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Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has been left in awe of news he’s seen at Tottenham Hotspur surrounding their deal to sign young midfielder Pape Matar Sarr during the summer window. 

The Lowdown: Spurs snap up Sarr…

During the last fortnight, Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici showed he was not done on the transfer front in north London as he snapped up both Sarr and defender Emerson Royal.

The former, who was also courted by the likes of Man City, Chelsea and Man United, eventually decided to try his hand at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the Lilywhites paying a £15 million fee and sending him back out on loan to FC Metz.

Touted as a very promising player, Robinson has certainly been left impressed by this piece of Spurs business.

The Latest: Robinson reacts to Sarr deal…

Speaking to FI, the former England international has had his say on Sarr after doing some research.

Judging by his verdict, it’s safe to say supporters can start getting excited by the prospect of him battling his way into Tottenham’s future first team plans.

“I’ve done a bit of research on him,” Robinson explained to Football Insider.

“He’s been described as the future of Senegal. Idrissa Gueye is meant to have said he’s the best player to come out of Senegal for years.

“Wow, that’s really impressive because Gueye has had a lot of nice things said about him during his career.

“Tottenham weren’t the only club interested so they have done really well to get him at the price they have.“

The Verdict: Exciting times…

Amid the plethora of young stars coming through Tottenham’s academy, with the likes of Oliver Skipp, Nile John and Dane Scarlett all turning heads, it can’t hurt to add another into that mix.

Despite being just a teenager, Sarr started an impressive 18 matches for Metz last season whilst averaging two tackles per 90 in that time – more than a majority of senior Spurs players over 20/21 (WhoScored).

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder his signing has excited some figures in the media.

In other news: Report lifts lid on Tottenham player’s deadline day exit U-turn, find out more here.

While Patrick Bamford may have been the man Leeds United fans had their eyes on during the weekend, it was their new summer signing Dan James who produced a more impressive display.

The Wales international joined Marcelo Bielsa’s side from Manchester United on transfer deadline day, and while he didn’t get on the score-sheet in the 3-2 comeback win over Belarus on Sunday, he more than played his part.

James came up with the decisive assist for Gareth Bale’s late winner that kept Wales’ hopes of qualification for the World Cup alive and was a constant thorn for the opposition defence with his tireless running and movement.

As per Sofascore, he completed the most dribbles out of any player on the pitch with four (three more than the rest of his team combined) and provided three key passes too (the same amount as the rest of his teammates).

And while he was a creative force, James’ work rate was equally impressive, winning a monstrous ten duels (only Ben Davies won more), and also making a whopping five tackles too (a joint team-high).

It was the kind of energetic and live-wire performance that surely caught Bielsa’s attention from watching at home, and would have left him drooling at the prospect of finally getting the chance to work with him – especially considering how long he’s wanted him for.

Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, Phil Hay said: “That’s a question for Bielsa because Bielsa’s forever interested in Dan James, and you probably remember last summer that before they did the deal for Raphinha, they were looking into the possibility of bringing Dan James in on loan from Manchester United.

“I don’t think it was ever really a possibility because it didn’t seem as though Solskjaer wanted him to go. I get the feeling that Bielsa will consistently be interested in Dan James because he was very big on him when Leeds nearly got him from Swansea.”

His former teammate at United, Andreas Pereira, called the 23-year-old as “explosive and so fast” in an interview with the club’s official website last season, and you saw every bit of that against Belarus.

All the raw ingredients of pace, work rate and intensity were all there and that is exactly why Bielsa would have been very excited to see James at work against Belarus at the weekend.

Meanwhile, this Leeds United transfer target is now set for contract talks…

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing as some comments emerged from Andros Townsend.

Speaking in the matchday programme ahead of the Merseyside club’s game against Norwich City at Goodison Park in the Premier League, the former Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace winger said: “I am going to give my absolute all to keep hold of the shirt. There is no way this chance is going to pass me by, or I am going to fail because of lack of effort.”

