Reporter Drops Update On Liverpool’s Colwill Interest

Liverpool "really like" Chelsea's exciting young centre-back Levi Colwill but, contrary to reports, are "not negotiating anything" as they know that the player is "untouchable", claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Levi Colwill joining Liverpool?

After a poor season by their own high standards last year, the Reds have made a brilliant start to the transfer window so far, surprising some with their willingness to spend.

The first name through the door at Anfield was Brighton & Hove Albion's World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister who reportedly cost the club just £35m from the Southcoast side.

Alexis Mac Allister Brighton

Following the Argentinian was RB Leipzig's exciting Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, who chose Liverpool over Newcastle United and cost the Merseyside outfit a hefty £60m.

With the midfield getting most of the attention so far, the idea of a new centre-back has been floating around, with Chelsea's Colwill being a name many have attached to the club.

According to football.london, Liverpool 'remain interested' in the 20-year-old, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the Reds are not likely to make a bid anytime soon as they recognise that Chelsea have little interest in selling him.

levi-colwill-chelsea-premier-league

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"It's true that Liverpool really like Levi Colwill but they are not negotiating anything because they know that the player at the moment is untouchable, he is not for sale for Chelsea, so it's very clear."

How good was Levi Colwill last season?

It was the Southampton-born gem's breakout season last year, and from his performances and statistics, it's not hard to see why so many top clubs are interested in him.

According to WhoScored, the "fantastic" defender averaged a match rating of 6.54 across his 17 Premier League appearances for the Seagulls last year, maintaining a pass success rate of 88.6% per game.

These performances led manager Roberto De Zerbi to wax lyrical about the youngster on more than one occasion; after their victory away to Arsenal, he said:

"I think the best example of courage was Colwill in this game. We defended man-to-man, and Colwill's man was Odegaard. Colwill went 90 minutes to defend with Odegaard 80 metres from Jason Steele. This is courage.

"I would like to work with him for another two, three, four years because it's difficult to find another left centre-back with his qualities."

He's a player that has easily passed the eye test for those that have already seen him play, and his underlying numbers just reinforce his ability as they are exceptional.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, Colwill sits in the top 1% for assists and attempted passes, top 5% for non-penalty expected goals and aerials won, top 7% for shot-creating actions, top 8% for progressive passes, and the top 12% for progressive carries, all per 90.

If that wasn't enough, then FBref have also ranked Virgil Van Dijk as the third most similar player to Colwill out of every defender in Europe's top five leagues.

With his performances over the last 12 months and his potential to get even better, it makes sense why Chelsea won't even entertain the idea of selling Colwill. Still, perhaps Liverpool should test the water anyway.

Leeds Plot Swoop For £3.3m-Rated Championship Titan

Leeds United are yet to recruit any new additions this summer despite the Championship season commencing in just three weeks and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Paddy McNair?

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are one of the clubs interested in signing Middlesbrough centre-back Paddy McNair.

As per the report, the Championship club are willing to listen to offers for their defender this summer and Leeds will need to compete with a number of clubs to secure McNair's signature with Luton Town, Burnley, Sheffield United, Fulham, Bournemouth and Leicester City also named as potential suitors.

How good is Paddy McNair?

Daniel Farke has a huge challenge on his hands to meet the expectations at Elland Road next season, as anything short of automatic promotion back to the Premier League next season would be a disaster for the West Yorkshire outfit.

It has been a transformative summer for the Whites with a full take-over by the 49ers confirmed, a new head coach appointed and several players making an exit from the club upon their relegation.

Robin Koch, Rodrigo, Brenden Aaronson, Weston McKennie and Rasmus Kristensen have departed so far, with the latter the latest Leeds player to confirm a move, signing for Serie A club Roma on a season-long loan.

rasmus-kristensen-leeds-united

As a result, the signing of McNair could be a great opportunity for Farke to bolster the defensive presence on the pitch to replace Kristensen and provides the squad with a player who has a wealth of experience in the Championship ahead of next season.

