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Tottenham Hotspur could now make a surprise move for Jesse Lingard, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Daily Telegraph believe the free-agent midfielder is being considered by the Spurs hierarchy as they look to improve their homegrown quota heading into the 2022/23 season.

After sealing deals for wing-back Ivan Perisic, midfielder Yves Bissouma and Everton attacker Richarlison, the former Manchester United star is viewed as a central creative option.

Premier League rivals West Ham United remain keen on the 29-year-old, whilst the Toffees have also been linked with interest. Given that he is now out of contract, he would not cost a penny to Lilywhites owners, the ENIC Group.

Homegrown bargain

Spurs boss Antonio Conte isn’t afraid to strengthen his squad for the here and now, as seen by Perisic’s arrival. Even over in Italy at Inter Milan, the 52-year-old was quick to add some experience, with veteran Ashley Young making the switch from Manchester United in 2020.

Adding Lingard to his current options would certainly be a wise and shrewd move, especially considering their homegrown problems.

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The 32-time England international has racked up 165 appearances in the Premier League and has played a further 43 games across UEFA’s top competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Despite a 26.35), a key attribute which will tick a box for Conte.

FBRef also likens his playing style to Arsenal duo Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe.

Once dubbed “top-class” by former United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and “absolutely phenomenal” by talkSPORT presenter Adrian Durham for his form during a lucrative loan spell at the Hammers towards the end of the 2020/21 campaign, the Englishman could bolster Conte’s squad in a key area and, at the same time, fix their homegrown problems.

Signing Lingard, who won’t cost anything in terms of a transfer fee, would surely be a very wise decision from sporting director Fabio Paratici this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs agree on personal terms with this 21 y/o gem…

TalkSPORT Journalist Alex Crook has claimed that Manchester United are ‘working hard’ on signing Ajax forward Antony.

The Lowdown: Transfer movement

The Red Devils are finally making progress in their attempts to bring in new players for Erik ten Hag, with the new season fast approaching.

United have reportedly agreed deals in principle for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong and Feyenoord left-back Tyrell Malacia.

Antony, labelled as a player who gives defenders ‘sleepless nights’, has also been linked with an Old Trafford move in recent weeks.

The Latest: Crook’s comments

Talking to GiveMeSport, Crook said that he knows United have been ‘working hard’ on signing Antony but added that agreeing on a fee could be an issue.

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“I know United have been working hard on Antony, but the fee that I was given was £40million.

“I think their asking price is nearer £60million so, obviously, there’s negotiating to be done there.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

United could do with attacking reinforcements over the coming weeks, especially on the right-hand side. Ten Hag doesn’t have a senior right-winger to choose from at this moment in time, so bringing in Antony, who is still just 22 years of age, could be a brilliant move.

The Brazilian starred under Ten Hag last season, contributing to 22 goals in 32 games solely as a right-winger, so he could solve United’s shortages in that area with a big-money move.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Victor Osimhen in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via The Express), the Magpies are preparing a ‘significant’ bid to sign the Napoli star ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the Toon are coming in for him for the second time after they tried to land him during the January window and failed to agree a fee for his services.

It has been reported that the Italian outfit want an offer in the region of €110m (£94m) to sell the gem this summer and it remains to be seen how much PIF are willing to pay for him.

Big Callum Wilson upgrade

If Newcastle can get a deal over the line for Osimhen in the coming weeks then they will be landing a big upgrade on current first-choice Callum Wilson.

In the Premier League last season, the Toon striker scored eight goals and failed to register a single assist – creating zero ‘big chances’ – in 18 games for the club.

The Napoli forward, meanwhile, scored 14 goals and provided two assists – creating three ‘big chances’ – in 23 starts in the Serie A, after scoring 10 goals and assisting three in 16 starts in the previous league campaign.

These statistics suggest that the Nigerian forward would offer more in the final third, in terms of goals, assists and availability.

Ex-Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo previously backed him to succeed in the game, saying:

“He’s the future, he’s going to do so well in football. I love him, he’s down to earth, he’s hard-working, he has a future and he has the mentality of a winner, that’s what I love about him.

“He has that lion’s heart. I love him, I just want him to keep working hard the way he’s doing, he’s going to break so many records in Europe and Nigeria.”

Emmet Gates also hailed Osimhen’s potential as “frightening” and this shows that the gem has the scope to improve further as a player.

Whereas, Wilson – at the age of 30 – may not have much development left to go through. This means that the Napoli man would be the better option in the long term, as well as in the immediate future.

Therefore, the club would be landing a big upgrade on the Englishman by snapping Osimhen up this summer and they must work hard to convince the Serie A side to part ways with him.

