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Wolverhampton Wanderers would have feared a relegation battle in the Premier League this campaign and those fears are coming to fruition having recorded four losses from their first six matches.

The latest of those poor results came at Kenilworth Road on Saturday afternoon as the Old Gold stumbled to a 1-1 draw against Luton Town, although after spending the whole second half with ten men, Gary O'Neil would have seen that result as one point gained rather than two dropped.

On Tuesday evening, the Old Gold can put their disastrous league form to the side and focus on their trip to take on Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

The Tractor Boys have announced their return to the second tier in exceptional style, winning seven of their opening eight matches with their only defeat coming against Leeds United.

A distraction this competition may be – but it isn't any easy one at that for Wolves – and they'll have to be on the ball against a side brimming with confidence who will sense an upset could be in the offing.

What is the latest Wolves team news?

With the chance to utilise the full depth of his squad, O'Neil is expected to make several changes against Ipswich but at least one of those will be enforced.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Wolves' outstanding performer from their 3-1 defeat against Liverpool, followed that terrific display up with a shocking one against Luton as the midfielder was sent off for making an inexcusable challenge on defender Tom Lockyer.

On a much brighter note, midfielder Joe Hodge, who caught the eye in their 5-0 thrashing of Blackpool in the previous round, is working his way back from a muscular problem – which he sustained in the last round – and has a slim chance of returning for this tie.

Elsewhere, Matt Doherty, Boubacar Traore, Toti Gomes, Fabio Silva and Sasa Kalajdzic should all get their chances to impress O'Neil from the off, as could on-loan Manchester City midfielder Tommy Doyle, who has featured twice off the bench in the Premier League so far.

Should Tommy Doyle start vs Ipswich?

After joining on loan with an option to buy for £4.3m, Doyle's opportunities in the Wolves team have been limited thus far, however, with a suspension to Bellegarde and Mario Lemina likely to be rested, the Englishman could get his chance to shine.

The 21-year-old starred in the Sheffield United side that was promoted to the Premier League last season, scoring four goals and registering seven assists, as he impressed at Bramall Lane in a Paul Heckingbottom system that allowed his technical attributes to flourish, operating in a dynamic midfield three with James McAtee and Sander Berge.

Possessing the technique and superb passing range to dictate the tempo of matches – as taught at Man City – the midfield metronome looked a cut above at Championship level when compared to his positional peers, ranking in the top 5% for expected assists, top 12% for shot creating actions, top 13% for passes into the final third and top 15% for progressive passes, as per FBref.

At times this campaign, Wolves have struggled in the absence of the technically astute Ruben Neves and although Doyle is unable to replicate the impact of the Portuguese, he can offer O'Neil a calmness on the ball in midfield and that could be key tonight with Ipswich likely to start fast out of the blocks.

The 5 foot 8 "set-piece specialist" – as lauded by England under-21 teammate Charlie Cresswell – can provide Wolves with quality from dead-ball situations too, which is also something they've missed in the absence of Neves.

Doyle was one of the stand-out players in the Championship last term and earned his move to a Premier League side on the back of his consistent displays. Now, the stage is set for him to show O'Neil what he can offer the Old Gold in future matches.

Manchester City are targeting one of the most talented youngsters in the world and will aim to beat off competition from several clubs for his signature, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester City?

David Ornstein, who is one of the lead writers for The Athletic, has issued an update involving Manchester City's pursuit of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes, stating on X:

"Matheus Nunes has stopped training with Wolves + expressed wish to join Man City. #WWFC rejected €55m #MCFC bid & plan to stand firm unless valuation met. 25yo will face disciplinary action + be reintegrated post-window if no deal struck."

Manchester City are expected to return to the table with a fresh offer for the Portugal international after he downed tools at Molineux; however, Wolves will insist on recouping around £60 million for one of their prize assets, as per Sky Sports.

Pep Guardiola referred to Nunes as "one of the best players in the world today" back in 2022 when he was at Sporting and is known to be a big admirer of his talents.

Belgium international Kevin De Bruyne is currently ruled out with a hamstring injury and could even miss action until next year due to a hamstring issue, signifying the need for Manchester City to bring in an additional body in midfield to replicate his impact, as per The Guardian.

Football Insider claim that Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze has also been identified as an alternative target to Nunes by Manchester City; nevertheless, it is believed that it would take a significant fee for the Eagles to even consider selling their star man.