Over 30 Championship appearances last season, the 28-year-old scored one goal, tallied up an 83% pass completion rate and won the majority of his duels combined (59%), as well as averaging 63.2 touches, 2.1 clearances and 1.3 tackles per game, proving that he is a reliable and consistent defensive presence.

Not only that, McNair has displayed strong versatility in his positioning with experience on both sides of the centre-back partnership, defensive midfield and right-back, something that could be incredibly valuable to Farke when deploying his team over the 46-game campaign.

When comparing the ball-playing Northern Irishman to Kristensen, McNair outperformed the Leeds defender in a number of key attributes over last season including pass completion (81.5% v 70.9%), percentage of dribblers tackled (63.3% v 55.3%) and aerial duels won (55.8% v 55.7%), as per FBref, demonstrating that he could be a worthy replacement.

The €3.9m-rated (£3.3m) Middlesbrough titan has earned high praise over his career, with international teammate and Leeds stalwart Stuart Dallas full of compliments for his compatriot back in 2019:

"He works hard, he’s fit and his running ability and how powerful he is are something else. You’d think the 90th minute was the first minute and it’s a credit to him."

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Leeds to sign McNair this summer as there is now definitely an opportunity to strengthen the backline, whilst his Championship experience could give the team a boost in their pursuit of dominating the second tier next season.

Arsenal Could Repeat Pepe Disaster With £70m Star

Arsenal have been linked to Serie A hitman Dusan Vlahovic, however, the Gunners could miss a potential disaster by avoiding signing the striker.

Mikel Arteta’s side were the second-highest-scoring side in the Premier League last season, however, links to the big-money forward could reinforce that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Are Arsenal linked to Dusan Vlahovic?

Sources in Italy mentioned earlier this year the north Londoners in relation to the potential destiny of Vlahovic, claiming that the Gunners have ‘never given up’ on the prospect of signing the 23-year-old.

The report comes from the angle that the forward is ‘no longer’ considered to be ‘untouchable’ in terms of Juventus’ value of the goalscorer, making Arsenal’s rumoured interest a subject to be cautious over.

How many goals has Dusan Vlahovic scored?

A 23-year-old with 95 domestic career goals is never going to be short of attention in the transfer window, however, the Serbian has struggled with a dip in form since trading Fiorentina for Juve, signalling a risk for potential Premier League suitors.

In his first two seasons in Turin, Vlahovic has hardly been the "monster" that Carlo Garganese bestowed on him, netting 17 goals in Serie A in a decline compared to his form at Fiorentina in where he scored 38 goals in his final two Serie A campaigns.

While it takes time to adapt to new surroundings, the striker made the move to a side with more attacking prowess around him while remaining in the same league that he dominated just one season prior.

It has been a recurring narrative for prolific players from fellow top leagues in Europe are unable to hit former heights in the Premier League, a trait that Arsenal know too well.

The Gunners’ current record signing Nicolas Pepe signed for the club back in 2019 from Lille, where he caught the eye of Unai Emery after registering a monstrous 33 goal contributions in 38 Ligue 1 games in 2018/19.

Four years down the line and the winger is set to return to the club after a season-long loan at Nice after a poor opening three years in north London.

In three campaigns, the £72m forward scored 16 Premier League goals before falling down the pecking order and being replaced rightly by Bukayo Saka.

The Ivory Coast international has shown little promise of living up to his lucrative price tag since trading Ligue 1 for the Premier League, in a risk that has not paid off for Arsenal. Indeed, in his final season before being loaned back to France, he found the net on just three occasions for the Londoners.

Signing high-cost players from abroad is an area that the Gunners should tread carefully around, with warning signs flagging around the interest in £70m Vlahovic, who has already shown frailties to his consistency in Serie A.

The 'unsettled' striker should be a player for Arsenal to steer clear of, with Arteta having the foundations to bolster his side without having to risk spending sensational money on players that aren’t guaranteed to perform.

Edu should revise the past mistakes made in the transfer of Pepe when considering the clubs’ interest in the Serbian, who has averaged fewer non-penalty goals per 90 to Gabriel Jesus over the past year, with 0.35 to the Brazilian’s 0.39, via FBref.

