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Tottenham Hotspur’s injury problems just seem to keep mounting up…

What’s the latest?

Lilywhites defender Ben Davies is the latest name to be stuck on the treatment table after he was a surprise absentee for their UEFA Europa Conference League clash with Slovenian champions NS Mura on Thursday night.

It was a game that he would’ve undoubtedly featured in, having played the full 90 minutes in all of their three previous outings in Europe this campaign.

Nuno Santo has since revealed the reason behind his absence, via the club’s official website.

“Ben has a problem with inflammation on his appendix. He is being taken care of, had scans, but he was in pain. We wish that he recovers soon and can join us,” he said.

A surprise and cruel blow to the player and the squad.

Davies won’t be facing Aston Villa this afternoon, along with wing duo Steven Bergwijn and Ryan Sessegnon, who are also out through injury.

One after the other

The Portuguese head coach has had to contend with an array of issues since he joined the club.

Summer signing Cristian Romero arrived with a problem that he picked up during Copa America duty, Harry Kane wasn’t up to speed with his fitness, Eric Dier, Lucas Moura and Oliver Skipp have picked up knocks over the last few weeks.

It seems never-ending for Nuno right now.

On the face of it, not having Davies available in the Premier League isn’t too much of a big blow but if Sergio Reguilon gets injured – after being forced to play in midweek in the Welshman’s absence – then the Spurs boss is left in a tricky predicament.

Even more so with Sessegnon, the third-choice in the role, also ruled out.

It means that someone would have to play out of position to cover, should the Spaniard pick up any problems.

Davies can also be utilised at centre-back and after being capped 67 times by Wales, he is one of the more experienced members of this squad, so his presence on and off the pitch may well be very important at times.

Given their recent poor form in the top-flight, having lost three successive heavy defeats including the north London derby, Nuno will be fuming that these injuries problems are continuing to escalate in north London.

It’s reported that the Portuguese is under intense pressure to turn things around and further injury woes will not help his cause whatsoever.

AND in other news, Nuno could save Levy millions by unleashing Spurs’ “bright” 20 y/o prodigy this season…

The decision to bring Che Adams to Southampton is looking more and more like a masterclass by Martin Semmens, as his market value continues to soar.

Southampton signed the striker from Birmingham City in 2019 and he has since gone on to make 80 appearances for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, in which he has contributed 13 goals and 10 assists.

The Scottish forward found goals hard to come by at first but broke his duck with a superb effort from the halfway line in the 1-0 win against Manchester City in 2020, and he has looked a far more dangerous player since then.

When he joined the club, Transfermarkt valued him at just £10.8m but a recent increase now sees him valued at £18m, which represents a 67% increase.

While Southampton won’t be looking to sell the 25-year-old anytime soon, they would surely make a comfortable profit on the £15m they paid to sign him from Birmingham if they did cash in, which is undoubtedly a relief when you consider some of the dreadful transfers they have completed in recent seasons, with the likes of Guido Carrillo, Soufiane Boufal, Wesley Hoedt and Mario Lemina being prime examples.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Even when things weren’t going Adams way at the start of his Southampton career, Hasenhuttl was still a big fan of the striker and sang his praises in 2020, saying:

“He is a guy who is one day a little bit frustrated when he sees he doesn’t play but then when the game comes, he shows up immediately and this is fantastic.”

Adams has started this season well, contributing an assist for Adam Armstrong in the opening game against Everton, whilst his deflected effort saw the Saints open the scoring against Manchester United.

After Danny Ings’ exit, the former Sheffield United man may have to step up his goal return this season if Southampton are to be successful, but there is no doubt that his signing will go down as a successful one.

And, in other news… Dan Sheldon drops Southampton transfer update on “one of the best”

Carlton Palmer has offered his thoughts on whether or not Southampton should sign Armando Broja permanently.

What’s the talk?

Ex-Southampton midfielder Carlton Palmer has claimed that the club would be interested in signing Armando Broja from Chelsea on a permanent deal for the right price.

The forward is currently on loan from the Blues and Palmer believes that he could be the next Virgil van Dijk if they sign him permanently, as he could be worth more in the future.

He told Football FanCast:

“Listen, you’re going to try your best.

“I mean, obviously Southampton will be interested in taking him. He’s one of those if you get him at the right money, he will probably go on again and you get money for him again. You know, like they did with Van Dijk.”

Ralph would be buzzing

Southampton chief Martin Semmens must sanction a permanent deal for Broja ahead of either the January window or next summer upon the end of his loan stay at St. Mary’s as Hasenhuttl would be buzzing to keep him.