AND in other news: “Newcastle are willing..”: Keith Downie drops huge claim that’ll frustrate supporters…

Former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell has given his reaction to reports linking Celtic ace Josip Juranovic with a move away this summer. 

The lowdown: Mixed messages

The 26-year-old Croatian full-back has found himself in the middle of transfer speculation this week after respected journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that a move is on the cards during the summer window.

However, a contrary report from the Croatian outlet Germanijak claimed that Juranovic was settled at the Glasgow giants and the Hoops would be demanding £15million for the defender, thus pricing him out of a move.

Amidst the conflicting reports, one pundit has had his say on the situation and whether Ange Postecoglou would enter the market should the right-back leave…

The latest: ‘I’m sure…’

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-Everton hitman and regular Sky Sports contributor Campbell claimed that the club would be well prepared for any departure and likely already have a replacement ‘in mind’.

He said: “Listen, Postecoglou has done a great job and the last thing he will want is to lose key players. Nobody was quite sure how it would go last season. It could have gone horribly wrong but almost all the new signings did well.

When you are a successful side and the Premier League sides are watching, they will come for your best players. I’m sure there is lots of clubs looking at Juranovic and thinking, ‘Yeah, he could do a job here.’ He had a really good season.

“It is one of those things Celtic and Postecoglou has to deal with. I’m sure Postecoglou and his staff have a target in mind who could slot in and replace him.”

The verdict: Spot on

Such is the faith rightfully placed in Postecoglou and his transfer acumen, almost any exit this summer should be met with an element of calm that the 56-year-old will find a suitable replacement.

So far, the Greek-Australian boss has proven to be an astute operator in the market and even relatively unknown captures who have been lured to Parkhead – like Daizen Maeda, Liel Abada and Carl Starfelt – are flourishing in a Hoops shirt.

That said, after a six-goal and four assist first full campaign under Postecoglou last term, the man hailed as ‘quality’ by positional rival Anthony Ralston was certainly an effective player in the title-winning season and would still be a huge loss for the Bhoys.

Celtic have already added Cameron Carter-Vickers and Benjamin Siegrist to the squad this summer, plus the potential additions of Jota, Alexandro Bernabei and Vinicius Souza in the pipeline, so the off-season is shaping up nicely and keeping Juranovic would be another cherry on the cake.

Celtic were particularly busy behind the scenes during the previous summer transfer window as they saw a lot of players move in and out of the club.

One figure the Hoops brought in during that period that has gone on to have a rather successful debut season at Parkhead is defender Carl Starfelt.

Signed on a four-year deal from Rubin Kazan for a fee of £4.5m back in July, the Sweden international went on to make 49 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions.

This shows just how quickly he became a crucial figure for Postecoglou in the team at the back.

To highlight his defensive output for the Bhoys, he ended the SPFL season with the second-highest number of interceptions (42) and tackles won (30) in the squad.

Now that the next summer transfer window has opened, this could give Postecoglou and the Celtic hierarchy to replicate a similar sort of masterclass they pulled off when signing Starfelt.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Celtic are one of the clubs eyeing a move for RKC Waalwijk defender Ahmed Touba.

After spending the majority of his career in Belgium, the 24-year-old joined the Dutch side back in August 2020 after leaving Club Brugge.

During his time with Waalwijk, the £900k-rated Algerian has made 62 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with three goals and two assists.

In terms of his defensive talent, he ended his latest domestic season in the Netherlands with the joint-highest number of interceptions (57) and highest number of tackles won at his club (32).

He also racked up the second-highest average of clearances per game (3.9) in the Eredivisie at Waalwijk. 

This highlights the similarities between him and Starfelt in terms of being a solid defensive unit for their teams.

Labelled as a “versatile” figure that “has all the assets to succeed” by journalist Chebli Ishaq on Twitter, Touba certainly has what it takes to be a solid addition to Celtic’s ranks and continue their track record of signing players from abroad and turning them into important club figures such as Starfelt.

If the Hoops see an opportunity to secure a deal for the centre-back this summer, then they should do all they can to get him to Parkhead and strengthen Postecoglou’s squad ahead of their new season.

In other news: “I was told..”: Anthony Joseph drops Celtic transfer claim that’ll worry Postecoglou

Liverpool have been heavily linked to Darwin Nunez and the speculation has certainly ramped up since it was reported that Sadio Mane may leave this summer, but now a new update has emerged that suggests the Reds may have made their move.

What’s the latest?

According to Portuguese news outlet Record, Liverpool have now made a club-record offer for the Benfica star.

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As per the report, the Merseyside giants are said to have tabled an offer of €100m (£85m) to secure a deal for Nunez this summer.

