Mauricio Pochettino has played down Conor Gallagher's admission that he "loves" playing for the Argentine coach at Chelsea.
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Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension transfer chief Fabio Paratici, allegedly have a Weston McKennie plan as news emerges out of Italy.
The Times, sharing a big update on manager Antonio Conte’s plans past the 2021/2022 Premier League season, recently claimed that a plethora of activity could take place at Hotspur Way.
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Spurs’ head coach could offload as many as eight players, a list which includes the likes of Sergio Reguilón, Emerson Royal, Steven Bergwijn, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele.
Coming in the other way, it is believed that Conte wants to make six major signings in three defenders, a forward and a midfielder.
According to Calciomercato, some news has come to light on the Lilywhites’ attempts to bolster the latter position.
The Italian source says Tottenham, and by extension Paratici, are ‘ready to negotiate’ with Juventus over signing their midfield man McKennie this summer.
It is believed that Spurs are eyeing a loan-to-buy deal for the USA international in a similar move which would ‘repeat’ the trick to bring Dejan Kulusevski to N17.
Football Insider, making a claim before the New Year, stated that McKennie is ‘very keen’ to play in London – something which could gift Spurs and Paratici a possible advantage over Serie A competitors Roma.
They also stated Juve’s valuation of the 23-year-old is set at around £35 million, and while it is unclear whether that would be the price to pay for Tottenham at the end of a possible loan-to-buy, we believe the ex-Schalke star could be a brilliant addition either way.
Unable to display his ability during the latter stages of this season due to a foot injury, McKennie has in fact been revered for his performances at international level.
USA football reporter Chris Smith of 90min lavished the ‘pressing machine’ and ‘supremely underrated’ ace, drawing attention to an impressive scout report last year.
At just 23, the sky is seemingly the limit for McKennie and it is little wonder Spurs are keen on opening talks.
In other news: Paratici also eyeing ‘world class’ player move tipped to ‘excite’ Spurs supporters! Find out more here.
West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Bruce has spoken in recent weeks about the potential transfer overhaul he’s looking to complete at the Hawthorns this summer.
One potential move that has been reported could see current Baggies defender Cedric Kipre leave the club this summer.
Since arriving at the club back in September 2020 from Wigan Athletic, the centre-back has made just 19 appearances for the Baggies across all competitions.
This latest season saw the 25-year-old appear just 14 times for his side in the Championship, the latest of which coming all the way back in January.
This shows just how much Bruce doesn’t fancy him and why it’s not a surprise to hear that the Baggies boss would be willing to see the Frenchman leave this summer.
Previously slammed for his “shocking” tackle on Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack that kept him sidelined for six months back in December 2017, Kipre may now be on the lookout for a new club to join.
In terms of who the Midlands side could look to bring in as a suitable replacement for the Frenchman, one figure the Baggies have been linked with that could fit the bill for Bruce is Blackburn Rovers defender Darragh Lenihan.
With a total of 219 appearances in the Championship under his belt, the 28-year-old certainly has more experience at this level than Kipre, who has just 88 games in the second division to his name.
This season saw the Irishman end Blackburn’s campaign with the second-highest number of interceptions (58) and third-highest number of tackles (43) to his name in the Lancashire club’s squad.
His overall performances earned him a season rating of 7.1/10 from WhoScored, making him Blackburn’s highest-rated player.
To put that into perspective, this rating would also put him as West Brom’s highest-rated player for the recent campaign.
To further highlight how impressive the £14k-per-week centre-back is, Rovers boss Tony Mowbray had this to say about him back in December.
He said: “He’s right at the top of his game, you can tell the way he’s dominating, he’s towering over players inches taller than him, his passing he looks so assured, long passing, short passing.”
Moving forward, with Lenihan’s contract at Ewood Park set to expire at the end of June, potentially cashing in on Kipre and securing the Blackburn star on a free transfer could be an excellent bit of business from Bruce and the Baggies.
