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Tottenham have become favourites to sign a new centre-back in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Football Insider who suggest that Spurs are now frontrunners alongside Atletico Madrid to acquire the signature of Stefan de Vrij.

The Dutchman currently plays for Inter Milan in Serie A but his contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign.

Valued at £40m last summer, it’s believed the defender could now be available at a knockdown price as a result of his contract situation.

Spurs are said to have enquired about his availability and believe a deal could be done as soon as next month.

CIES Football Observatory currently value the player at just €15m (£13m).

Cuti’s perfect partner

In fairness to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham side, there aren’t a lot of weaknesses in their ranks.

Indeed, Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski form a rather formidable trio in the final third while the battle-hardened midfield of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are a match for most in the Premier League.

Yet, at the back, there is still a hole to be filled.

Cristian Romero has been so impressive since arriving in north London but with his injury pre-Qatar, they missed him greatly. After he suffered a hamstring injury, Spurs had won just two of their five matches, conceded 11 times and have failed to keep a clean sheet.

Therefore, the signing of De Vrij makes a great deal of sense. Whether it’s as a replacement for Romero or as his eventual partner in defence, he would be perfect.

Described as a “monster” by former Lazio teammate Mauricio, he was also hailed for his “strong and fast” qualities that would undoubtedly be perfect in the top flight of English football.

Usually you require at least one of those qualities to thrive in the Premier League but bringing both of those aggressive traits to England will undoubtedly help a great deal.

After all, Romero is very much cut from a similar cloth, even if his 6 foot 1 frame comes in shorter than 6 foot 3 de Vrij.

Writing about the former’s best qualities, The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare once noted: “He possesses the sort of sometimes-unhinged aggression that makes you so relieved he’s on your team and not the opposition.”

That’s a view the Spurs defender has only been too happy to own, once saying: “Defenders in Argentina are encouraged to be aggressive and show aggression.”

Combining that ruthless nature with De Vrij’s own strength would no doubt be a match made in heaven with Conte already reaping the rewards from his Argentine menace.

Tottenham conceded a glut of goals before the World Cup break but a pairing of the aforementioned names after the halt to domestic action would no doubt improve matters in the capital.

Liverpool could sign two of Declan Rice, Mason Mount and Jude Bellingham in 2023.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Dean Jones, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent interview with Football FanCast that, while it would appear almost impossible for Jurgen Klopp’s side to land all three of Rice, Mount and Bellingham – all of whom have been linked with the Reds in recent weeks – there is a very real possibility that Liverpool land two of the three midfielders.

Regarding the club’s interest in the midfield trio, Jones said: “We know that Liverpool are about to undergo a midfield overhaul, but I think we’re already entering silly season if we’re talking about Bellingham, Mount and Rice all joining Liverpool – that is absolutely not going to happen. One of them might, possibly two.”

Alonso & Mascherano 2.0

Considering just how impressive both Rice and Bellingham have been for their respective clubs so far this season, should Liverpool be able to land both of the generational midfield talents next year, Klopp could well have formed the club’s next Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano-esque pairing in the middle of the park.

Indeed, over Rice’s 15 Premier League fixtures in the current campaign, the 23-year-old has been Mascherano-esque in his marshalling of the midfield, with the £69m-rated talent making an average of 2.4 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.3 clearances and winning 4.2 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per game.

The £60k-per-week star has also caught the eye in an attacking capacity, having bagged one goal, provided two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 1.3 key passes, being successful with 0.5 dribbles and completing 55.5 passes – at a success rate of 90% – per game.

These returns have seen the England international average an astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.27, not only ranking him as West Ham United’s best performer in the league but also as the joint 16th-best player in the English top flight as a whole.

Meanwhile, over Bellingham’s 15 Bundesliga appearances this season, the £216m-rated starlet has been Alonso-esque in his playmaking, scoring three goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots, making 1.1 key passes, being successful with 2.0 dribbles and completing 42.8 passes – at a success rate of 83% – per game.

