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Regardless of where Harry Kane’s future lies Tottenham must bring in at least one striker this window, and Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has told Transfer Tavern that Dusan Vlahovic is their number-one target.

Kane has been Spurs’ only recognised senior striker for the majority of his time in the first-team, and even when someone like Carlos Vinicius was brought in last season, he wasn’t up to the challenge.

With Tottenham in Europe once again, albeit in the third-tier and the UEFA Conference League, they’re expected to be fighting on four fronts, which means they need someone to support the England captain.

The Telegraph, who recently claimed that Nuno Espirito Santo wants to bring in Danny Ings to play with Kane, believe that the Spurs boss is now looking to sign Serbian and Fiorentina striker Vlahovic, who Serie A expert Conor Clancy told This is Futbol is “incredible”.

He scored 21 goals during his breakthrough season in Serie A last term, which saw him named as the league’s best young player.

Vlahovic is the latest Italian-based player that director of football Fabio Paratici has set his sights on and would cost Tottenham around £50m.

Spurs have already signed goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini and young winger Bryan Gil from Sevilla, and Bridge told The Transfer Tavern that Vlahovic is their priority at present:

“I know that Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic is their number one choice at the moment, and I think it would be to play with Kane.”

Everton are reportedly leading a number of English clubs in a race to sign Merih Demiral in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Starting centre-back needed

The Goodison Park faithful certainly need to improve on their defence if they have ambitions of qualifying for European competition in the new season, given that they conceded no fewer than 48 goals in the Premier League in the 2020/21 term.

Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey, Mason Holgate and Yerry Mina all made more than 25 appearances in the last campaign as well (Transfermarkt), and so it is not clear who the starting partnership is or should be, especially with a new manager set to come in.

Thus, it would be a wise idea for the Merseyside club to invest in a brand new central defender to come straight in and start in the heart of the backline.

The Lowdown: Demiral eyed

As per Corriere Torino (via Sport Witness), the Toffees reportedly ‘lead the pack of English teams’ in the hunt to sign Demiral, with Atalanta also eyeing up a move for the Juventus centre-half.

The Turkey international was said to be a target of Carlo Ancelotti’s when he was manager, and according to the news outlet, he still remains one for the Blues.

The Verdict: Sign

Described as an ‘outstanding’ player by Italian media after a stellar performance for the Old Lady back in February against eventual Serie A title winners Inter Milan, Demiral is certainly someone that the Blues should be looking at signing.

A man who has played at the highest level with Juve, including six appearances in the UEFA Champions League, he would certainly raise the bar of quality in the backline.

Standing at six-foot-two-inches tall, Demiral should have no problems at all in coping with the physical and aerial demands of the Premier League, and at just 23 years of age, EFC could have a starting central defender with room for improvement on their books for years to come.

In other news, find out what manager update has left Toffees fuming here!

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Burnley striker Chris Wood in recent days.

And, as to be expected, plenty of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to the links on social media.

According to Football Insider, who have been informed by a recruitment source, Villa are one of three Premier League clubs who finished in the top 12 keeping an eye on the 29-year-old.

Burnley would demand a fee of around £30m-plus for Wood, although they would hope that could rise to £40m with a possible bidding war.

Wood netted eight times in the last 11 games of the 2020/21 campaign for the Clarets, and it seems as if that form has caught the eye of Villa.

Villa fans react

Football Insider shared the news on their Twitter page on Tuesday lunchtime, and it didn’t take long for a number of Villa supporters to share their views.

It’s safe to say these Villa fans weren’t happy with the links, with one describing it as ‘ridiculous’.

“I don’t know what’s worse, the supposed 30m or ‘bidding war’…. think it’s safe to say he will remain a Burnley player, especially if they are holding out for more than 5m”Credit: @Matt_21_Sully”Football Insider is nonsense and guesses at the best of times but this is just ridiculous. He’s worth half that and turns 30 this year. “bidding war”. Behave yourselves. All credibility fully gone.”Credit: @swabraUTV”LOL”Credit: @BOOMBEEF”lost any bit of respect you had with a headline like this! Someone has left their phone on the table at the pub! 40 mill for Chris Wood”Credit: @RattyAVFC”Makes no sense for Villa as good a player as he is. Put the stirring spoon down.”Credit: @PeterStevens82″Hahahaha, never”Credit: @krh944″What you lying for?”Credit: @wst1975

In other news: Many fans slam Tyrone Mings, find out more here. 

