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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Oliver Skipp could make a return from his ‘painful’ injury against Brighton on April 16, as per football.london journalist Alasdair Gold.

The lowdown: Progress halted

The 21-year-old has been enjoying a breakthrough campaign in N17 following a stellar loan spell at Norwich City last season.

Having started on 14 occasions from 18 Premier League appearances, Skipp had appeared to be growing into life in the top flight before a pelvic issue took hold.

The defensive-minded midfielder has now not featured for Antonio Conte’s side since their 2-0 defeat at the hand of Chelsea in January and continues to toil against the injury.

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Further light has now been shed on the problem as well as a potential return date.

The latest: ‘painful’ complications

Gold took to Twitter to share a corresponding article from football.london regarding the England youth starlet in the build-up to Sunday’s meeting with Newcastle, which will come too soon.

The journalist tweeted: “A piece on the full story of Oliver Skipp’s painful problem, the light at the end of the tunnel and why Antonio Conte loves him.”

The report adds that Skipp has endured an ‘awkward’ pelvic problem but could be ‘back in action within a fortnight’ and ‘perhaps’ in time for the clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It’s also added that Conte has a particular admiration for the 12-cap ace and regards the defensive midfielder as an ‘important player’ in the Spurs ranks.

The verdict: Huge boost

There can be little doubting that the workaholic engine room operator has been missed by Spurs, particularly for standout showings such as the one against Crystal Palace on Boxing Day, when the youngster was singled out for praise by Conte following a ‘very strong’ display.

Overall the academy graduate has earned an impressive 6.81 rating this season (Sofascore), playing an average of 75 minutes per game.

With an opportunity to earn a place top-four still on the horizon, welcoming the £18million valued Skipp back for the run-in would be a wholly welcome boost.

In other news, Italian source delivers an update on Tottenham’s pursuit of Serie A star. Find out more here!

The future of Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos may depend on ‘what happens with [Giovanni] van Bronckhorst’, Danny Mills has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

Morelos’s £33,000-per-week Rangers contract is due to expire at the end of next season.

That means this summer could be the club’s last opportunity to cash in, with Morelos able to line up a free transfer to a foreign club from January unless he pens an extension.

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The frontman stated back in the autumn that he hoped he would be soon be allowed to leave Glasgow.

Morelos has scored 113 goals in 224 appearances for the club, better than one every two games, and is their all-time top European goalscorer.

Former Rangers midfielder Nacho Novo has urged the Light Blues to ‘do something very soon’ as they face the prospect of losing an ‘incredible’ player.

The latest

Mills, a pundit for Sky Sports News, says there are plenty of factors that may determine Morelos’ next move, including Van Bronckhorst’s future.

“It will depend on where Rangers finish in the league, what happens in the Europa League and what that means for their finances,” he told Football Insider.

“Then what happens with Giovanni van Bronckhorst going forwards? There is a lot in the mix at Rangers and it depends on these next few weeks, effectively.

“If they finish behind Celtic, how far will they finish behind Celtic? Can they turn it around in the Europa League?

Mills warned that Rangers may be forced to sell the Colombian to fund further recruitment.

But on the other hand, the opportunity to play in the Champions League could compel him to remain at Ibrox.

“What is the plan going forward?” he said. “Do they need to sell a player like that to get some money to help bring players in?

“If they were to overtake Celtic and win the league, get in the Champions League with all that money they might be able to keep him and he will want to play in the Champions League.

“If not, they might need to reassess the situation.”

The verdict

There are two possible routes for Rangers into the Champions League – winning the Scottish Premiership and winning the UEFA Europa League.

The first looks decidedly unlikely after Celtic beat Rangers 2-1 earlier this month to open up a six-point cushion at the top of the table. There is still one more Old Firm to play, though, which would could revive the Gers’ hopes.

As for the European path, Rangers will first have to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Braga on Thursday. That would earn them a place in the semifinals, but RB Leipzig or Atalanta would be the favourites for the tie.

Rangers, then, have only an outside bet of making it into Europe’s premier club competition, but it could prove to be a trump card if they can get it done.

Many of the clubs interested in Morelos – like Leicester City, Newcastle United and Everton – won’t be playing at that level next season.

In other news, a significant contract update has emerged.

