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Tottenham Hotspur could seal an exciting signing in Lucas Paqueta, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke…

What’s the word?

The Lyon midfielder has been linked with a move to north London in recent weeks after football.london reporter Alasdair Gold revealed that he was a player that the club have been ‘tracking for a while.’

It’s believed that the Ligue 1 outfit would sanction his exit should they receive an offer of around £33m.

And he’s a player that would certainly excite the Lilywhites faithful.

In an interview with Football FanCast, O’Rourke said:

“He’s got real pedigree as well – a Brazil international – so that would be a signing that would definitely get the Tottenham fans excited and I think that they are, maybe, building a side capable of challenging for honours.”

An exciting coup

Indeed, Paqueta would be an ideal end to a busy summer of business for manager Antonio Conte and sporting director Fabio Paratici.

Spurs are arguably in need of a creative option in the engine room and the Brazilian is capable of providing that and more.

“I think they are definitely looking at a creative playmaker, someone who can play as a number 10. I’ve said this a lot this summer, but they would like a player that could allow Conte the freedom to change from a 3-4-3 to 3-5-2 with an attacking midfielder,” Express journalist Ryan Taylor revealed to GIVEMESPORT.

Last season, for example, Paqueta provided his team with 11 goals and seven assists in all competitions and did so largely playing as a no.8 or no.10, as per Transfermarkt.

Such attacking exploits have seen him rank very favourably compared to his positional midfield peers across Europe.

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FBref reveal that the 24-year-old dynamo sits within the top 1% for total shots (3.06), non-penalty expected goals (0.35) and expected assists (0.25) per 90, as well as the top 2% for touches in the opposition’s box (4.13 per 90).

They also highlight his statistical profile as being similar to Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne and England sensation Jude Bellingham, which only backs up O’Rourke’s claim that he’d be a rather exciting signing for Tottenham to make.

Paqueta’s manager over at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Peter Bosz, believes he is “amazing” and “extraordinary,” whilst the club’s official Twitter account dubbed him an “absolute diamond” only last year.

On the above evidence, the Lyon maestro would certainly be a signing that gets Spurs supporters on the edge of their seat as he’s clearly capable of getting forward to contribute in the final third.

He evidently loves to get on the scoresheet and can assist the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, so it’s on Paratici and co to get this move over the line.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt big injury blow ahead of Wolves…

Manchester United are considering a move for a recently relegated winger, if reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Manchester United are exploring the possibility of signing Ismaila Sarr.

He said, speaking to GIVEMESPORT: “Sarr has reminded a lot of clubs in the Premier League that he’s probably worth an offer in this window.

“There are a few clubs that have been thinking about it – Newcastle, Man United and West Ham among them.”

Other reports have claimed he may cost £25m to sign this summer.

An unplayable addition

With key exits, frustration in the transfer market and dramas within the club, Erik ten Hag has been left light up front to start off the Premier League season.

In his side’s 2-1 loss to Brighton last weekend, his starting front three was Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Christian Eriksen as a makeshift striker.

Perhaps bolstering the wide options in the hope that either a new striker is signed, or Cristiano Ronaldo decides to stick around at Old Trafford, could be the Dutch manager’s best bet.

That would make Ismaila Sarr a fine candidate, given his incredible speed and directness, which makes him unlike anything they already have at the club.

Dubbed “unbelievable” by Troy Deeney, in only 22 Premier League appearances last season for Watford, the Senegalese star scored five and assisted a further two, however, he has started this Championship season on fire.

Recording a goal and an assist in his opening two fixtures, with the goal being an absurd lob from inside his own half, it appears that Sarr has started this campaign a man on a mission. United are in desperate need for hungry players who can pull their side through when things are tough.

The tricky winger labelled “unplayable” by journalist Sam Street could thrive if given a stronger team around him, and although he would join a club in disarray, perhaps his arrival could spell the exit of some of the more toxic performers.

Last season he created five big chances despite only registering the two assists, suggesting that if these chances had been created for someone of Ronaldo’s ilk, his stats would look much more impressive.

He proves himself not to be an idler too, outlined in his 4.7 total duels won per 90. United cannot afford any more passengers, so with this £71k-per-week ace, they would get both the skill, speed and hard work.

