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Tottenham Hotspur letting go of talisman Harry Kane this summer and installing Richarlison as their main number nine would be an error of judgement, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Harry Kane and Richarlison?

Kane continues to be linked with a move away from Spurs this summer, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich all having shown reported interest in the England international.

On the subject of Manchester United's attraction towards the 29-year-old, former Spurs and Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has suggested in an interview that Kane could ruin his legacy in north London by leaving his boyhood club, as per BBC Sport, stating: "I can understand and can relate to his situation. I feel for him, but at the same time, I think he is going to stay at Spurs. His legacy now is so great that he cannot force himself to tarnish it – when you say Spurs, it is Harry Kane and when you say Harry Kane, it is Spurs."

In 2022/23, Kane has registered 29 goals and five assists in 47 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt; however, his future remains uncertain in N17, as his contract is set to expire in June 2024 and he hasn't committed to signing an extension as of yet.

If the London-born forward does chose to leave in the off-season, journalist Jones thinks that replacing Kane's ability to lead the line with Tottenham attacker Richarlison wouldn't be a good idea, after seeing Richarlison has been mooted as a replacement for him.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones said: "I think it'd be a massive risk to go with Richarlison as your nine if you're not replacing Harry Kane when he leaves. But at the same time, Richarlison's not a bad player, he just hasn't had a good first year. It's not the first player that's ever gone into a club and not settled straight away. I would still say that there's a chance Richarlison can come good. If you're going to bank on him as you're number nine, you've kind of got to change the setup of the team, you've got to play a little bit differently. He might play differently if he was told he was going to be the main man if he wasn't constantly trying to live up to Harry Kane, then that might change things too."

Would Richarlison be able to fill the shoes of Harry Kane at Tottenham?

Probably not to the same extent, though Richarlison is still a good player that should be given another chance next campaign to really get his Tottenham career up and running.

All in, the Brazil international has featured 33 times for Tottenham in all competitions and managed to bag himself three goals and four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Richarlison's ability to work hard as part of his team is never in doubt. According to FBRef, the 26-year-old has performed well in relation to his positional peers in the art of successful aerial duels won across the last 365 days, obtaining around 1.07 per 90 minutes, meaning he ranks in the top 9% in this metric across Europe's top five divisions.

Mundo Deportivo via The Liverpool Echo cited last year that Richarlison won praise from Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, who said: “He is a modern and complete forward, not very sharp on his feet but coordinated and with great synchronization in the area. He is also strong with his head, although he is not a giant. For me, he is among the best forwards.”

Despite this, it would be wise for Spurs to enter the market for a forward this summer if Kane does depart the club, as they would need multiple attacking options to ease the prospective blow of losing their star man.

Burnley are already being linked with a plethora of new players following their Championship title win but Vincent Kompany's priority should be keeping Manchester City loanee Taylor Harwood-Bellis at the club on a permanent basis.

Could Burnley sign Harwood-Bellis this summer?

Following previous loan spells with Blackburn Rovers, Anderlecht and Stoke City, Burnley signed the 21-year-old on loan from Kompany's former side in the summer of 2022.

Now, the Clarets want to sign him permanently as they look to bolster their defensive options ahead of a return to the Premier League but could face competition from West Ham United, Fulham and Newcastle United according to Football Insider.

Despite all three being established Premier League sides, they claim that Burnley are now well-placed to sign the Englishman should he become available this summer, as he has just one year left on his contract at the Etihad, which could force the Citizens to sell.

Should Harwood-Bellis be Kompany's number one priority?

It is easy to see why Kompany would want him permanently as he starred at Turf Moor this season, averaging a superb 7.07 rating from WhoScored across his 32 Championship appearances, which ranks him as the fourth-best performer in Burnley's squad.

At 21, he is far from the finished article and certainly has the defensive qualities to be a success in the top division, having ranked first for interceptions per game and second for clearances per game in the Clarets' squad, while he was also dribbled past just 0.2 times per game on average in the Championship.

Former Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray identified these qualities early into Harwood-Bellis' career and sang his praises during his spell at Ewood Park.

He said: “Taylor has a defensive instinct, a warrior attitude and he’s someone who wants to win headers and tackles. He wants to engage, he’s composed on the ball and has a lot of really good attributes."

