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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.

Liverpool had reportedly agreed on personal terms with Aurelien Tchouameni last month, but now as a new update emerges on the player’s future the Reds could be ready to move on to a new potential transfer target this summer.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Aurelien Tchouameni has agreed to join Real Madrid.

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Romano tweeted: “Aurelién Tchouaméni to Real Madrid, here we go! Talks were at final stages yesterday night between Real and Monaco, it’s now fully agreed after final meeting for €80m plus add-ons to €100m.”

With the Monaco midfielder now unobtainable, Liverpool have been handed the green light to sign another target in Carlos Soler with reports from Spain (via The Express) suggesting that Valencia are prepared to sell him in a deal that could be worth £34m (€40m).

Tchouameni alternative

The current midfielder situation at Liverpool is not in crisis but there is definitely room for fresh new talent to start making an impact on the side, especially when you consider the age range in the squad in terms of the centre of the pitch.

Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and James Milner are all in their 30s at this point and Jurgen Klopp is likely feeling that he needs to start planning for the future, which reflects in their interest for Tchouameni already this summer.

Carlos Soler was reportedly in talks with the Reds earlier this year but since then nothing more has materialised. However there are now reports that Valencia are set to sanction a sale of the player which is a massive green light for Liverpool to take the next steps in their interest.

The midfield maestro who was hailed “complete” by Curro Torres, has scored 11 goals, delivered five assists and created five big chances, making 1.7 key passes, taking 1.3 shots per game and winning the majority of his duels (54%), proving that he is highly effective in attacking play but also offers defensive attributes too.

The 25-year-old midfielder could be the perfect cheaper alternative to Tchouameni for Liverpool and thanks to his diversity in positioning with the Spain international capable of playing a wide range of midfield roles he could certainly add quality depth to every area which will be a huge bonus for Klopp.

With that being said, FSG should act upon their interest and finally make an official move for versatile Soler this summer, especially with his Spanish club ready to sell up there’s a golden opportunity for Liverpool to seal a good piece of business.

AND in other news: Offer made: Liverpool now “want to sign” 34-goal “diamond”, Klopp absolutely loves him

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen during the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) the Red Devils and fellow Premier League club Arsenal are interested in signing the Nigerian this summer.

After scoring 18 goals in 38 appearances for French outfit Lille, the striker joined Napoli in 2020 in a deal worth a reported €81.3m (£70.6m).

During his time with the Azzurri, the 23-year-old has found the net 28 times in 62 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with nine assists along the way. This season saw the striker score 18 goals and supply six assists in 32 appearances across Serie A and the Europa League, which shows why United are after him.

To further highlight how deadly an attacking threat he is, only Lautaro Martinez and Paulo Dybala ended the recent Serie A campaign with a higher rate of shots per 90 minutes than the Nigerian.

Labelled a “phenomenal” player by Walter Mazzarri, Osimhen has also been described by Napoli team-mate Alex Meret as a figure with “enormous potential”.

Imagine him & Bruno

Taking into account the Napoli star’s clear attacking talent, he certainly has what it takes to form a scary duo at Old Trafford alongside Bruno Fernandes.

Having ended the recent Premier League season with significantly more shot-creating actions (145) than any other player in United’s squad, the Portuguese midfielder definitely has the ability to provide Osimhen with plenty of goalscoring opportunities if the latter were to make the move to Manchester this summer.

Also, with the 27-year-old racking up the third-highest average of key passes per game in the Premier League this season (2.5), he could give the Napoli marksman the platform to thrive in England as a deadly goalscorer.

Given Osimhen’s knack for finding the net, he and Fernandes could be a match made in heaven for United and Erik ten Hag once the 2022/23 season kicks off.

Whilst reportedly having a rather hefty price tag of £100m, this could be an investment worth making for the Manchester club given the Nigerian’s rather young age and the prospect of him being a long-term feature for the Red Devils.

In other news: MUFC eyeing £50m dynamo who’s “a nightmare for defenders”, he’s better than Rashford

Fabio Bergomi has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Alessandro Bastoni.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with Calciomercato, the Italian journalist revealed that, despite Antonio Conte calling the 23-year-old on a daily basis in a bid to convince him of a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Inter Milan centre-back does not want to leave the Serie A side this summer.