In other news: Cost £0, sold for £15m: WBA sealed a big transfer masterclass with “quiet” 28 y/o flop
Everton had one of their worst campaigns in the Premier League this season embroiled in a relegation fight throughout and now Frank Lampard has the chance to repair the issues and make positive changes to improve their situation during the summer transfer window.
The Toffees boss did make two signings on the same day that he arrived at Goodison Park on Deadline Day with Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek joining the Merseyside club, but the pair have made little impact since their arrival.
Van de Beek was only brought in on a loan spell and will now return to Manchester United following the appointment of his former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford so there was nothing to lose for Everton. On the other hand, Alli was brought in on a permanent deal.
The Toffees signed the midfielder from Tottenham Hotspur with a number of performance-related clauses worth up to £40m put in place that would dictate what the club would pay in a transfer fee, but the terms of that deal are now up in the air as he has only made 11 appearances so far with no goals or assists.
During those 11 appearances, the 26-year-old who was dubbed a “waste of space” by Simon Jordan has only averaged 29 minutes per appearance so it is clear that Lampard doesn’t see him as a key player in his plans for Everton going forward.
With that being said, the club has been linked with Conor Gallagher due to his relationship with Lampard who worked with the player during his time as the manager at Chelsea, and the young midfielder would be without a doubt a huge upgrade on Alli.
The £50m ace who was hailed as “Kante with goals” by Tony Cascarino has had a phenomenal breakthrough Premier League season on loan at Crystal Palace scoring eight times and contributing five assists in all competitions, but it’s not just his attacking threat that has seen the youngster become a standout player this season.
Gallagher has created five big chances, made 1.1 key passes, 51.6 touches and 2 tackles on average per game, as well as successfully completing the majority of his dribbles (57%) and a 90% pass accuracy in his own half, proving that he is a huge presence in the centre of the pitch and dominates in his position.
If the Toffees’ manager could convince Chelsea and the 22-year-old that joining Everton would be a great next step for his career, it would be a major coup for Everton and would add a great fresh perspective on the advanced midfield role that Alli has failed to impact in.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has dropped another major update on Manchester United’s attempts to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
De Jong appears to be a key target for new United boss Erik ten Hag, with Romano revealing in the middle of May that there was contact between the two clubs.
Ten Hag and De Jong worked together at Ajax, with the latter moving to Barcelona in 2019 in a deal worth £77.4m.
The 25-year-old has made 139 appearances at the Nou Camp over the last three seasons, but due to Barcelona’s financial situation, a move to another of Europe’s super clubs could well be on the cards.
Romano took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to share his most recent update regarding De Jong and Manchester United.
He revealed that United have ‘opened direct talks with Barca’ for the Dutch midfielder, who has a price tag of around €85m (£72m). De Jong ‘wants’ Champions League football, however, Romano once again cited Barcelona’s ‘financial issues’ and said the Red Devils will try to ‘push again’.
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United have clearly not given up hope when it comes to De Jong and have now opened direct talks, which can only be a positive sign.
Hopefully, we’ll hear that talks have progressed in the coming days and should a move eventually materialise, you’d expect De Jong could be a direct replacement for Paul Pogba.
The Frenchman will become a free agent at the end of June after the Red Devils officially confirmed his imminent exit, so De Jong, who has enjoyed success under Ten Hag in the past, could be the ideal signing to bolster the club’s midfield ranks.
In other news: Man Utd and Ten Hag now hold talks over yet another target; interest ‘serious’.
A reliable report has now shared some big Tottenham Hotspur transfer news involving Man City striker Gabriel Jesus in the last 48 hours.
Spurs head coach Antonio Conte, after clinching a Premier League top four place and Champions League qualification for next season, reportedly has his eyes on a striking back up to Harry Kane.
Brazil international Jesus is one of the names heavily linked with a move to north London amid other potential targets, coming after Pep Guardiola’s gem ended 2021/2022 on a hot streak of goalscoring form.
