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Tottenham are interested in a deal to bring Matthijs de Ligt to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Sport (via Sport Witness), who claimed that both Spurs and Chelsea have launched an offensive for the 22-year-old centre-back, with whom Juventus are reportedly willing to part next month due to their dire financial situation.

The report added that Barcelona are also interested in the Netherlands international, although it is believed that the LaLiga club’s own financial difficulties look to have given the English duo the advantage in the race to sign the defender.

Finally, Sport went as far as to suggest that the bidding for De Ligt has started, while Sport Witness added that both Spurs and Chelsea have made contact with the centre-back’s agent Mino Raiola ahead of a potential move in the winter window.

Conte’s next Skriniar

Considering the sheer amount of talent and potential De Ligt quite clearly possesses, should Fabio Paratici be successful in his bid to land the 22-year-old this January, he could well have unearthed Antonio Conte’s next Milan Skriniar.

Indeed, Maurizio Sarri signed the £76m-rated defender with the intention of including him as part of a three-man defensive “wall” at Juventus alongside legendary centre-back duo Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.

With this formation being the setup that Conte has implemented at every club he has managed, De Ligt could well go on to become the Spurs manager’s next Skriniar, who highly impressed on the right of the 52-year-old’s back three in the Nerazzurri’s Scudetto-winning campaign last term.

It would certainly appear as if the £200k-per-week Dutchman has the ability to do so, as he has been in colossal form over his 15 Serie A appearances so far this season. He has helped Juve to keep seven clean sheets and scored one goal, as well as averaging 0.9 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 53.4 passes per game and winning 60% of his duels.

These returns have seen the player who Raiola dubbed an “oil tanker” average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Massimiliano Allegri’s joint-fourth best performer in the Italian top flight.

As such, it is no surprise to learn that Conte is interested in a move for the Dutchman this winter, as De Ligt easily possesses the ability to become the platform on which the Italian and Spurs can mount a serious charge for a top-four spot this season.

In other news – Bye-bye Dele: Spurs must seal deal for “fantastic” 29 y/o who’s an “incredible talent”

Fiorentina are reportedly eyeing up a move for Marcelo Bielsa after having doubts over the appointment of Vincenzo Italiano.

The Lowdown: Bielsa irreplaceable at Leeds

The Argentine has been a wonderful manager for Leeds United, overseeing their return to the Premier League and being loved by supporters.

Bielsa has arguably been one of the most important figures in the club’s history, and while the thought of him leaving is a grim one, the hope is that he will sign a new contract imminently (BBC).

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The Latest: Fiorentina linked snapping up Argentine

According to Rai [via Sport Witness], Fiorentina are interested in bringing Bielsa to the club, with Rafa Benitez also considered an option.

Both are considered possible strong alternatives to Italiano, partly due to being bigger names.

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 The Verdict: No reason to worry too much

While any report linking Bielsa with an exit is a worrying one for Leeds, it would be a huge surprise if he departed Elland Road this summer.

The 65-year-old’s contract may be on the cusp of expiring, but he has shown no desire to leave the Whites and should agree a new contract before the end of this month.

His standing in the game means he is always going to interest other clubs – Jurgen Klopp has described him as ‘incredible’ – but Leeds fans should have at least one more year of Bielsa to look forward to.

In other news, Leeds are keen on signing a player currently starring at Copa America – find out who it is here.

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, Dean Windass, who made 402 appearances during his career, has claimed that Wolves could be an appealing option for Xherdan Shaqiri, who is set to leave Liverpool this summer.

Shaqiri joined Liverpool when Stoke City were relegated in 2018 and since he signed the Reds have won the Champions League and Premier League, the latter for the first time in the club’s history.

The Switzerland international has never been a regular at Anfield as he has failed to prove his worth ahead of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota so as a result, he has made just 44 league appearances.

Speaking on why Shaqiri could be a good player for Wolves and how he may see Wolves as an ideal club for him to join, Windass exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“He’s a Wolves type of player as he is technically very good but he has found it very difficult at Liverpool to get a regular spot, but don’t get me wrong he’s a quality footballer so I could see him fitting in well at Wolves.

“Nuno would be a big pull for him as he would put his arm over his shoulder and tell him he will start every week. I think they’ll invest next year and that could be quite a good signing for them.”

The 29-year old has played for some of Europe’s top clubs such as Bayern Munich and Inter Milan before he joined Mark Hughes at Stoke in 2015.

