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A recruitment source with close links to Tottenham has told one outlet that chairman Daniel Levy could receive a "big-money" bid for one of Ange Postecoglou's players this summer.

Spurs tipped for busy summer and to sell many squad members

As per reliable media sources, like club insider Paul O'Keefe, Spurs are open to offers for over a dozen squad members when the window reopens on June 14.

Pundit thrilled by £85 million Richarlison replacement Tottenham could sign

The Brazilian has been tipped to leave this summer.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 28, 2024

Fabrizio Romano has also claimed that Spurs are set for a "busy" summer, and they're believed to be eyeing up at least one attacker, with Timo Werner already being sealed for another season after Tottenham reached an agreement with Leipzig to extend his loan deal.

"I think it will be an important summer for Tottenham in terms of midfield," said Romano to GiveMeSport recently.

"And then [there will be] an offensive player, at least one offensive player. We will see if it's going to be more a kind of winger or more a kind of number nine. But they are exploring the offensive players market and I think they will do something also in that position.

"So I think it will be a busy summer at Tottenham."

This statement still carries weight, regardless of Werner remaining for another campaign, with football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold backing that Spurs will go for more attacking players after the German.

To fund these moves, the likes of Bryan Gil, Giovani Lo Celso, Troy Parrott, Joe Rodon, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Richarlison, Tanguy Ndombele, Sergio Reguilon, Japhet Tanganga, Manor Solomon and Djed Spence are a few players who could be sold by Tottenham to bolster Postecoglou's transfer kitty – according to rumours in the last few months.

European heavyweights could also test Levy's resolve when it comes to the club's most important players, with Barcelona and Real Madrid keeping tabs on Cristian Romero as one example.

Now, it is believed star £50,000-per-week defender Micky van de Ven isn't excluded from that equation.

Levy could receive "big-money" bid for Tottenham star van de Ven

As per Tottenham News, sharing a claim from one of their recruitment sources who has close links to the club, Levy could receive a "big-money" bid for van de Ven after his excellent debut campaign, and clubs around Europe have already expressed an interest.

The Dutchman, called "world-class", has been imperative at the heart of Postecoglou's high line – with van de Ven's searing pace being an important factor and crucial to the way Tottenham play.

Van de Ven's injury absences were very much noticed, as Spurs often struggled to deal without the Netherlands international when unavailable. Taking this into account, it could take a pretty monstrous offer for Levy to even consider parting company after just one season.

Everton have often struggled within the transfer market, conducting deals that either see the club lose a lot of money or selling a player for well below his value.

Outgoings have been crucial for Sean Dyche’s side as they aim to avoid any further punishment for breaking the Premier League’s strict PSR rules.

He’s done an admirable job leading the club clear of any impending danger and securing their Premier League status for another season despite being hit with an eight-point deduction.

His side ended the 2023/24 campaign 14 points clear of Luton Town, with the club needing to build on their success in recent weeks ahead of their 33rd consecutive Premier League campaign which commences in August.

Whilst they’re not in the clear regarding any further punishments, the Toffees are in a solid place under Dyche, but it could’ve been even better had they kept hold of a couple of players who have gone on to develop into top-quality talents away from Goodison Park.

Ademola Lookman’s stats at Everton

Everton signed forward Ademola Lookman from Charlton Athletic for a fee in the region of £7.5m in January 2017, with the youngster touted as 'one for the future' by boss Ronald Koeman after he arrived at Goodison.

Arriving at the club as a 19-year-old, Lookman made an instant impact on the first-team, scoring on his debut in a 4-0 rout over Manchester City.

However, the goal against Pep Guardiola's side would be the only time he scored for the Toffees before leaving the club to join RB Leipzig on loan.

Despite his tender age, Lookman excelled in Germany, scoring five times in just 11 Bundesliga appearances – form that saw the youngster receive his maiden England U21 call-up.

Upon his return for the 2018/19 season, the forward was restricted to limited minutes for the Toffees, featuring for a total of 601 minutes throughout the entire campaign. Lookman subsequently rejoined RB Leipzig permanently in the summer of 2019, for a fee rumoured to be in the region of £18m – a deal that still brought a £10m profit for the Blues.

However, nearly five years on from his move away from Merseyside, the 26-year-old forward has taken his game to the next level – scoring 15 goals and providing eight assists in all competitions this season, which includes a hat-trick in the Europa League final triumph over Bayer Leverkusen.

Why Everton made a bigger mistake selling Anthony Gordon than Lookman

Despite Lookman’s exploits in the final victory, the club arguably made a bigger mistake allowing fellow winger Anthony Gordon to depart Goodison Park, with the youngster finally starting to flourish following his £45m move to Newcastle United in 2023.