Ten Hag needs more attackers in his side, and to sign this unplayable winger with proven Premier League experience and all the attributes to succeed, could be one of the Red Devils’ best pieces of business in recent years.

Nottingham Forest have completed their fifth signing of the summer with Omar Richards joining the squad yesterday, and now a reliable source has given an update on one of the club’s transfer targets.

What’s the latest?

According to Nottingham Forest reporter for The Athletic Paul Taylor, Nottingham Forest are in talks to sign Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien this summer.

As per the report, Taylor claims that the newly-promoted side are currently in discussions with Huddersfield to sign O’Brien and Harry Toffolo, with the club also interested in signing Morgan Gibbs-White.

Cooper needs him

It is clear that Steve Cooper wants to bolster his squad to ensure they have the best chance of retaining their Premier League status for years to come and doing so would require him to identify high-quality players that can make an instant impact on the team.

O’Brien had an outstanding season with Huddersfield last season, becoming a key player in the team which ultimately led to their fantastic campaign in the Championship and a play-off final at Wembley, only caught short of promotion in their defeat to Nottingham Forest.

The 23-year-old midfielder scored three goals, delivered three assists and created four big chances, making one key pass and 2.2 tackles on average per game, whilst winning the majority of his duels (56%) and was successful in completing the majority of his dribble attempts too (70%) over 43 Championship appearances.

O’Brien has been the recipient of high praise for his performances in the team last season, with former Huddersfield Town manager Carlos Corberan hailing the player “very special” in an interview:

“He is one player who is very special in the team and is one player who deserves everything he has achieved in football as he makes everything to achieve everything( in football).”

With the ongoing pursuit to sign the player, Cooper clearly feels he needs a midfielder like O’Brien in the team who offers reliability and versatility, something that the Huddersfield gem can clearly offer as he can efficiently play in attacking, central and defensive midfield.

As a result, the signing of O’Brien would be a major coup for the Forest boss and could be a great piece of business if the midfielder can continue his form in the Premier League next season.

AND in other news: Sunday update: Nottingham Forest confirm exciting news that’ll have supporters buzzing

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.

Manchester United remain interested in signing Inter Milan defender Stefan De Vrij this summer, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown: Stellar career

Signed from Lazio as a free agent in 2018, De Vrij has played 164 times for Inter and played a huge role in the side that won the Serie A title in 2020/21.

The 30-year-old central defender has amassed 436 senior appearances across an illustrious career that has seen the Dutchman add an Italian Cup and two Italian Super Cups to the top-flight title.

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Tentatively linked with a move to Manchester recently, now it appears as though United are indeed in the frame to bring the experienced stalwart to the Premier League…

The latest: ‘Cannot be ruled out’

As per Corriere della Sera, transcribed by SW, Manchester United are ‘interested’ in De Vrij.

It’s claimed that the exit of the 57-cap Holland man ‘cannot be ruled out’ with the Red Devils attentive to the man billed as ‘world class’ by GIFN editor Kaustubh Pandey following a goalscoring display in a resounding 4-2 victory over arch-rivals AC Milan in 2020.

Inter Milan have needed to sell players in recent times owing to a perilous financial situation and could be open to further departures as the centre-back fast approaches the final 12 months of a deal in Milan (Transfermarkt).

The verdict: Shrewd move

Likely to be available for a cut-down price due to the dwindling contract, signing De Vrij this summer to sure up what was a leaky defence during 2021/22 would be a smart move from Erik ten Hag and John Murtough, particularly should Erik Bailly move on as mooted.

Last term, the 6 foot 2 tenacious defender – who shares a stylistic likeness with Atletico Madrid star Stefan Savic, Fiorentina powerhouse Nikola Milenkovic and United’s own Raphael Varane (Fbref) – made 41 appearances across all competitions to underline continued durability to perform at the top level.

Currently earning £116,000 per week (Salary Sport), De Vrij represents an affordable and viable stopgap for the Old Trafford hierarchy before potentially pulling the trigger on a more expensive outlay next summer, having hopefully regained Champions League football by that point.

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.

AND in other news: Sky Sports journalist drops big Everton transfer twist that’ll have supporters buzzing…

Liverpool already have two trophies to their name and still have the chance to win the Premier League and Champions League in the coming weeks.

