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Tottenham Hotspur are now aiming to seal an agreement for one of manager Antonio Conte’s targets with his club ready to cash-in, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs making moves…

Spurs’ summer transfer window looks set to be a busy one with the Lilywhites having already confirmed both Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster’s signings on Bosman deals.

Reports suggest even more additions could be in the pipeline at Hotspur Way as club chief Fabio Paratici is tasked with backing Conte in the market – coming after their £150 million equity increase.

A Premier League top-four finish and qualification for the Champions League came as an almighty boost for the north Londoners who are now seeking to bolster Conte’s options for his first full season in charge.

The Latest: Spurs aiming to seal agreement…

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Now, according to Football Insider, there has been a very promising development out of Tottenham involving one of Conte’s targets.

Indeed, as per the outlet, Paratici and co are ‘looking to secure an agreement’ for Middlesbrough wing-back Djed Spence after stepping up their chase ‘in recent days’.

Spurs are apparently in advanced talks to sign the 21-year-old with Boro now ‘ready to cash in’.

The Verdict: Big news…

The Englishman’s possible signing will not only help to balance Tottenham’s homegrown quota books, but Spence could also provide an injection of real quality down Conte’s right hand side.

Called an ‘exciting player’ by members of the press (Marc Williams, Basford United head of media), the defender shone on loan at Nottingham Forest over 2021/2022, becoming a mainstay for manager Steve Cooper.

He seriously contributed towards their promotion back to the top flight and finished the campaign as their sixth-best performing player by average match rating (WhoScored).

Spence also delivered the joint-second most crosses per 90 from out wide whilst completing their third-highest rate of successful take-ons (WhoScored) – highlighting his real threat as an overlapping full-back.

Conte will certainly be hoping to get this deal done.

In other news: ‘Being negotiated’ – Club now want their ‘sensational’ international to join Tottenham, find out more here.

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Calciomercato, the Premier League champions are one of the clubs to whom the Netherlands international could potentially move this summer, should the Bianconeri receive a suitable fee for him.

After working his way through Ajax’s youth ranks, the centre-back went on to make 117 senior appearances for the Amsterdam giants across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists along the way.

In 2019, the defender joined Juventus for an initial fee of €75m (£67.8m), making him the most expensive defender in Italian top-flight history.

Since then, the player – who described himself as feeling “invincible” in the Eredivisie – has now made as many appearances for his current club as he did for Ajax.

The next Kompany

In terms of a potential move to the Etihad Stadium, the 22-year-old could become City’s new version of Vincent Kompany.

After 359 appearances and numerous domestic trophies, the Belgian left Manchester in 2019 as a club legend with a significant legacy to his name.

While these would certainly be big shoes to fill, De Ligt certainly has the defensive chops to be a solid addition to Pep Guardiola’s ranks.

During his time at Juventus, the Dutch centre-back has won 69 tackles, made 137 blocks, 87 interceptions and 371 clearances in Serie A.

Taking into account how Kompany was so impressive for City at the back and ended his spell in the Premier League with a tackle success rate of 75%, among hundreds of interceptions and clearances made, the Netherlands international could be an ideal long-term feature for Guardiola’s side given his young age and evident ability.

In February 2020, the late Mino Raiola described the £63m-rated defender as being like an “oil tanker” in terms of being hard to stop when he’s on form.

Even though City have the likes of John Stones, Nathan Ake, Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias in their squad, if Guardiola feels the need to add some extra strength at centre-back for the future, securing a deal for De Ligt could be a great bit of prospective business from the Citizens.

In other news: Pep can land his own Ronaldo as City eye move for “spectacular” £45m-rated “diamond”

Liverpool are reportedly preparing to step up their pursuit of Leeds United winger Raphinha this summer, according to a report from The Mirror. 

The lowdown: Anfield admiration

Directly contributing to 31 goals in 65 Premier League appearances since arriving from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes in October 2020, Raphinha has made a spectacular impact for the Whites and was integral to the Yorkshire club’s survival last term.

That form has led to strong links with a move away from Elland Road for the Brazilian winger, with Barcelona long touted as the main suitors.

However, having initially been linked with Raphinha last year, it appears as though the Reds could be about to reignite their admiration for the 25-year-old…

The latest: Klopp’s a ‘fan’ of Raphinha

As per The Mirror, Liverpool are said to be ‘ramping up’ their interest in Raphinha ahead of the summer transfer window.

It’s claimed that Jurgen Klopp is a ‘big fan’ of the 25-year-old and could be willing to ‘sacrifice’ Takumi Minamino as part of a deal, as the Japanese forward has previously worked with Leeds manager Jesse Marsch at Red Bull Salzburg.