The 23-year-old was expected to leave his boyhood club, in order to bolster the club’s battle against PSR, but that doesn’t take away from the fact he would’ve dramatically improved Dyche’s forward line.

Gordon has bagged 11 goals and ten assists in the Premier League in 2023/24, hitting double figures in both tallies for the first time in his professional career.

As a result of his excellent form, the “phenomenal” talent, as dubbed by Newcastle journalist Thomas Hammond, now boasts a transfer value of £68m, as per CIES Football Observatory Tool – a jump of £23m since his move just less than 18 months ago. Lookman, meanwhile, is said to be worth £42m less at 'just' £26m, according to CIES.

Gordon has also been included in Gareth Southgate’s provisional 33-man training squad ahead of the European Championships in Germany this summer, with the attacker staking a claim to be in the final squad given his superb performances for Eddie Howe’s side.

His move away from Goodison didn’t sit well with the supporters, but they simply can’t deny they would’ve loved to have kept hold of the youngster given his rapid progress at St James’ Park.

Everton hit gold signing star who'd be worth more than Branthwaite in 2024

He made a huge impact at Goodison despite his short stint at the club.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 20, 2024

Concerns have emerged at Real Madrid over Aurelien Tchouameni's performance in the Madrid derby.

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• Tchouameni played in 1-1 draw
• Played in central midfield
• Upstaged by Federico Valverde

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per AS, there are concerns over the fact that Tchouameni was shown up by Valverde's defensive ability in the 1-1 draw with Atletico at the weekend. The Frenchman had a central role, being tasked with sweeping up play and linking defence and attack, while Valverde operated off the right. Nevertheless, the Uruguay international turned in a more defensive perormance.

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  During the game, Valverde managed nine ball recoveries from his right wing position. By comparison, Tchouameni managed five, and only had one more recovery than 39-year-old Luka Modric, who was substituted in the second half.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Tchouameni has made nine appearances in all competitions this season, with his only absence coming against Real Sociedad, when he was ruled out with a foot injury.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Real face Lille in the Champions League this week. Tchouameni will hope to turn in a more disciplined performance.

In two weeks the streets of north London could be engulfed in a sea of red as Arsenal celebrate a historic Premier League title, their first in 20 years.

However, it could equally all be doom and gloom should the might of Manchester City win their remaining three matches of the season.

The Gunners have come so far this term and if they beat Manchester United and Everton, will finish on 89 points. The fact that tally may not be enough to be crowned champions is rather ludicrous.

City are still the favourites and if they do win the league, it’ll be back to the drawing board for Mikel Arteta and Co during what could be a rather exciting summer transfer window.

Last year it was all about Declan Rice. Edu had been tracking the England midfielder for quite some time and in a desperate attempt to ward off the Citizens, a £105m bid was lodged and finally accepted by West Ham after some toing and froing.

The end result has been near perfect. That fee has looked like a bargain for a man now thought to be in with a chance of winning the PFA Player of the Season award following a career-best haul of seven goals and nine assists, as well as some sterling defensive displays.

He’s attracted praise right throughout the season, the latest of which has come from Ray Parlour.

What Ray Parlour said about Declan Rice

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of NetBet Sports Betting the former Arsenal midfield waxed lyrical over the club’s record signing.

He said: “Declan has been a top signing for Arsenal and it’s great he is still playing at such a high level when it matters most at the business end of the season. His energy is great, he plays every game, his goal against Bournemouth typifies his drive and energy during the game. He deserves to be up there for PFA Player of the Season. It was a big move for him and he’s settled immediately into this team.”

Asked whether any other Arsenal stars could be in the frame for the award at the season’s end, the Romford Pele commented: “Odegaard has been excellent as has Saka who both are in the mix for sure, but Rice for me takes it.

“One can’t forget both centre-backs who have been amazing and should both be in the team of the season. I think Arsenal will have many players in the team of the season for sure.”

So, what’s on the agenda for the forthcoming summer? Well, it could be about another Premier League star in Alexander Isak.

What Ray Parlour has said about Alexander Isak

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that the Newcastle striker is high on Arsenal’s list of priorities for the summer. The trouble is that it could take a seismic fee to prise away a man who has found the net on 24 occasions in all competitions this term. For context, that’s four more than Arteta’s leading marksman this term. Bukayo Saka has 20.

Speaking to FFC about what the Swede could bring to the Emirates Stadium, Parlour stated: “Isak is a player I like a lot. If you look at the signing of Rice, he is exactly what the team needed when Xhaka left and he has taken the club to another level.”