The Times, sharing news on Spurs’ pursuit of the player, have now got a big update for supporters.
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According to their information, Jesus has ‘been offered’ to the Lilywhites and is ‘believed’ to want to stay in England – coming as two possible boosts for Conte as he chases a new Spurs attacking option.
However, one potential obstacle could be north London rivals Arsenal, who are ‘quietly confident’ they can beat Tottenham to the punch.
The 25-year-old has been described as a ‘perfect’ player for Spurs, not to mention a possible ‘massive signing’ and ‘statement’ move by ex-goalkeeper Paul Robinson (Football Insider).
His age, goalscoring record in the top flight and fairly reasonable mooted £55 million price tag are other reasons to seriously consider pressing ahead to sign Jesus who is reliably believed to be leaving Eastlands this summer.
While the South American will find it difficult getting regular starts ahead of Kane, Guardiola has utilised Jesus on the right-wing in recent times where he has played very well.
More than just an out-and-out striker, the attacking outlet could prove useful to Conte in more than one way.
In other news: Tottenham make contact as they ‘world-class signing’ for Conte! Find out more here.
Newcastle United may be interested in a move Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer, journalist Alex Crook has told GiveMeSport.
According to The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder, Eddie Howe is ‘exploring his options in terms of livening up the competition’ for Martin Dubravka’s number one spot next season.
The Slovakian missed the start of the 2021/22 campaign through injury but returned against Arsenal in November and started every Premier League match thereafter.
Sommer is valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt, with only 12 months remaining on his deal at Borussia Park.
Crook said that he has learned that Sommer may be one of the options under consideration at St James’ Park, telling Newcastle supporters to ‘keep an eye on that one’, with the Magpies potentially sensing the opportunity for a bargain deal for the 33-year-old.
He told GiveMeSport: “The name I was given this week was Yann Sommer at Monchengladbach, the Swiss international. He’s got a year left on his contract so wouldn’t cost a lot of money. I’d definitely keep an eye on that one.”
Sommer is a vastly experienced goalkeeper, having made 262 Bundesliga appearances and racked up 74 caps for Switzerland.
He has earned some prestigious individual honours along the way, featuring in the 2019/20 Bundesliga Team of the Season and winning his country’s Player of the Year award in 2021.
There were rave reviews for the Monchengladbach man at last summer’s European Championship, with journalist Zach Lowy called the ‘amazing’ stopper ‘one of the most underrated goalkeepers of the past decade’. At the finals, he denied Kylian Mbappe from the spot as Switzerland knocked out France on penalties and made a string of saves in the quarter-final against Spain.
Dubravka could well have an almighty fight on his hands to keep his place if Sommer were to arrive on Tyneside.
In other news, this pundit reacts to significant injury news involving a Newcastle target
Johan Lange and Aston Villa are keeping an eye on former Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale.
That is according to a report from The Guardian, who claimed that Steven Gerrard’s side are among a trio of clubs tipped as possible destinations for the Wales captain.
The soon-to-be free agent is said to be keen on finding a new club to ensure that he is fit for his country’s upcoming World Cup campaign in Qatar later this year.
As such, Villa have competition for his signature in Premier League rivals Newcastle United and Bale’s former club Tottenham Hotspur.
The signing of Bale would represent tremendous ambition for a Villa side who appear to be undergoing a mini-rebuild, with Gerrard putting his mark on the squad in what will be his first full season at the club.
The former Liverpool captain is not messing around this summer, and despite securing permanent deals for four players already, it looks as though he is by no means done there.
Despite Carlo Ancelotti’s return to Real Madrid, Bale has hardly been given a chance under the manager who first brought him to the Bernabeu in 2013, making just five appearances in the most recent La Liga campaign, with one goal to show for it.
However, it’s worth noting that, whilst not being given much of a chance, the 32-year-old has still managed to score five La Liga seasons.
A move to an ambitious Villa side under a potentially more trusting manager in Gerrard could be enough to rejuvenate Bale’s passion for the game and would likely help the Villans to make a stronger push for European qualification.