As Palmer explained, he could be a player the Saints are able to sign and then develop before selling on for big money down the line to keep their business model going.

Southampton signed Can Dijk from Celtic for £14.13m in 2015 and went on to sell him for a club-record £76.19m to Liverpool in January 2018, which is the reference Palmer made. If Semmens is able to reach an agreement with Chelsea to sign Broja permanently for a fee within that £10-15m region then it could be a shrewd piece of business by the club.

At this moment in time, the 20-year-old has not proved that he can consistently perform at the top level. He has two goals in eight caps for Albania and scored 11 goals in 34 games for Vitesse last term, but he is yet to produce a goal or assist in the Premier League.

This is why Chelsea could still be convinced to part ways with him for the right price, as he is still potential rather than the finished product at this moment in time. However, this is where a permanent move to Southampton could be great as it would give Hasenhuttl the chance to develop the player over the course of a number of seasons, rather than a 12-month loan.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed Broja as ‘dangerous’ earlier this summer and he caught the eye in Southampton’s League Cup win over Newport County, scoring twice. This highlights some of the potential that he has and why Hasenhuttl would be delighted to have the opportunity to work with him beyond the end of this season.

Semmens must work hard to seal a reasonable deal for the Albanian beast.

AND in other news, 85% duels won: Rarely-seen Saints beast must have caught Ralph’s eye in EFL Trophy…

Midlands journalist Luke Hatfield believes that Aston Villa have signed the trio of Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey, and Danny Ings to replace the output of Jack Grealish.

Grealish has become the most expensive English player of all time by moving to Manchester City for a fee of £100m.

Villa have subsequently been aggressive in the transfer market and have brought in a number of new additions.

Per Transfermarkt, Buendia has arrived from Norwich City for just over £34.5m, while Bailey has signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £28.8m, and Ings has come in from Southampton for £31.6m.

In addition to those three, Villa have also signed Axel Tuanzebe on loan from Manchester United and brought in Ashley Young on a free transfer from Inter Milan.

Hatfield believes that the attacking trio have come in as the direct replacements for Grealish, as the club did not expect to be able to replace the England international with just one player.

Last season, Grealish scored seven goals in all competitions and also laid on 12 assists.

Hatfield said: “It’s interesting. When a lot of people saw that Villa were in for Bailey, I think a lot of people outside the club put two and two together and just figured it was going to be a Jack Grealish replacement.

“Christian Purslow has come out and said that you couldn’t replace Grealish with just one player, and he’s been quite vocal in that.

“It’s very much that Buendia, Bailey and Danny Ings have all come in as a joint replacement for Grealish because you can’t replace such a quality player with one player on his own.”

Liam Kennedy has revealed just how close a takeover of Newcastle United was to happening earlier this year.

The Lowdown: Case delays

As per The Chronicle, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) claim over the stalled takeover deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium has now been delayed until September.

This follows the delay of the separate arbitration claim filed by the North East club against the Premier League over their decision-making process with regards to the failed bid, which is now not due to take place until early next year.

The Latest: New party involved

Writing in his latest piece for Newcastle World, Kennedy has revealed that another party was in talks to buy the St. James’ Park faithful back in February.

Investor John Textor, who is the Founder and CEO of Facebank, Inc, had initial talks with Ashley’s people over a potential deal which are said to have ‘gone well’, with a broad agreement reached ‘within a week’.

It would see Textor pay £300m in three separate instalments of £100m, which would have seen money raised for further investment in the Tyneside club.

Talks were ‘progressing well’ on February 3rd, but by the 12th the deal collapsed, and Textor ‘walked away’ from discussions.

Sources from the Magpies suggest that they feared that he did not have the cash to complete the deal and would struggle to pass the top flight’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test (ODT) because of past issues with company bankruptcy.

The Verdict: Shame

It is certainly a shame to hear that yet another takeover attempt bit the dust after looking so promising with the negotiations.

Nonetheless, the Toon will now solely be concentrating on the cases coming up with the KSA group, with the aim of winning them and getting their bid back on track.

However, they will now have to wait until early next year for the arbitration hearing, meaning that they have gone into yet another season of uncertainty under the misguided leadership of Ashley.

In other news, find out who is still pursuing a move for this ‘excellent’ NUFC ace here!

Crystal Palace could be set to add another exciting acquisition to their ranks this summer after being linked with a move for Watford midfielder Will Hughes.

What’s the story?

According to The Athletic, he has been offered a five-year contract extension at Vicarage Road, which included a significant pay rise by the Hornets following the club’s promotion back to the Premier League, but talks have reached an impasse.