The report added that the man lauded as a ‘magician’ by team-mate Dan James is valued at £60m and ‘fits the bill perfectly’ for the Reds, as Klopp and Julian Ward seek a potential replacement for the seemingly wantaway Sadio Mane.

The verdict: Better options…

Although signing Raphinha would appear to be a sensational piece of business from Liverpool, the skilful Brazil international predominantly operates as a right winger and cuts in from that side on his left foot, a position occupied on a near-permanent basis by Mohamed Salah at Anfield.

After ending the campaign operating as a centre-forward following the success of Luis Diaz’s capture, Klopp and co would be best served to replace Mane with a natural central option, a role that the eight-cap Brazil ace has carried out on just one occasion in his career.

Despite another stellar campaign in 2021/22, during which Raphinha scored 11 times and provided three assists in 35 league outings, at the mooted lofty asking price Liverpool should be looking elsewhere for their Mane successor. They have already been credited with an interest in the likes of Darwin Nunez, who may be a better fit for the number nine role, having racked up 34 goals in the most recent campaign.

In other news: Another Liverpool rumour has emerged regarding this winger

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Filip Kostic.

What’s the talk?

Speaking in a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, the football.london journalist revealed that Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici are confident they will be able to secure a deal for the Eintracht Frankfurt wing-back in the summer transfer window, with the Bundesliga side reported to be willing to listen to offers of around €15m (£12.5m) for the 29-year-old.

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Regarding Tottenham’s interest in the Serbia international, Gold said: “I know certainly that they’ve got a lot of interest in Eintracht Frankfurt’s 29-year-old Filip Kostic – their left wing-back.

“So that’s one they’re going to look at, they’re going to try and sign. I think there’s a lot of interest in him, but we’ll see. I think there’s a growing confidence that he might be someone that they can bring in this summer.”

Supporters will love Gold’s claim

Considering just how impressive Kostic was in Germany this season, Gold’s claim that Paratici looks set to make an offer for the 29-year-old is sure to be one that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful will love.

Indeed, over his 31 Bundesliga appearances this term, the £18m-rated wing-back was in breathtaking form for Eintracht, bagging four goals, providing nine assists and creating 16 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.6 shots, making 2.8 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £43k-per-week talent average a quite extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.25, not only ranking him as Oliver Glasner’s best performer in the league but also as the 15th-best player in the division as a whole.

The 45-time capped international also impressed over his 12 Europa League fixtures, scoring three goals, registering six assists and creating four big chances, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots, making 2.1 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per outing.

These metrics saw the former VfB Stuttgart starlet average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.33 – playing a starring role in Frankfurt going on to win the tournament and seeing him named the player of the competition.

As such, it is clear to see that Kostic would make a fantastic addition to Conte’s Spurs side, something which leads us to believe that Gold’s latest update concerning Tottenham’s interest in the 29-year-old is undoubtedly fantastic news for everyone involved with the club.

AND in other news: Contact made: Paratici in talks for “unreal” £30m Spurs target, he’s Mousa Dembele 2.0

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Alex Scott.

What’s the talk?

In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, the football.london journalist revealed that, following widespread reports that Spurs are keeping tabs on the Bristol City midfielder, the 18-year-old is indeed a player who Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte are fond of, before suggesting that Tottenham could make a move for the England U19 international in the coming months.

Regarding Spurs’ interest in the playmaker, Gold said: “There’s a young midfielder from the Championship that I know they really like – Alex Scott, an 18-year-old who plays for Bristol City.

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“He primarily plays as a right midfielder but he can also play through the centre. He’s played 38 times last season, scored four and got two assists. At the moment, Bristol City’s valuation of him is higher than what Spurs want to pay, so there’s no movement right now, but keep an eye on that one because he’s a player they like.”

The next Grealish

Considering how exciting a prospect Scott quite clearly is, it is not difficult to understand why Paratici would be interested in a deal to bring the 18-year-old to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

Indeed, over his 38 Championship appearances this season, the £10m talent enjoyed a spectacular breakthrough campaign for the Robins, scoring four goals, registering two assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.6 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

The versatile midfielder also impressed in a defensive capacity, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 0.9 clearances and winning 5.0 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Brian Tinnion dubbed “unbelievable” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as Nigel Pearson’s joint seventh-best performer in the English second tier.

Furthermore, Scott’s performances have also seen him earn comparisons to the £100m Jack Grealish, with the 18-year-old being dubbed the “Guernsey Grealish” due to his ability to progress the ball from midfield into the final third.

As such, should Paratici manage to convince the Bristol City starlet of a switch to north London this summer and the youngster continues his exceptional rate of development in the professional game, the Italian sporting director could well have unearthed Spurs the next Grealish – something that will undoubtedly be an extremely exciting thought for everyone involved with Tottenham.

AND in other news: “Going to try and sign”: Gold drops big Spurs transfer claim that supporters will love

West Ham United are reportedly interested in a deal to bring Augsburg defender Reece Oxford back to the club, according to reports.