Wolves will be looking to improve their attacking force next season with the injury to Pedro Neto ruling him out for several months, and the hole left by Jota still visible.

Manchester United are potentially eyeing a move for Erik Ten Hag’s current Ajax starlet, Jurrien Timber.

What’s the word?

That is according to journalist Rudy Galetti, who took to his Twitter page to issue a statement regarding incoming Manchester United manager, Erik Ten Hag.

Galetti said this in his tweet: “Manchester United’s first signing of the Ten Hag era will most likely be a centre-back.”

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He also suggested two names that United may be looking to bring in: “To date, on the MUFC list the hot names are Timber (Ajax) and Torres (Villareal).”

Of course, those two names are Jurrien Timber, who currently plays under Ten Hag and Pau Torres, with the latter being linked with Manchester United across the last few transfer windows.

Better than Maguire

As a right-footed centre-back who usually operates on the right in a four-man defence, Timber would not pose a threat to Harry Maguire’s starting spot… would he?

In actual fact, he would. Based on the pattern that Ten Hag has created at Ajax, the right-footed centre-back operates on the right, whilst the left-footed centre-back operates on the left.

When Ten Hag comes in, if he does not opt to bring in a left-footed centre-back, he will most likely hone in on Raphael Varane’s experience for Real Madrid as a left centre-back, a position he fulfilled at times. Varane is also listed as just 60% right-footed, according to FBref.

Timber would partner the France international in what would be a cool, calm and collected backline. Both centre-halves love having the ball at their feet and the potential signing of Timber would offer Ten Hag familiarity in this area.

The 20-year-old boasts some serious numbers that place him in the elite category for the majority of his passing stats, with his average of 76 passes completed per 90 far better than Maguire’s average of 48 passes per 90.

Timber, who has been described as a “top talent” as per UEFA Champions League, also outdoes Maguire in almost all defensive metrics, with the £27m-rated defender having a seamless season in the Eredivisie in which he has made zero errors per 90 – the antithesis of the Englishman this season.

The signing of Timber could see Maguire lacking game time under Ten Hag, and based on this year’s stats, the new United boss would be right to drop him and potentially sell him too, as reports have suggested.

In other news: Ronaldo 2.0: Ten Hag can seal instant MUFC masterclass by unleashing “rampant” 17 y/o – opinion

Some Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy with a 55 playlist shared by the Gers on Spotify to celebrate their recent Premiership title success.

The Ibrox outfit are currently still basking in the glory of their title win despite there still being five matches remaining (BBC). It is their first major trophy since 2011, so it is no surprise to see the club enjoying their success, and they are taking advantage of the situation to release a number of products linked to their 55th league triumph.

They have also shared a playlist on Spotify, with the songs all linked to the Gers. However, some of the fans are unhappy with a few of the choices, which includes a song from Gers fan Amy Macdonald and a sea shanty.

The playlist was shared on Twitter by the club’s official account, and it attracted plenty of interest from Gers supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say below

“Think I can speak for me and many others. Severely disappointed there’s no Rockin all Over the world.”

Credit: @mareorless

“No drifters No joy division No winner takes it all Come on now”

Credit: @Beatthatbeat

“A lot of weird songs tbf. No Tiffany or Zombie nation…”

Credit: @dion_1690

“Get that sea shanty song off right now”

Credit: @StuPollock1

“Sea Shanties and Amy MacDonald, think I’ll pass”

Credit: @samjsneddon

“Amy McDonald? That’s the whole thing ruined.”

Credit: @Ljt10x

In other news, Rangers eye this defender as Filip Helander is linked with an exit.

Manchester City’s hopes of signing Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli this summer have taken a blow as Arsenal now reportedly lead the race to sign the ItalY international, which suggests that Pep Guardiola’s side must act quickly if they want to bring him to the Etihad Stadium.

The Citizens have been regularly linked with the 23-year-old in recent months as a result of his superb performances for club and country and, after some excellent performances at the European Championship for Roberto Mancini’s side so far this summer, it seems as if a summer transfer is on the cards.

Although the likes of Man City, Juventus and PSG were previously said to be the main contenders to sign the young midfielder, it has now been reported that Arsenal have bid for him and are now leading the race to sign him this summer.

Despite the lack of European football on offer at the Emirates Stadium next season, Sassuolo’s sporting director Giovanni Carnevali has claimed that Arsenal are the only club to have made a concrete offer for the £31.5m-rated Locatelli and are the leading contenders to sign him outside of Italy.