One figure in Jurgen Klopp’s squad that has played a big part in getting the team in this position is winger Mohamed Salah.

With 49 games under his belt for the Reds across all competitions, the attacker has scored an impressive 30 goals and delivered 16 assists along the way.

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Despite his rampant goalscoring form on the pitch, there has been a big distraction going on behind the scenes regarding the Egyptian potentially signing a new deal with the club.

If the 29-year-old doesn’t put pen to paper on a new contract and leaves the club, the Reds will need to identify potential replacements. That said, they may already have one in mind.

Back in April, it was reported that Liverpool have an interest in signing Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma.

After joining the Spanish club from AFC Bournemouth back in the previous summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £21.3m, the winger has become a pivotal figure for his new club.

In 23 appearances in La Liga, the 25-year-old has scored 16 goals and provided three assists, whereas, in 11 Champions League appearances, he’s found the net six times and delivered one assist.

To further highlight how much of an attacking threat he has been, the former Cherries star has averaged 2.7 shots, the highest in Villarreal’s squad, and 1.4 dribbles per game in the league.

Labelled as a player that is “a nightmare for defenders” as well as being someone who “can hurt any defence with his pace and directness,” by Kevin Phillips, Danjuma is now reportedly available for a fee of £45m.

While he may not be as deadly as Salah has been this season, there aren’t many players in world football that have or could reach the levels he’s been at in this campaign.

However, as a potential replacement for the Egypt international, the Villarreal star could be a suitable option.

In other news: Liverpool eye bid for exciting wonderkid, he could become a “scary” £127m-rated talent

Everton have suffered the worst injury crisis in the Premier League this season which has ultimately led to many of their first team’s players being sidelined whilst the squad has struggled to pick up points.

Frank Lampard’s side are currently two points deep into the relegation zone sitting in 18th with just five games remaining to seal their fate, the potential of losing their top-flight status is at an all-time high, but now they have had an unexpected injury boost that could have a positive impact in keeping their safety hopes alive.

Tom Davies returned this weekend to the Everton bench against Chelsea at Goodison Park after suffering what was thought to be a season-ending knee injury, and his speedy recovery has stunned many.

Liverpool Echo journalist Joe Thomas tweeted: “Incredible effort from Tom Davies to get back into Everton matchday squad ahead of expectations.

“A surprise spot on the bench for him today – his injury was deemed so severe he was not even registered in Premier League squad in January, only returning after Gbamin left on loan.”

The Merseyside born midfielder’s return to action has given Lampard another lifeline in his pursuit to keep hold of Premier League football at the club this season, and the Toffees boss has revealed how he can play his part in the final fixtures.

Lampard told reporters (via Liverpool World):

“He’s been on the training pitch now for a couple of weeks and is so dedicated to the cause. It comes out of his veins, you can see it.

“Hopefully, he can contribute in the final, latter part of the season.”

Davies has only made five appearances in the league this season but was hugely effective in the centre of the pitch during his few performances, scoring once and proving successful in 100% of his dribbles and 59% of his duels combined, proving that he has the potential to be a promising force if he can get the opportunity to play again this season.

Ultimately, Lampard must do everything that he can in his few remaining opportunities to pick up points and save Everton from relegation this season and having Davies available to positively impact his side will surely be a huge relief and boost to the squad ahead of the last few weeks.

AND in other news: Source: Major EFC transfer development emerges that’ll leave supporters infuriated

Joe Root’s reliance on his two best seamers demonstrated how England had erred in their selection

