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Journalist Scott Wilson of The Northern Echo has now shared a promising update as Tottenham Hotspur pursue former star Christian Eriksen.

The Lowdown: Spurs in hunt…

The Lilywhites are reportedly eyeing a reunion with their ex-playmaker who also played under manager Antonio Conte at Inter Milan during the 2020/2021 season.

Having sealed a place in the Premier League top four, qualifying for next season’s Champions League in the process, Spurs could well be an attractive landing spot for the Dane who is out of contract at the end of this month.

Eriksen dazzled under Thomas Frank over 21/22, prompting real interest from the north Londoners, with reporter Wilson now sharing an update.

The Latest: Spurs hold ‘substantive’ talks…

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According to his information, Tottenham have held ‘more substantive talks’ with the player and his representatives alongside Man United – propelling both sides ahead of Newcastle United in the race for his signature.

On Twitter, he also explains the Magpies have conceded that Spurs and United are ‘much likelier destinations’ for Eriksen.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The 30-year-old finished last season as Brentford’s best-performing player by average match rating whilst also racking up the highest number of key passes per 90 in the final third (WhoScored).

Eriksen, still labelled a ‘superstar’ by members of the media (Graeme Bailey, journalist), can clearly still provide that injection of creativity in the Spurs midfield and we believe signing him on a Bosman deal would be incredibly astute business.

For zero initial transfer cost, a potential agreement would be fairly low risk and a real headline-grabber.

In other news: Conte enters pole position to sign ‘excellent’ international defender for Spurs! Find out more here.

Ross Wilson could land Rangers a huge talent this summer if the Ibrox club decide to make a move for one young player south of the border.

What’s the news?

Reported Rangers target James McAtee could be set for a loan move to the Championship and Huddersfield, as the player may be allowed to speak to them after coming back from England U21 duty.

The Ibrox side were keen on taking the Man City youngster to Glasgow in January, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst set to utilise his connections with manager Pep Guardiola.

Nothing materialised back then, but the club should be pursuing their interest in the player ahead of next season.

McAtee could be their own Grealish

Van Bronckhorst will be looking forward to delving into the summer transfer window and strengthening his Rangers side as they look to build on the momentum from winning the Scottish Cup.

With the likes of Leon Balogun, Andy Firth, and Cedric Itten all moving on, there will be some funds for the manager to work with.

With the news that McAtee might be going out on loan to Huddersfield, it’s time the Dutchman stepped in and made an offer to bring the youngster to Glasgow.

At just 19 years old, he could very well develop into the next Jack Grealish, with the two playing in similar positions and plying their trade at the same club, it’s a move that makes sense for Rangers.

He was dubbed a “massive talent” after he signed a new contract at City in February and with his stats this season, it’s clear to see why.

The Englishman has been involved in 28 goals and assists this season in the U23 side and he has made appearances in the Premier League and Champions League too.

This is a sensational return for someone who is looking to force his way into Guardiola’s Man City juggernaut and a loan move to continue his progress could be wise.

With Grealish getting his well-deserved move from Aston Villa to City at 25 years of age, there are already signs that McAtee could be about to surpass him.

He could thrive in Scotland, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Forget Kovacevic: Wilson eyes Rangers deal for 22-year-old sensation, Van Bronckhorst needs him

Everton could allow Jarrad Branthwaite to leave the club this summer, according to a report from The Daily Mail (print edition 05/06, p150), via Lancs Live. 

The lowdown: Top-flight taster

After spending time on loan at Blackburn Rovers during 2020/21, the young defender was kept on Merseyside last season after undergoing ankle surgery.

A frequent presence on the bench under Rafael Benitez, the 19-year-old centre-back played 90 minutes and scored a crucial goal in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea in December.

Following a flurry of injury and suspension issues towards the end of the campaign, the Carlisle-born starlet ended the season firmly in Frank Lampard’s plans.

The latest: Branthwaite exit looming

As per The Daily Mail (via Lancs Live), despite a strong end to 2021/22, Everton want to send Branthwaite out on loan again this summer.

The Toffees are believed to be keen for the England under-20 ace obtain more regular first-team action and could be willing to sanction a temporary exit for him in the near future.

Under contract at Goodison Park until 2025 (Transfermarkt), the youngster – who was hailed for a ‘terrific’ display for the Toffees’ under-23s by assistant manager John Ebbrell in pre-season – remains part of the long-term planning at the club.

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The verdict: Smart move

The Everton defence was far from rock-solid throughout 2021/22, conceding 66 times in just 38 Premier League matches (more than relegated Burnley). However, with the potential signing of James Tarkowski to add to Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate, it could be another watching brief for Branthwaite for the most part if he were to remain at Goodison Park.

