act?

There are just days left for Palace to bolster Patrick Vieira’s squad, so a move for Sarr could be one to watch closely.

The Eagles are yet to really improve their attacking ranks this summer, with teenage winger Malcolm Ebiowei the only final third arrival.

Therefore, bringing in Sarr, who can play anywhere across the front three and already has plenty or Premier League experience, could be a wise move after Vieira lost striker Christian Benteke to DC United.

Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony wasn’t happy with Crystal Palace’s last offer for defender Ronnie Edwards.

The Lowdown: Second offer

The Eagles failed to bring in any further additions on deadline day, however, it looks as if they tried to land Edwards.

Reports suggested that Palace made a second bid for Edwards, hailed by Peterborough director Barry Fry for his ‘unbelievably accurate’ passing.

The offer was thought to be worth an initial £4m with a further £4m in add-ons, but as we know, a transfer failed to get over the line.

The Latest: MacAnthony reacts

The Peterborough Telegraph shared a story regarding Edwards late on deadline day, citing Palace’s second offer.

They shared comments from MacAnthony on social media, who said there was ‘not a chance’ he would green-light a sale that would’ve seen The Posh receive an initial £4m fee.

MacAnthony also added that he wasn’t parting ways with the defender unless they had him back on loan.

The Verdict: January move?

Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman may look back on a failed move for Edwards as a missed opportunity.

The 19-year-old appears to be a star in the making and was also on the radar of Palace’s London rivals Spurs and Chelsea.

He already has plenty of first-team experience for Peterborough and helped England’s U19s win Euro 2022, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Palace revisited their interest in the New Year.

Everton are reportedly ‘pushing now’ with a ‘late attempt’ to sign Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz.

The Lowdown: Fulham end interest

It was recently reported by Sky Sports that Fulham have now ended their interest in signing Brereton Diaz, after having two previous offers rejected by Blackburn.

However, a move away from Rovers to another club has not been ruled out before the deadline.

The Latest: Everton ‘pushing’

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett has revealed that the Goodison Park outfit are ‘pushing now’ to sign Brereton Diaz, in a ‘late attempt’ to try to get a deal done for between £15-20m:

“#efc try to trump #fulham with a late attempt at a deal for #brfc Ben Brereton Diaz. Everton pushing now after failing to get #watford Joao Pedro. Talks ongoing re structure of a deal that suits Everton and Blackburn -who don’t want to sell but would take a £15-20m bid seriously.”

The Verdict: Time ticking

Time is certainly ticking to get this one over the line, so the Merseyside club need to act fast.

Hailed as a ‘beast’ by former Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray, six-foot-one striker Brereton Diaz would further bolster Frank Lampard’s attacking options, having already signed Neal Maupay from Brighton and Hove Albion.

He scored an impressive 22 goals in the Championship last term, while he already has three to his name from his first seven games in the Championship this season (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, the Chile international is clearly ready to make the step up to the Premier League, and the Toffees could give him the platform needed in order for him to succeed.

Glasgow Rangers’ lack of signings following their Champions League qualification arguably came back to haunt them on Saturday, as they were embarrassed 4-0 in the Old Firm derby.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have struggled against the Bhoys in recent meetings and were outclassed at Parkhead on Saturday, with the hosts taking a 3-0 lead into half-time, before Jon McLaughlin’s howler gifted them a fourth in the second half.

Although Rangers were fairly active early in the summer transfer window, bringing in seven new signings, the lack of investment in the squad following their Champions League qualification has been baffling.

Following their win over PSV in the final qualifying stage, the Teddy Bears earned a bonus of around £13m, while each win and draw in the group stage will also net them significant fees.

On yesterday’s showing, however, that may be a struggle, and Ross Wilson must take a share of the blame for failing to improve the squad further, as we have seen with their fierce rivals, whose marquee summer signing Jota scored another impressive goal in the Old Firm win.

Meanwhile, Rangers started just two summer signings on Saturday in the shape of Antonio Colak and Malik Tillman, with long-standing squad members such as McLaughlin and Steven Davis starting and perhaps emphasising that their best playing days are long behind them.

The lack of goalkeeper addition this summer was a strange one for Rangers as both McLaughlin and Allan McGregor are getting towards the end of their respective careers, and the former showed on Saturday that he cannot be relied upon, as he should have done better with Liel Abada’s opener, before being at fault for the fourth.

All five substitutes who came on during the Old Firm were in the squad which failed to defend its Premiership title last season, which again suggests that more quality additions were needed, as they were completely outclassed by a Celtic side that have only got stronger.

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The sales of Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey landed Rangers more than £25m but they spent just over £10m on new signings, which is inexcusable when you also consider the financial bonus of Champions League football, and Van Bronckhorst will surely be disappointed that he wasn’t able to strengthen further.

Sunderland centre-forward Ellis Simms has suffered an injury setback ahead of the club’s Championship clash with Preston North End…

What’s the latest?

Black Cats manager Tony Mowbray has revealed that the striker will not be fit enough to return to action this weekend and has now returned to his parent club, Everton for further assessment.

He told the Northern Echo:

“We’d hoped he (Simms) might be alright after this international break. But that’s not going to be the case.

“We did say it would depend on how it developed. He’s had scans and X-rays, and it might be the case now that Everton want to do that as well.

“Our diagnosis is that there seems to be some ligament damage on his big toe – it doesn’t look like he’s ready to play for us this weekend. We’ll wait and see what Everton want to do and what their assessment is. Ultimately, it will always be the parent club who guide these decisions.

“It’s his big toe, and I know from 20 years of playing that it can be a sore injury and if it’s affecting you running, it’s very difficult.”

Mowbray should be frustrated

This comes as a big blow to Mowbray as Simms has enjoyed a strong start to life at the Stadium of Light and has proven, throughout his career so far, that he can score goals on a regular basis.

The striker has started eight matches in the Championship this season and averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.08 for the Black Cats, which is a score that only Ross Stewart, Jewison Bennette, Jack Clarke, and Alex Pritchard can better within the squad.

In those eight games, the 21-year-old has scored three goals and created two ‘big chances’ for his teammates, whilst only missing one ‘big chance’ in total.

Only Stewart (five) has found the back of the net more times than Simms for Sunderland in the league this season and this highlights how big of a loss he is to the team, particularly with his Scottish strike partner already being out injured.

It now remains to be seen when the on-loan Everton striker, who has scored 78 goals in 139 matches at youth and senior level, will be fit again, as the manager has not placed a timescale on his return.

Therefore, Mowbray will be frustrated because losing Simms is a big blow – due to the threat that he carries at the top end of the pitch – and it is unclear as to exactly how many matches he will miss.

Hopefully, the Toffees do not find any serious issues in their assessment of his injury and he will be back out on the pitch in the Championship sooner rather than later.