Fulham have been dealt a huge blow to their hopes of keeping Harrison Reed at Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that Leeds United are considering a move for the 26-year-old midfielder in the upcoming transfer window.

It is reported that, following Fulham’s relegation back to the Championship, Scott Parker’s side are facing a battle to keep some of their biggest stars this summer, with Reed thought to be one of the Cottagers’ more sought-after talents.

Parker will be gutted

Considering how impressive Reed has been since joining Fulham from Southampton back in 2019, in what was originally a season-long loan deal which Fulham turned into a £5.85m permanent move last summer, reports that the midfielder is attracting interest from a Premier League team like Leeds is sure to leave Parker gutted.

Indeed, in his first season in west London, the £9m-rated man played a big part in securing promotion with the Cottagers, providing one assist and creating one big chance over his 25 Championship appearances, as well as averaging 1.4 interceptions and 1.9 tackles and winning 4.5 duels per game.

These metrics saw Reed earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.81, ranking him as Parker’s joint 16th-best performer in the division.

The £31,000-per-week former England under-20 international once again impressed over his 31 Premier League appearances for Fulham last season, registering two assists and creating two big chances, in addition to averaging of 1.6 interceptions and two tackles and winning four duels per match.

These returns saw the 26-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as the club’s 11th-best performer in the top flight.

As such, if Parker were to lose the services of the player Shane Long dubbed “immense”, it would undoubtedly hamper Fulham’s hopes of securing another immediate return to the Premier League next season – an outcome which would represent something of a disaster for the west London club.

In other news: Get him gone: Khan must ruthlessly axe “difficult” £67k-p/w Fulham flop this summer

Jack Hendry completed a permanent move from Celtic to Belgian outfit KV Oostende on Saturday.

A number of Hoops fans were quick to give their immediate replies to the news after the club posted confirmation of the deal on their official Twitter page.

Hendry joined Celtic back in 2018 for £1.5m during Brendan Rodgers’ Parkhead tenure. The 26-year-old made just 27 appearances for the Hoops and impressed out on loan with Oostende last season by being their fourth-best performer, as per WhoScored.

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They had an option to buy Hendry in that loan move, with the centre-back agreeing on a three-year deal with the Jupiler Pro League side.

Ange Postecoglou’s side will get back the £1.5m that they spent on the defender, but reports have suggested that Oostende could look to make an immediate significant profit on him this summer.

Celtic fans react

Celtic tweeted about Hendry’s exit on Saturday afternoon but didn’t attach a club statement.

These Hoops supporters weren’t exactly bothered at the exit, with on describing the deal as ‘superb’ as the Scotland international often struggled during his appearances for the club.

“Things are on the up”Credit: @ThomasJ60796311″Ange doing bits”Credit: @alysonthomsonx”Superb”Credit: @Dalycfc1″Deadwood out, nice to see keep it going”Credit: @McgregorC90″Good – utterly hopeless – another failure of a project”Credit: @Aoifes_daddy”Thank God for that, though more importantly, how much did they get for him?”Credit: @AnthonyBrogan1

In other news: Postecoglou pushing Mario Vuskovic closer to Celtic move as news emerges, find out more here. 

Alan Hutton has dropped a big transfer claim on Tyler Roberts and whether he would be a good fit at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Newcastle eye Roberts

As per Football Insider, the St. James’ Park faithful are closely monitoring Roberts ahead of a potential transfer from Leeds United in the summer.

He is out of contract at Elland Road in 2022 and is yet to agree an extension, and so Marcelo Bielsa’s team may view a potential deal as an ideal opportunity to cash in on him now in order to gain some value.

The Latest: Hutton backs Roberts to Newcastle

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton, who is now a pundit after playing for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Rangers, has backed the Magpies in their pursuit of Roberts, and claims that he has what it takes to become a top player:

“I think he does. He doesn’t start week in, week out for Leeds but when he does, you can see he’s got ability.