George Dobell at Kensington Oval25-Jan-2019At least with batting collapses the pain is over quickly. At least with batting collapses, the dismissed batsman can escape to the dressing room to lick their wounds and nurse their regrets in private.There’s no hiding place for bowlers. No hiding place in the field. So while England’s suffering on the third day might not have been dramatic as their suffering on the second, it was every bit as brutal.Here England’s pain was endless. As the runs and records mounted – never before have England conceded such a large seventh-wicket stand, never had they conceded such a high score to a No. 8 batsman and never had they been hit for eight sixes in an innings by a West Indies player – the holes in the England team and the errors in their selections were laid bare. This was torturous and inexorable.It is understandable in such circumstances that Joe Root should rely on James Anderson and Ben Stokes. They are, by a distance, his most reliable bowlers. So it was not surprising that he turned to them when he needed a wicket, when he needed control and when he didn’t know what else to do.But he has to look after them. And the sight of them starting new spells long after West Indies’ lead passed 500 was worrying. By the time he took his fourth new ball in two-and-a-half days, Anderson was reduced to bowling in the mid-70s mph. And while Stokes’ pace and energy remained high – really, you couldn’t fault either man for their efforts – you wondered at what cost: he is as precious an asset as England possess; it would be a mistake to ask him to carry too onerous a burden.The game, by that stage, was gone and the damage limitation should have been done by the spinners and support bowlers. Instead Anderson bowled 48 overs in the match and Stokes 50.3; only the second time in his career he had bowled 50 in a Test. By the end, they had spent 14-and-a-half hours in the field, broken only by England’s own two-and-a-half hour innings.Perhaps history offers us a lesson here. In the first year or two of the 1980s, Ian Botham – as a swing bowler not so different to Anderson and as an allrounder not so different to Stokes – found himself bowling in a game against Oxford University. He should never have been required to do so but, at some stage during it, he sustained a back injury. Some believe he was never quite the same again.The decision to bowl Anderson and Stokes for long might also have encouraged Holder to bat on. If he could exhaust England’s best bowlers it was not impossible he could rule them out of the rest of the series and he later admitted he saw a chance to “grind them down and keep them out in the heat”.It is, remember, just six days until the start of the second Test. Anderson is 36 and managing a shoulder problem that may well be causing him more pain than he makes out. Stokes, too, has undergone an operation on his left knee and suffers from ongoing back pain. There was no game at stake here; no hope that a magical spell could make the difference.Long before the end of West Indies’ second innings, factory-farmed chickens were getting together and muttering about the appalling conditions in which Anderson and Stokes are expected to work. Asking them to bowl in these conditions is like asking Picasso to pop round and paint your bathroom ceiling; like using a Ferrari to deliver rubble to the dump; like using Pegasus as a pit pony.Ben Stokes endured a frustrating morning•AFPPart of Root’s problem was the performance of his other bowlers. Sam Curran, for all his youthful promise, is not a Test opening bowler at this stage of his career. Perhaps, one day, he may be. But at present he is too reliant on swing and not quite able to compensate with control or other skills. He may well have a role to play in a four-man seam attack but, as one of three, he leaves too much required of his colleagues.The performance of the spinners was more worrying. They should have taken the main bowling workload, but Root didn’t seem to feel he could trust either of them. Moeen Ali’s first over of the day saw Holder thrash him for three successive boundaries, while Adil Rashid struggled with both his length and his pace in conceding nearly seven an over including five sixes. For him to bowl only nine overs in the innings – fewer than Root – is a damning indictment of his performance and the confidence the captain had in him.Rashid didn’t impress in the field, either, with Trevor Bayliss seen slapping his leg in frustration after a misfield gave away a single. It will be a surprise if he plays in Antigua.So it was understandable that Root didn’t trust some of his bowlers much. But he was party to the decision to pick two spinners. And he was party to the decision to prefer the wicket-taking potential of Rashid to the reliability of Jack Leach. He was also party to the decision to pick a left-arm swing bowler instead of a hit-the-deck seamer. In asking Stokes and Anderson to carry so much of the burden, he was tacitly admitting he and the other selectors had erred.There were some encouraging moments for England. Even towards the end, Jos Buttler and Root pulled off fine stops in the field. After every wicketless over, Anderson was applauded back to his position on the boundary by spectators who recognised his hard work. And despite his own disappointments, Curran made some diving stops on the boundary to save a run or two. There’s no faulting the spirit or the efforts. The opening batsmen started well, too. The weekend brings them opportunity.And there, perhaps, is the mitigation for England. For this pitch that looked so troublesome when 18 wickets fell on day two, suddenly appeared becalmed. Local knowledge suggests it may remain becalmed for much of day four, too, though some deterioration is likely on day five. It will be interesting to see if West Indies bowlers – faster or taller though most of them are – will be able to coax any more life out of it.But days like this expose holes. And West Indies have found a few in this England side.