With two losses in their last two matches against Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers (on penalties) respectively, this is exactly the kind of attitude that the supporters want to hear ahead of what now looks to be a vital game against Canaries to try and boost their confidence.

Townsend has gotten off to a great start in his Toffees career so far, with three goals and three assists in seven appearances in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt), and Blues will hope that his form and attitude will rub off on some of the other players on the pitch.

Everton fans on Townsend comments

These EFC supporters buzzed as the comments were shared on Twitter:

“Tremendous attitude from Andros. Hopefully all the team will heed on what Andros has said.”

Credit: @PeterPapadopo11

“Absolute stardust this lad. Was made up when linked. Made up when signed and still made up now.”

Credit: @connjam

“First name on the team sheet right now”

Credit: @StevenRoche2

“Turning into my favourite player”

Credit: @EvertonAllSorts

“Inject this attitude!!!!”

Credit: @EFCMatt1

“Absolutely love this lad”

Credit: @Toffeegirl13

In other news, find out which Evertonian looks ‘a yard off the pace’ here!

Tottenham Hotspur chief Fabio Paratici is a huge fan of mooted transfer target Houssem Aouar…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, who dropped the intriguing claim to the ‘Last Word On Spurs’ podcast this week.

Speaking about potential incomings before the August 31st deadline, the renowned transfer expert claimed: “Fabio Paratici tried to sign Aouar last season at Juventus and Paratici has always been in love with this player.”

The North London outfit have regularly been linked with a move for the Lyon midfielder in recent times, with ESPN journalist Julien Laurens reporting only last month that Spurs had entered the race to secure the 23-year-old playmaker, alongside arch-rivals Arsenal.

It’s thought the French side would accept an offer in the region of €25m (£21.5m), as per ESPN.

Sign him up!

Spurs are believed to be in the market for a new creative option to bolster Nuno Santo’s playing squad and the Lyon star is certainly capable of becoming the man to pull the strings from attacking midfield.

Noni Madueke and Mikel Damsgaard sit on Spurs’ shortlist but they are wingers, rather than an out-and-out no.10 or a box-to-box no.8.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-team-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

Aouar has been likened to Spain legend Andres Iniesta by French football expert Adam White, who told Football FanCast:

“I’ve often likened him to Andres Iniesta, which is obviously a big shout because, for me, he is one of the greatest players of all-time.

“I don’t necessarily mean in quality but in style. He has silky movement and drifts in midfield to pick passes. At his best, he is absolutely brilliant to watch and he can play anywhere in midfield.

“He’s great on the ball and technically outstanding. His vision is brilliant. He’s a huge talent.”

Since the start of the 2017/18 season, the Frenchman has provided Lyon with 31 goals and 31 assists, as per Transfermarkt, whilst throughout his time at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, he’s averaged 1.4 key passes per 90 minutes.

By comparison, the only player to exceed this at Spurs last season was Heung-min Son, who averaged two key passes per match, via WhoScored.

The likes of Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso have failed to step up to fill that creative void since both arriving in the summer of 2019, which is perhaps why the club are seeking reinforcements in the role.

Perhaps Aouar, who is valued at €30m (£25.5m) by CIES Football Observatory, is the player that the Lilywhites should’ve signed from Lyon instead, particularly as the 24-year-old is considering his future at the club once again.

Spurs must look to seal a move for him after the latest claim from Romano. Paratici has been spot on with his signings of Bryan Gil and Cristian Romero, both of whom have raised excitement in N17, so if he likes Aouar too, then chairman Daniel Levy must sanction a transfer before the end of the month.

AND in other news, Paratici could secure Nuno his next Adama Traore if Spurs swoop for “rapid” £18m-rated gem…

An update has emerged on Everton target Denzel Dumfries, regarding PSV’s valuation of the defender.

What’s the talk?

According to Eindhoven Dagblad, via SportsLens, Everton transfer target Denzel Dumfries is available for a fee in the region of £12.8m (€15m) this summer as Eredivisie side PSV attempt to rake in as much as possible for their right-back.