Who else could Manchester City sign?

According to The Daily Mail, Manchester City are lining up a move for Boca Juniors' 19-year-old left-back Valentin Barco as they continue to expand their reach in the continent of South America.

Nevertheless, they face competition from the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea and Serie A giants Juventus to bring the Argentina Under-20 international to the Etihad Stadium. The Citizens are also active in pursuing another unnamed target from South America before the window slams shut.

Barco has proved to be a smash hit in his homeland since breaking into the Boca Juniors senior side, registering one goal and two assists in 20 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Barco, named among The Guardian’s 60 best young talents in world football, with Juan Carlos Pasman highlighting his ability for a mean free kick, has also become a reliable outlet when breaking forward for Boca Juniors and has successfully carried out 26 shot-creating actions in 2023, combining his exploits in the Primera Division and Copa Libertadores.

Boca Juniors legend Juan Roman Riquelme, who is now vice-president at the club, hasn't been short of praise for the youngster, stating in an interview cited by The Argus:

“He is a cheeky lad. We are here to accompany and take care of the boys.

“Barco is a technically very good player and we are very happy to have him with us.”

Former Hibernian manager Lee Johnson finally paid the price for leading the team to a poor start to the 2023/24 campaign.

Despite reaching the Europa Conference League playoff round, defeating Swiss side Luzern in the third round, Hibs’ woeful Premiership form was the catalyst.

They have lost their opening three league ties and are currently rooted to the bottom of the table.

The question is, who will be the next person in to lead the team?

Who will be the next Hibs manager?

There will likely be a few candidates lining up to put their name forward for the role, although one name which has cropped up could be a surprising choice.

Current Australia manager Graham Arnold has emerged as a potential heir to Johnson according to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, who said: “Australia manager Graham Arnold is in the frame for the Hibernian job, as the club draw up a shortlist of candidates for their managerial vacancy.

“It's understood the 60yo is keen to consider the role, but is also attracting interest from two English Championship clubs.”

The two other sides haven’t been named but unless the board show greater ambition, Hibs will be the underdogs in a potential move for the 60-year-old, especially considering their chances – barring a miracle – of securing European football until Christmas.

Could Graham Arnold improve Hibs?

Johnson spent 15 months in charge of the Easter Road outfit, winning just 20 of his 54 matches in charge and securing just 1.31 points per game.

Hardly the most eye-catching statistics and the poor start just created the need for change. Arnold will bring a wealth of experience to the role should he be appointed, having managed not only the Australian national side but also Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC, averaging 1.71 and 1.90 points per game across both clubs respectively.

He has won two league titles and an Australian Cup during his managerial career also and would bring a winning mentality to Hibs, something that they badly need considering they have won just two major honours this century.

Arnold is perhaps best known for his spell in charge of the Wallabies and in particular, impressing at the 2022 World Cup.

During that tournament, they became the first Australian men’s side to win two matches at the FIFA World Cup as they secured progression to the last 16 for the first time since 2006.

Eventual winners Argentina proved to be a game too far, yet they gave their all and scored in every single match.

Reporter Vince Rugari praised Arnold recently while discussing the Matilda’s head coach Tony Gustavsson during their own chase for glory, saying: “Worth pointing out, as I did in the below, that it's not all over. Graham Arnold was facing similar criticism with the Socceroos in WCQ – but he pulled it out of the fire. His decisions against Peru and beyond were perfect. Gustavsson has the chance to do the same against Canada.”

It would be an interesting move for Hibs, yet with Celtic enjoying vast success with Australian coach Ange Postecoglou, it could work out well indeed.

Manchester United are keen on a deal for Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, but a fresh report has revealed that they aren’t the club in pole position to secure his services this summer.

What position is Ryan Gravenberch?

Gravenberch is primarily a central midfielder who only put pen to paper at the Allianz Arena last summer from Ajax, but his debut season didn’t go anywhere near as well as he would have hoped having been handed just three starts in the Bundesliga for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

Due to his severe lack of game time and how low down in his manager’s pecking order he is, the 21-year-old has reportedly told chiefs that he wants to leave and complete a move to the Premier League before the end of the window, and there are two potential suitors waiting to snap him up.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that whilst the Bavarian club don’t want to sell, the Red Devils and Liverpool have both “called” to remain informed on the conditions of a deal should his side have a late change of heart over sanctioning his sale.