Newcastle Ready To Make Offer For "Remarkable" £69m Star

Newcastle United are ready to make an offer for Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos, but the Portuguese side are set to hold out for at least €80m (£69m), according to reports from Portugal.

What's the latest Newcastle transfer news?

Newcastle have already made a major statement in the summer transfer market by bringing in Sandro Tonali, in a deal worth a reported £55m, and Eddie Howe has now started to turn his attention towards strengthening in attacking areas.

The Magpies have made a call over a potential deal for Barcelona's Ferran Torres, who is on the La Liga club's list of "transferrable" players this summer, due to their present financial situation.

In the same report, former Leeds United man Raphinha is also named as a potential option, however Torres seems to be the more viable of the two.

In recent days, it has been reported that Newcastle are considering a swoop to bring Ramos to the Premier League, and according to a new update, an offer could be on the table very shortly.

As reported by Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness), the Magpies are about to "attack" for the 22-year-old, and they are currently preparing an offer, however he will not come cheap.

The striker has a €120m (£103m) release clause included in his contract, although the report makes it clear Benfica would be willing to start negotiating if an offer of €80m (£69m) is tabled.

Manchester United are also in the race for the Benfica star, as they continue to "follow him closely", while an unnamed club were willing to offer €60m (£51m) at the weekend, so there may be fierce competition for his signature.

With Newcastle set to "heavily invest" in their squad this summer, it remains to be seen whether they are willing to meet the huge asking price for the Portuguese forward.

How many goals has Goncalo Ramos scored?

It is clear to see why Benfica are holding out for such an astronomical fee, as the Olhao-born striker was indispensable for them last season, scoring 27 goals in all competitions, including 19 in the Primeira Liga, the second-highest figure of any player.

Not only did the 6-foot forward impress at club level, he also put in a fantastic performance out in Qatar at the World Cup, scoring a hat-trick against Switzerland, despite being under heavy pressure after getting the nod over Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting XI.

Benfica's Goncalo Ramos

Gary Lineker hailed the Portugal international as "remarkable" in the wake of his performance, and goal-scoring is not his only quality, with teammate Bruno Fernandes saying: “He’s a player that runs and works a lot, helps the team defensively, he’s that type of striker that is everywhere.

“He had the chance to score three goals, but he’s a striker that creates space for others, fights, has the ball and is strong. Today was his day to score the goals and we’re happy for that.”

Ramos has all the qualities to be a success at St. James' Park, and it is exciting news that Newcastle are pursing a move.

Celtic Eyeing "Aggressive" Free Transfer; McAvennie Reacts

Pundit Frank McAvennie has been reacting to a Celtic transfer claim regarding Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey.

Are Celtic signing Daniel Amartey?

The Hoops and Brendan Rodgers look set for a busy few months in the transfer market and have already made a start on their summer business, with a move for midfielder Odin Thiago Holm confirmed by the club.

Melbourne City attacker Marco Tilio looks like he could be the next through the door, and another player of interest appears to be Amartey, previously described as "outstanding" and “aggressive” by Rodgers.

Reports earlier this month suggested that the Hoops are prepared to contact Amartey’s agent ahead of a potential move to the Scottish Premiership.

The Foxes defender will officially become a free agent at the beginning of July, and McAvennie has been giving his thoughts on a possible free transfer.

Talking to Football Insider, McAvennie believes Amartey is the type of player Rodgers will want to bring to Parkhead and feels the Ghana international could be a “revelation” in Scotland, who go on to be sold for £20m if he impresses.

“That is the kind of player that Brendan is going to want. The Premier League is a fierce league, it is the best league in the world and it is a lot harder to make it down there than people think it is.

“He might not be getting in the Leicester team but he could come to Scotland and be a revelation.

“They can get him for nothing and if he does well they will sell him for £20m, that has been the blueprint of Celtic for years. He needs game time and he will get it at Celtic.”

Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey.

Who else could Celtic sign this summer?

Rodgers reportedly has a £30m transfer budget ahead of the 2023/24 season, and there has been no shortage of transfer rumours in recent days.