Another name that has been heavily linked with Burnley in recent weeks is Arsenal midfielder, Albert Sambi Lokonga.

The Belgian youngster worked under Kompany at Anderlecht, where he likened him to Yaya Toure, and has experience in the top flight with the Gunners and Crystal Palace, where he spent the second half of this season on loan.

However, his performances in the top flight this term do little to suggest that he could be a big success at Turf Moor, as he averaged 6.42 and 6.28 ratings from WhoScored with Palace and Arsenal, mustering just 15 appearances in the top flight in total.

Therefore, if Kompany is presenting a shortlist of names to chairman Alan Pace this summer, then Harwood-Bellis should surely be at the very top, as it is clear that he already has what it takes to be a success at Turf Moor.

Liverpool are thought to be one of six Premier League clubs who are keen on signing Roma striker Tammy Abraham in the summer transfer window.

Could Abraham quit Roma this summer?

The 25-year-old's future has been a key talking point of late, with a move away from his current club potentially on the cards this summer. He has struggled to repeat his 2021/22 performances, when he scored 17 times in Serie A, only finding the net on eight occasions in the competition this time around.

Abraham isn't out of contract at Roma until 2026, but this summer could be a natural time to part ways, benefiting all parties in the process. For the player himself, a return to England could appeal, while Jose Mourinho could be willing to get good money for the attacker, using the funds on new signings.

Liverpool are hopefully about to embark on a memorable summer in the transfer market, making new additions all over the pitch, and with Roberto Firmino leaving, a new striker coming in isn't out of the question.

Are Liverpool in the mix to sign Abraham?

According to a report from Spain, the Reds are one of six Premier League teams who are battling each other for the £93,000-a-week striker's signature. Also in the conversation are fellow big-six clubs Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, but high-flying pair Newcastle United and Aston Villa are also thought to be in the mix.

In truth, it would be a surprise to see Liverpool make a move for Abraham this summer – despite previously being hailed as a "goal machine" by former player Stephen Elliott – considering the money he would likely cost, and the fact that their transfer budget needs to be spent wisely on midfield and defensive additions.

While Firmino is departing, as mentioned, Jurgen Klopp will still have Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez to call upon in attack next season, which should be enough depth, assuming the same injury woes don't affect them next season.

Abraham is a good player who could be an effective signing for one of Liverpool's rivals – he was once described as "Didier Drogba-esque" by Rio Ferdinand – but it is hard to see how he would enjoy regular playing time at Anfield, considering just how much competition for minutes there already is.

For that reason, he would be better off joining a different Premier League club, while the Reds would be wise not to spend big on someone they don't really need.

Tottenham Hotspur were leapfrogged in the Premier League standings as their poor run of form continued at the helm of Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp’s side showed no mercy as they put three goals past the north London outfit inside the opening 15 minutes and it looked as if Spurs were heading for a repeat of their defensive disasterclass at Newcastle United, where they shipped five goals within 20 minutes.

However, Ryan Mason’s side were able to somewhat restrict the Reds in front of goal from there on out. Harry Kane managed to get one back before the break and then Heung-min Son added another late on.

Spurs nearly registered another impressive comeback when substitute Richarlison popped up with what seemed to be the equaliser in the 93rd minute but Diogo Jota had other ideas after an absolute gift from Lucas Moura set him through to snag the winner seconds later.

The loss all but shatters the prospect of the Lilywhites finishing in the top four this season, having slipped down to sixth place – two points behind their opposition, who still have a game in hand.

Meanwhile, it was another shocking outing from Cristian Romero in the heart of defence…

How did Cristian Romero play vs Liverpool?

The 25-year-old centre-back has been on one heck of a decline since his World Cup triumph in Qatar, where he lifted the trophy with Argentina back in December.

In a chaotic opening quarter-of-an-hour, Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville was quick to lambast Romero, as well as his defensive partner Eric Dier, as he claimed they were an “absolute shambles” and suggested they were “all over the place.”

Defensively, the €55m (£50m) signing was a “liability” – as described by Sky Sports presenter Dougie Critchley – as he failed to win more than three duels, a success rate of just 50%, which suggests that he struggled to combat the threat on offer from Liverpool’s tricky frontline.