TEAMtalk claim that Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat still very much remains Erik ten Hag’s top target in the centre of the park, but should he fail to land his first choice ahead of September 1st, Netherlands’ youth international has been identified as an alternative having worked under the boss during his time at Ajax in the Eredivisie.

Are Man United signing Ryan Gravenberch?

According to 90min, Man United are “interested in striking a deal” for Gravenberch this summer, hijacking a possible Liverpool transfer, with those at Anfield in talks with Bayern that are, as it stands, at a “more advanced stage”.

Munich’s star is “keen to leave” to give himself the best chance of representing his country at the EURO 2024 tournament, and it’s stated that Tuchel’s men are “softening” their stance and have placed a price tag of around £20m on his head in a new development.

How tall is Ryan Gravenberch?

Standing at 6 foot 2, Gravenberch would add a completely different dimension to the midfield with his height and be a real physical presence in the centre, especially with him potentially being available for a fee of £20m, Man United could table an offer to test the water and see if they can hijack Liverpool’s move.

Since the start of his career, Amsterdam’s native has posted 69 goal contributions (36 goals and 33 assists) in 221 appearances whilst ranking in the 94th percentile for most shot-creating actions, highlighting that he’s much better at impacting the game at the top end of the pitch rather than defensively.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

Sponsored by Adidas, the talisman also recorded an 89.3% pass success rate last season which would make him the second-best achiever in Ten Hag’s squad, with only Victor Lindelof out of the regular starters able to top that (93.2%), displaying his excellent calmness and composure on the ball in possession.

Bayern’s “indispensable” player, as dubbed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, even knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured seven senior trophies since first bursting onto the scene, so he would be able to match the winning mentality of the current group who are already at Old Trafford.

Newcastle United are now tracking Red Bull Salzburg defender Oumar Solet, who has recently admitted he is excited by the prospect of playing in the Premier League, according to a report from The Daily Mail.

What's the latest Newcastle transfer news?

Eddie Howe is clearly still keen to bolster his backline, given that Newcastle have been linked with a number of new defenders in recent weeks, including Southampton's Tino Livramento, with a fresh swoop for the right-back now on the cards.

In terms of new centre-backs, the Magpies are running the rule over Blackburn Rovers' Ashley Phillips, with the £2m release clause in the 18-year-old's contract set to become active on Friday, however they are set to face competition for his signature from Tottenham Hotspur.

According to a report from The Daily Mail, Solet is now also emerging as a transfer target for Newcastle, but they are not the only Premier League club tracking the RB Salzburg defender, with Everton also in the mix for his signature.

A whole host of European clubs are said to be interested in the centre-back, including Inter Milan and Torino, but he has made it clear that a move to the Premier League is of particular interest to him, saying:

"I have a lot of ambitions, to be honest. I’m just on my way – for sure the Premier League excites me a lot,"

"That’s exactly what I need for the next step. I’m a challenger, a competitor, a winner. I have big ambitions in football and outside football. I want to be a really big player."

As such, the Magpies should be well-placed to win the race for the Frenchman, should their interest become more concrete over the next few weeks.

Who is Oumar Solet?

The 23-year-old defender initially made his breakthrough with French side Stade Lavallois, before making a move to Lyon, however he failed to hold down a consistent spot in the starting XI, making just four first-team appearances for the Ligue 1 side.

Since then, however, the Melun-born ace has managed to cement his place as a vital player for RB Salzburg, making 80 appearances for the Austrian side, where he has predominantly featured in the centre of defence, although he can also play in defensive midfield.

At 6 foot 3, the former Lyon man is an imposing figure at the back, and he has been hailed as "dominant" by journalist Ph Ouggourini, who also claims he is an assured dribbler of the ball, who is capable of making assists.

The £5.8k-per-week defender is yet to prove himself in a major European league, but he has already made a total of nine appearances in the Champions League, and he could be a savvy signing for Newcastle.

Howe needs reinforcements for his backline, especially with European football on the line next season.