The Toffees are reportedly interested in signing the Dutch international this summer as Rafa Benitez looks to strengthen his squad heading into next season.

Everton need him

Marcel Brands must sanction a deal to sign Dumfries this summer as the club need to bring in a new right-back to compete with Seamus Coleman. The Irishman turns 33 in October and struggled at times last season, averaging a disappointing WhoScored rating of 6.65 in 25 Premier League appearances under Carlo Ancelotti.

This shows that Benitez could upgrade his side by landing a younger right-back who is able to perform to a higher standard in the top-flight. Dumfries could be the perfect target due to his age, recent performances and his price tag.

In terms of his price, he could be a bargain for the Blues. Norwich chief Stuart Webber recently claimed that it would take an offer in excess of £35m to prize another Everton target, Max Aarons, away from Carrow Road this summer, more than double what PSV seemingly want for Dumfries.

The Dutchman averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.07 for club and country last term, including playing for his country at the European Championships. Aarons, meanwhile, averaged a score of 6.93 for Norwich in the Championship across 45 starts. Whilst that is still an impressive showing from the English defender, it does not warrant him being £20m more expensive than Dumfries.

The PSV man’s performances have also caught the eye of some ex-Everton stars too, with former Toffee Marcus Bent labelling him as a “terrific” talent and saying that fans would be delighted if he came through the door this summer.

He told Football FanCast:

“Speaking to Everton, they said he’s a terrific player, but clubs don’t sell their players when the Euros are on because they can put x number of pounds onto their player. Terrific, quick, pacey, he’s a rocket.

“If the club could get him on the back of what he’s done or whether they could attract him to Goodison is a different point entirely, but if you could get him, the fans would be elated.”

At the age of 25, Dumfries also has plenty of years left ahead of him in his career and could be the long-term successor for Coleman.

This is why Brands must sanction a bargain deal for the defender, as they need a player of his age and quality to come in at right-back.

AND in other news, “That was the disappointment” – Exclusive: Ball fires warning to Rafa on £18m-rated Everton ace…

Sheffield Wednesday will win the race for winger Josh Sims this summer, the club’s former midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview.

According to The News, Portsmouth made enquiries about signing the 24-year-old earlier in the transfer window but now face serious competition from Wednesday.

Sims is a free agent following his release from Portsmouth’s rivals Southampton. The Englishman spent last season out on loan at Doncaster Rovers, working under Wednesday manager Darren Moore during his time at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Because of that, Palmer believes the Owls are in the driving seat to secure Sims’ signature.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Wednesday’s pursuit of the player, the ex-England international said:

“He’s worked for Darren before, so he’s enjoyed success under Darren. And I’m assuming as long as the financials are not too far apart in terms of what Portsmouth are prepared to offer him, I’m assuming Sheffield Wednesday will win the race for him.

“Darren Moore was always a very popular person as a player, a well-liked man and very genuine person. He’s shown that he’s also a good manager at West Brom, at Doncaster and I’m sure he’ll prove that at Sheffield Wednesday.”

Sims obviously has League One experience from that spell with Doncaster, as well as experience in the Premier League and the Championship, so the former Southampton man looks like he could be a good bit of business for Wednesday.

Aston Villa are far more likely to sign Cheick Doucoure than Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

Villa have been linked with both midfielders, with Sky Sports reporting at the end of last month that the Midlands club have had a £25m bid rejected for the Saints captain.

Meanwhile, Goal’s Marc Mechenoua has claimed that Villa are interested in signing the RC Lens youngster as Dean Smith looks to continue his squad revamp this summer.

And while Hatfield is not expecting the Premier League outfit to chuck everything at Doucoure, he thinks a deal for the Mali international is more likely than a deal for Ward-Prowse.

“Midfield is the one I think Villa need to address, particularly after their start in the Premier League,” Hatfield told FFC. “I think every Villa fan out there really wants to see them sign a defensive midfielder.