The £27k-per-week talent has also impressed when doing the dirty work, making an average of 3.2 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 1.1 clearances and winning 9.7 duels – at a success rate of 63% – per game.

These returns have seen the 19-year-old average a breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.38, not only ranking him as Borussia Dortmund’s best performer in the league but also as the joint seventh-best player in the German top flight as a whole.

As such, while it is undeniable that the potential £70m signing of Rice and the possible £100m signing of Bellingham is a colossal amount of money to spend on two players in the same transfer window, the reward could be remarkable for Liverpool, with the English duo undoubtedly possessing the potential to go on and become the next Alonso and Mascherano at Anfield.

Manchester City have been backed to launch a transfer move for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham. 

The Lowdown: Man City’s track record

City have an impressive track record when it comes to winning the race for top up and coming English players, with the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Jack Grealish joining the club in recent years.

Now though, it appears that the Premier League champions have been touted to try and add another English talent to their ranks in the near future.

The Latest: Gundogan out, Bellingham in

Speaking to Football Insider, former Arsenal and Everton player, Kevin Campbell, had this to say on the matter.

“You have to guarantee Bellingham game time to get him. City may need to get one out. Guardiola is going to freshen up again next summer.

“It would be fair enough of City to let [Ilkay] Gundogan leave at the end of the season. It will free up a chunk of wages for them. They could go and buy somebody.

“Bellingham could be an option. Imagine Gundogan leaving and Bellingham replacing him. That is the way City do it. We know how they operate.”

The Verdict: A no-brainer for City

Not only do City have previous in terms of signing English players, the club have also had fairly recent dealings with Dortmund as they signed Erling Haaland and Manuel Akanji from the German side during the previous summer transfer window.

In terms of what Campbell had to say, the fact that Gundogan’s current contract at the Etihad Stadium is set to expire at the end of the season makes it easy to see why the pundit has suggested that Bellingham could be a potential replacement for the German.

Hailed as an “outstanding” player by Oliver Kahn, the 19-year-old has played every minute of Bundesliga action for his side this season and racked up more shots at goal (27), passes into the 18-yard box (17), blocks (18) and interceptions (16) than any other player at the club.

Despite having a rather hefty price tag of €150m (£128m), launching a move to sign the teenager could be a very smart long-term investment for the City hierarchy to make based on his age and clear talent.

West Brom slipped into the Championship relegation places after a 0-0 draw with Luton Town on Saturday but it seems as if Baggies fans will have to wait a while longer before Steve Bruce is sacked.

What’s the word?

Despite just one win in the second tier this season, Bruce seemingly has the backing of Steve Gourlay, with pre-season hopes of a promotion push a distant memory for the Baggies.

Alan Nixon provided the latest on his position as manager at the Hawthorns following Saturday’s stalemate, writing in The Sun:

“Steve Bruce looks like he is staying in charge of the Baggies for now and has the backing of chief executive Ron Gourlay.”

Gourlay must act now

In 32 matches in charge of West Brom, Bruce has won just eight games, drawing 12 and losing 12, which has earned him an extremely disappointing points per game average of 1.13.

When the 61-year-old took charge of the Baggies, they were fifth in the Championship, which was enough to see Valerian Ismael sacked by Gourlay.

Bruce was brought in with the aim of getting the Baggies promoted in his first season but they would finish tenth in the second tier, so the fact that he is still in charge eight months later having made West Brom significantly worse than they were under Ismael, is baffling.

Eye-catching summer additions such as John Swift and Jed Wallace looked as if they would steer the Baggies back towards the top of the Championship but this season has been a complete disaster so far.

While Bruce can’t take all of the blame, as the expected goals statistics suggest that West Brom should be much better off, it still isn’t good enough and the results show no sign of improving under Bruce.

Indeed, Albion are now on a run without a win since the back end of August, with nine matches passing since their last three points.