Therefore, sending the towering 6 foot 5 colossus out on loan, either to a top-end Championship club or a potential top-flight suitor abroad, would make plenty of sense from a development perspective, whilst also avoiding the prospect of any permanent bids from reported suitors Manchester United.

Having only made 37 senior career outings to date, a season of exposure to top-quality strikers and the rigours of regular first-team football will be a valuable learning curve for Branthwaite which should see the youngster return to Everton as an improved defender, so a loan exit could be highly beneficial.

In other news: Frank McAvennie has reacted to this Everton off-field development

Everton are in need of reinforcements this summer after struggling in the Premier League this season and facing a difficult relegation battle, so Frank Lampard will surely be looking for players to improve his squad and improve the side’s performances in the league next season.

The Toffees survived their first potential relegation to the Championship since the Premier League began by the skin of their teeth, a win in their penultimate game of the season saved them and the club need to find a solution to make sure they don’t fall into a similar situation or worse in the future.

On top of the problems with performances, Everton could be set to lose one of their most consistent performers and top goal-scorer this season as Richarlison has spoken out with doubt on his future and may potentially leave the club this summer which would be a massive blow to Everton’s frontline.

With that being said, the club have already been strongly linked to a move for Chelsea youngster Armando Broja this summer, with Frank Lampard’s relationship with the player and his Chelsea connections set to give the Toffees a boost in completing the signing.

The £25m-valued forward who was dubbed “dangerous” by Ralph Hassenhuttl could be a huge prospect for Everton if they could secure a deal for Broja this summer and offers many similarities to former Toffees striker Romelu Lukaku, who was also signed from Chelsea.

He was hugely effective in his time at Goodison Park scoring 87 goals.

Broja, meanwhile, offers similar characteristics to Lukaku in the way he plays and the profile of striker with both players use their height to dictate play and pose a threat to opponents.

The Southampton loanee ranked third for the most aerial duels won in his opponent’s half proving that he uses his height to his advantage to help him in his attacking output, which has had a huge influence on the Saints this season.

According to SofaScore, Broja scored six goals, created two big chances, took 1.4 shots per game and won five of his ground and aerial duels combined on average per game.

The powers at Everton should make the signing of Broja a top priority this summer especially if they are set to lose Richarlison as the young player clearly has the attributes to become a great young player and under Lampard’s guidance could get the development he needs to become Everton’s next Lukaku.

AND in other news: Lampard set for 1st major Everton disaster in deal for “sloppy” £20m “Mr Conservative”

Aston Villa are in pole position to sign soon-to-be free agent James Tarkowski, according to The Athletic. 

The lowdown

The 29-year-old is departing relegated Burnley this summer as he reaches the end of his contract at Turf Moor.

The Telegraph’s Jason Burt had previously written that it was Everton and not Villa who were leading the race for his signature, while Football Insider claimed that Frank Lampard’s side had already presented the defender with a £120,000-per-week contract offer.

However, it seems that Villa are intent on further strengthening their defence after the arrival of Diego Carlos from Sevilla last week, having already secured deals for midfielders Phillipe Coutinho and Boubacar Kamara earlier in the month.

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The latest

In a jointly-written piece for The Athletic, Patrick Boyland and Greg O’Keeffe claimed that Everton are one of ‘several’ clubs who are interested in Tarkowski.

Lampard’s admiration for the centre-back dates back to his time as Chelsea manager, but the 43-year-old may miss out on his transfer target.

That’s because the Toffees face ‘substantial competition’ from Villa, who are described in the article as the ‘early favourites’ for Tarkowski.

The verdict

Gerrard seemingly wants to overhaul the heart of his defence.

Football Insider reported at the end of February that he had sanctioned the sale of Ezri Konsa after growing concerned about the 24-year-old’s reliability and consistency. Meanwhile, transfer insider Dean Jones said that ‘it will be interesting to see how things pan out’ with Tyrone Mings, which may suggest that the captain’s future is far from secure.

Having already signed Carlos, Villa have been linked with both Tarkowski and Rangers’ Calvin Bassey, who is valued at £25m by Gerrard’s former club.

However, the Burnley man may be the better option of the two, not just because Villa could avoid a hefty transfer fee. His vast Premier League experience (194 games) is surely a significant factor as well.

Indeed, The Telegraph’s Matt Law believes that the 29-year-old would be a ‘fantastic signing’ for the Midlands club, who may land themselves a real coup on a free transfer for a proven operator at this level.

In other news, read this transfer insider’s claim on a midfield target.

West Ham United have been named as one of the clubs believed to be interested in Leeds United winger Jack Harrison, as David Moyes plots new reinforcements this summer.

What’s the word?