“Cheick Doucoure, I think that’s another one that’d be unlikely, although far more likely than Ward-Prowse to happen.”

As deadline day draws closer, signing Ward-Prowse is starting to look like an extremely difficult task.

Southampton, of course, have already sold Danny Ings to Villa. Will they want to weaken themselves even further while strengthening a Premier League rival for a second time this transfer window?

Bruno Lage has been busy in the summer transfer window since becoming the new manager of Wolves.

The Old Gold have added Trincao to their ranks, as well as signing Yerson Mosquera. They have also landed Rayan Ait-Nouri on a permanent basis and replaced Rui Patricio with Jose Sa.

What’s the word?

The Old Gold may be limited with their spending this summer but they’re still incredibly keen to press on with adding further new faces to the squad.

The latest name in the pipeline is Barcelona striker Martin Braithwaite.

The Catalan giants are in a position where they need to significantly reduce their wage bill this summer and with Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay arriving, Braithwaite is surely expendable.

Spanish publication, Sport, claim that Wolves and West Ham are two interested parties as Barca look to secure €15m (£12.8m) for his services.

Cutrone 2.0

If Lage welcomes the Danish forward to Molineux this summer then he stands a good chance of replicating Patrick Cutrone’s time in the Midlands.

The Italian has endured a torrid time in English football after arriving for £16m back in 2019.

He’s found the net on just three occasions in 28 outings for the Old Gold, failing to light a spark during any of his three loan spells either.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-transfer-news-ceballos-zinchenko-euros-felix-lage” title=”Read the latest Wolves transfer news!”]

Cutrone has been sent to Fiorentina twice but only returned five goals. His mini spell with Valencia was even worse, not scoring a goal in seven outings.

If Braithwaite arrives then it would surely mean the end for his spell at Wolves. However, they’d only be replacing him with a like-minded striker; someone who’s flopped in England before.

The 56-cap international penned a remarkable deal with Barcelona after the Spanish side needed to sign a striker on an emergency basis last year.

He has beaten the goalkeeper eight times for Ronald Koeman’s side but his previous time in England was nothing short of a disaster.

The forward scored nine goals in 40 games for Middlesbrough and was subsequently torn to shreds by Tony Pulis.

He despised the Dane’s attitude and was pleased to see the back of him in the end: “The biggest disappointment for me is he’s the highest-paid player I’ve ever worked with in the Championship,” Pulis began.

“As a matter of fact, the last club I worked at, which was a Premier League club, he’d be in the top five earners at the club without a question of a doubt.

“Steve Gibson bent over backwards, backwards, to give that lad everything he wanted to bring him to this club.”

Pulis continued: “To show the disrespect he’s shown to this club by saying he’s not coming back, to Steve Gibson, who’s made him a multi-millionaire, let’s make no bones about it, the wages and what he’s earning are astonishing.

“I’ve dealt with players all my life, some can make your hair curl – not mine. But for him to come out and say that, it just puts him up there as such an ungrateful person.”

That was a remarkable take on the 30-year-old but it only goes to show that Lage must avoid him this summer.

He doesn’t score enough and has proven to be a liability.

AND in other news, Wolves eye swoop for £16.2m-rated “monster”, he could be their new Jesus Vallejo…

Speaking in a recent interview with Football Insider, former Tottenham Hotspur defender Alan Hutton has reacted to Graham Potter’s decision to turn down the managerial job with Spurs.

THE LOWDOWN: POTTER SAYS NO

Spurs are looking to appoint Jose Mourinho’s permanent successor in the near future, as they head towards pre-season ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Potter was thought to be under consideration for the managerial vacancy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but it had recently been revealed that the Brighton and Hove Albion boss has turned down their approach to make him Spurs’ new manager.

It was also claimed by The Sun (June 27th) that Potter was believed to be holding out for a top-four job when the opportunity arises.

Spurs finished seventh in the Premier League table last season, in what was a frustrating campaign on the whole for the club’s supporters.