Nixon suggests that Gourlay still has faith in the 61-year-old but if West Brom are to have any chance of recovering this season, then he must be sacked as soon as possible.

Tottenham Hotspur have struggled to adequately replace both Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier since their respective 2017 and 2019 departures from north London, with Daniel Levy signing a host of right-backs who have not quite made the grade at Spurs.

Indeed, the likes of Serge Aurier, Juan Foyth, Matt Doherty and Emerson Royal have all been brought into the club in recent years, and, while some have shown flashes of quality in patches, generally speaking, none have been overwhelming successes.

However, after spending £11.7m to bring Foyth to the club back in 2017, with the benefit of hindsight, Levy’s decision to cash in on the full-back for just £13m last summer already appears to have been something of a shocker by the chairman.

Indeed, with Emerson’s idiotic red card in the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal last weekend proving he cannot be trusted at the back, coupled with Doherty and Djed Spence having played a combined total of 22 Premier League minutes so far this season, it is evident that Antonio Conte is currently lacking a right-back in who he fully believes.

And, when considering the astonishing form Foyth has been in for Villarreal since his permanent move to Spain, it very much looks as if the 24-year-old could have been the answer to the Italian’s current right-back predicament.

Indeed, over his 25 LaLiga appearances last season, the £26m-rated full-back was in fantastic defensive form, helping his side keep four clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.8 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 1.7 clearances and winning 6.2 duels – at a success rate of 62% – per game.

The £79k-per-week defender also impressed going forwards, scoring one goal, registering one assist and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.4 key passes, 1.5 long balls and completing 1.1 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the player who Mauricio Pochettino dubbed “unbelievable” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as Unai Emery’s fifth-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football last time out.

So eye-catching was Foyth last season that, in the summer transfer window just gone, Barcelona were said to be considering a €42m (£36.5m) move for the 24-year-old – although no such offer was ultimately made.

Nice one, Son! Show your love for Heung-min Son with this awesome t-shirt! Click here to buy…

Furthermore, the right-back has started the current campaign in similarly fine form, helping his side keep one clean sheet and creating two big chances over his three league fixtures, as well as making an average of 2.0 tackles, one interception, 2.7 clearances and completing 90% of his passes per game – with these metrics seeing him average a SofaScore match rating of 7.03.

As such, when taking into account Foyth’s extremely impressive form in Spain, Tottenham’s current issues at right-back and the fact that the defender now has a release clause of €42m (£36.5m) – a 181% increase on the amount Villarreal paid Spurs for his services – it is clear to see that Levy had something of a shocker when parting with the Argentina international.

Tottenham Hotspur are ‘interested’ in signing Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus, but face competition from Newcastle United amongst others, according to Ghanasoccernet. 

The lowdown: Career so far

Signed from Danish outfit Nordsjaelland having been snapped up there from Ghanaian academy Right to Dream as a youngster in 2018, Kudus has made an impressive start to life in Dutch football.

The 22-year-old Ghana international has directly contributed to 10 goals in 46 outings for the Eredivisie side and has already lifted the top flight title twice along with one domestic cup.

Now, it appears as though those fledgeling exploits have already attracted major attention, including from Hotspur Way…

The latest: Spurs linked

As per Ghanasoccernet on Twitter, Tottenham, Newcastle, Everton and Leeds are all believed to be keen on the 16-cap star.

“Everton, Tottenham, Leeds and Newcastle are the FOUR English clubs interested in Mohammed Kudus.

“These are interests with no official offers on the table from the English clubs. One of the 4 clubs have asked for a character reference from his former club Nordsjaelland.”

The Magpies are likely to be the biggest threat to Fabio Paratici’s efforts given their new-found riches and late activity in the market.

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The verdict: Smart option

Supremely versatile and young enough to develop his already host of strong attributes even further, Kudus would be an exceptional capture for the Lilywhites as Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte plan for the immediate and long-term future.

Last season, the powerful midfielder – hailed as an ‘exciting player’ by football analyst Tactically Matt on Twitter – scored six times and provided one assist in 25 appearances across all competitions.