The move to acquire Rice was certainly a landmark moment in Arsenal’s recent history, but so too could the signing of an exciting centre-forward. There is a sense, despite the club’s leading Premier League tally of 88 goals this term, that they still need a striker to go to the next level.

Isak, therefore, could be exactly that man. Parlour continued: “Isak is the type of player who can do well in this Arsenal team. He will suit Arsenal’s fluid style of play and can do well in this team with the likes of Saka, Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard and Odegaard supporting him. It’s important to have quality strikers as we had in our era with Wiltord, Kanu, Henry and Bergkamp.

“However, Newcastle will not want to lose their top striker. Fee wise, he will be similar to Rice’s fee, so if Newcastle are forced to sell, then yes he would take Arsenal forward.”

The former midfielder isn’t wrong. Reports have stated that the Sweden international may well cost £100m if the Magpies are to sanction a sale.

Arsenal eye "unstoppable" Isak alternative who'd be an upgrade on Havertz

The incredible striker has been in unbelievable form this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 7, 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo released a short biographical documentary on YouTube that captured the incredible journey of his football career.

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• Ronaldo releases tale of his rise to stardom on YouTube
• Reveals he wants to be remembered
• Ronaldo received special award from UEFA last month

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The documentary shows the journey of a small boy in Madeira who grew up to be one of the most decorated players in the history of the game. In the short film, Ronaldo speaks about how he wants to be remembered and what still motivates him at 39 to keep scoring goals for club and country and win awards.

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  The Al-Nassr star was recently honoured with a special award at the 2024-25 Champions League draw as UEFA recognised him as the competition's all-time highest goalscorer. The Portuguese star netted 140 times in 183 appearances.

• WHAT CRISTIANO RONALDO SAID

  The film starts with Ronaldo on his way to receive UEFA's special award where he is being asked how he would like to be remembered, to which the player says, "I will say, unique player. In life, a good man. For me, it's the most important thing."

  He then added, "Honestly, never. I never thought one day I'd be on this stage. I always believed that I was going to be a professional player. But the rest, no. My whole life, it's about challenge. I left my house as an 11-year-old to live in a big city. So for me, it's easy. I change Madeira to Lisbon, Lisbon to England., England to Italy, Italy to I'm back in Spain. For me, it's not a problem, it's part of my life. I'm used to having this kind of a life."

  Later in the video, he was asked about his feelings about getting the award to which the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star said, "For me, it's a pleasure. To be recognised in this competition for all-time top scorer. It's a unique trophy for a unique player, I'm joking. So I'm happy. When I receive trophies, I am always thinking of my family, especially my kids. They still see daddy receiving awards, daddy scoring goals and playing football. For me, it's amazing. It's my motivation to carry on playing."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO?

  After being left out of the club's King's Cup clash against Al Hazm on Monday, the veteran star is expected to be back in action on Friday as Al-Nassr take on Al-Wehda in a Saudi Pro League clash.

Liverpool owners FSG had scouts in South America to watch an in-demand new transfer target in action this week, according to an intriguing update.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds will embark on a new era under Arne Slot this summer, once Jurgen Klopp moves on, and the Dutchman will want to sign players who are ideal for his style of play.

Ousmane Diomande is a player who has been constantly linked with a summer move to Liverpool, following a season that has seen him impress greatly for Sporting CP. The young centre-back is seen as a possible long-term heir for Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence, with the legendary Dutchman turning 33 in the summer and needing to be replacing one day.

Another report has claimed that the Merseysiders are pushing to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen in the summer transfer window, in what would be an audacious move for the Nigerian. He has a huge £111m release clause in his current deal, but it remains to be seen if anyone will stump up that amount of money for him, especially a Reds leadership who are known for their analytical approach in the market.

Meanwhile, there are also a number of exits that could happen at Liverpool this summer, with Joe Gomez one of the best players who is believed to be contemplating his future currently. He may want to be a regular elsewhere, possibly even at centre-back instead of full-back.

The likes of Joel Matip and Thiago are expected to depart when their contracts expire at the end of the season, while there is no guarantee that Mohamed Salah will definitely stay put currently. Liverpool need to plan for the long-term future when it comes to new signings, and a fresh update suggests that they are focusing on that.

Liverpool send scout to watch in-demand Brazil sensation

According to Scouts in Attendance on X, Liverpool had scouts present to watch Brazilian teenager Lorran in action for Flamengo on Thursday: "17yo Flamengo RW Lorran got his first senior start in 1-0 Copa do Brasil win v Amazonas on Thurs. Believe LFC are watching him now as well."