Former Celtic star Kieran Tierney, now with Arsenal, would consider a return to Parkhead this summer on a season-long loan, and the club could still bring in more players from Asia.

It is believed that a significant bid has been placed for winger Yang Hyun-jun from Gangwon FC, whereas Gwangju FC duo Eom Ji-sung and Jeong Ho-yeon have also been scouted ahead of possible Parkhead moves.

Amartey, who has made more appearances under Rodgers than any other manager during his career, would bring plenty of experience and versatility to Parkhead, should a deal go through, as he is capable of playing in defence or midfield, winning the Premier League and FA Cup while with the Foxes, and a move looks like it could be one to monitor.

Villa could sign £62k-p/w "maestro" this summer

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in a La Liga gem, as Unai Emery looks to bolster his squad ahead of his first full campaign in charge at Villa Park.

The Spaniard will be joined by Monchi, who could deliver the Villans a host of exciting signings this summer if he is to repeat history with his impeccable track record of orchestrating upgrades in the transfer window.

The Midlands side have been linked with a host of talent from La Liga, with several names cropping from Emery’s previous club Villarreal, with the latest link being one of the Yellow Submarines' staple individuals.

What’s the latest on Dani Parejo to Aston Villa?

According to reports in Spain, via Sport Witness, Aston Villa remain a club interested in Villarreal midfielder Dani Parejo.

Last month, Sport Witness relayed further news from Spain that Villa had ‘set their sights’ on the 34-year-old, with the Villans named once more this week as a club that could steer the Spaniard away from signing a new deal with the Yellows.

Barcelona are another club mentioned to be monitoring the midfielder, who will become a free agent next summer should an extension not be agreed.

What could Dani Parejo offer to Aston Villa?

With 457 La Liga appearances, the 34-year-old offers experience in abundance with attributes that cannot be bought in a player that has played at the top level in a formidable career.

Despite being older than most competing among Europe's elite, the Spaniard ended the league season ranked as Villarreal’s second-highest performing player with an average Sofascore match rating of 7.24.

In 37 appearances in La Liga, the former Real Madrid man contributed three goals and four assists, and most importantly demonstrated why he remains as a highly regarded player through his playmaking instincts.

Villa have already confirmed a fellow midfield playmaker this transfer window, with Leicester City ace Youri Tielemans set to join the Villans following the expiry of his contract with the Foxes.

Hailed as a player with the ability to “launch attacks” by former Anderlecht and Belgium gem Paul Van Himst, Tielemans could form a duo powered by their playmaking intel if paired with Parejo.

Averaging 1.4 key passes per game this season in La Liga, the Coslada-born star has recorded 104 career assists to highlight his talents when dispatching the ball and seeking the runs of those around him.

Lauded as a “midfield maestro” by scout Antonio Mango, the 34-year-old maintained a passing accuracy rate of 91% last term, averaging 70.38 attempted passes per 90 showcasing the talents Emery could recruit for his midfield alongside Tielemans.

When comparing the duo via FBref, it’s clear to see what they could bring to any side, with the Belgian averaging 6.95 progressive passes per 90 to Parejo’s 6.85, presenting as two players that excel in dispatching the ball.

Emery could reunite with his former player, with the Spaniard hailing his former coach as being “several steps above” to reinforce the relationship between the two professionals.

Monchi could deliver Villa an experienced master in the middle of the park in the £62k-per-week ace, as a player that could add more than just his impressive exploits on the field to the squad.

West Ham Set To Sell £30m Forward, He’s Agreed Terms

West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca has already accepted a proposal to return to Italy, just a year after his £30m move to London.

How many goals has Scamacca scored?

Scamacca was an incredibly exciting prospect before making his move to West Ham last year. The Italian striker scored 16 goals in Serie A last year for Sassuolo, earning himself an expensive move to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old has struggled however since his move, failing to replicate his success with just three goals in 16 Premier League appearances last season. The forward performed to a higher level in West Ham's Conference League triumph, scoring three in seven.

Scamacca began life at the London Stadium in a promising way, scoring four in his first 13 games. This early season form prompted captain Declan Rice to laud the striker with praise.