India’s ODI vice-captain said that while rotation kept the players fully fit, he would not like to take a break since he has only recently returned from an injury layoff

Arun Venugopal in Chennai14-Sep-2017India vice-captain Rohit Sharma believes the policy of rotating personnel has been introduced to ensure that players remain “more than 100% fit” during the course of a cramped calendar. The players’ workload remains an ongoing conversation given the quantum of cricket India are playing in the immediate future: from September to December, they play 23 internationals – three Tests, 11 ODIs and nine T20Is – against Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.Soon after the Sri Lanka series winds down, India are scheduled to tour South Africa for four Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is in January and February 2018. There are then two demanding tours to England and Australia later in 2018. Rohit acknowledged such hectic schedules were an intrinsic part of the modern game, and that it was down to the player to service himself.”We all are used to tight schedules and so much cricket being played. It is not happening now, it has been happening for a while,” Rohit said during a promotional event in Chennai. “We understand how to take care of our body. We have specific people like doctor, physio, trainer… all of those who will take care of it and give us the right schedule.”Which is why there is lots of rotation happening. We have to make sure we need guys who are more than 100% fit. Which is why we have the rotation policy going on, keeping in mind the tight schedule. To me, cricketers have limited career. So we have to make the most of the time we have. So no excuses of burnout or being on tight schedule. We have to play as much we may have to.”R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja had been rested for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and the first three ODIs against Australia in accordance with the new policy. Ashwin has been allowed to play county cricket for Worcestershire during the period, to get him acclimatised to English conditions ahead of India’s tour next year.While Rohit said that it was up to the individual to find the right way to manage his schedule, he was personally not for taking a break from playing. Rohit had missed the bulk of India’s home season last year, including the Test series against England and Australia, with a thigh injury. He said he wanted to get as much game time under his belt as possible.”It is up to each individual how he wants to do it,” Rohit said. “I like to follow the schedule being given to us starting from the diet. If we follow that, I am sure we would be fine. It has helped us. I am coming from an injury layoff so I don’t see myself doing that [resting]. I want to play as many games as possible. Whenever there is an opportunity I want to be on the field.”

ScorecardJofra Archer was in the wickets for Sussex [file picture]•Getty Images

Another eye-catching performance from Jofra Archer allowed Sussex to glimpse an improbable fourth championship victory over Gloucestershire at Hove.Gloucestershire had been set 351 to win in 75 overs – a motorway maximum of seventy an hour over five hours.At lunch, at 30 for three, they were out of it. Once again Archer had been at the heart of the Sussex challenge, with two wickets. He had Chris Dent caught behind and then plucked out Gareth Roderick’s off stump with a snorter in the last over before the break. Abi Sakande had taken the first wicket, bowling Cameron Bancroft for 13.After lunch it was Archer the fielder who inspired his side, with two magnificent catches at long-leg off the bowling of Chris Jordan. First he dismissed Phil Mustard, high above his head and inches away from the ropes. Then, just before tea, he pulled off an even better one, this time diving forward to catch George Hankins. The obdurate Hankins had provided Gloucestershire’s main middle-order resistance, with a two-hour 51.That left Gloucestershire in serious danger of defeat, at 117 for six with one session to go. But Jack Taylor played a feisty innings in the gloaming, scoring 69 not out, and they did not lose another wicket.Gloucestershire had declared their first innings overnight, on 150 for one, conceding a disadvantage of 208 runs.When Sussex batted in their second innings it resembled the sort of pre-declaration bowling that was so common on Tuesdays and Fridays in the days of three-day cricket.But with 150 overs lost to bad weather, including the whole of the second day, both sides needed to do something positive to produce the excellent finish we saw on Thursday.Sussex thrashed 142 from 18.1 overs in their second knock, for the loss of just one wicket. It took them only 55 minutes. Harry Finch scored 74 from 59 balls, with a dozen fours, and Luke Wells hit five fours and a six in his 44.The bowling, though, was very friendly, opened by Will Tavare and Bancroft, a fine young batsman, an occasional wicket-keeper but only a very occasional bowler, with only six balls in first class cricket before this spell, in which he conceded 67 runs from seven overs. Some lobbed-up leg-breaks from Mustard added to the general geniality of the attack. But it all contributed to an absorbing conclusion.

