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According to The Sun, Man United and Chelsea are set to battle it out for Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen in the summer. 

This comes after Spanish giants Real Madrid have pulled out due to Tottenham’s valuation of the midfielder.

Now the debate surrounding Eriksen at Tottenham will seemingly endure for the rest of the season. On one hand, if the Denmark international is not going to sign a new contract at Tottenham, they will want to sell him at the end of the season. With a year and a half remaining on his contract, they will definitely not want him to leave for free.

Moreover, with the money that comes from the sale of Eriksen, the club could invest in bringing in a number of players to plug holes elsewhere on the field. Seeing as this could be quite a large sum, this means Tottenham could seriously bolster their team.

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However, as the weekend’s result against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup showed, Tottenham seem to be completely lost without Eriksen in attack. Of course, there were a large number of stars absent against The Eagles, but there is a correlation between Eriksen’s absence and how turgid Spurs’ attack looks. His ability to find space and transition play from defence to attack is like no other at Tottenham, and they simply do not have a player like him at all.

Unless they manage to replace such a unique and crucial player, Tottenham could be hurt by his departure. With every game that passes, it looks like Tottenham need Eriksen more and more, and the club should think about giving him the bumper contract that he desires.

A contract update has now emerged on Antonio Conte’s reported pursuit to sign Stefan de Vrij for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: de Vrij interest

As per Fichajes, de Vrij is edging ‘closer and closer’ to Spurs, and Football Insider have claimed that the Inter Milan central defender is open to joining his former manager Conte in North London, reportedly telling his friends that he is ‘keen’ on the idea.

Of course, de Vrij is a player Conte knows very well, given that the Netherlands international played in 88 games in total under him over two seasons, scoring five goals and making a further five assists (Transfermarkt), and winning the Serie A title last term.

Thus, a move to the Lilywhites in the January transfer window or in the summer is something that would not come as a huge surprise, as more reports come in of their interest.

The Latest: Agent talks

According to FC Inter News, agent Mino Raiola is set to hold talks with Inter over de Vrij’s future ‘in the next few hours’, with his contract at the San Siro expiring in 2023.

The news outlet states that ‘there is talk’ of Conte and THFC being ‘on his tracks’ in the summer, as well as Newcastle United, who have now been acquired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF).

However, there is still a possibility that de Vrij could renew his contract, as Raiola meets to discuss Inter’s intentions.

The Verdict: N0-brainer

Given that Conte already knows de Vrij, and has been playing left-back Ben Davies as a left-sided centre-back in recent games, it would be a no-brainer for Tottenham to sign him up, as he would be a perfect fit.

Dubbed a ‘world class’ player recently by former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson, de Vrij was key in Inter’s title-winning campaign, playing in 32 matches in the Serie A in total.

He would certainly be a big upgrade on Davies at centre-half too, given that he has averaged more clearances, blocks and passes at a higher success rate than the Wales international in their respective domestic leagues so far this season (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, at 29 years of age, de Vrij is at his peak, and so now would present the perfect opportunity to sign him up.

In other news, find out which ‘unplayable’ Premier League star THFC could make an offer for here!

The search for Ralf Rangnick’s long-term successor at Manchester United has already begun, with Italy manager Roberto Mancini emerging as a ‘wildcard candidate’.

What’s the story?

Rangnick is yet to take charge of his first United game after arriving at the club as an interim manager until the end of the season before taking up a consultancy role for the subsequent two years.

However, talk has already turned to who could replace the 63-year-old next summer, and The Telegraph’s James Ducker has revealed that Mancini is one candidate under consideration from the Red Devils’ hierarchy.

He tweeted: “Roberto Mancini has emerged as a wildcard candidate to take over at #mufc next summer depending, among other things, on how the situation with Italy unfolds. They have the World Cup play-offs to navigate in March.”

Man Utd could find perfect Rangnick heir

Current Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino appears to be one of the favourites to take over the reins following the conclusion of 2021/22 due to the Argentine tactician having many admirers at Old Trafford.