“He’s comfortable on the ball and for me, that’s the type of player that Newcastle have missed. Yes, they’ve got Almiron, Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson who are strong runners. They get forward from defensive positions really well, great engines.

“But sometimes I just feel in that midfield for Newcastle they need someone who’s comfortable and can get on the ball.

“Shelvey has got it in the locker but sometimes I think it’s a mobility thing. He doesn’t really get around the pitch as much as you would want and I think they need that.

“Tyler Roberts, coming off the back of a Bielsa schooling, has got that in abundance. He can move, he can see a pass. It doesn’t surprise me that Newcastle are looking at him.”

The Verdict: Newcastle should sign Roberts

Roberts is certainly a player who would add to the Tyneside club’s squad, and with that added experience of playing in the Premier League, he would not have to adapt to the demands of the top flight.

Also, at just 22 years of age, Roberts will only get even better over the next few years, as his former boss Tony Pulis branded him as a ‘very talented’ player back in March, which is high praise from a manager with so much experience, especially in the EPL.

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His versatility is also a quality which would be useful to have around in Steve Bruce’s squad, and so the summer may present itself an opportunity that the Toon should not pass up on.

In other news, find out which ‘eloquent’ manager NUFC are eyeing here!

Former Tottenham Hotspur great Graham Roberts has told The Transfer Tavern that Erik Lamela needs to leave the club this summer as part of an exodus involving players who have been “trouble”.

The Argentine has been linked with a move away from Spurs in recent weeks.

Reports have suggested that he could return to Serie A, having moved to Spurs from Roma back in 2013.

The 29-year-old has spent eight years at the club but has been a sporadic contributor when it comes to goals and assists.

£80,000-a-week man Lamela has made a total of 256 appearances for the club across his lengthy spell in north London but he has scored just 37 goals and provided 47 assists.

It remains to be seen if there will be bidders for Lamela this summer but Roberts believes that Spurs have to start to rebuild, and he believes that the time has come for the former River Plate winger to move on.

Speaking exclusively to TT, he said: “We also need to get the ones that have been trouble this year and not played well, we need to get rid of them. I would (include Lamela in that).

“I’m not saying he didn’t play well but if you’ve been here eight years and you’re not in the team every week, then there’s something wrong. I think he’s a good squad player, I think he does really, really well when he comes on or when he plays; I think he’s better off coming off the bench when he plays but do we need him to sit on the bench?

“We haven’t won anything in years and years and years so it might be good for him and it might be good for us that we get some money for him and we move on.”

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has suffered a gutting injury blow just before his side’s Premier League clash against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Joe Gelhardt has been a revelation for the club’s U23s since making the move from Wigan last summer, bagging 11 goals in 16 Premier League 2 games and providing another three assists – the 19-year-old played a key role in helping Leeds clinch the title and earn promotion.

With the Premier League in its final stages, the teenager would surely have been hoping to finally get a chance to impress in the first-team, but it appears that may not be the case.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against the Clarets this afternoon, Bielsa confirmed that Gelhardt has been ruled out due to injury, thus knocking his chances of making his senior debut on the head.

And, in response to the news Gelhardt will be missing from the clash at Turf Moor, former Leeds man Noel Whelan said: “Another young player that has been doing well for the under-23s. You kind of want to see a little bit more, that little integration into the first team before the end of the season. I’m hoping we will do at some point but it’s disappointing that he’s not going to be there and fit for the Burnley game.

“It’s not just me, I think there’s lots of fans out there that are really excited by this young man. He’s exciting, he scores goals, he plays that little number 10 role very well. You think about players that could make an impact. Everyone’s really excited about Joe Gelhardt.”

Bielsa himself has previously gone on record to wax lyrical about the teenager just last month, saying: “His natural position is as a centre-forward. He’s a player who has a great capacity to finish off moves. He’s a player who has dribbling skills in the final third and just before the finalisation of the move.”

And after that praise, plenty of Leeds fans took to Twitter to admit they hoped they would see him in action for the first-team before the season was over, and urged the manager to give him some game time during the final few weeks of the campaign.

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It’s exactly why both Bielsa and the club’s fans will no doubt be absolutely gutted that Gelhardt will not be making his first-team bow at Turf Moor on Saturday lunchtime, and why it’s a setback for Leeds ahead of the game.