However, Bergomi did go on to claim a source has revealed that, as a result of the Nerazzurri’s ongoing financial difficulties, Simone Inzaghi and the Inter Milan transfer team may be left with no other option than to cash in on the £54m talent in the coming months.

Regarding the future of Italy international, the journalist said: “Unfortunately, they told me that the expendable one could be Alessandro Bastoni himself. Conte is calling him every day, he doesn’t want to go, but this is the situation.”

Conte will be buzzing

While it is true that Bergomi does suggest Bastoni is not overly keen on the idea of a move to England this summer, the journalist’s claim that the 23-year-old could be forced out by Inter is sure to be news that will have Conte buzzing.

Indeed, it is clear to see that the £60m-rated defender is both the 52-year-old manager and Fabio Paratici’s primary target for Spurs’ signing of a new left-sided centre-back this summer, and, considering his returns for the Nerazzurri this season, it is not difficult to understand why.

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Over his 31 Serie A fixtures in 2021/22, the £122k-per-week talent was dominant on the left of Inter’s three-man defence, helping his side keep eight clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 tackles, 1.8 clearances and winning 4.1 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per game.

The 11-time capped international also chipped in going forwards, scoring one goal, providing three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 50.5 passes, 4.0 long balls and 0.5 key passes per outing.

These returns saw the 23-year-old average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Inzaghi’s eighth-best performer in the league.

As such, Bergomi’s suggestion that Bastoni may be forced into a move to north London is sure to delight everyone involved with Tottenham, as it is evident that the Italian wonderkid would make an exceptional addition to Conte’s current options at the back.

AND in other news: Contact made: Romano reveals Spurs talks for 8-figure “wonderkid”, he’s “unbelievable”

Aston Villa are reportedly in the running to sign Burnley defender James Tarkowski this summer, according to reports.

What’s the word?

As per the Daily Mail, the Midlands side have been named as one of a handful of clubs who are interested in the 29-year-old, with the player set to be available on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract in June.

The Clarets had held firm on their asset in January to thwart any potential interest from Premier League rivals, although now appear set to lose the centre-back for nothing, with the Turf Moor outfit’s drop into the second tier likely to only heighten the £19.8m-rated man’s desire to depart.

Alongside interest from Steven Gerrard’s men, however, newly-promoted Fulham and Everton are also in the running for his signature, as per the report.

Instant upgrade

Not only would his arrival prove something of a coup owing to its bargain nature – particularly as he had been valued at roughly £50m just under two years ago – securing the services of the two-cap England international would also prove an instant fix to try and solve the club’s defensive woes.

Villa’s final day defeat at the Etihad saw the visitors ship three goals in the space of just five minutes to squander a 2-0 lead and hand their hosts the title, with those efforts also ensuring that Gerrard’s charges ended the campaign with 54 goals conceded – the tenth worst record in the division.

That is in fact a marginally worse record than that of Burnley, even though the Lancashire side suffered relegation, with it having largely been problems at the other end of the pitch that had culminated in relegation for Mike Jackson’s men.

Amid that difficult campaign, the £70k-per-week Tarkowski still boasted some impressive statistics, averaging 5.2 clearances per game, as well as 1.4 interceptions and 1.8 tackles, while also winning an impressive 68% of his total duels.

Compared to centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues, he also ranks in the top 1% for blocks and aerial duels won, as well as in the top 3% for clearances made, while also proving himself more than just a defensive asset as he ranked in the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area and in the top 17% for progressive passes received.

A real solid presence at the back – having been labelled a “rock” by journalist Alex James – the former Brentford man is a defender first and foremost, with his arrival at Villa Park likely to allow the creative, attacking talent ahead of him to shine with less concern about having a leaky defence.

Current skipper Tyrone Mings has been the notable source of blame this season, with pundit Danny Mills suggesting that there is “a mistake in his game somewhere”, with the 29-year-old notably ranking in just the top 44% for aerial duels won among players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues, as well as in just the top 82% for tackles made.

Those statistics make pretty grim reading, with it clear that an upgrade is needed for Gerrard next season, with Tarkowski seemingly the man to do the job.

AND in other news: “Villa would…”: Gregg Evans drops huge transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Everton have secured safety in the Premier League ahead of their final game of the season after a difficult relegation battle and this afternoon the Toffees will travel to North London to play Arsenal.