Ben Stokes’ phenomenal century for Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL will have spin-off benefits for England’s Champions Trophy campaign, says Eoin Morgan

Andrew Miller03-May-20172:19

Hogg: Stokes’ innings the best of the tournament so far

Ben Stokes’ phenomenal century for Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL will have spin-off benefits for England’s Champions Trophy campaign, says Eoin Morgan, the one-day captain, who feels the ECB’s belated change of attitude towards overseas leagues has finally been vindicated.Stokes, who became the most expensive overseas signing in IPL history when RPS picked him up for £1.7million at the IPL auction in February, went a long way towards justifying that price tag with a blistering innings of 103 not out from 63 balls against Gujarat Lions at Pune, a performance that rescued his side from 10 for 3 and delivered a five-wicket win with one ball to spare.As a measure of Stokes’ dominance, the next highest score in RPS’s innings of 167 for 5 was 26 from 33 balls from MS Dhoni, with whom Stokes added 76 for the fifth wicket. After the match, RPS’s captain, Steven Smith, hailed Stokes as a “a perfect fit for our team”.Morgan, who has been a long-standing advocate of greater English involvement at the IPL, believes that Stokes will head into the Champions Trophy next month with his confidence sky-high, thanks to the quality of his performance, as well as the calibre of the players with whom he has been mixing for the past four weeks.”It was absolutely incredible,” Morgan said. “You look at why guys go and play in tournaments like this, and it is so that they can produce performances like Ben’s, and sit in the same team as the Australian captain and an Indian legend, and out-perform them.”It builds a huge amount of confidence and it’s a huge stepping block for us as England cricketers because the huge challenge as a professional cricketer is to get to where you aspire to be, and gain the confidence through that to do it again and again. It is a game that’s played in the mind.”Although the Champions Trophy will be played over 50 overs, not 20, Morgan has no doubt about Stokes’ ability to transfer his form to a longer format.”It just proves he can compete with the best,” Morgan said. “Fifty-over cricket has come a long way. The similarities with T20 aren’t that far away, and rubbing shoulders with the best names in the world, outperforming them and growing in confidence playing with them, are two things he’ll have in abundance when he comes back. It makes us grow as a group knowing that we have a player who is potentially the best in the world.”Ben Stokes’ century lit up the IPL•BCCI

Morgan himself has had a less auspicious campaign in this year’s IPL. He flew back from India on Monday to prepare for this week’s ODI series against Ireland, having played just three matches in four weeks for Kings XI Punjab, with a top score of 26.However, unlike Surrey’s Jason Roy, who has opted to cut short his stint with Gujarat Lions and gain 50-over match practice in the Royal London Cup, Morgan plans to return to India next week. His hopes of selection in the coming weeks will be improved by the impending recall of the squad’s contingent of South African players ahead of the Champions Trophy, among them the hard-hitting David Miller.”We’ve a lot of overseas players at the moment so competition for places is tough, but the dynamic will change. I think Jason is a bit further away from playing at the moment, but it’s a decision that we’ve made, and he’s comfortable with what he needs and how he’ll get it.”But now that he is back in the country, and with the first of two ODIs against Ireland taking place in Bristol on Friday, Morgan is impatient to get England’s international summer underway.”It’s very exciting, and it’s something we’ve been looking forward to for quite a while now. I wish it would hurry up and come round, but once we start playing these games it’ll fly round.”I think we are definitely in with a shout [for the Champions Trophy],” he added. “We have all the attributes to go and win the tournament but it’s a ruthless competition, you need to win pretty much every game from group stage and straight through.”It’s come at an important time for us. And it’ll be a good gauge of where we are at as a side. We’ve done a lot of great stuff up until now, but we still have a long way to go before [the] 2019 [World Cup].”

Manchester United are in the midst of a takeover battle at Old Trafford and 'multiple parties' are still engaged with the process, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Who is going to buy Manchester United?

According to BBC Sport journalist Simon Stoney via Stretford Paddock, Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and his firm, the Nine Two Foundation, could turn their interest to elsewhere in the Premier League if their latest bid to buy Manchester United is turned down.

The offer in question is for 100% control of the club and would end any association that the Glazers have with Manchester United if it was to be officially ratified, as per Sky Sports.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS are Sheikh Jassim's main rivals to try and acquire the Premier League giants, though his bid will offer the Glazers the opportunity to keep a 20% stake in Manchester United.

Manchester United have to meet Financial Fair Play obligations this summer, so they will need to juggle their finances in order to get key targets over the line, according to The Athletic.

As per The Daily Express, player sales could be an important part of enabling Erik Ten Hag to complete transfer business this summer at Old Trafford.