Nevertheless, Mancini could be the perfect heir for Rangnick when he moves to the boardroom and has far more experience and boasts a more impressive CV than his South American counterpart.

The 57-year-old has managed an array of elite-level clubs, including United’s local rivals Manchester City between 2009 and 2013, winning a whopping 14 major honours throughout his illustrious managerial career.

Mancini’s trophy collection contains the European Championship, three Serie A titles, four Italian Cups, one Premier League crown and an FA Cup.

In comparison, Pochettino has only claimed one French Cup and one French Super Cup with PSG, failing to win the Ligue 1 title last term despite having a fair superior playing squad and budget.

For a large portion of the Old Trafford outfit’s fanbase, Mancini’s ties with the Citizens may be hard to forget, but his credentials as a top-level coach cannot be overlooked.

And the Azzurri’s eye-catching displays during Euro 2020 showcased how the Italian has updated his previously defensive-first approach into the modern era.

Italy constantly pressed their hapless opponents high up the pitch and attacked with verve, with full-backs Leonardo Spinazzola and Giovanni Di Lorenzo often appearing to play more like wingers.

Therefore, Mancini could prove to be the ideal candidate to continue working towards Rangnick’s vision next season even if some supporters find it hard to forgive his previous connections.

And, in other news…Forget AWB: Ralf must seal Man Utd swoop for “electric” £16.2m-rated “constant threat” 

Writing for The Guardian, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has lifted the lid on a fresh bid being prepared as Tottenham Hotspur grow ‘increasingly confident’ of signing Wolves star Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs getting closer?

After being in negotiations for a while, with Matt Law of The Telegraph even claiming there was an attempt to agree a loan move, Spurs appear to edging closer to the signing of Traore.

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Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte has apparently mapped out a key role for the Spaniard in his squad as he aims to re-mould Traore into a right-wing-back, akin to how he transformed Victor Moses at former club Chelsea (The Athletic).

Reliable reporters Alasdair Gold of football.london and Tim Spiers of The Athletic both believe that Tottenham could strike an agreement for the 25-year-old, and this news is now backed by Romano.

The Latest: Romano shares big Traore update…

According to the Italian journalist for The Guardian, Tottenham are ‘increasingly confident’ of landing Traore and are ‘preparing a new bid’ for one of Conte’s top targets.

This comes after ‘fresh talks were held on Friday’, with Wolves apparently accepting that he will not renew his current Molineux deal, which as it stands is set to expire in 2023.

Discussions are now aimed at a breakthrough after the north Londoners’ initial £15m offer was rejected.

The Verdict: Brilliant potential first signing…

As all signs continue to point to Traore’s arrival in north London before January 31, we believe that he may well be a brilliant potential first acquisition for Conte. Once valued at a sky-high £100m, Spurs could now sign a very exciting player for much less than that, as reports claim that his current club will sell for around £20m.

Football Insider pundit Noel Whelan certainly believes that the 25-year-old is the ideal capture for Tottenham transfer chief Fabio Paratici, claiming that Traore is a ‘game-changer’ and ‘match-winner’ with a real ‘excitement about him’.

Averaging a brilliant 4.2 successful take-ons per game in the Premier League this season, far more than any current Spurs player (WhoScored), it’s hard to disagree with Whelan’s assessment.

In other news: Spurs also reportedly ‘edging closer’ to signing ‘massive’ £15m defender, find out more here.

Everton writer for The Athletic Patrick Boyland has revealed the latest information in the Toffees’ pursuit of signing a right-back in the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

In The Athletic’s ‘Transfer Mailbag’ series, Boyland responded to a question from an Everton fan regarding the possibility of signing a right-back to challenge Seamus Coleman by saying: “That’s certainly our understanding currently — right-back is still an area of priority.

“They know it needs to be addressed and that they’re currently putting too much strain on Coleman.”