Lorran is a relatively unknown name, considering his age and the fact that he is playing in South America, but this is still an exciting update, nonetheless. There is always an element of intrigue about young Brazilian talents, considering the manner in which the likes of Pele, Ronaldo and Neymar have burst onto the scene down the years, so seeing Liverpool linked with one whets the appetite.

Lorran has already made 11 appearances for Flamengo, despite still only being 17 years of age, scoring once and assisting twice in that time. He is also a 13-cap Brazil Under-17 international, netting once in the process.

Slot must must immediately ditch Liverpool flop who earns more than Diaz

This bold call could pay dividends for Liverpool next season.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 3, 2024

The teenage attacker would come in as a long-term acquisition who could shine in the youth team at Liverpool to begin with, or be loaned out elsewhere, with the hope being that he matures into a formidable player over time.

Joshua Zirkzee has revealed he hopes to emulate Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Manchester United.

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• Dutchman hopes to play like Ibrahimovic
• Has already scored his first United goal
• Admits he played poorly against Liverpool

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Zirkzee has revealed that he is aiming to emulate the playing style of Ibrahimovic at United, as he bids to become the reliable No.9 they have long required. The Dutchman scored on his debut for the club against Fulham and was also on target on his full international debut for the Netherlands against Bosnia and Herzegovina last week.

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  Zirkzee has not scored since his debut for United, though, and endured what he has described as a "shameful" performance against Liverpool, as the Red Devils lost 3-0. But he has set his sights on becoming an elite striker at Old Trafford; just as Ibrahimovic was in his short stint at the club. The Swede scored 29 goals and bagged 10 assists in just 53 games for the club between 2016-17.

• WHAT ZIRKZEE SAID

  Zirkzee said, per the Mirror: “I would love it if, in a few years’ time, people said that my game looks a bit like Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The start, with the winning goal against Fulham, was nice. Then we lost twice – and you know that at a big club like Manchester United the attention then comes full on.

  “I believe it will be fine. I've always had that. I never doubted it would still work out with my career. As a player, you gradually discover what you need to do to get to the top level and what you must cut out.

  “The defeat against Liverpool was shameful. But when I see the team training, I do think we are on the right track. I missed chances against Liverpool. Did I get into the right position? Yes, but what is the point when the ball does not end up in the net?

  “I had really good talks with Erik ten Hag. It's unfortunate that the start was disappointing, but we know what we need to work on. Yes, it is about adjusting. Whether it is also tougher than Serie A? Yes, it could be. At Bologna, we had ball possession very often. In England, I feel the game undulates much more. It’s up and down and indeed different.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  United – who secured a much-needed 3-0 win at Southampton on Saturday – start their League Cup campaign against Barnsley in midweek. They then face Crystal Palace in the Premier League at Selhurst Park next weekend.

Arne Slot will be sweating on the fitness of Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister after he picked up an injury during Argentina duty.

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• Mac Allister injured on international duty
• Confirmed to be an adductor injury
• Liverpool face Nottingham Forest next

• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mac Allister's Thursday evening got off to the perfect start as he scored Argentina's opening goal in their World Cup qualifying win against Chile. But after the strong opening, he was taken off injured in the second half with what is confirmed an adductor issue, per Gaston Edul of TyC Sports.

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  Mac Allister was taken off but it has only been described as discomfort rather than anything more pressing, which will give Liverpool, Argentina and Mac Allister hope that he won't be sidelined by the injury. He has remained with Lionel Scaloni's squad but is "training differently" compared to the rest of the squad ahead of Argentina's game against Colombia.

• AFP
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Mac Allister's goal for Argentina was his first of the season, but he has been a vital part of Slot's more controlled style of play for Liverpool and has played every minute in the Premier League so far

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MAC ALLISTER?

  He has remained with his national team with the hope that he can play a part in their game against Colombia. Beyond that, the midfielder will be assessed upon his return to Liverpool, with Slot's side taking on Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Everton's awful financial situation has been well documented in recent months, with the club being hit with an eight-point deduction during the current campaign for breaching the Premier League's PSR rules.

Whilst boss Sean Dyche has done a sensational job in leading the Toffees clear of any relegation threats by securing survival with three games to spare despite the deduction, the off-the-field issues have overshadowed his excellent work.

The former Burnley manager has instilled a brilliant defensive foundation, that has made his side tough to break down and doing so on a shoestring budget as the club tries to avoid any further sanctions.

During his time at Goodison Park, Dyche has spent less than £100m, with the Toffees relying on selling key players before any potential new additions.