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Although Fernandinho recently agreed to a new one-year deal at Manchester City, it seems likely that next season will be his last as a player in Guardiola’s squad, and the 23-year-old Locatelli could have been the ideal long-term option for City as they look for some competition for Rodri in that role for the significant future.

Last season saw the former AC Milan ace make 34 appearances in Serie A for Sassuolo, in which he contributed four goals and two assists, averaging an impressive 7.08 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He has also been a driving force for Italy at the Euros, averaging a superb 7.46 rating from WhoScored across his three appearances thus far, and seems likely to start as Mancini’s side face Belgium in the quarter-finals tonight.

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Therefore, the “complete” midfielder could be an excellent addition to Guardiola’s side this summer, although sporting director Txiki Begiristain must act quickly if he wants to bring him to the Etihad following the news that Arsenal have already made an offer for him.

In other news… City not prepared to give up on teenage wonderkid

There were plenty of reasons to be positive for the Madejski Stadium faithful, even though Reading narrowly missed out on a top-six finish in the Championship.

The Royals had previously been the team to beat in the second-tier standings early into the 2020/21 league campaign, but a poor run of results in the second half of that campaign saw them finish seventh in the Championship under the management of Veljko Paunovic.

A number of players caught the eye with some strong performances in that campaign, with Michael Olise’s showings in particular seemingly not going unnoticed.

The 19-year-old made 46 appearances in all competitions for the Royals and chipped in with seven goals and 12 assists in total for the Berkshire-based side, which also saw him named as the EA Sports’ Young Player of the Season.

The likes of Leeds United and Aston Villa were rivalling Chelsea and Liverpool to a potential agreement for Olise’s services this summer, although it remains to be seen as to whether which clubs will push ahead with their interest in landing his signature.

You can understand Leeds and Aston Villa’s interest in signing Olise, as he’s a player that could potentially take them to the next level, and slot in well into their starting XI’s in the near future.

Villa could soon be preparing for life without Jack Grealish, who continues to be linked with a move to Manchester City, whilst Leeds’ Raphinha has emerged as a potential transfer target for Premier League giants Liverpool in recent months, although it remains to be seen as to whether Marcelo Bielsa’s side will entertain any offers for his services.

Olise is entering the final year of his contract with Reading, and it remains to be seen as to whether the Royals will look to cash in on him.

But despite the considerable previous interest in Olise’s services, no formal offers have been submitted for the Royals talisman at this stage of the summer transfer window though, which will be pleasing to hear for the Madejski Stadium faithful.

Silence is golden

Olise was heavily linked with a move away from Reading during the 2020/21 season, and it is somewhat surprising to see that no formal offers have been submitted for him this summer.

At the age of 19, you would imagine that he’s still got his best years ahead of him, but it remains to be seen as to whether that’ll be with Reading moving forwards.

But to hear that no offers have yet been made for his services will have Reading fans potentially excited heading into the new league campaign.

Could a promotion push be on the cards again?

Reading took the Championship by surprise last season, as they finished seventh in the second-tier standings under the management of Paunovic.

Some Reading supporters could be forgiven for not being as optimistic heading into the new league campaign, with the likes of Omar Richards departing the club, and there being a considerable lack of depth in the senior squad heading into pre-season.

But if the club can keep together the core group of players, and most notably Olise, then the Royals will stand every chance of challenging for a timely promotion into the Premier League next season.

The fact that it looks like Olise could well be staying at Reading will be a huge boost, one that will have the club’s supporters buzzing.

According to reports from Spain, Sergio Aguero is keeping the door open on a move to Leeds United this summer, with Marcelo Bielsa thought to be a key factor in the potential switch.

The report by Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness) claims that Leeds are “in the picture” to land Aguero this summer, with the 32-year-old set to leave Manchester City at the end of the season.

It is reported that, despite interest from Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, Marcelo Bielsa’s position as manager at Leed is of “importance” to Aguero, and that the Argentine values the proposal of playing for the Whites.

Furthermore, another advantage that Leeds are said to hold is their readiness to make a move for the Manchester City star, with it being claimed that both Juventus and PSG would have to sell players before sanctioning any deal.

Transfer Tavern Take

With Sport Witness’ translation claiming that Aguero is prioritising the “sporting project” ahead of “economic proposals” when deciding his next move, as the 32-year-old wants to feature regularly for his new side in order to secure a place in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup squad, this could be yet another feather in Leeds’ cap in their pursuit of the centre-forward.