As per 90min, the Hammers are said to be ‘taking an interest’ in the 25-year-old, with uncertainty over the future of a number of key players at Elland Road despite their final day survival.

It was the Englishman’s stoppage-time strike that rubberstamped the Yorkshire side’s safety from the drop, with that effort having been his eighth Premier League goal in an impressive campaign on a personal note.

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The £60k-per-week forward – who joined his current side in a £11m permanent deal last summer after spending the previous three seasons on loan at the club – is also being tracked by both Newcastle United and Everton, however, as per the report, while a potential departure for teammate Raphinha could ‘impact’ Leeds’ stance regarding a sale.

The next Sinclair?

Although there is likely to be competition for his signature, as noted above, the east Londoners will no doubt have confidence in their own pulling power, with their involvement in next season’s Europa Conference League a potential attractive prospect.

One man who knows all about competing in Europe for the Irons is club icon Trevor Sinclair, with the Englishman notably scoring in the 1999 Intertoto Cup final success, before featuring in the UEFA Cup the following season.

The versatile forward had joined from Queens Park Rangers in 1998 and would go on to spend five years at Upton Park, netting an impressive 37 league goals in that time – ensuring he is currently fifth on the Hammers’ scoring list in the Premier League era.

Capable of featuring at wing-back, but also on either flank in an attacking role, the one-time Manchester City man was a real handful for any defender, while he also had a penchant for the spectacular, notably netting a stunning overhead kick – no, not that one – for West Ham against Derby County on Boxing Day in 2001.

In Harrison, GSB could well have found the perfect heir, with the £13.5m-rated gem – who has previously been dubbed a “revelation” by former New York City FC teammate Frank Lampard – also having the ability to dazzle from his left-wing berth, as well as his proving himself a potent force in front of goal.

The Europa League semi-finalists saw that finishing prowess up close this season, as the former England U21 international bagged a breathtaking hat-trick in a 3-2 win for the visitors at the London Stadium back in January.

Moyes and co will no doubt be hoping to avoid being tormented once again in the 2022/23 campaign, with the ideal way to prevent a repeat performance being to snap him up themselves.

IN other news, Cost £1.5m per goal: GSB made a colossal blunder on “strong” £40k-p/w West Ham flop

Victor Orta is set to release Leeds United goalkeeper Kiko Casilla this summer.

What’s the word?

That’s according to reports in Spain (via Sport Witness), who claim that the 35-year-old shot-stopper will return to Elland Road following the conclusion of his season-long loan deal with Elche CF, with it appearing likely that Leeds’ Spanish sporting director will then terminate the former Spain international’s contract in LS11 – which is due to run until the summer of 2023.

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The report goes on to state that, as a result of the former Real Madrid man’s professionalism after losing his starting spot to Edgar Badia earlier this season, should Casilla’s wage demands not be too expensive, Francisco could look to bring the goalkeeper back to the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero in the summer transfer window.

Orta must axe Casilla

Considering just how little Casilla has featured for Leeds in recent seasons, in addition to the fact the 35-year-old is reported to be earning a staggering £40k-per-week at Elland Road, the argument that Orta simply must cut the Spaniard loose this summer is an easy one to make.

Indeed, the shot-stopper’s career in England appeared all but over back in March of 2020, when the £720k-rated man was found guilty of racially abusing Jonathan Leko, and was subsequently handed an eight-game ban by the FA.

Following this incident, the ‘keeper made just six first-team appearances for the Whites over the remainder of the club’s 2019/20 campaign as well as 2020/21, before Orta shipped the shot-stopper out to Elche last summer.

As such, considering his advancing years, Illan Meslier’s now undisputed role as Jesse Marsch’s first-choice goalkeeper and Casilla’s extremely hefty weekly wage, it is clear for all to see that the Leeds sporting director must finally axe the player Oscar Mario dubbed a “mistake” and “nothing short of a liability” this summer.

AND in other news: Huge boost: Leeds now handed big injury lift ahead of Bees, supporters surely buzzing

Manchester City will be set to say goodbye to Fernandinho this summer after he revealed this would be his last season with the club.

Having signed back in 2013, the Brazilian has gone on to make 382 appearances for the Citizens across all competitions.

In those appearances, the midfielder has scored 26 goals, provided 33 assists and won numerous trophies along the way.

As he was so keen to join the club all those years ago, it was revealed that the player paid £4m of his own transfer fee to make his move to the Etihad Stadium.

Looking ahead to the next summer window, it seems as though another midfield talent is willing to make a financial sacrifice to force his way to the Manchester club.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Sun, Barcelona midfielder, Frenkie de Jong, is reportedly willing to kiss goodbye to nearly £6m in unpaid wages to clinch a move to City this summer.