Boyland also revealed that they “continued to track Rangers’ Nathan Patterson even after the failed summer move” who “is the favourite as it stands.” Everton have also tracked “Aberdeen’s Calvin Ramsay and Metz’s Fabien Centonze” as well as Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles being mentioned.

Everton fans will be buzzing

Seamus Coleman, now 33 years of age, is approaching the 13th anniversary of when he first signed for the Merseyside club and is still their first-choice right-back by some margin with Jonjoe Kenny making just two Premier League appearances this term.

The Irishman is still a key player for Rafa Benitez’s side having played 13 league games this season. However, with the right-back approaching veteran status, it may be wise for the Everton hierarchy to start seeking out an eventual replacement.

After 13 years of loyal service, Coleman will certainly go down as a fan favourite at Goodison Park. That said, it’s no secret that he’s is approaching the end of his lengthy spell in the royal blue.

Performances this season have largely been under par, earning a SofaScore match rating of above 6.2 just twice in his last five matches. That highlights the club’s need for a replacement with it clear that Benitez doesn’t much fancy Kenny as Coleman’s long-term successor.

The 33-year-old’s contract expires in June 2023, meaning that the Irishman will go into the final year of his contract next season, should he still be an Everton player.

This should act as an alarm bell of Everton’s hierarchy who will surely opt against handing an ageing full-back a contract extension in six months’ time.

Therefore, the news that a right-back is a priority for Benitez and Moshiri should leave fans elated.

AND in other news, Benitez heading for unforgivable EFC transfer disaster on “cold” £40.5m-rated machine…

David Moyes could be without several first-team stars as his West Ham side host Dinamo Zagreb in their final game of the Europa League group stage this evening…

What’s the word?

The Irons may have already qualified for the knockout stages but they still have an unbeaten record to maintain heading into next year and they will be keen to put on a show in front of their fans at the London Stadium.

However, they may well have some key names missing ahead of kick-off as a whole host of players missed training on Wednesday, as relayed by football.london’s reliable reporter Tom Clark.

“Kurt Zouma was in the gym starting his rehab, Craig Dawson training alone, no sign of [Aaron] Cresswell or [Ryan] Fredericks at Rush Green,” he tweeted.

Further setbacks?

We already know that Zouma has joined Angelo Ogbonna on the long-term treatment table after the French summer signing was withdrawn early during Sunday’s impressive 3-2 win over Chelsea in the Premier League.  You can see how that affects the odds for West Ham with the best betting bonus offers available right now.

“His injury is likely to take 3-4 months to fully recover,” according to ExWHUemployee, whilst young full-back Ben Johnson is expected to be out for at least two weeks with a hamstring strain.

So to not have any of those three players going forward is certainly a devastating blow but it now appears as if the defensive injury crisis has somehow got even worse with a further trio of Hammers stars either training separately or not at all.

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Without Zouma and Ogbonna, it leaves Moyes with only two senior centre-backs, one of which being Dawson, so trained by himself, which is usually an indicator of some sort of injury problem. It could mean that the Scot has to dip into the academy to find a partner for the only remaining option, Issa Diop.

Similarly, not having first-choice left-back Aaron Cresswell available is concerning, though he has been out for several matches now, with Johnson filling in but with him now injured, it leaves only Arthur Masuaku. And on the other flank, it could only be Vladimir Coufal, with Ryan Fredericks missing, too.

Those around the London Stadium tonight may be hugely concerned when they read the teamsheet ahead of kick-off as it seems as if Moyes’s squad will look very weak on paper following Clark’s latest development.

Of course, the Irons are already through into the next round but many, including the manager, will want to keep up their unbeaten record and it will only add further doubt over the squad heading into Sunday’s clash with Burnley, where they will be looking to remain inside the top four in the Premier League.

This update is hugely worrying for supporters ahead of a very busy fixture list.