Frank Lampard will be going into his first comfortable game since arriving at Goodison Park in January and can go into the clash against top four chasing Arsenal knowing that he has successfully completed the great escape from relegation to the Championship this season.

In terms of injury updates, Fabian Delph and Yerry Mina have both been confirmed as unavailable for the final game, and with Delph out of contract this summer it means that his outing against Watford may have been his last performance in an Everton shirt.

Andros Townsend and Nathan Patterson remain sidelined with long term injury issues, whilst Salomon Rondon will continue to see out his three-match suspension making him unavailable for selection for today’s game.

With that being said, this is how Football FanCast expects Everton to line up this afternoon…

We expect that Lampard will make just two changes to the team that beat Crystal Palace earlier this week, changing to a 4-3-3 formation.

The first change we predict is the introduction of Anwar El Ghazi who hasn’t been given the opportunity to show what he can offer to the Toffees since he joined on loan from Aston Villa in January, playing just 11 minutes over the last five months.

El Ghazi who was hailed “remarkable” by pundit Adrian Clarke, will unlikely feature on the wing as Anthony Gordon and Richarlison are likely to keep their spots, but could appear in an advanced midfield role if the Everton boss decides to give the player a chance to make his mark, replacing Andre Gomes.

We expect 28-year-old Gomes who was dubbed a “walking red card” by Greg O’Keeffe to lose his spot in the selection to make way for Donny van de Beek’s return to the side after being out with injury issues since the beginning of March, and will play alongside Alex Iwobi to complete the midfield three.

With safety secured it would be the perfect opportunity for Lampard to give opportunities to players that have been rarely seen but he will also want to end the season on a high by causing an upset at the Emirates against Arsenal who will be desperate to take all three points from the clash to keep their Champions League dreams alive for next season.

AND in other news: Lampard plotting Everton bid for £158k-p/w dynamo, he’d be a “joy to watch” 

Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Steve McClaren will return to Manchester United as part of Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag contact

Ten Hag was announced as United’s new manager last month, penning a deal through to 2025 at Old Trafford. Since then, he appears to have been working quietly on his backroom staff in England, with McClaren’s name coming up in conversation.

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The Dutchman reportedly had a ‘direct conversation’ with McClaren over a ‘possible role’, and it looks as if the 61-year-old, most recently with Derby County, will now join United once again.

The Latest: Romano’s updates

Romano has taken to Twitter in recent days to provide an update on Ten Hag’s coaching staff. He revealed on Thursday evening that Ajax assistant Mitchell van der Gaag has reached a full agreement to join Ten Hag in England.

Romano added that there was ‘also’ a chance McClaren would return to Old Trafford and then revealed on Friday morning that the club are indeed now preparing a contract for Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant.

The Verdict: Smart move?

McClaren had plenty of success during his first stint with the Red Devils and was part of the famous treble winners in 1998/99.

He’ll also know all about Ten Hag after they worked together at FC Twente for 50 games, so should be able to help the Dutchman settle in at Old Trafford, making it a shrewd move.

It looks as if both Van der Gaag and McClaren will sign their deals over the coming days and weeks, and who knows, there may well be a few more backroom staff additions to come ahead of a busy summer in the transfer market.

In other news: Man Utd now working to sign ‘underrated’ defender in £38.5m move; offer ‘imminent’

Frank Lampard could be heading for his first big Everton disaster in the coming months, and we’re not talking about the immediate threat of relegation.

It’s no secret that the Toffees have had a horrendous season, and even remaining in the Premier League for next year surely won’t appease the fans as urgent change is needed on the pitch to get them back to where they belong.

With Lampard looking to strengthen, the onus might be on him to focus more on the players whose contracts are due to expire, with Yerry Mina being the obvious choice to tie down to a long-term deal.

The £18m-rated centre back has only played 12 times in the league this season, but Everton have lost just four of those matches, compared to the other 15 defeats without his presence in the team.

The Colombian has had his injury problems, but whenever he has featured, he has largely been excellent, with former Toffees player Don Hutchison describing him as a “rock” against Chelsea in the 1-0 victory last weekend.