Football.London’s Palace reporter Joe Doyle has now provided an update on the situation, claiming that the Eagles are monitoring the ongoing stalemate ahead of a possible move for the 26-year-old.

Hughes only has one year remaining on his current contract at Vicarage Road, and the Watford hierarchy are said to be disappointed that the offer including sizeable financial incentives and the desire for him to be a central component to the club hasn’t been enough for him to commit his future.

As a result, the former England under-21 international has been forced to train with the Watford under-23’s, playing 60 minutes against St Albans in a recent friendly.

Fans will be buzzing

The Eagles are currently undergoing a major overhaul of the first team squad under new manager Patrick Vieira, with several exciting additions already at Selhurst Park.

Marc Guehi, Conor Gallagher, Joachim Andersen and Michael Olise have brought a new wave of hope and optimism to the south London club, and Hughes could be the next arrival as the new era begins to take shape.

After coming up through the ranks at boyhood club Derby County, the combative midfielder joined Watford back in 2017 in search of top-flight football. Since joining the Hornets, Hughes has established himself as a very useful Premier League player, scoring five goals and providing eight assists in 77 appearances in England’s top division.

With experienced campaigner James McCarthy departing Palace on a free transfer last month and Cheikhou Kouyate potentially being called upon to fill in at centre-back once again, Vieira may need further reinforcement to his engine room ahead of the upcoming campaign.

Therefore, the club’s supporters will surely be buzzing to hear that the Eagles’ hierarchy are tracking an experienced top-flight player for this position who still has his peak years still ahead of him and seems ready to move on from his current club.

Hughes would represent another astute signing by Palace and further add to their already impressive transfer business this summer.

In other news… Get it done: Parish must complete Palace swoop for £12m wizard, Vieira would love him 

Sheffield United are facing something of a transfer dilemma in their bid to bring Ronaldo Vieira to Bramall Lane this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sheffield Star, who claim that Slavisa Jokanovic may not finalise a move for the Sampdoria midfielder until the future of Sander Berge has become apparent.

The report goes on to state that, despite the fact the 23-year-old is incredibly keen to link up with the Blades prior to the closure of the summer transfer window, as well as it being reported that terms have been agreed between the two sides regarding a deal for the former England U21 international, there is a very real chance United will not be able to both keep Berge and afford Vieira.

Fans will be gutted

While the eventuality that Berge remains a Sheffield United player beyond transfer deadline day will undoubtedly be something of a dream for fans of the club, the fact that it also appears as if retaining the Norway international could prevent any further incoming transfer business for the Blades this summer is sure to have left the Bramall Lane faithful gutted.

Indeed, Vieira demonstrated during his time with Leeds United that he would make a fantastic addition to the Sheffield United squad this summer.

The defensive midfielder particularly impressed in the Whites’ 2016/17 campaign, when, over his 34 Championship appearances, the £4.5m-rated man made an average of one interception, 2.1 tackles, 1.2 clearances and won 4.4 duels per game.

These returns saw the man Ian Holloway dubbed a “class” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.78, ranking him as the club’s joint 11th-best player in the second tier of English football that season.

As such, while keeping Berge would indeed be fantastic for the club, with Jokanovic being rather short of bodies in the middle of the park, a move for the £22k-per-week Vieira would appear to have brought with it a real boost to United’s promotion hopes this season.

In other news: Jokanovic could be heading for grave Sheff Utd error over “fantastic” £900k-rated gem

Newcastle United are reportedly in a battle with two clubs who finished in the top-half of the Premier League to sign Omar Colley in the summer window.

The Lowdown: Defence needs improving

The St. James’ Park faithful certainly need to improve on their defence if they are to finish higher than they did in the top flight in the 2020/21 season.

The North East club conceded no fewer than 62 goals despite finishing in 12th place, the fifth-most in the division (Sky Sports).

The Latest: Colley eyed

As per SampNews24, the Tyneside club are currently monitoring Colley ahead of a potential move, along with Leeds United and West Ham United, who both finished in the top half of the table in the Premier League.

Steve Bruce’s team will need to pay a fee in the region of at least €10m (£8.6m) to secure his signature.

The Verdict: Sign

Given his six-foot-two frame, Colley should have no problems adapting to the physical and aerial demands of the top flight, and could well give the Magpies a threat in both boxes, winning nearly three aerial battles per game in Serie A last term.

The Gambia international would provide another handy option for Bruce at the back, and his displays for Sampdoria in the Italian top flight certainly show that he can perform at the highest level.

Colley won no fewer than 4.3 of his duels per game in the division, as well as averaging 4.6 clearances, 2.3 interceptions and one tackle per match, helping his side keep six clean sheets (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, at £8.6m, he is relatively affordable for the Toon, and certainly seems to have the potential to make that fee look like a bargain.