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On Sunday afternoon, Notts County officially announced that owner and chairman Alan Hardy has made the struggling League Two outfit available for purchase. 

Hardy cited a need to focus on his other business interests as the driving factor behind his decision to sell. As per the aforementioned report, Hardy stated that “my efforts to restore Notts County’s fortunes over the last two years mean my other businesses have had to take a back seat. They are now in need of my full attention.”

The Magpies are currently floundering at the foot of the table. Neal Ardley’s side are in desperate need of a boost, which many will hope can be provided by the arrival of a new owner. 

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Hardy took charge at Meadow Lane in January 2017, when the club were fighting for EFL survival. Since then, he has seen the club make the play-offs. However, they now once again find themselves mired in a desperate scrap to preserve their status as the oldest club in the Football League.

Following the announcement of Hardy’s decision to put the club up for sale, plenty of Notts County fans took to Twitter to voice their reactions…

Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold has provided an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur winger Steven Bergwijn.

The Lowdown: January exit

The Netherlands international was at the centre of heavy transfer speculation during the January window.

Ajax were extremely keen on bringing the 24-year-old back to the Eredivisie and even had a £15m bid rejected for the player, with Spurs demanding closer to the £27m they paid for Dutchman in 2020.

However, this deal seemed to fall through and Bergwijn has warmed the bench ever since, barring one miraculous cameo in the win against Leicester City.

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The Latest: Gold’s update…

In football.london’s latest QnA, Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold received questions over the future of Bergwijn.

In response, Gold claimed:

“I think it’s going to depend on Steven Bergwijn himself and perhaps how hard Ajax push for him this summer. Conte likes him a lot and if it was down to him, he would keep him. The Dutchman is full of confidence right now after his three international goals in two games and the strike against Newcastle but he’s just unfortunate that Spurs’ front three are flying at the moment.

“Opportunities will arise next season and there should be plenty of matches to be played, but for Bergwijn he will obviously want to be a regular starter rather than a bit part player.

“It would be Spurs’ loss if he were to go and Conte will no doubt attempt to convince him to stay, but much depends on where the player’s head is at and just how much Ajax can throw at a transfer they desperately want to make.”

The Verdict: Would be a big loss

Whilst the winger has now dropped to the bench since the arrival of Dejan Kulusevski in N17, Bergwijn would be a big loss to Antonio Conte, given his ability to come on and make an instant impact on a game.

This was illustrated in Spurs’ away clash at the King Power Stadium, when the attacker came off the bench in the dying minutes and scored two emphatic injury time goals to secure the Lilywhites a 3-2 win.

Furthermore, given Conte’s own assessment of Bergwijn being a “quality” player, a move away from Hotspur Way would comes as a big blow to Tottenham’s squad.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Alasdair Gold drops verdict on the futures of Lo Celso and Ndombele

Aston Villa have a record of being particularly active in the transfer market, even before Steven Gerrard was appointed as their manager back in November.

Now that the Villa boss will have his first summer window ahead of him once the season ends, it seems as though the 41-year-old may already have some plans in place regarding one area of his squad he wants to strengthen at Bodymoor Heath.

What’s the talk?

According to a recent report from Football Insider’s sources, Villa will be looking to bring in a left-sided centre-back during the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report also claims that this could put the future of Tyrone Mings into doubt, who they say “has not completely convinced” Gerrard in terms of his capabilities on the pitch.

Thrilling news for fans

Villa originally signed the defender on a loan deal from AFC Bournemouth back in the 2019 January window before securing him on a permanent basis in the following summer.

Overall, the Englishman has gone on to make 121 appearances for the Villans across all competitions, chipping in with seven goals and seven assists along the way.

In terms of why the Villa boss may yet to be convinced by Mings, only four other outfield players in the Premier League have made more errors that have led to an opponent’s shot this season.

This shows that the 29-year-old has been known to be a bit of a weakness at the back for his team at times.

In fact, 66% of voters in a poll ran by Football FanCast earlier this season claimed that the centre-back is a liability for Villa and could therefore be over the moon to hear that his place in the team could be at risk next season.

While Gerrard’s reported efforts to see a new left-sided centre-back enter the frame at Villa could spell the end of the road for Mings, it could have a positive effect and make him step his game up if he knows that his place in the side will be at risk if he doesn’t.