Having made 135 appearances for Ajax across their senior side and U21 team, the Dutchman joined Barcelona in the 2019 summer transfer window after striking a deal worth £65m for him back in January.

It’s thought the player may cost around £59.6m this summer.

Great news for Man City

Since arriving at Barca, the 25-year-old has played in 139 games for the La Liga side across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and providing 17 assists along the way.

To highlight what a useful midfield option he could be for Pep Guardiola, de Jong is listed in the top five at Barcelona for passes made while under pressure from an opponent and key passes. He is also among the best five for shot and goal-creating actions in La Liga this term.

This shows just how much of a talented figure he is on the ball and how he can create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. It also shows why Barca boss Xavi previously described him as a “genius.”

With City averaging more possession and passing success in the Premier League this season than any other side, adding the Barcelona star to their ranks could be a match made in heaven for both parties.

Now that the £63m-rated midfielder’s willingness to forget about his unpaid wages from Barcelona to join City has been reported, this surely represents good news for the Manchester club.

It should consequently push them into making a move to sign him as soon as possible.

In other news: Imagine him & Foden: Pep can form scary MCFC duo by signing gem Haaland called “crazy”

Liverpool have been dealt a major blow regarding their pursuit of RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku.

What’s the word?

According to L’Equipe [via Liverpool Echo], not even a bid of £85m for the Frenchman would be enough to take him off the Bundesliga club’s hands this summer.

Liverpool aren’t the only club linked with the 24-year-old either, with the likes of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid all looking to sign him.

Jurgen Klopp might be priced out

Klopp is steering Liverpool to potentially their greatest-ever season, with an unprecedented quadruple bid getting closer to realisation every week. He already seems to be planning for the future too, with several of his players on the wrong side of 30, and replacements could well be signed sooner rather than later in order to bed in quickly.

However, the manager may need to look elsewhere for attacking options after the news regarding Nkunku, with the asking price for him approaching ridiculous levels.

At first glance, the Frenchman would make an excellent signing, having scored 32 goals and grabbed a further 20 assists from 49 matches this season.

freshpress-quiz ]

These are truly phenomenal figures, especially when you consider that he isn’t an out-and-out centre-forward but can play in a variety of positions, which include attacking midfield and featuring as a second striker.

The 24-year-old is one of Europe’s finest talents at the minute and former Leipzig manager Jesse Marsch described him as a player “who has no weaknesses”; and judging by Nkunku’s performances this season, it’s hard to argue against that notion.

Liverpool might just have to make do with moving towards other targets unless they feel that a fee of close to £100m is justifiable for the French predator.

Given FSG’s reputation for frugality at Anfield, it seems highly unlikely that such an amount will be spent on one player, so the news of Leipzig’s lofty asking price could leave Kopites gutted that their hopes of signing the prolific 24-year-old appear very slim.

AND in other news, Liverpool plotting mega offer for “dangerous” £19.8m-rated gem, he’s Klopp’s new Firmino

Manchester United have initiated contact with Napoli over the potential signing of their 23-year-old Nigeria international, Victor Osimhen.

What’s the word?

That is according to the latest report from Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, who claim the Old Trafford side have initiated contact with the Serie A outfit to find out the price for the 23-year-old star.

As per Sport Witness, United have been told that Napoli want €110m (£94.2m) for Osimhen, but that price is negotiable.

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Given the figures mentioned, it would easily be the Old Trafford side’s biggest signing of the summer.

A star signing

The potential coup of the Napoli star would represent what would be a star signing for Erik ten Hag’s new side.

Having bagged 18 attacking returns in the form of 13 goals and five assists over 25 appearances in the Serie A this season, Osimhen presents an astute option for United up-top.

Whilst the fee at around £94.2m is a heavy price tag, it would also ensure that the Red Devils’ record transfer fee was smashed – surpassing the £89.3m fee that was paid for Paul Pogba back in 2016.

Given the comparisons to Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski, as per FBref, it is no wonder why the young forward is rated so highly.

Osimhen’s match average of 3.88 shots is not too far off Lewandowski’s average of 4.49 shots per game, bearing in mind that the latter operates in a dominant Bayern Munich side.

In a similar fashion, the pair’s non-penalty xG total is also not too dissimilar with the Nigerian registering an average of 0.52 and the Polish striker averaging 0.89 npxG per 90.

Considering that Manchester United have been linked with Lewandowski recently, United could sign a statistically similar talent in Osimhen who presents more long-term value with the fact that he is just 23-years-old.

The fact that United have enquired about Osimhen’s price is a promising indication of their interest.

In other news: “Manchester United are..” – Romano drops exciting transfer claim, ten Hag will love it