In recent times, Richarlison and Anthony Gordon have departed the club, for fees of £60m and £45m, respectively – huge figures in the club's battle to undo multiple awful signings from the last decade.

The club have made their fair share of awful signings, with one in particular costing a hefty fee, before departing the club for free just five years after his move to Merseyside.

Yannick Bolasie's stats at Everton

After forking £25m for his signature, winger Yannick Bolasie arrived at Goodison with high hopes of transforming the Toffees' attack under boss Ronald Koeman.

However, the move would be a disaster for everyone involved, with the DR Congo attacker failing to justify any of his hefty price tag during his time at the club.

Bolasie started all 13 of the Toffees' opening Premier League fixtures, before suffering an ACL tear that would rule him out of action for 12 months.

The former Crystal Palace was a shadow of his former self after his injury, only managing to make 32 appearances for the club in his two seasons as a first-team member.

In a bid to regain his form, he was sent on various loan spells to the likes of Aston Villa, Anderlecht and Sporting CP, but only managed ten goals over his three stints away from Goodison.

The attacker would subsequently leave the club at the end of the 2020/21 season upon the expiration of his deal on Merseyside, ending his five-year stint at the club.

Despite his horrid luck with injuries, the club made the right call by offloading the winger, with his huge wages bleeding the club dry for many years, putting the club into a mess financially.

Yannick Bolasie's wage at Everton

During his time with the Toffees, the 34-year-old pocketed £71k-per-week, as per Salary Sport, with the misfiring winger receiving full pay despite missing a year with injury.

It's unclear how much of his wage the club were paying during his respective loan moves away from Goodison but during his two campaigns alone on Merseyside, the former Palace attacker bagged himself nearly £7.3m in wages alone.

When combining his extortionate wages with his £25m fee, Bolasie cost the club £32.3m – over £1m per appearance after only featuring 32 times in the blue of Everton.

The "disaster" signing, as described by former boss Sam Allardyce, was once a promising addition, but it's unfortunate that an injury ruined his time at the club.

It's unfair to blame the club's current financial situation on the Congolese attacker, but his huge weekly wage and transfer fee have certainly played a part in Everton's recent setbacks.

Everton were bled dry by Allardyce flop who pocketed £11m in wages

He proved himself to be a huge waste of money.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 20, 2024

Some West Ham United chiefs have told chairman David Sullivan to part company with manager David Moyes at the end of the season, as a few believe it is possible to bring in an "unbelievable" replacement for the Scotsman.

Moyes contract expiring as West Ham face difficult decision

Moyes will undoubtedly go down as a Hammers legend for what he has already achieved since taking over for a second stint as head coach in 2019/2020.

West Ham table out-of-window £13 million bid with transfer stance clear

The east Londoners are moving very early.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 16, 2024

The 60-year-old arrived at West Ham again when they were in the thick of a relegation battle again four years ago, with Moyes guiding them to safety and later doing the unthinkable.

Since that campaign, they've enjoyed three successive seasons in Europe after surprisingly high league finishes and won their first major trophy since the 1980s last year as they beat Fiorentina to win the Conference League final.

Moyes has overseen the most successful era of West Ham's recent history and deserves enormous credit for the job he's done. However, it hasn't all been rosy over the last 12 months or so. The east Londoners' league form has been questionable at points, finishing 14th last campaign, and there are some complaints from supporters over their side's pragmatic style of play.

The former Everton manager's contract expires very soon, specifically on June 30, and West Ham are set to make a decision on official Moyes' future at the end of the season. West Ham have been doing some groundwork on a replacement for Moyes, and have been linked with a few interesting names like Graham Potter, Paulo Fonseca and even Thomas Tuchel.

West Ham chiefs urge Moyes sack as they hold Tuchel belief

According to HITC and journalist Graeme Bailey, a number of West Ham chiefs have urged Sullivan to sack Moyes, and some believe ambitiously appointing Tuchel is genuinely possible after he departs Bayern Munich.

While feelings behind the scenes are made clear, hiring a big name like Tuchel would certainly turn many heads, as the Champions League-winning tactician would be considered an elite Moyes replacement.

Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell has even called Tuchel an "unbelievable" coach.

"[Tuchel's continuity] can only be a good thing. As players we have full confidence in the manager – we know we’re not going to get a better manager here. I’m not just saying it. He’s an unbelievable manager in all aspects and I think he has a lot of trust in us as well," Chilwell said.

"This is Chelsea, we want to win the big trophies. And of course, we're positive going into this season, like we are every season. We've got a strong team. Hopefully, we can add to that strength with some good players. We've got a great manager. New ownership. A great training ground. Good backroom staff. So everything's in place to have a good season."