With that in mind, the England international will have to make sure he uses the final games of the season to show his manager that he has what it takes to be an important figure in the team for the foreseeable future.

In other news: Source: AVFC’s “difficult” dud could now leave Villa Park, it’s great news for Gerrard

Tottenham director of football Fabio Paratici will give an answer to AC Milan over a move for Japhet Tanganga ‘this weekend’.

The Lowdown: Tanganga under Conte

The 22-year-old has been used by Antonio Conte on a number of occasions in recent months, turning out in a variety of roles.

He’s played as a left-back, centre-back, right-back and even right midfielder, with his latest appearance coming against Leicester City in a dramatic 3-2 victory.

Tanganga is under contract until 2025 but has been linked with a move to Italy, and it seems as if Spurs are mulling over a possible transfer in the final days of the January window.

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The Latest: Next 48 hours key

Sports Witness shared a link to a story on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, revealing the clubs are in talks and Paratici will give an answer ‘this weekend’.

AC Milan are thought to be ‘working’ on a move and would prefer a loan deal over a permanent one, with the next 48 hours seemingly vital.

The Verdict: Reinforcements needed first?

Sending Tanganga to Milan for the second half of the season may well be good for the youngster – it has reinvigorated Fikayo Tomori’s career, for example. However, Spurs could do with bringing players in before shipping any out on loan.

Conte has just five senior centre-backs to choose from, one being Cristian Romero who is injured. Joe Rodon also doesn’t seem to be fancied by the Italian, who has moved Ben Davies into a central role from left-back.

Spurs are thought to be keen on Sevilla’s Diego Carlos, and should they pip Newcastle to the Brazilian, then perhaps an exit for Tanganga, who Gary Neville called ‘really special’, could be on the cards.

In other news: Spurs make 11th-hour attempt to dramatically scupper rivals’ move for £40.5m-rated ‘beast’. 

Crystal Palace will assess the condition of their 20-year-old midfielder Michael Olise ahead of today’s evening kick-off against Leeds United.

What’s the latest?

Friday morning’s press conference (via Football.London) saw Palace boss Patrick Vieira drop a revelation on Michael Olise’s foot injury that saw him prematurely withdrawn last time out against Newcastle United.

Speaking to the media, he said: “With Michael Olise – we were off yesterday and today, so we have to wait until tomorrow. But, yes, we took him off early in the [Newcastle] game as he wasn’t feeling 100 percent.”

A mini-update of sorts was then revealed by producer Conor McGilligan on Twitter who shared he was “definitely a doubt.”

Olise omission

In what is his debut season in the Premier League, Olise has struggled to assert himself as a regular under Patrick Vieira, starting just 34% of the Eagles’ Premier League fixtures.

Though you cannot argue against his impact for Palace this season, with his accumulation of seven goal contributions (two goals and five assists) in a total of 23 appearances in the league.

The Frenchman’s five assists this season see him rank first in the Eagles set-up, ahead of Conor Gallagher’s total of three assists in the league.

Along the same lines, his chance creation is what Palace will miss the most, with his total of seven big chances created again placing him ahead of Gallagher and ranking him first in the squad.

At just 20-year-old, Olise is an outstanding creative asset for Vieira’s side and in the appearances, he has made, has acted as the glue for his side’s efforts in possession, with his average of 49 passes per 90 and goal-creating actions of 0.62 placing him within the elite category amongst positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year.

For extra context, Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong averages 56 passes per match, so Olise is kicking it with the best of them and it is not going unnoticed.

Vieira will certainly be worried if he has to make do without the French starlet’s brilliance in the side tonight in what will be a real let-off for Leeds United.

In other news: Vieira must finally unleash CPFC’s £15.3m “delight” today, he will terrify Leeds…

Luke Edwards ripped into Ryan Fraser despite Newcastle United winning 1-0 away from home against Leeds United in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Poor game

Fraser had a poor game by his standards, as he failed to record a single shot on target, successful dribble or key pass, while the winger was also inaccurate with three of his four crosses (SofaScore).

The former AFC Bournemouth man was also guilty of losing possession of the ball on no fewer than on 12 separate occasions throughout the match, and managed fewer touches than his own goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, highlighting his lack of impact.

Luckily for him, Jonjo Shelvey managed to score with about 15 minutes to play to give the St. James’ Park faithful all three points.