THE LATEST: FORMER SPURS DEFENDER REACTS TO POTTER’S DECISION

Speaking in a recent interview with Football Insider, former Spurs defender Alan Hutton labelled Potter’s decision to turn down the London-based side as a ‘big statement’, whilst also praising the Brighton and Hove Albion boss for his impact with the Seagulls to date.

“I think that’s a big statement. Top four? We’re talking about elite managers there. I think what he’s done is absolutely fantastic. I think it would have been a great move for him personally.

“It’s something, maybe, the Tottenham fans wouldn’t like but me personally, I think he could have been a decent fit. The style of football that he likes to play, he’s quite happy bringing in youth players, developing players.

“He’s done a fantastic job. It’s someone that I do like. For him to turn it down, there must be reasons behind it. I don’t know what they are but we know Daniel Levy is a tough customer to deal with.

“Whether it’s something to do with transfer budgets or whatever, we don’t know. It’s a big statement to say you’re waiting for a top-four job.”

THE VERDICT: FRUSTRATING BLOW FOR SPURS

If the report is true, it’s certainly a big statement from Potter to make. You can understand Spurs’ thinking with this one, as he’s a manager who could have a bright future in the Premier League if the early stages of his time with Brighton are anything to go by.

Spurs need stability at the moment, and they need a manager with visions of a long-term project moving forwards, and Potter could have been the manager to do just that given his age and freshness in the top flight.

But his decision to turn them down in favour of wanting a job in the top-four instead will make for frustrating reading for Tottenham Hotspur’s supporters this summer, and perhaps it will come back to haunt Potter too if the offer he’s hoping for never arrives.

Euro 2020 has served up a couple of exciting semi-finals. Italy’s match with Spain looks fascinating, while England’s tie with Denmark is pretty eye-catching too.

The latter is England’s second consecutive major tournament semi-final, while the team has reached this stage without even conceding a goal. Then you have Denmark, who have been on an emotional journey through the competition.

However, another interesting side-plot relates to goalscorers. There are some intriguing odds on who could grab a crucial goal in the game, with a few names in the running for the coveted Golden Boot.

Sterling’s time?

UEFA.com details how Ronaldo and Schick are currently the tournament’s top scorers with five goals each. However, with Portugal and the Czech Republic now out, the path is clear for some other stars to try and claim the top spot.

One name that cannot be ruled out is of course Raheem Sterling. The England forward already has three and, at the time of writing, these England v Denmark betting odds state he is 5/1 to grab the first goal in the match. He is also 21/10 to score anytime in the semi-final, while there are even odds on him grabbing a hat-trick. The Man City star is 100/1 to score three.

It would not be a major surprise to see Sterling on the scoresheet. He has enjoyed a fine tournament, grabbing some crucial goals in the group stage and sending the country into a frenzy with the opener against Germany. His form has been there for all to see, so it may not be a shock if he adds to his tally.

Kane or Kasper?

Another England star who will surely have an eye on the top scorer rankings is the captain, Harry Kane.

The Spurs striker may have endured a slow start to the tournament, but he has burst into life in the knockout stages. His goal against the Germans settled nerves up and down the country, while he also grabbed two in the demolition of Ukraine. According to Betfair, he is 3/1 to open the scoring in the semi-final, while he is 11/10 to score at any point during the match.

Of course, the Danes have their own Golden Boot candidate as well. Kasper Dolberg scored twice in the side’s 4-0 victory over Wales, while he also grabbed another crucial goal in the win against the Czech Republic. Betfair states he is 9/1 to score first against England, as well as 7/2 to score anytime.

Real talking point

All in all, the semi-final between England and Denmark looks set to be a truly mouth-watering tie. There are many exciting elements, but the fact that several of the competition’s top forwards will feature is a real talking point.

Are Kane, Sterling and Dolberg safe bets to grab decisive goals or could another star rise to the occasion and write themselves into footballing folklore instead? Fans of both England and Denmark will be waiting with bated breath to find out. Not long now.