Romero, who misplaced as many as eight passes, was also at fault for the Merseyside outfit’s third goal as he took down Cody Gakpo with a piece of “diabolical” defending, in the eyes of Jamie Redknapp, which allowed Mohamed Salah to step up and convert his 28th goal of the season.

At the other end of the pitch, the aggressive Argentine failed to convert a rare opportunity to score as his flick over Allison hit the post, resulting in an expected goals (xG) ratio of 0.47, via Sofascore. Kane’s effort came in at a lower 0.37, so it was a major chance wasted.

It’s hard to argue against Romero costing Spurs points once again – he proved to be his typical overly-aggressive and calamitous self, a far cry from the player we witnessed before the winter break.

Telegraph reporter Sam Dean took to Twitter during the match to criticise the £165k-per-week star. He said: “Cristian Romero’s decline in form over the past few months has been wild. Presumably it’s linked in some way to the World Cup. He’s a 25-year-old Argentina international and he’s playing like a reckless teenager.”

Whilst Moura’s pathetic backpass practically handed Liverpool the three points, it was Romero’s early showing that had Spurs on the backfoot early doors yet again and ultimately that’s what cost the team, leaking another four poor goals.

Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Davinson Sanchez has been labelled "dreadful" by journalist Kevin Palmer, in the wake of his performance in the 3-2 defeat against AFC Bournemouth at the weekend.

What's the latest on Davinson Sanchez?

Sanchez was brought on as a first-half substitute for the injured Clement Lenglet on Saturday, but the defender suffered the ignominy of being taken off again just before the hour mark, with Arnaut Danjuma taking his place.

Interim manager Cristian Stellini insisted that it was a "tactical decision" to replace the centre-back so soon after coming on, as he wanted to "recover the game" by bringing on additional attacking options.

It was a bad day at the office for the defender, who was booed by Spurs fans for what they deemed to be an unacceptable performance, and members of the media were also quick to criticise him.

Taking to Twitter during the game, Palmer made it clear he thinks Tottenham will need to bring in better players if they are to stand any chance of competing for major honours, while he also appeared to take a swipe at Eric Dier.

The journalist said: "When you consider Tottenham paid £42million for Davinson Sanchez, he has to go down as one of their most expensive mistakes. A dreadful defender who has been on big money for SIX years. They will never succeed with such Dier players in their squad."

Should Tottenham sell Davinson Sanchez?

The 26-year-old struggled to get to grips with the game yesterday afternoon, receiving a 6.2 Sofascore match rating, the joint-lowest of any player, and in truth, he has been poor for the vast majority of the season.

Having made just 15 appearances in the Premier League this season, many of those coming as a substitute, the £65k-per-week Colombian has been a peripheral figure in the squad, despite Spurs having the seventh-worst defensive record in the league.

The inability to displace the likes of Clement Lenglet could be in part due to Sanchez's "awful decision-making" at times earlier on in the season, while in the recent trip to Everton he failed to win a single one of the three duels he contested, both on the ground and in the air.

If Spurs want to become Champions League regulars once again, they will need to bring in new reinforcements at centre-back this summer, as their defence has let them down on far too many occasions this season.

Leeds fans may have lost faith in Georginio Rutter to keep their side in the Premier League this season but Javi Gracia could possess the ideal replacement in Sonny Perkins.

Could Sonny Perkins keep Leeds in the Premier League?

After failing to score or assist in three starts and five substitute appearances at Elland Road, rumours are quickly beginning to swirl about Rutter’s morale.

The 20-year-old joined the Whites in a club-record £35.5m deal in January, joining on a five-and-a-half-year deal having starred in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim.

Despite his age and Hoffenheim’s struggles this season, the Frenchman had managed an impressive 11 goals and eight assists in 64 Bundesliga appearances, so it was easy to see why Leeds wanted to take a chance on his potential.

However, he is clearly struggling to adapt to the Premier League and reports have suggested that he is already regretting his move to Yorkshire, with Kicker claiming that he misses his former teammates and shed tears when he was told by his agent that he would be joining Leeds.

Although he was handed his first league start for the club in the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea last weekend, it is claimed that he isn’t happy with his game time at Elland Road.