The Latest: Edwards reacts

Taking to Twitter, The Daily Telegraph journalist Edwards ripped into Fraser during the clash, claiming that he, along with Joe Willock and Chris Wood, were ‘anonymous’:

“Ryan Fraser, Joe Willock, Chris Wood all anonymous and that’s three of your four supposed goal threats alongside Saint-Maximin.”

The Verdict: Place under threat

With the likes of Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy on the bench for the away team, Fraser’s starting place in the side now has to be under threat.

He is still yet to get on the scoresheet so far this season, and has only produced one assist (Transfermarkt), which is simply not good enough for an attacking player.

Thus, Eddie Howe must seriously consider dropping him ahead of the next few fixtures.

In other news, find out what worrying NUFC transfer insight Liam Kennedy has dropped here!

Many Sunderland fans have been left buzzing over some transfer news that has emerged involving Jermain Defoe.

Speaking to talkSPORT, the free agent revealed that the Stadium of Light faithful is one of the options that he has to get back into playing football after leaving Glasgow Rangers earlier this month.

“My phone’s gone mad! If you’re phone’s ringing at 39 it’s a good thing!

“I’ve got a few options! Obviously the Sunderland one’s well documented.”

Defoe has been linked with a return to the Black Cats ever since his departure, and now he has admitted himself that it is an option.

Of course, he is still loved by SAFC supporters, after scoring 37 goals in 93 matches over all competitions across three campaigns (Transfermarkt), including a memorable winner at home to rivals Newcastle United in the Premier League in 2015.

Nonetheless, at 39 years of age, it would be a dream return to football for the Englishman.

Sunderland fans on Defoe transfer news

These Sunderland fans buzzed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter:

“On my knees”

Credit: @_harrymcbeth

“Pay the man whatever money he wants, bring him home”

Credit: @maxsafc100

“I’d drive him here myself. GET. IT. DONE”

Credit: @Owensara5

“Yeah boii. Come home JD”

Credit: @mickysafc20

“I know I shouldn’t… but ha’wayyyyyyyyy”

Credit: @BryceWilcock

“Make it happen please!!!!”

Credit: @Tanya_M_S

In other news, find out who James Hunter says Sunderland may be ‘close’ to signing here!

Celtic’s ‘massive’ mid-season recruitment drive should eliminate any concerns about squad depth, Paddy Kenny has told Football Insider. 

The lowdown

With less than a third of the January transfer window gone, the Hoops have already made four additions to their squad. Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda have all arrived from the J1 League, while Johnny Kenny has joined from Irish outfit Sligo Rovers.

Hatate cost £1.38m, Ideguchi £640,000 and Kenny £135,000, while Maeda signed on an initial loan with an option to buy. That’s a total expenditure of £2.2m, comfortably the highest in the Premiership so far.

Celtic don’t appear to be stopping there, either. On Sunday morning, The Daily Mail reported that they were closing in on a deal for Riley McGree, who is currently on loan at English Championship side Birmingham City. The Charlotte FC midfielder is valued at £540,000 by Transfermarkt.

The latest

Kenny has commended the Celtic board for matching Postecoglou’s ambitions in the market this month, believing that they look set to be in a stronger position to reclaim the Premiership title from Rangers come the end of the season.

The former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper told Football Insider: “You can never have too many good players. The good thing for the manager is that this is now looking like his squad.

“He has been relentless in his effort to get these players in, it’s great to see.

‘”It’s massive compared to last season. Streamlining the squad is only going to make Celtic better as well.

“I think they struggled with depth earlier this season, I don’t think that will be an issue now.”

The verdict

Postecoglou did seem to be frustrated by what he considered inadequate squad depth. In December, he said injuries ‘wouldn’t be as much of an issue’ if he had more options to call upon.

Crucially, many of the players he has brought into the club offer tremendous versatility. Hatate can play left-back, and on the left and in the middle of midfield; Ideguchi can operate as a number 6, 8 or 10; and forward Maeda can be deployed out wide or through the middle.

Having that extra cover in multiple positions will no doubt be significant for the club as they look to achieve their domestic and continental ambitions, so it’s little wonder that Kenny has been impressed by their January transfer business so far.

In other news, Celtic are also getting nearer to this double deal