So far this term, Kudus has earned an outstanding 7.20 SofaScore rating whilst winning 3.3 duels and completing 2.7 dribbles on average per game in the Dutch top flight, further proof a player ready to make the next step in a promising career.

Holding an estimated market value of £9million (Transfermarkt), signing the Ghana star would be a wholly affordable venture for Tottenham and one that the north Londoners should be pushing to get done.

Reliable journalists Nizaar Kinsella and Adam Newson have shared a ‘shock’ West Ham United transfer update involving Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye deal…

Reports in the last 48 hours suggested that West Ham have been confident over sealing a move for Italy international.

Football Insider, for example, shared news of advanced talks to sign Emerson after the east Londoners submitted a £13million bid – they were apparently even hoping to complete a deal this week.

This comes amid the Premier League side’s search for an alternative left-back to Aaron Cresswell, who is reaching his twilight years, with Moyes seemingly on the look out for a successor.

The Latest: Journalists share ‘shock’ Emerson update…

Taking to social media, journalists Kinsella and Newson have shared a ‘shock’ development on the chase.

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It is claimed that a deal for the 28-year-old is currently off due to issues with personal terms.

“Emerson Palmieri’s deal to West Ham is off. It is a bit of a shock as a fee of £13m + £2m in add-ons was close to being agreed with Chelsea.” said Kinsella of The Evening Standard (via Twitter).

Meanwhile, Newson, a Chelsea correspondent for football.london, has followed on with further detail saying it was down to a difference in salary and personal terms.

He explained:

“Emerson Palmieri is now unlikely to join West Ham United this summer. A deal worth around £15m including add-ons was close to being agreed between the two clubs, but the defender’s salary demands were a problem.”

The Verdict: Blow for Moyes?

Called ‘unbelievable’ by Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel last year, despite his lack of game time at Stamford Bridge, Emerson could’ve been a brilliant option for Moyes.

The former Roma star has plenty of experience on the biggest stages, particularly with Italy at international level where he was named in Roberto Mancini’s squad for Euro 2020.

It appears West Ham will now have to turn to other options such as Arsenal ace Ainsley Maitland-Niles, recently linked by ExWHUemployee.

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a blow to their chances of securing a potential summer swoop for Newcastle United attacker Elliot Anderson.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Telegraph, Magpies manager Eddie Howe has decided behind the scenes that he would prefer the youngster to remain at St James’ Park this summer rather than join another club on loan.

With Anderson being linked with numerous clubs across England and Scotland, including the Baggies, this latest update will surely be a devastating blow for those prospective suitors.

Having scored 31 goals in 77 appearances across Newcastle’s youth teams and Bristol Rovers, where he spent the second half of last season on loan, it’s safe to say that Albion would have added an exciting attacking figure to their squad if the Toon were willing to let him leave.

In 21 appearances for Rovers last season, the 19-year-old racked up eight goals and five assists, along with delivering 32 crosses and taking the third-highest number of shots at goal in the squad (74).

Even from a defensive point of view, he managed to show how useful he can be – he ended his time with the Pirates having made seven interceptions and won 23 tackles.

A big blow for West Brom

Bearing in mind how the Baggies weren’t always particularly clinical in front of goal in last season’s Championship, ending the campaign with the lowest rate for shots on target in the division (29.1%), having a player like the Toon prodigy in their squad would have surely made them a much more potent side in terms of goalscoring.

With all this in mind, it’s safe to say that it would be a devastating blow to see the Baggies miss out on signing Anderson this summer.

If the Premier League club are set to keep hold of Anderson for the upcoming campaign, West Brom will have to focus on adding another attacking player to their squad if Bruce still feels the need to do so.

Taking into account how the Midlands club saw Andy Carroll leave The Hawthorns at the end of last season and have since missed out on signing Dwight Gayle after he was linked with a move to the Midlands, the Baggies may need to get a move on if they want to add more depth to their attack as the 2022/23 campaign kicks off this coming weekend.