He may thrill and frustrate in equal measure, but the coach’s backing and an understanding of his game that stems from a decade-long experience have helped him evolve

Mohammad Isam at P Sara Oval19-Mar-20171:01

From the Pakistan upset in 1999 to the SL upset in 2017

The ball pitched around off stump but Tamim Iqbal got into position quickly. By the time the ball had disappeared past the in-field, you forgot what the bowler was trying to do. The batsman, curiously under the radar for the last five months, looked like his switch was flicked on.Out came the reverse sweep, the hits over mid-on, cover and midwicket. His six landed high into the second floor, thudding into the glass panes next to the press box. Bangladesh’s 191-run target in the fourth innings suddenly looked small. It was like how, exactly ten years ago, India’s 191, albeit in a 50-over game at the World Cup, felt when the rookie Tamim was lining up Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel for sixes over long-on at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain.Tamim has transformed since, but the essence of his batting is about being positive and playing with freedom. His tactic is a bit of (bullying) on the opposition bowling, quite unlike his off-field persona – Tamim is mild-mannered and has a ready wit.His 82, one he rates better than the century he made against England in Mirpur last year, on a fifth-day P Sara pitch, against a home spin attack that is good enough to take down any batting line-up in the world, was a Tamim special. Once he decided to attack the three spinners, he was sorted. There were no second thoughts. He said he knew that all-out attack wouldn’t alone do the job so there had to mix aggression and caution very carefully.For the first 40 balls, he was happy moving the ball around, and taking singles. He needed to judge how comfortable his partner, Sabbir Rahman, in this case was. On the day, he looked a part. That meant Tamim could enjoy the little bit of freedom he enjoys at the crease.”It was a tricky total on the fifth day,” Tamim told ESPNcricinfo after the four-wicket win. “We had it in mind that we can get an exceptional ball. When we lost two wickets, I told Sabbir to be positive and look for runs. It is the only way we can win this game. If we were too defensive they would have got us out. The plan was to pick the right ball and get a boundary. We did it very nicely, I think.”Four of Tamim’s eight Test tons have come in a winning cause•AFPBangladesh were in a chaos of sorts after the 259-run loss in Galle. Mahmudullah was dropped, Liton Das was ruled out of the game, and Mushfiqur Rahim, asked to play as a specialist batsman had to take the gloves. All of this warranted four changes to a shaky line-up. Tamim’s focus didn’t waver amidst all this. He spent time honing his skills at the nets every day, leading into the Test, under the eyes of coach Chandika Hathurusingha.But they do have the odd disagreement, like when Sabbir and Tamim didn’t take a single on offer after a misfield. “I was upset because there was a run before that, but he didn’t take it. If he had taken the run, he would not be facing the next ball,” he said. “I was upset with both of them for not running the single.”The run not being taken made an immediate impact as Tamim holed out to mid-on off the next ball. He admitted to have erred in judgment of the run, and jovially said he may have not charged the bowler and looked to hit out had he seen Hathurusingha’s angry reaction for not taking the run.”I wanted to take it but the non-striker didn’t run,” he laughed. “If I had seen his reaction, I wouldn’t have got out. This is part of the game; I would have been happy to get a hundred but we won the game. Everything is fine now.”Hathurusingha is the sort of coach who has a lot of time for a player’s individual development, and is quite possessive about them too. Although he was angry at his dismissal, he has pointed out how people would blame Tamim for getting out in the 80s even though his hitting got him to that score.”He batted well in this situation. He took the game away after lunch,” Hathurusingha said. “We needed to put the pressure back on to them, and score runs. We needed to be positive and back our strengths. Everyone clapped when he hit the six off [Lakshan] Sandakan and it hit that glass. But when he tried again and got out, everyone was scolding him. It is not right. I am all for players to play with freedom. They can make intelligent decision, which I need to back.”Hathurusingha knows Tamim isn’t the one to give him too many sleepless nights, even though some grief may be had from time-to-time because of an an untimely dismissal. On his part, Tamim too fully understands the need of the hour in the Bangladesh team. It is a rapidly developing side that is going to face new challenges. With a batting like Tamim on his side, Hathurusingha knows that those challenges can be faced head-on.