However, it’s the potential partnership between former El Classico duo Bale and Philippe Coutinho which could strike fear into the rest of the Premier League, with both players having found life difficult at times at Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
Coutinho has seemingly enjoyed his football under Gerrard, making the move permanent after a respectable return of five goals and three assists in 19 Premier League appearances.
At Villa, it appears that he is playing without pressure, as if a weight has been lifted from him.
This is the effect which could also be had with the “exquisite” Bale, as dubbed by verified journalist Elliot Foster, and a partnership between two serial winners who have suffered subjective mistreatment throughout their careers could well bode for a bond on and off the pitch.
This would be a great move for both club and player.
In other news: AVFC could form an exciting duo as Lange now plots bid to sign £33k-p/w “cat”
Liverpool’s incredible history has almost always included a serial goalscorer in their side, from Ian Rush, King Kenny Dalglish and Fernando Torres, to Luis Suarez and Mohamed Salah. Where there is a Liverpool squad there is a world class striker, a couple of anomalies aside.
In the last decade, the Reds have been particularly blessed, having had the privilege of watching Suarez torment the rest of the Premier League, with Norwich City feeling the most of his wrath, before Salah followed in his footsteps a few years later.
Of course, there was a brief spell in which Brendan Rodgers lined up the likes of Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli, and Fabio Borini. But that has been discreetly put into the past now, never to be seen again, with Jurgen Klopp’s heavy metal football writing a new chapter in the Liverpool history books.
It has been a chapter full of success, too, and a front three worthy of the number of honours. The transition from Lambert, Balotelli, and Borini to Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane epitomises just how far Liverpool have come since 2015.
Stats from TransferMarkt revealed one dominant attacker when it comes to goal contributions since 2012, however. Below we’ve listed the player with the most goals and assists from the last ten Liverpool seasons.
When Fernando Torres left on Deadline Day of January 2011, not even the most optimistic of Liverpool fans would have expected a quick fix. Yet, in came Luis Suarez – an unfamiliar name at the time that would soon become the thorn in every Premier League team’s side.
The 2012/13 season is when things really began to take off, with the forward scoring 30 goals, and assisting a further 13 in all competitions.
If the 2012/13 version of Suarez was impressive, then the Suarez we saw a season later was out of this world. After missing the first five games through suspension for biting Branislav Ivanovic, the Uruguayan went on to score 31 goals in 33 league games to pick up the Golden Boot, and assist 17 goals in all competitions.
With 48 goal contributions in the league, Suarez single-handedly dragged Liverpool into the title race at times, before eventual heartbreak, with Manchester City winning the title following Steven Gerrard’s famous slip against Chelsea.
Can you tell that this is the season after Luis Suarez left? Because we certainly can. Jordan Henderson is by no means a goalscoring midfielder, either. Yet, with an impressive 15 assists and seven goals, topped Liverpool’s goal contributions list in a campaign to forget.
It’s no surprise that the Reds finished sixth, with their highest contributor going from 50 to just 22 in the space of a year.
Back to a more positive outlook, the 15/16 season saw the arrival of Klopp and the beginning of turning the doubters into believers. And what better player to highlight that change in attitude than one of the best to play for Klopp? Firmino proved an instant hit in his first season, with 11 goals and 11 assists.
Speaking of Liverpool’s Brazilian players, Philippe Coutinho had a season to remember under Klopp in 2016/17, with 24 goal contributions.
With Mane and Firmino alongside him, the midfielder flourished, with particularly impressive performances against Arsenal on the opening day and West Ham away, in which he scored two braces.
His last full season at Liverpool, it’s fair to say that he went out with a bang, having helped Klopp’s side to a Champions League return.
If you’re not a fan of Mohamed Salah, it’s probably best to look away now, because from 2017 onwards, he has been dominant in a Liverpool shirt.