AND in other news: Bruce could unearth Gallagher 2.0 with West Brom bid for “immense” £13k-p/w sensation

West Ham United have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring Amadou Onana to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a recent report by Belgian media outlet HLN, who revealed that, following news of West Ham’s increased €30m (£25m) bid for the holding midfielder being rejected by LOSC Lille, the agent of the 20-year-old is now actively pushing for his client to secure a move away from the Ligue 1 side this summer – with doubts lingering about whether the Belgium international will be a starter under the management of Paulo Fonseca next season.

The report goes on to state that, despite the Lille president, Olivier Letang, believing that Onana will develop into a top-level talent in the future, the Frenchman would be willing to part with the midfielder for an offer in the region of €40m (£34m) this summer – with Everton, Leicester City and AS Monaco also believed to be keen on the former Hamburger SV starlet.

Moyes must act

Considering just how exciting a prospect Onana undoubtedly is, the news that the 20-year-old’s agent is now pushing for the midfielder to secure a move away from the Stade Pierre Mauroy this summer is sure to have come as a huge boost to David Moyes and his West Ham transfer team.

Indeed, over his 32 Ligue 1 appearances in 2021/22, the £9m-rated talent enjoyed a stellar breakthrough campaign, scoring one goal and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and winning 3.4 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per game.

These returns saw the £5.5k-per-week youngster who Jacek Kulig dubbed a “masterclass” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.85, ranking him as Lille’s joint ninth-best performer in the league last season – a quite extraordinary achievement in his debut campaign in France.

Furthermore, according to FBref, the 20-year-old also ranks in the top 6% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for tackles per 90, as well as the top 21% for aerial duels won, the top 24% for clearances and the top 25% for interceptions over the last 365 days.

As such, the fact that Onana’s agent appears extremely keen to secure the starlet a move away from Lille this summer, coupled with West Ham’s latest offer being just €10m (£8.5m) short of Letang’s asking price for the midfielder, leads us to believe that Moyes simply must return with a third bid for the Belgian sensation in the coming days.

AND in other news: West Ham closing in on “remarkable” £10m target, it would be a “masterstroke” by Moyes

Ryan Taylor has dropped an update on reported Leeds United transfer target Otavio.

What’s the talk?

In a recent article for The Express, the journalist claimed that, despite Victor Orta’s recent £22m capture of Feyenoord winger Luis Sinisterra, the Spanish director of football could yet continue his pursuit of further additions to strengthen the wide attacking areas of Jesse Marsch’s squad – with one name of interest said to be FC Porto’s Otavio.

Taylor continued to state that, with Sinisterra favouring a position on the left of a front-three, the Whites could still be in the market for a right-footed forward following the impending sale of Raphina – who looks set to join one of Arsenal, Chelsea or Barcelona in a deal worth north of £55m.

“Phenomenal” signing

Considering just how impressive Otavio was for Porto last season, Taylor’s claim that Orta remains keen on a move for the 27-year-old forward this summer is sure to be news the Elland Road faithful will love.

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Indeed, over his 32 Liga Portugal appearances in 2021/22, the £27m-rated talent was in electric form for the Dragões, scoring three goals, providing 13 assists and creating 17 big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 2.3 key passes, taking 1.6 shots and completing 1.1 dribbles per game.

The £32k-per-week attacker who Alex Goncalves labelled “phenomenal” also chipped in at the back, making an average of 3.2 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 0.5 clearances and winning 7.4 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per fixture.

These metrics saw the seven-cap Portugal international average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.48, ranking him not only as Sergio Conceicao’s best performer in the league but also as the joint third-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, it would very much appear as if Otavio would be something of a perfect replacement for Raphinha in the Leeds squad next season – leading us to believe that Orta simply must do everything in his power to land the €60m (£52m) talent this summer.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals “done deal” for £25m Leeds target, supporters will be gutted