Gracia needs players who are willing to fight and give everything for the shirt, and Rutter’s reported reaction suggests that he may not be up for a relegation battle.

In the absence of Rodrigo, the Spaniard has very few attacking options to choose from at Elland Road, especially as Patrick Bamford has just one goal in 17 Premier League appearances so far this term.

Leeds are not afraid to put their faith in youth, with Wilfried Gnonto, Sam Greenwood and Crysencio Summerville all featuring on a regular basis this season, which perhaps makes it more surprising that Perkins is yet to make his Premier League debut for the Whites.

The teenage forward, who joined from West Ham last summer, has nine goals in 17 appearances for the U21s and scored an important equaliser in the 2-2 draw against Cardiff City in the FA Cup in January.

His rampant form has drawn considerable praise, none more so than from Leeds U21 boss Michael Skubala, who noted after a brace against Aston Villa:

“Yeah he’s a goal machine, he loves scoring goals. He’s working on other parts of his game that he still needs to improve, but Sonny’s not had the best pre-season so he’s slowly becoming stronger and faster but two great finishes and that’s what Sonny’s all about.”

Leeds need goals if they are going to avoid dropping back to the Championship and if Rutter isn’t up to the task, surely Perkins should be given his opportunity to keep the club in the Premier League.

Gabriel Agbonlahor believes Tottenham Hotspur would have won their Champions League tie if they had James Maddison in their team.

The Lowdown: Spurs need wholesale changes

Spurs have now scored just four goals in their last six matches, drawing blanks in four of those games – and it all seems to be getting too much for some Tottenham fans.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Conte has a very strong chance of leaving Spurs come the end of the season, but if these poor performances and results persist, Daniel Levy may be forced into an earlier change.

Given Tottenham’s struggles in the final third, they clearly need help to create chances for players such as Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, which is where Premier League regular Maddison could soon come into the equation.

The Latest: Maddison could change Tottenham

After seeing Spurs register two shots on target against AC Milan, Agbonlahor touted Maddison – who’s been linked with Tottenham in the past – as someone who could’ve helped them win the game against the Italian champions.

He said: “You look at Spurs and Son’s playing within himself, Kulusevski comes inside all the time, they’re missing another winger who can get at a player, and, badly missing a number 10.

“Put Maddison in that team last night, they probably win the game.”

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The Verdict: Tottenham could go big in the summer

If Spurs were to try and land someone of Maddison’s ability, they may have to shell out ‘over £100m’ on the attacking midfielder according to Graeme Souness, but that price tag could well be justified if he was to hit the ground running at Spurs.

Since the start of the 2020/21 season, Maddison has been able to register 47 goal involvements in the Premier League alone, so he’s starting to show consistency and a level of maturity that suggests he could be a gamechanger.

It’s not just on the pitch where Maddison could help Spurs, but his infectious and ‘cheeky chappy’ personality could be what Tottenham need to get some life and creativity into the team, as it appears to have been sucked out of them under Conte.

In-form Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is the subject of interest from current Premier League leaders Arsenal, according to journalist Steve Kay.

The Lowdown: Watkins flying for Villa

The 27-year-old finds himself in a rich vein of form at the moment, proving to be one of Villa’s most influential players since Unai Emery took charge.

Watkins has scored eight goals and registered four assists in the league this season and he has found the net in each of his last five appearances.

The Englishman’s form doesn’t appear to be going unnoticed, however, which will be a concern for the Villans.

The Latest: Arsenal eyeing up move

Taking to Twitter, Kay claimed that Arsenal see Watkins as a potential transfer target during the summer transfer window:

“Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is one of the strikers that Arsenal have been keeping a close eye on as a possible summer signing according to sources. Arteta is a massive admirer of the England International, who recently praised the forward in the away win against Villa.”

The Verdict: Could be hard to say no

In truth, it is understandable to see why Watkins’ head would be turned by a potential move to Arsenal this summer, given the quality they are performing with currently.

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Mikel Arteta has built an extremely exciting young squad that is pushing for Premier League glory and the Villa man could be seen as a big upgrade on Eddie Nketiah.