The news has further been backed up by Dominic King this morning with the popular journalist tweeting:

“Liverpool want to sign Darwin Nunez and are prepared to smash their transfer record to get him.”

Klopp loves him

There is no doubt that Jurgen Klopp will be thrilled to have Nunez join the squad at Anfield, and clearly already loves him as he was full of praise for the striker when Liverpool faced Benfica in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season.

The German coach claimed in his pre-match press conference for the second tie (via Sky Sports Premier League):

“An extremely good looking boy eh?! He was calm for the finish. He is good, really good. If he stays healthy, he has a big career ahead of him.”

Nunez who was hailed a “diamond” by Steve McManaman has been attracting attention from some of the biggest clubs in the world following a highly impressive season for Benfica, with Manchester United and Atletico Madrid both name-dropped as interested parties by King in his aforementioned tweet.

The 22-year-old has scored 34 goals and contributed four assists in 41 appearances across all competitions for his Portuguese side which is phenomenal for a youngster, and his 26 league goals saw him become the top goal-scorer in the Primeira Liga during the 2021/22 campaign.

It is clear that Klopp views the goal machine as a good fit for his formidable forward line that already boasts top talent like Mohamed Salah and he would be an idyllic replacement for Mane’s goal contributions should the Senegalese winger move on this summer.

With that being said, if Liverpool can beat their competitors for the signing by making the club record-breaking transfer bid there will be high expectations on the young striker to adopt a lot of responsibility in the front three next season.

AND in other news: Liverpool plot bid to sign “glorious” £64m “nightmare”, he’s better than Darwin Nunez

According to reliable journalist Pete O’Rourke, Tottenham manager Antonio Conte will be ‘impressed’ with the speed with which chairman Daniel Levy managed to complete the signing of Ivan Perisic.

The Lowdown: Levy’s 2022 transfer business

When Levy has been going about his business in previous transfer windows, he has often waited until the very last minute to get deals over the line, with a prime example being the deadline day arrivals of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur in January.

It was reported by ESPN on May 20 that Spurs were exploring the possibility of a move for Perisic despite Juventus seemingly leading the race for his signature at that point. Just 11 days later, the north Londoners announced the former Inter Milan ace as their first signing of the summer.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s Spurs praise

O’Rourke has suggested that Conte must be happy with how quickly Tottenham managed to sign the veteran Croatia winger.

Off the back of that transfer, the journalist told GiveMeSport: “Conte’s got to be impressed with that. I know Antonio Conte would want all of his targets signed before pre-season starts, so he can have his full squad in fact from the get-go but getting Perisic in on a free transfer looks a good piece of business by Tottenham and definitely shows they’re backing Conte in this window.”

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The Verdict: A sign of things to come?

Following the recent arrival of Perisic to the Premier League, this will hopefully be a sign of things to come for Tottenham, with Conte already underway with his plans to revamp the squad ahead of the 2022/23season.

It is claimed that the Italian wants to make at least six new signings during the summer transfer window, and it’s looking likely that Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster will be the next through the doors at N17 after undergoing a medical at the end of last month.

Having secured Champions League football for next term, this could be a hugely attractive proposition for any player, so if Conte is able to sign the transfer targets that he’s eyeing, it should put Tottenham in good stead to seriously compete for big prizes over the forthcoming 12 months.

In other news… negotiations are now underway to sanction the exit of this Spurs first-team maestro

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering a move for Allan Saint-Maximin this summer, according to football.london journalist Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: Making a big impression

The Frenchman made his Premier League entrance in 2019 when he put pen to paper on a six-year deal with Newcastle following his departure from Nice. He has gone on to become a standout performer in Eddie Howe’s starting XI, having made 93 appearances for the St James’ Park club to date.

Even though the 25-year-old still has four years remaining on his current contract, his scintillating form has seen him catch the eye of the Lilywhites. After a fresh update, it seems that Spurs appear to be seriously monitoring the forward ahead of a potential switch.

The Latest: Spurs considering Saint-Maximin move

In Gold’s latest piece for football.london, it is claimed that Tottenham are ‘weighing up a move’ for Saint-Maximin after making a huge impression in the English top flight.

The report stated that Spurs’ director of football Fabio Paratici is a ‘big admirer’ of the player, with the north London club viewing the Newcastle ace as someone who could ‘boost’ Antonio Conte’s attacking options ahead of the start of next season.

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The Verdict: Bergwijn replacement?

With Steven Bergwijn’s exit seeming imminent, Spurs will need to find a suitable replacement for the Dutchman in the final third, and the former France under-21 international could well be the ideal candidate to take the 24-year-old’s place.