In other news, find out what the latest is on NUFC’s talks to sign this Premier League ace here!

Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Rui Patricio’s proposed move to AS Roma could be in doubt.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the two clubs are still some way apart on the transfer fee. Roma are apparently willing to offer €6m (£5.2m) for Patricio, but Wolves are asking for twice that amount. On top of that, the player’s family are said to have reservations about leaving England.

Patricio had been on Euro 2020 duty with Portugal, but their tournament was ended on Sunday by a 1-0 round of 16 defeat to Belgium.

Patricio has been Wolves’ number one since promotion

Wolves picked up Patricio ahead of their Premier League return three years ago after he terminated his Sporting Lisbon contract (via BBC Sport).

He has gone to rack up 127 appearances for the club, conceding 151 goals and keeping 37 clean sheets (via Transfermarkt) and being hailed by some fans as “massively underrated”.

Wolves have been linked with another Portuguese ‘keeper, Jose Sa of Olympiacos, as a potential replacement for the 33-year-old.

Fan feed Talking Wolves relayed Gazzetta’s claims, and here’s how some fans reacted, with many pleased to hear that the club aren’t willing to meet Roma’s initial offer.

Wolves fans react to possible Patricio twist

“Give the guy a new contract, he’s a decent keeper, not perfect but who is”

Credit: @satsomboon

“The Patricios love the Mander Centre”

Credit: @joehands_19

“Keep him, he’s 33 which he’s still got few years in him still and is massively underrated. Don’t care that he’s on a 100k a week, you want the best you have to pay”

Credit: @harryvenner

“If he wants to stay we should keep him in my opinion”

Credit: @mfleck8

“Keep him @Wolves”

Credit: @neilweav

“Ty, Rui’s family”

Credit: @AdamWWFC_

In other news, Steve Bull has described this Wolves target as a ‘top-class player’ 

Derby County have recently been credited with interest in signing free-agent Richard Stearman, according to journalist Alan Nixon. 

What’s the story?

Stearman spent the 2020/21 season with Huddersfield Town, and it appears as though he’s a wanted man heading into the new league campaign.

The defender’s contract with the Yorkshire-based side reached a conclusion at the end of June, and Carlos Corberan’s side opted to not extend that deal into next season.

This has resulted in Derby County being one of the teams to push ahead with their negotiations to strike an agreement to sign Stearman this summer, although it remains to be seen as to what stage they’re at in their efforts to land his signature.

Nixon has also reported that the Rams are targeting a deal for former Sheffield United defender Phil Jagielka, as well as Stearman this summer.

Better options out there for the Rams

Stearman has a considerable amount of experience under his belt in the EFL, with his most recent spell before his time with Huddersfield Town being with Sheffield United.

The experienced centre-back made 17 appearances for the Blades in the 2018/19 campaign, where they won promotion into the Premier League whilst under the management of Chris Wilder.

But Stearman found game time hard to come by with Sheffield United towards the end of his time at Bramall Lane, which resulted in him making the move to the John Smith’s Stadium in January 2020.

His spell with the Terriers wasn’t the most memorable though, with Stearman making 38 appearances for Carlos Corberan’s team, as they finished 20th in the Championship table.

However, Huddersfield can count themselves lucky that other teams struggled for a positive run of results towards the end of that campaign.

They conceded 71 goals in total during the 2020/21 league season, which is the worst defensive record out of all of the teams in the second tier, which doesn’t make for the best of reading.

Derby only retained their status as a Championship team on the final day of the 2020/21 season, as they drew 3-3 with Sheffield Wednesday.

Reinforcements are certainly needed in defence this summer, especially an experienced head to help aid the development of some of the younger members of Wayne Rooney’s squad. Andre Wisdom was one of those to depart the club permanently in the summer, whilst George Edmundson, Matt Clarke and Teden Mengi returned to their parent clubs after their loan spells at Pride Park.

But the Rams could do far better than signing Stearman, and it’s pleasing to see the club reportedly edging closer to reaching an agreement to signing Manchester United youngster Teden Mengi on loan for the upcoming season, as he’s already shown glimpses of his potential in a brief loan spell with Derby last term.

At the age of 33, some might question whether Stearman is a good enough option to have in the Championship, especially after a forgetful recent season with Huddersfield Town, where he won an average of 3.4 aerial duels, and just one tackle per game, whilst on reported wages of £15,000 per-week (according to Salary Sport).

A move for Stearman would be a real disaster for Derby given his wages, age and the fact he isn’t a real improvement on what they’ve already go.