Starting with his debut campaign, the Egyptian instantly proved any doubters wrong, and in some style, too. By the end of the season, he had broken the record for most goals in a 38-game Premier League season by scoring 32 to seal his first Golden Boot.
A season of 44 goals and 16 assists led Liverpool to the Champions League final, where they suffered heartbreak against Real Madrid, as Salah was forced off with injury early in the first-half.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Here’s Salah once again at the forefront of Liverpool’s attacking exploits. This time, there may have been no record for the former AS Roma man, but he did, at the very least, end the season with another Golden Boot to his name, with 22 league goals.
In all competitions, meanwhile, Salah netted a total of 27 goals, and assisted a further 12 as Liverpool bounced back from Champions League heartbreak the season before to defeat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the final, partly courtesy of Salah penalty in the first minute.
Guess who? Yep, the Egyptian King is out of this world, isn’t he? And, this time, his contribution led to Liverpool’s first-ever Premier League title. With 23 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, Salah once again shone at Anfield.
Salah’s Most impressive performances came in the 3-1 win over Manchester City and the 2-0 win over Manchester United, in which he scored late on to cue the famous celebration at the Kop end and all but confirm the title.
Now onto Salah’s most difficult season yet in a Liverpool shirt.
With the Covid-19 pandemic forcing games to be played behind closed doors, and Klopp left with Nat Phillips, Ozan Kabak, Rhys Williams and makeshift centre-back Fabinho to turn to after a flurry of injuries, it was Salah’s goals, at times, which kept Liverpool in the hunt for top four.
31 goals and six assists in all competitions gave the Reds hope. And, by some miracle, an Alisson Becker header put them on course for a third-placed finish to end a nightmare campaign.
Salah’s best season numbers wise since his debut campaign, there was a period of time throughout last season when a Salah goal became an expectancy rather than a possibility.
He ended the season with disappointment, of course, having lost the Champions League final after missing out in the title race. But with a Golden Boot, Playmaker award, League Cup and FA Cup medal to provide comfort, we think he’ll be alright.
With 31 goals and 16 assists in all competitions, Salah was more than worthy of the PFA Premier League fans’ Player of the Year.
Aston Villa transfer target Gareth Bale could still swap the Bernabeu for Villa Park this summer, and if that is to happen, transfer insider Dean Jones believes that it would be a good signing by Steven Gerrard’s side.
As per The Guardian, who linked Villa with a move for the Wales star, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are also potential destinations for the 32-year-old, with Cardiff City thrown into the mix by the Daily Mail.
Jones believes that Bale may be more swayed by a return to Spurs, for whom the Welshman has scored all of his 54 Premier League goals so far.
The journalist told GIVEMESPORT about the possibility of the 32-year-old going to Villa: “The only thing I’d say is there’s not that sentiment value there that we seem to get the impression he’s looking for. Gareth Bale is at his best when there’s passion involved, and when he genuinely cares about it.
“His Wales performances and his body language and everything is so different than from when he was at Real Madrid. And I know he says that’s not all him, and it was the club and the way he was treated, but it’s got to be on him too because we can see how he’s performing. So, I think it’d be a good signing.”
A move to an ambitious Villa team under a potentially more trusting manager in Gerrard could be enough to rejuvenate Bale’s passion for the game and would likely help the Villans to make a stronger push for European qualification.
From a club perspective, “world-beater” Bale – as once hailed by journalist Jonathan Shrager – would give Villa an inverted option on the right wing, mimicking the service that Riyad Mahrez offers to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
The Algerian has enjoyed repeated success in this role, cutting inside in an attempt to wrong-foot opposition defenders and fire a shot at goal, an element to his game which has rewarded him with 63 goals in a City shirt.
An inverted approach adds another dimension in the attack and allows for a wide player to operate almost solely in the half-space, which also results in more room for the centre-forward.
This is a prospective move which could pay dividends for both club and player, giving Bale the opportunity to gather strong club form ahead of the World Cup with Wales later this year, whilst offering the Villans a weapon that they do not currently have within their ranks.