The £75,000-a-week Watkins certainly has the attributes to shine for Arsenal, not only scoring regularly this season but also working hard and pressing from the front, and he has been hailed as a ‘record breaker’ by journalist Gregg Evans for the recent scoring run.

The hope is that he sees his long-term future at Villa, of course – his current deal expires in 2025 – and that he continues to spearhead the Emery era.

Newcastle United have reportedly scouted Bristol City central midfielder Alex Scott ahead of a potential move this summer.

The Lowdown: Midfielder needed

Newcastle will be looking for a new midfielder this summer, with reports that both Matty Longstaff and Matt Ritchie are expected to leave St. James’ Park after their contracts expire.

They have already been linked with moves for the likes of Anton Stach, Conor Gallagher and Gabri Veiga, but a new target has emerged on their shortlist.

The Latest: Scott interest

As per The Daily Mirror, scouts in the North East are ‘running checks’ on Scott ahead of the next window, while Wolves, AFC Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Crystal Palace are also thought to be interested in his signature.

The report adds that the Tynesiders are ‘ready to enter the race’ for the Englishman, who is regarded as ‘one of the brightest young talents in the country’.

Scott ‘fits the profile’ of who the Magpies are targeting, as they want to sign players who are ready for the Premier League but also have plenty of room for development.

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The Verdict: Get it done

With Jonjo Shelvey being allowed to move to Nottingham Forest in the January transfer window as well, Eddie Howe has room for a new midfielder in his squad.

Nicknamed the ‘Guernsey Grealish‘ after his place of birth and likening to the Manchester City and England star, Scott is rated highly, having also been lauded as ‘deadly’ and ‘different class’ by his team-mate Kal Naismith.

At just 19 years of age, he has already played 80 times for Bristol City, scoring five goals and supplying a further seven assists (Transfermarkt), and has the extra versatility to be able to play anywhere across the middle of the park.

Nonetheless, given how in-demand Scott is likely to be this summer, it is imperative that the Magpies get this deal done as soon as possible.

Wolves have been linked with Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott recently and Matt Hobbs should look to bring him to Molineux after his superb performance in the FA Cup at the weekend.

John Percy of The Telegraph claimed in the early stages of January that Wolves had “been in talks” with Bristol City over a move for the midfielder, although may have to pay £25m in order to secure a deal.

Julen Lopetegui’s side have already brought in Matheus Cunha, Pablo Sarabia, Craig Dawson, Mario Lemina and Daniel Bentley this month, and could potentially return to Ashton Gate ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

If Wolves do retain an interest in signing the 19-year-old this month, there is no doubt that scouts will have been in attendance at Bristol City’s impressive 3-0 win over West Brom on Saturday and if they were, they will have been very impressed with Scott’s performance.

As per Sofascore, the talented midfielder would earn a superb 8/10 rating for his display, which ranked him as the best outfield player on the pitch from both sides.

The teenager would make it 2-0 in the first half after Mark Sykes’ assist, while he also contributed two key passes, one big chance created and an impressive 91% pass accuracy during the FA Cup tie.

Following the game, Nigel Pearson made a bold claim about the youngster, suggesting that he believes that it won’t be long before we see him in a Three Lions shirt.

He said: “Such is my faith in Alex that I believe he could go on to play for England.”

Suddenly, the Robins’ £25m asking price does not seem so excessive and it could prove a shrewd investment by the Old Gold, especially given the lack of homegrown talents currently in Lopetegui’s squad.

Scott has long been tipped for the top, with pathway manager Brian Tinnion singing his praises when he broke into Bristol City’s senior squad as a 17-year-old.

He commented: “His work rate and his desire to learn has been unbelievable. To start every single Championship game so far as a 17-year-old is excellent.

“He has every single attribute you would want in a professional footballer. He can tackle, he’s great with both feet, he can head the ball, his delivery is good and his overall quality is great.

“He lets his football do the talking and he’s getting better all the time. We are really excited about his future.”
Saturday’s strong performance was not a one-off for Scott, as he boasts four assists in the second tier so far this campaign, averaging a strong 6.81 rating from WhoScored in his 27 appearances thus far.
Therefore, with time running out before the deadline and Scott’s reputation only expected to grow, Wolves should definitely consider a move for the teenager this month.