AND in other news, Newman could end West Ham’s striker nightmare with £10.35m-rated “absolute predator”…

Photo by Unsplash

Aston Villa could be interested in a deal to bring Glen Kamara to Villa Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by The Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell, who revealed in the comments section of a recent article of his that the Rangers midfielder could well be a target of the 41-year-old this winter, as the 26-year-old is a player who Gerrard is extremely fond of.

In response to a question asking whether the Villa boss could make a move for Kamara, Campbell said: “I would not be surprised if he came in for him as he loves him as a player.”

Villa must move

Considering just how impressive a player Kamara has developed into under the leadership of Gerrard at Ibrox, in addition to the fact that the midfielder would help facilitate a switch from Dean Smith’s favoured 3-5-2 setup to the 41-year-old’s preferred 4-3-3 formation, it would appear highly advisable for Johan Lange and his Aston Villa transfer team to make a move for the Finland international in January.

Indeed, over his 33 Scottish Premiership appearances last season, the £5.4m-rated midfielder scored one goal, registered one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an average of 60.6 passes, 1.1 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and winning 4.1 duels per game.

These returns saw the player who Gerrard himself dubbed a “fantastic” talent earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.99, playing a crucial role in the Light Blues’ unbeaten title-winning campaign.

Aside from Kamara’s impressive level of performance, Gerrard’s squad is also somewhat light of senior options in the middle of the park, something that could lead to the 41-year-old struggling to implement his 4-3-3 setup – another reason why Kamara would be an intelligent signing and a dream one for the new Villa boss in January.

However, whether or not Rangers will be willing to part with one of their most influential players this winter is another matter although, particularly when taking into account the Finnish star only signed a new deal that runs until 2025 in September.

In other news: Gerrard must seal first AVFC signing with swoop for “dangerous” £12.6m-rated machine

Fabrizio Romano has raised the possibility that Aston Villa’s Anwar El Ghazi could be included in a deal to sign Lucas Digne. 

The lowdown

According to the Italian journalist via Twitter, the Villans have been ‘working for days’ to agree a deal for the Everton left-back, whose future appears to lie away from Goodison Park after he had a row with Rafael Benitez and the Toffees went into the market to sign a £17m left-back in Vitaliy Mykolenko.

Meanwhile, El Ghazi – who joined Aston Villa permanently from Lille in 2019 after an initial loan spell – is into the final 18 months of his £31k-a-week contract. Transfermarkt value the Dutch winger at £9m.

The latest

Taking to Twitter to reveal the latest on the future of the two players, Romano outlined: “Aston Villa have been working for days to sign Lucas Digne. They’ve always been frontrunners – Chelsea out of the race.

“Talks on, not 100% agreed yet between clubs. El Ghazi also been discussed – nothing agreed on this point as Everton want cash. Next week will be key.”

The verdict

Is it a surprise that Villa are considering parting with El Ghazi?

Based on last season, yes. He was the club’s second-top goalscorer with an impressive 13 strikes in all competitions, inferior only to Ollie Watkins (17). Such form led to ex-Villa defender Alan Hutton praising him as “unstoppable”.

Steven Gerrard doesn’t seem to be convinced, though. Since the 41-year-old took over from Dean Smith in November, El Ghazi has only played 33 minutes of Premier League football.

On another note, having signed two wide attacking players last summer in Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray, will Benitez really want another at Everton in January? According to The Daily Mail, he’s more focused on strengthening in central midfield and up front.

In truth, El Ghazi may not be an effective bargaining chip from Villa if they want to execute a deal to sign Digne.

In other news, many Villa fans reacted to this move from Gerrard over the weekend  

It ‘doesn’t look like’ Aaron Ramsey’s next club will be Crystal Palace, according to BBC Sport football reporter Alex Howell. 

He took to Twitter on Sunday to pour cold water over any realistic chance of the 31-year-old moving to Selhurst Park, claiming: “I understand that there aren’t any talks happening with Aaron Ramsey and Crystal Palace. Juventus manager Allegri said ‘he’s an outgoing player’ but doesn’t look like it will be to #CPFC”

This contrasts substantially with a previous report from Italian outlet Calciomercato which suggested that Palace were in ‘pole position’ to land the Welshman and that negotiations were ongoing.