“I can tell you now he’s going to be unbelievable,” Rice told talkSPORT. “He‘s going to be really, really special." West Ham's captain passionately exclaimed "he’s just on another level".

The Italian has made 11 national team appearances so far, with zero goals there to his name, showing the forward could struggle to perform under major pressure.

Gianluca-Scamacca-in-action-West-Ham-against-Brentford

Due to his poor season, Scamacca now appears set on a return to Serie A, as reported by Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness. The report adds that AS Roma are the club most interested in the forward, due to Tammy Abraham being injured for the foreseeable future.

Scamacca is also reportedly extremely keen on the move with it being stated that he ‘has already accepted the proposal to return’ to his home country.

It is believed the Hammers aren't interested in a loan move and would prefer a clean break, but if no sale transpires a loan could indeed happen. It is believed a positve season on-loan could benefit West Ham too.

Will West Ham replace Scamacca?

West Ham would likely need to replace Scamacca if they lose him. His departure would leave them short up front with just an ageing Michail Antonio and injury prone Danny Ings in the ranks.

According to The Daily Mail, West Ham have identified Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres as their primary striking target.

The Swedish striker is valued at £25m, and it is thought there are at least four Premier League sides in the hunt. The 25-year-old scored 21 Championship goals last season while also contributing ten assists as he fired Coventry to the play-off final.

Gyokeres is an incredibly exciting talent and could be a huge upgrade for West Ham on the current options available to David Moyes.

Tottenham: Reliable Source Shares Major Kulusevski Twist

Dejan Kulusevski's permanent move to Tottenham has fell through after a meeting with Juventus officials in London, according to reliable journalist Lee Ryder of The Chronicle.

Who could leave Spurs this summer?

Ange Postecoglou's arrival at Spurs has ended the long, drawn out search for Antonio Conte's successor – which lasted over two months – and it's now time to prepare for the 2022/2023 Premier League campaign.

There have been reports of a possible overhaul at the club as many players face uncertain futures, with Hugo Lloris, Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier and Ben Davies all being linked to exits. Spurs, meanwhile, could also look to offload Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon, Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele (The Telegraph).

The latter quartet, who are returning from their prospective loan spells, could have a chance to impress new manager Postecoglou and resurrect their Tottenham careers.

Regardless of who ends up going out the door this summer, it's imperative for chairman Daniel Levy and the board to do so as they eye sufficient squad upgrades.

The north Londoners are reportedly looking to capture a new centre-back and goalkeeper to replace Hugo Lloris – not to mention Leicester City stars James Maddison and Harvey Barnes.

Kulusevski's future has also been a hot topic later, with the Swede still just on loan from Juve and no sign of his permanent deal clause being activated yet.

Dejan Kulusevski

Spurs have a buy-option of around £30m and recent reports suggest that they're eager to keep him at the club, but according to Ryder, there's been quite a twist.

Writing for The Chronicle, as Kulusevski's permanent move to Tottenham "falls through", the journalist claims he is now being "offered around the Premier League" and Newcastle are one of the clubs handed a chance to sign him.

This comes after Spurs met with Juve officials in London, where they were offered "first refusal" to buy the winger outright. Kulusevski's representatives, World Soccer Agency, have apparently been in the UK looking for other suitors.

Who is Dejan Kulusevski?

This update comes as a surprising one and contrary to other claims, which suggest Spurs are keen to keep him.

Signing from Juve in a January 2022 loan-to-buy deal, Kulusevski came in and produced some exceptional performances – scoring five goals and racking up eight assists over the second half of 21/22 to help Tottenham qualify for the Champions League.

The forward endured a mixed 22/23 campaign, though, so it will be interesting to see whether Ryder's update proves correct.

Arsenal: Gunners Set For Imminent Talks To Sign Star

Arsenal have scheduled talks to sign Galatasary right-back Sacha Boey this week and are "expected to shake hands" on his price tag, according to reports.

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

The Gunners and manager Mikel Arteta are to begin preparations for what will be an all-important 2023/2024 Premier League campaign.

Arsenal, after narrowly missing out on their first league title in nearly 20 years to Man City, must now shore up key areas of the squad and strengthen sufficiently.