The £28.8m-rated Newcastle dynamo, who was hailed as a “next level” player earlier this year by Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards, scored five goals and provided five assists in the Premier League this term (as per Transfermarkt), with only Callum Wilson (eight) netting more often for Howe’s team.

Whether or not Saint-Maximin would be a regular starter under Conte if he were to make the move to N17 is unclear, but he is definitely a highly-rated talent who can produce the goods at top-flight level. He is someone that Spurs should strongly consider adding to their ranks if the price is right.

In other news… a transfer insider has revealed that Tottenham are now seriously ‘going after’ one of their long-term targets

Newcastle United are believed to have emerged as a surprising suitor for Middlesbrough right-back Djed Spence, according to reliable journalist Alasdair Gold in a report for football.london.

The Lowdown: Spence profiled

The 21-year-old worked his way up through the ranks of Fulham’s academy system before making the move to the Riverside Stadium back in 2018, where he’s made a total of 70 senior appearances for the Championship outfit.

The defender was allowed to leave the Boro last summer under former manager Neil Warnock in a bid to find some much-needed game time, which resulted in him joining Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan.

Steve Cooper’s side recently secured promotion to the Premier League following a 1-0 victory against Huddersfield Town in the play-off final at Wembley last weekend, and the youngster’s performances more than contributed to the Reds making the jump up to the top flight, with his displays being so impressive that he appears to have attracted plenty of interest heading into the upcoming transfer window.

The Latest: Newcastle join the race

In a new article published by football.london’s Gold, it’s claimed that Spence has ‘caught the eye’ of several clubs in the top division and across Europe, with Tottenham Hotspur currently one of the ‘front runners’ for his signature.

However, Spurs are set to face competition from the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Brentford, Forest, and the Magpies, who all want to sign the ace in the coming weeks.

The report further states that a £16m price tag has been put on the wing-back, and whilst a decision regarding his future will have to be made soon, it’s expected to be ‘at least another couple of weeks’ before anything official is confirmed.

The Verdict: Standout performer

The talented prospect has been one of Forest’s standout performers this season and has been a regular feature in Cooper’s starting XI, having recorded a staggering 50 outings across all competitions, scoring three goals and registering five assists during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

Spence, who was once dubbed an “unbelievable” player by BBC pundit Ian Wright, is set to represent the Three Lions later this month after being selected as part of England’s latest U21 squad.

It’s clear to see many clubs will be in the race for the colossus when the time comes that he has to decide his next destination, but whether that place will be St. James’ Park remains to be seen.

In other news… a Sky Sports reporter has been left impressed following a recent Newcastle appointment.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ proposed signing of RB Leipzig loanee, Hwang Hee-chan will become permanent in the summer.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Birmingham Mail, who have relayed Lage’s verdict on Hwang ahead of the South Korean’s permanent move to Molineux in July.

The 26-year-old joined Lage’s side last summer and it was announced in January that the club would indeed exercise their option to buy, consequently activating the £14m clause in his contract that would see him become an official Wolves player on July 1st.

Lage, by his own admission, has revealed that he will take inspiration from Manchester United icon Sir Alex Ferguson when he oversees Wolves’ rebuild this summer.

As per Birmingham Mail, he said: “I remember maybe 10 years ago, when I read Sir Alex Ferguson’s book, he said something like that. ‘I love my players as sons, but when they drop their performance I am the first guy to go there, shake their hands, it’s time to move, and we need to replace him to continue.’

“I want that pressure. When the players are there you give him respect and pay the salary, so when they don’t give the same things you need to find solutions. That’s why he was in that position for 20 years and he won titles every time. He did that with a lot of players.”

Wolves’ Ji-Sung Park

With the shared South Korean nationality, esteemed work rate and selflessness for the team in the form of versatility, the comparison between Ji-Sung Park and Hwang writes itself.

It’s of course emphasised further by Lage’s inspiration from Ferguson, who notoriously used Park as a key utility tool in United’s most successful spell.

The Wolves boss has already been waxing lyrical over Hwang as a player, saying this on the eve of the final Premier League game of the season:

“For Hwang, the way he came with the impact he gave us, it was very good. It was so easy for him to fit in the team. After that he had a big injury and stayed out for five or six games. Since then he has had good moments and bad moments.”

Hwang, who was said to have sent Virgil Van Dijk “out for a hotdog”, has made 31 appearances for Wolves this season and is the Old Gold’s second-highest goalscorer with five goals scored.

Though like Park, his game is much more than just end product, with the forward producing 86 pressures in the attacking third this term, the fourth-highest in the Wolves squad.

In other news: In talks: Lage can unearth Wolves’ new Neves & Moutinho in double swoop for £12.8m duo