What’s the word?

As per ExWHUemployee, the Hammers are huge admirers of the academy graduate and are tracking the 23-year-old’s progress in Germany, although doubts remain as to the player’s enthusiasm to return to the London Stadium.

Asked about the ‘possible chances’ of the Englishman making the switch back to England, the trusted insider stated: “Firstly I have been really impressed with Oxford, he’s done very well in Germany this season and has been receiving some very good reviews. There is definitely talk of him wanting to return to England, potentially with us. Whilst there are people at West Ham who still rate him very highly at this stage I don’t believe he would be prepared to return at this point.”

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The centre-back had previously made 17 senior appearances for the east London outfit before eventually joining his current side on a permanent deal in 2019, having also previously spent time on loan at both Reading and Borussia Monchengladbach.

Supporters will be buzzing

That news will no doubt pique the interest of the club’s supporters, although it would appear that GSB and manager David Moyes will have to work their magic to try and tempt the youngster into a return to his old stomping ground.

A guarantee of regular game time will likely be high on the agenda for the £9m-rated gem, having admitted that he had originally departed the club due to a lack of minutes, revealing that there was “not a pathway” into the first-team by the end of his time at the club.

The £11k-per-week star had burst onto the scene at the age of just 16, becoming the Hammers’ youngest ever player after making his debut in a Europa League qualification clash in July 2015, before starting his first Premier League game just a month later away at Arsenal.

Despite that remarkable nod of faith by manager Slaven Bilic, Oxford went on to make just eight top-flight outings in total over the next few seasons, failing to make a single league appearance during the 2016/17 campaign.

Perhaps simply a case of too much too soon, the Edmonton born starlet was forced to reinvigorate his career away from England, although has since blossomed away from the limelight in the Bundesliga.

As he proved in the most recent campaign, his return to his former club would not be for solely sentimental reasons, with his form warranting a move to a side competing in Europe and challenging in the upper echelons of Europe’s toughest league.

In 30 league games this season, he has averaged a remarkable 5.6 clearances per game, as well as o.9 tackles and 2.4 interceptions, while also winning a solid 62% of his aerial duels and keeping nine clean sheets.

Typically deployed as part of a back three – although also comfortable as a defensive midfielder – the former England U20 international also ranks in the top 2% for interceptions made by centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues, as well as in the top 9% for touches in the attacking penalty area, with the 6 foot 4 giant a handful at both ends of the pitch.

With a new centre-back addition needed next season for Moyes and co, Oxford could well be the man to fill the void, with the club’s supporters set to be delighted to welcome back a familiar face who is beginning to realise his early promise.

IN other news, Cost £1.5m per goal: GSB made a colossal blunder on “strong” £40k-p/w West Ham flop 

A ‘rising star’ at Tottenham Hotspur has now looking for a new club after being told he has no future under Antonio Conte, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs exodus awaits?

While much has been made of backing Conte in the summer transfer market, it is believed that just as many, if not more, players could be departing Hotspur Way in a major Premier League reshuffle.

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The obvious names linked with a move away are Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Steven Bergwijn among others as transfer chief Fabio Paratici is tasked to balance the books.

Paratici’s overhaul of the scouting department appears to spread all the way down to academy level as N17 could also see a plethora of top young talents depart, according to Football Insider.

The Latest: Spurs ‘rising star’ told he has no future…

As per a Lilywhites ‘source’, speaking to the outlet, promising winger and ‘rising star’ Jeremie Mukendi is now set to leave Spurs after being told he has no future at the club.

Indeed, the 21-year-old has been informed that there is no new deal in the pipeline with his current contract at the Premier League side set to expire next month.

Mukendi will now follow both Khalon Haysman and Dante Cassanova in exiting with the north Londoners having made their decision on the talents.

The Verdict: Interesting future ahead…

Playing 20 time for the club’s Under-18’s and five times for their Under-23’s, Mukendi was a schoolboy sprint champion and emerged through the academy with some promise as one Spurs ‘batch of rising stars’ (Football Insider).

The fact he’s been told he has no future under Conte or hope of breaking into the first team is perhaps testament to the amount of competition at the Hotspur Way academy.

Even wonderkids like Dane Scarlett, previously lauded as a ‘diamond’ by Jose Mourinho, has barely featured for Tottenham this season and it appears even the best breakthrough players will have to be very patient in this new era.

Mukendi’s departure could represent the real rise in standards at Spurs both in the first team and lower down the club.

In other news: Offer made: Paratici tables crucial bid as Conte personally pushes for Spurs signing, find out more here.

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, it would ‘change everything’ at Manchester United if the club were able to secure the signing of West Ham star Declan Rice this summer.