Meanwhile, Leeds source drops exciting update on club’s transfer plans…

Amid all the excitement of Leeds United’s superb finish to their first season back in the Premier League, there was one real moment of sadness and regret, with Pablo Hernandez now having played his final game for the club.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side confirmed that the veteran Spaniard would leave Elland Road following the conclusion of the season, and while the play-maker wasn’t exactly a key member of the first-team this past campaign, he will no doubt leave a major void.

And if Bielsa is looking for a player to potentially replace Hernandez in the long-term, both in terms of his attacking inspiration and quality, then academy starlet Sam Greenwood may well be that player.

The 19-year-old only joined the Whites’ youth system last summer, but he has been a revelation for the club’s U23s, helping them to the Premier League 2 Division 2 title.

He managed 12 goals in 18 games, and while he played as a number nine for the majority of the season, he was deployed as both a number ten and as a central midfield for several games too, and was far more effective.

In the six games he played as an attacking midfielder, Greenwood struck four times, while he also scored in the only game that he played in the middle of the park – it was quite telling, that Mark Jackson appeared to drag the teenager further back towards the closing stages of the season, perhaps so he could get on the ball more and then break into the box to score a la Hernandez.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has previously been very effusive in his praise of Greenwood, saying: “He’s started really well at Leeds and he was very well thought of at Arsenal, and they weren’t rushing to get him out (of) the door this summer. From what we’ve seen of him so far, his movement and his finishing and everything else, he looks like a very natural striker.”

But while he may have those “natural” striking instincts, perhaps Bielsa could pull off a tactical masterstroke and slowly mould him into a number ten, just like Jackson has done in some games with the U23s – particularly with the “movement” that Hay talks about.

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Greenwood could well end up being the Hernandez heir that Leeds fans may have thought they would never see again.

Meanwhile, Leeds United have been handed a major boost…

Former Celtic player Charlie Nicholas has recently tipped the Hoops to move for Xabi Alonso in an attempt to replace Neil Lennon.

While Celtic have an agreement in principle with Eddie Howe, the Englishman has made certain demands to the club. While talks are still ongoing with the former Bournemouth boss, Nicholas has urged the club to look elsewhere if they have doubts about Howe, as he believes that the Hoops should look to approach Alonso for the role.

Celtic will get an understanding of their stature with Alonso approach

Nicholas recently wrote a column for the Daily Express (via Daily Record) saying that there is nothing wrong in Celtic looking at other potential managerial targets since the appointment of Howe is taking some time.

He believes that the Hoops should be looking at Alonso and even his former Spain teammate Xavi, as that will give them an indication of their stature in the global game. He made it clear that the Hoops’ international stature is bang average now and they are scared of walking away from Howe.

The former Celtic striker wrote: “If there is any doubt from the former Bournemouth manager then Celtic have to be strong enough to look elsewhere.

“There is nothing wrong with that. I said before that they should have looked at the likes of Xavi and Xabi Alonso, who appears likely to go to Borussia Monchengladbach.

“If they speak to these people, it would give Celtic more of an understanding of where they are as a club.

“They have a fabulous European history but their current standing in that arena is bang average now. Rangers have surpassed them.

“It is pretty obvious that Howe is their top target and it seems that the Celtic power brokers are scared of walking away from the talks.”

Alonso might be an experiment for Celtic

While Alonso was initially inching closer to a Borussia Monchengladbach move, the Foals are now close to having Adi Hutter as their next manager, as he could arrive from Eintracht Frankfurt. This suggests that Alonso’s proposed move to Gladbach could fall through.

The 39-year-old is currently in-charge of Real Sociedad B and he has a points-per-match tally of 1.8 so far. He took over in the summer of 2019 (as per Transfermarkt).

He has been known to use innovative tactics during his stint at Sociedad B. Considering that he played regularly in European football during his playing career, even winning the Champions League in 2005, he would add some European pedigree to the Celtic side. Therefore, Nicholas is right to suggest him as a viable alternative if things don’t work out with Howe.

In other news,’It’s as simple as that’ – Pundit suggests why Howe may have had second thoughts on Celtic job