Despite the fact that Rodrigo is classed as a centre-forward, the Spaniard has often been played in a deeper role this season, meaning that Bielsa’s only real option as a senior striker is Patrick Bamford.

As such, if the man Pep Guardiola recently claimed is “irreplaceable” were to join Leeds this summer, all the Argentine would have to do is convince Bielsa that he is a better option to lead the line than Bamford in order to become the Whites’ main man up top, or perhaps even tempt Bielsa to deploy them both together.

In other news: ‘I am convinced’ – Agent drops huge Bielsa claim; Leeds fans will be gutted if he’s right – find out more here!

Manchester City’s hopes of signing Atalanta left-back Robin Gosens this summer have taken a blow after Barcelona joined the race to sign the German defender.

Man City have regularly been linked with the 26-year-old ahead of the upcoming transfer window and the latest report from Spanish news outlet Sport claims that he has now attracted the interest of La Liga giants Barcelona.

Ronald Koeman’s side look set to sell back-up left-back Junior Firpo this summer and need a suitable long-term replacement for Jordi Alba, who has maintained a starting spot at the Nou Camp this season but will turn 33 next year.

Gosens could be the ideal fit with the Catalan side, considering he is very much an attacking left-back, who can also feature in midfield, which would suit Barcelona’s long-standing style of attacking full-backs in the mould of Alba and Dani Alves.

However, his performances this season have been sensational at times and he could also prove to be an excellent addition to Pep Guardiola’s side, especially as left-back is one area in which the Citizens could definitely add some more depth.

Whilst Oleksandr Zinchenko has performed extremely well in recent weeks, and Joao Cancelo has performed well as an inverted wing-back at times this season, they both feel like short-term solutions in that position.

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The Atalanta star could be the man to replace Benjamin Mendy in this City side, with his various injury problems meaning he is no longer the player he once was, which has left the Citizens missing a marauding natural left-back such as Gosens.

The most recent season in Serie A saw the former Heracles Almelo man contribute a superb 11 goals and six assists in 32 appearances, averaging an excellent 7.19 rating from WhoScored.

He was similarly impressive last season, scoring nine and assisting eight in 34 appearances in Italy’s top-flight, so it was perhaps no surprise when former Lazio defender Roberto Cravero suggested that he had a “better” season than Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, despite the Englishman being pivotal to the Merseyside outfit’s first Premier League title.

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If the German could match the Liverpool man’s form in the Premier League with City, then he would surely prove to be an excellent addition to Guardiola’s side this summer, so it is unfortunate, therefore, that Barcelona have now entered the race to sign the £31.5m-rated defender, as it may prove to be a major blow to City’s chances of bringing him to the Etihad.

And, in other news… Man City massively missed out on £36m-rated PL beast, Pep dubbed him “one of the best”

Tottenham Hotspur were favourites to land Caleb Chukwuemeka before Aston Villa swooped in, Football Insider reports. 

The lowdown

Villa signed Chukwuemeka, the older brother of midfielder Carney, for an undisclosed fee back in July (via Goal).

He was one of four signings for the Under-23s, alongside the West Bromwich Albion trio of Finley Thorndike, Finn Azaz and Tim Iroegbunam (via Transfermarkt).

The forward has already opened his account at Premier 2 Level, netting in a 1-1 draw with Fulham at the end of last month.

Though officially an academy signing, Chukwuemeka also earned a swift first-team debut as a substitute in the 6-0 EFL Cup rout of League Two Barrow.

The latest

According to information from a recruitment source at FI, Spurs made the first move for Chukwuemeka, offering £1million plus add-ons. They were also willing to let 19-year-old striker Kion Ete join Northampton on loan as part of the deal.

But the player ultimately had his heart set on Villa after Johan Lange and co tabled a ‘lucrative’ professional contract and offered him the chance to play alongside his brother.

The verdict

You suspect that Smith was so quick to give Chukwuemeka a senior run-out because he wanted to demonstrate that there’s a path to first-team football at Villa Park. Such assurances would have likely been given in the course of negotiations from the likes of Smith and Lange.

The benchmark for Chukwuemeka has been set by 18-year-old Louie Barry, who boasts an excellent return of 14 goals in 19 appearances in PL2 and is now looking to make the step-up to the men’s game at Ipswich Town.

The future is bright at Villa Park if Lange can continue to poach targets from ‘big six’ clubs.

In other news, fans react to this reported transfer snub.