Sporting director Edu, commenting on the club's transfer plans in April, confirmed there has already beem movement in this regard.

"Our planning has already been done," said Edu to ESPN (via 90min).It has already reached the owners. Now, we're taking things step by step. We're focused on how we will finish the season, but we've put in the planning and I'm very excited."

Arsenal are eager to reinforce in central midfield especially with reports suggesting they could make as many as two major signings in that position. As well as there, the Gunners are believed to be chasing a new full-back, leading to links with Man City's Joao Cancelo.

Boey, who has been impressing in Turkey for Galatasary, is also regularly mentioned as a target for Edu.

sacha-boey-transfer-gossip-arsenal-cedric-arteta-edu

Newspaper Takvim on Tuesday, via Sport Witness, has some very interesting news on Arsenal and their links to the Frenchman. According to their information, the north Londoners "will hold a meeting" with Galatasary this week, and "negotiations" will take place over Boey's signing.

Despite some differences over price, with Galatasary previously asking for £22m, there is now belief that the two clubs are "expected to shake hands at €20m (£17m)".

Who is Sacha Boey?

As per WhoScored, Boey stood out as one of Galatasary's crucial players over 2022/2023, with only Mauro Icardo managing a higher match rating per 90 than the 22-year-old.

The starlet's defensive stats were solid – averaging their joint-highest rate of tackles per 90 and second-highest rate of interceptions in the Turkish Super Lig last season (WhoScored).

He could be an exceptional acquisition for Arsenal at just £17m, with former defender Bacary Sagna believing Boey is perfect for Arteta.

“Galatasaray’s Sacha Boey is a player I really like," said Sagna.“I think he will fit perfectly into Arsenal. As a right-back too, I have to say I think he’s great. I’m sure many clubs have Sacha Boey in mind.“There is a contract to sign.”

Spurs May Elect To Keep Experience £180k p/w Ace For 2023/24

Tottenham Hotspur may give Ivan Perisic another year at the club despite speculation over his future in N17, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Ivan Perisic?

According to Calciomercato, Perisic is said to want to return to his former club Inter Milan in the summer following a disappointing campaign for all involved at Tottenham.

The report states that the Croatia international wants to leave Spurs despite having a year left on his £180k-per-week contract at his current employers; however, Inter Milan may struggle to afford his hefty wages.

As per The Evening Standard, it is claimed that Perisic could be on his way out of Tottenham in the off-season alongside fellow teammate Ryan Sessegnon.

There is also uncertainty over the future of defensive trio Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga and Davinson Sanchez, who may also benefit from a new challenge elsewhere.

In 2022/23, Perisic made 44 appearances in all competitions for Spurs, registering one goal and 12 assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Perisic may be kept around for another year at Tottenham despite the fact that he seemingly would be open to an exit.

Jones told FFC: "I'm not sure about Perisic, to be honest. I can see him hanging around. I think that sign a two-year deal, the first year definitely hasn't gone as we'd have expected, but that's because we were expecting Conte to be there all season and for things to probably go better than they did under him. But, I think there's a possibility he hangs around."

Should Tottenham Hotspur keep hold of Ivan Perisic?

Realistically, a lot will depend on who Tottenham turn to as their next manager and whether they see Perisic's experience as a valuable commodity to keep around in north London.

Right now, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is the leading candidate for the role and has been booked in for further talks with the club next week; nevertheless, ex-Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has also been internally discussed, as per Fabrizio Romano.

ivan-perisic-tottenham-hotspur-unleash-everton

WhoScored notes that 34-year-old Perisic managed to record an average of 1.4 key passes per match in the Premier League across 2022/23, demonstrating his ability to play an important part in chance creation for the Lilywhites.

FBRef also take into account that the former Inter Milan star performed 87 progressive carries over the course of the campaign, illustrating his ability to be an offensive threat from either the right or left flank.

His versatility is also a plus point when reviewing whether Spurs will keep Perisic on going into next season; nevertheless, we will find out more in the next few months once the club announce who their permanent successor to Antonio Conte will be.

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