While Ramsey does look set to move on during the January transfer window, it now seems a near-certainty that Selhurst Park won’t be his next destination.

What could Ramsey have offered to Palace?

Amidst a succession of injuries, Ramsey has been limited to just 97 minutes of Serie A action this season.

However, he did showcase his quality at last summer’s European Championship, with Wales team-mate Joe Allen hailing him as ‘world-class’ and ‘incredible’ after his goal in a crucial group stage victory over Turkey.

Ramsey also played for Arsenal before joining Juventus, and he commendably racked up 130 direct goal contributions (65 goals, 65 assists) in 371 appearances for the Gunners.

Here’s how some Palace fans reacted to Howell’s tweet, with opinion divided as to whether or not the latest development is a good thing.

Crystal Palace fans split on Ramsey news

“Could cry, there’s a weird idea that he’s washed and average. The guy would walk into our team so easily it’s embarrassing. Injuries and wages are the issues”

Credit: @cpfc_samh

“And just like that our hopes and dreams were dashed”

Credit: @pnm1979

“Disappointed”

Credit: @cpfc_sean

“Could cry”

Credit: @callum_cpfc_

“Thank god for that”

Credit: @cemtuna88

“Great news”

Credit: @PatrickEagles15

In other news, Jamie Carragher ripped into this Palace player against Brighton

Tottenham Hotspur are set to revisit their previous interest in Adama Traore this summer…

What’s the word?

The stocky winger swapped Wolverhampton Wanderers for his former club Barcelona during the January transfer window, rejecting Spurs in the process, but as the 26-year-old is only on loan, he’s a player that the north Londoners remain interested in.

According to Spanish newspaper Sport (via Sport Witness), the Catalan giants are unable to fork out his €30m (£25m) option to buy this summer due to the club’s finances, though they remain hopeful of some sort of player swap deal involving Francisco Trincao, who is currently on loan in the other direction.

At the current time, this seems unlikely to happen, making Traore potentially available again ahead of next season. Antonio Conte and co retain their interest and will hold out to see what situation emerges over the coming months.

Bergwijn in danger

Forgotten Lilywhites man Steven Bergwijn should be hugely concerned by these developments, as a move for any new winger would surely push him closer to the exit door as he’s already slipped down the pecking order.

Dejan Kulusevski’s arrival on January deadline day has seen the Dutch winger further limited to game time. He has played only 486 minutes in the Premier League and 811 minutes overall this season, in which just 337 minutes have been under Conte.

Eredivisie champions Ajax have regularly been linked with a move for the 24-year-old outcast, so if Traore were to walk through the door at Hotspur Way, then you’d imagine Bergwijn – who cost £25m in January 2020 – would quickly become expendable.

It would be something of a major upgrade, too, though.

Across 76 appearances, the £18m-rated winger has only scored seven goals and laid on ten assists, as per Transfermarkt. Those are hardly inspiring numbers for an attacking player in the Premier League and whilst Traore’s returns aren’t much better, it’s the eye test that clinches it.

Built like a brick wall, the Spaniard has been lauded as “unplayable” by Premier League-winning head coach Jurgen Klopp and a “monster” by Southampton forward Che Adams.

Traore is also capable of playing centrally up front, on the other flank and at right wing-back, ticking plenty more boxes than Bergwijn, so he could be of much greater use, especially if the 26-year-old’s natural role is being taken up by someone like Kulusevski.

It remains to be seen whether Spurs would have to splash out £25m to sign Traore, although that is around his current estimated value of £25.2m, as per Transfermarkt.

Either way, this sustained interest in the Wolves loanee certainly spells trouble for Bergwijn heading into 2022/23.

AND in other news, Spurs leading race to sign £42m-rated “special talent”, could be Conte’s next Martinez…