Club captain Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Fred and Jadon Sancho have been earmarked as players that could depart as part of a mini-squad cull in the off-season, as per The Independent.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has detailed that 'multiple parties' are still engaged in the takeover process, though there is still no end in sight as of yet.

Jacobs told FFC: "The challenge for each of the suitors that have gone public, Sheikh Jassim and the Nine Two Foundation, is that they may feel six feet from the finishing line, but if their rival is only six inches, then that becomes irrelevant and that's the sort of situation we're in at the moment where each group feels they're quite close, but unsure whether their rival is even closer. Then, of course, the Glazers could just move the finishing line further back as well, so there's multiple parties still engaged."

What now for Manchester United?

In the midst of their takeover debacle, Ten Hag and his recruitment team will be solely focused on all things recruitment as he gears his side up for the new season.

Mason Mount has already completed a high-profile move to Old Trafford from Chelsea and made his debut for the club in a 2-0 friendly victory over Leeds United in Oslo, turning in a promising performance, as per The Guardian.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has taken to Twitter to signal that Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana is likely to be next in line to join Mount, stating: "BREAKING: Manchester United are now closing in on André Onana deal as final verbal proposal has been made during talks today. Understand it’s €50m fee plus €5m add ons. Structure of add ons being discussed then… done deal. It’s imminent, as expected."

Manchester United have failed with a players-plus-cash offer to Atalanta to try and entice their rising star Rasmus Hojlund to the Premier League and only want a cash deal involving the Denmark international, according to The Athletic.

A Bola via METRO claim that Porto striker Mehdi Taremi is another target to potentially strengthen Ten Hag's forward line, indicating that a busy few weeks will be in store at Old Trafford that could yield some movement on the transfer front.

Tottenham Hotspur could sign centre-backs Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven this summer, according to Alasdair Gold.

What's the latest on Tottenham's transfers?

Having recently made two new additions to their squad this summer in the form of Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison, attention has shifted to bolstering the centre of Spurs' defence.

Ange Postecoglou will be keen to improve a backline that conceded 63 Premier League goals last season and will have to explore the transfer market to make that happen.

Tottenham have been strongly linked with a number of defenders, but the most concrete of those surround Bundesliga pair Tapsoba and Van de Ven of Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg respectively.

According to Alasdair Gold, both centre-backs are appreciated by Spurs' hierarchy, and the journalist believes that there is a possibility of both of them arriving in north London.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Gold stated: "Obviously defence has to be dealt with now. The feeling that I get is that Edmond Tapsoba is the main target, as the top target at centre-back."

"But, you know, there's two ways of looking at this. There is one aspect of, a little bit like David Raya and Vicario himself, that if they can't get the price down on Tapsoba, then Micky van de Ven is a very, very good young centre-back on the market, the Wolfsburg defender. So, you could say if they can't get him [Tapsoba], they turn to him [Van de Ven]."

He added: "Depending on the departures at Spurs, there's no reason really, if they were able to make sure to get players out the door, of going for both."

Gold went on to reiterate that Tapsoba is indeed Spurs' "top target" but a deal may hinge on the potential transfer fee of the 24-year-old. He suggests that he has heard the Burkina Faso international valued at £25m, but also at a much larger figure, creating an element of uncertainty.

Meanwhile, Van de Ven has been valued closer to the £26m mark, making him a much cheaper alternative should Tapsoba's fee rise closer to £50m.

Spurs would need to move on several defenders to make all of this possible, with Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez already linked with moves away.

Would they improve Spurs?

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that Tapsoba would significantly improve Spurs but Van de Ven remains a slightly more unknown quantity.

While the Dutchman was just dumped out of the U21 Euros at the group stage, the 22-year-old still put in a respectable performance at the tournament. He has also been repeatedly praised for his Bundesliga performances this term.

One of the key attributes Van de Ven possesses is his ability on the ball. Compared to centre-backs in Europe's top-five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League last season, the Wolfsburg man showcased his quality in possession.

He has a solid average of 87.7% pass accuracy, putting him in the top 27% of centre-backs, while he was also in the top 10% for progressive carries, carries into the final third and successful take-ons, highlighting his ability to step out of defence when required.

The former Volendam man also boasts tremendous pace, as has been shown in a widely-circulated clip on social media.