The Lowdown: United changes imminent

The Red Devils will now miss out on a top-four finish and a place in the Champions League next season following a number of disappointing results under both former manager Ole Gunner Solskjaer and his temporary replacement Ralf Rangnick.

With the arrival of new permanent boss Erik ten Hag imminent though, it appears that plenty of changes are expected to take place at Old Trafford as the Dutchman looks to build his own squad ahead of the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

In a report by ESPN, it’s claimed that a new central midfielder has been identified as a key area for improvement by the hierarchy, and after being consistently linked with Rice in recent weeks, United could well be tempted to make a move for the maestro.

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The Latest: Jones backs Rice move

Despite being wary of financial demands, Jones has admitted that he thinks the 23-year-old could be the perfect candidate to transform the club’s current problems. He told GiveMeSport:

“They’ve got to be careful about the budget because they don’t have hundreds of millions to just go and spend.

“Declan Rice, for me, is the one that would change everything. I think that he wants to move, he’s ambitious, he’s young, and he would be a leader.”

The Verdict: Standout performer

The 29-cap international is a huge fan favourite at the London Stadium and it’s no surprise to see why, considering he’s made 193 senior club appearances in all competitions so far, scoring ten goals and registering nine assists during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

Rice, who was once hailed as a “superb” player by Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard, currently averages 2.1 tackles per Premier League game and has a pass success rate of 91.6%, via WhoScored, displaying both fighting spirit and an ability to control a game from the middle of the park.

The Kingston-born talent is clearly admired by David Moyes, who is said to have valued his star man at more than a staggering £150m, but whether this is a fee that United would be willing to pay or not, his services on the field are something that would definitely be seen as an upgrade, should ten Hag pursuit his highly sought-after transfer target.

In other news… a BBC Radio 5 Live pundit has dropped a huge transfer claim surrounding the future of one of United’s stars.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Juventus ‘will buy’ Moise Kean on a permanent deal from Everton in June.

The Lowdown: Goodison flop

It just has not worked out for Kean since his £29m move from Juve back in 2019, where he has managed a mere four goals in 39 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

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He has been shipped out on loan twice, first to PSG, and then back to his old club last summer, and so it seems as if he has no future at Goodison Park.

The Latest: Romano update

Taking to Twitter, Italian football journalist and transfer expert Romano has now shared some recent comments from the Old Lady’s vice president Pavel Nedved on Kean:

“Moise Kean? We want him to score 25 goals per season, he has a huge potential.”

Romano added that Juventus ‘will buy’ Kean permanently in June.

The Verdict: Get rid

Whatever kind of fee that they can get for him, the Merseyside club just need to get rid of Kean now.

His loan spell at Juve has not been much better than his time in blue, with just six goals so far this season, and at 22 years of age, the Toffees could still demand a decent sum of money.

Nonetheless, with both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison still at the club, there is just no room for the Italian, and so it is best to get him off of the wage bill.

In other news, find out what ‘serious upgrade’ the Blues are now eyeing here!

According to a report from German outlet SportBILD (via Sport Witness), Liverpool are interested in signing Hoffenheim midfielder Christoph Baumgartner. 

The lowdown: Rise to stardom

Having arrived in Germany from Austria in 2017, the 22-year-old playmaker came through the youth ranks at the Bundesliga club before making a senior debut in 2019.

Since then the fully-fledged senior international has amassed 100 professional appearances, directly contributing to 36 goals in that time.

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Now it appears a move to the Premier League could beckon for the midfield starlet…

The latest: Rivals to do battle

As per SportBILD, translated by SW, Liverpool and Manchester United are both keen on signing Baumgartner.

The report states that Reds’ boss Jurgen Klopp has personally been keeping a ‘close eye’ on the 19-cap star with a view to a move in the future.

It’s claimed that the interest in the man described as the ‘epitome of a mentality player’ by manager Sebastian Hoeneß is ‘huge’ and both Anfield and Old Trafford hierarchies have him ‘on their list’ ahead of the summer window.

The verdict: Make it happen

Despite the continued emergence of Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and the seemingly imminent arrival of Fabio Carvalho, Klopp and newly appointed sporting director Julian Ward would be wise to add another midfielder before next term.

As the Reds prepare to compete in all 63 matches possible this term, the squad depth has been tested to its very limit and it’s not inconceivable that a similar workload could be imparted in the 2022/22 campaign.

Likened elsewhere to known previous Reds’ target Kai Havertz, this is a target that would make plenty of sense from a tactical perspective and Klopp looks to evolve the side once more.

So far this season, Baumgartner has scored six times and provided one assist in 29 appearances across all competitions and with the futures of James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on Merseyside in doubt, Liverpool should snap up the versatile midfielder with a mooted €30million (£25.3million) release clause.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has dropped a ‘massive’ Liverpool transfer claim.