Over his 12 league matches this season, Mina is in the 90th percentile for both blocks (2.20 per 90) and aerials won (3.95) among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, showing just how much of an asset he has been during his limited game-time in the current campaign.

His performance against Chelsea gathered further praise from journalist Patrick Boyland, who claimed that Mina was “a joy to behold”, and Lampard should be putting plans in motion to keep the Colombian at the club on a long-term deal.

This could, of course, depend on Everton’s Premier League status next season. Mina should be playing at a higher level, and relegation to the Championship could mean the end for the 27-year-old as an Everton player.

AND in other news, Lampard must brutally axe “clumsy” £120k-p/w Everton dud, he’s bleeding them dry

According to a report from SBI Soccer, Newcastle United could be ready to make a move for Celtic loan sensation Cameron Carter-Vickers this summer. 

The lowdown: Deal to be done

Signed on loan for the duration of the 2021/22 campaign from Tottenham Hotspur, it’s understood the Hoops have an option to buy the 24-year-old this summer.

It would take a reported £10million (£6m initial) to bring Carter-Vickers to Parkhead on a permanent basis following what has been a superb season for the man called the ‘best player in Scotland’ by Chris Sutton.

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However, the deal has become less straightforward in recent weeks as a number of Premier League suitors have emerged…

The latest: Newcastle keen

As per SBI Soccer, newly mega-rich Newcastle United have ‘joined the list’ of clubs interested in the eight-cap USA ace.

It’s claimed that a ‘source close to the player’ has informed the American outlet that Southampton and newly-promoted Fulham are also in the mix to sign the centre-back.

Furthermore, the report states that Carter-Vickers – who was recently praised for his ‘outstanding’ form at Lennoxtown by Bhoys left-back Greg Taylor –  ‘could prove too expensive’ for Celtic.

The verdict: Act fast

Given the ace’s stellar campaign for Ange Postecoglou’s side, it’s perhaps no surprise that there would be interest from beyond Glasgow in the powerful defender.

Overall this season, Carter-Vickers has rated 7.39/10 whilst being part of 16 clean sheets across 31 Scottish Premiership outings, successfully completing 78.5 passes, 4.3 clearances and 5.8 total duels on average per game (Sofascore), conclusive evidence of his importance to the Celtic title charge.

Still just 24 and with strong aerial and passing ability (WhoScored), the American star has what it takes to succeed at the top level and therefore the Celtic hierarchy must attempt to complete the £10million move at the earliest possible juncture.

In other news, journalist makes ‘massive’ claim involving Celtic man. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur remain in the mix to sign Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez this summer, according to a reliable source.

The Lowdown: Spurs make 2021 bid…

Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici, setting his sights on the Argentine last summer, reportedly had a fee agreed to sign Inter’s striker in 2021 (The Times).

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The Premier League top four chasers ended up missing out on Martinez after Romelu Lukaku’s marquee sale to Chelsea, prompting a full U-turn over the South American’s move to north London.

Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte has set his sights on a new forward as back up for star man Harry Kane alongside other targets (The Telegraph), and despite their failed attempt last year, it appears Spurs are still in the mix for Martinez.

The Latest: Tottenham eye move…

According to a reliable source in The Times and journalist Gary Jacob, Paratici and co ‘retain’ their interest in the San Siro star as they eye a 2022 move.

However, it is also believed they have ‘other priorities’ and are ‘quietly confident’ Kane will stay at Hotspur Way next season.

The Verdict: Push forward?

The 37-cap forward would undoubtedly be a brilliant signing for Conte and could seriously bolster their options.

Hailed as a ‘beast’ by his former teammate Lukaku, his quality is perhaps best summed up a once sky high valuation, with Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio refusing to sell for anything less than his former £100 million release clause at one point (The Daily Mail).

Now that the cash-strapped European heavyweights have ‘signalled their intention’ to sell for around £60-70 million, Tottenham simply must consider take advantage of this major price drop by pushing forward with a bid.

Conte will need proof of Spurs’ ambition if he is to remain at N17 for 2022/2023 and attempting a move for his former star could well be a display of intent.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke claims the Italian is a ‘big fan’ of Martinez alongside Paratici and Spurs should certainly weigh backing Conte with a summer swoop.

In other news: Source: Conte now green-lights exit for ‘perfect’ Spurs player who ‘100%’ wants to quit! Find out more here.