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Celtic may struggle to keep hold of playmaker Matt O'Riley this summer, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

What's the latest transfer news involving Matt O'Riley?

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano issued an update surrounding the future of O'Riley last week on Twitter, stating: "Matt O’Riley, understood to be happy at Celtic even after a few Premier League and Bundesliga clubs have shown serious interest in him."

Football Insider have also backed up claims that the 22-year-old is a sought-after presence this summer, revealing that Celtic are 'expecting bids' for his signature amid interest from the Premier League and Championship.

The report states that there is a 'strong level' of suitors keen to make a move to sign the Danish playmaker in the off-season, though it is unclear how much they would need to part with to tempt the Hoops into selling one of their prize assets.

This season, £12k-a-week earner O'Riley has produced some impressive showings, registering four goals and 12 assists from 45 outings across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

As per Football Scotland, former Celtic midfielder Morten Wieghorst has tipped O'Riley to win his first senior international call-up with Denmark, stating:

"The competition for the midfield (with Denmark) is great and he is up against English Premier League players too so we need to remember that. But he looks like he is going to win the title with Celtic and that's really good for the players. Usually what happens is if you finish as a champion, you get to play international football too. So from our point of view it's great."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist O'Rourke thinks that the financial muscle of clubs around Europe may prove to be a roadblock in the Hoops' attempts to keep hold of O'Riley this summer.

O'Rourke said: "Celtic are not considering selling him right now. But as we all know, these big Scottish clubs will struggle to compete with other top European clubs when it comes down to transfer fees and also when it comes down to contract offers as well.”

Will Celtic be able to keep hold of Matt O'Riley this summer?

It's very possible, especially when you consider the carrot of Celtic being involved in the Champions League group stage next campaign, which is now a formality given they need just three more points to secure the Scottish Premiership title.

Undoubtedly, O'Riley will be keen to once again test himself against the elite of European football, which is something he likely wouldn't get to do unless a top-four English side tried to secure his signature.

WhoScored shows that the 22-year-old has earned a rating of 7.25/10 for his exploits this season, making him the fourth most consistent performer at Parkhead this year behind Carl Starfelt, Yuki Kobayashi and Jota.

For now, at least, both O'Riley and Celtic's attention will be on finishing 2022/23 in a strong fashion, as they can potentially secure a historic treble if they add the Scottish Cup to their impending Scottish Premiership triumph.

O'Riley has been hailed as a "pressing machine" by his previous manager Russell Martin but it seems his efforts in Scotland may see him receive a lot of interest in the coming months.

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante is in the ‘final stages’ of agreeing a new contract at Stamford Bridge, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

When is Kante out of contract?

The Frenchman’s current deal with Graham Potter’s side is set to expire at the end of the season and his future has been extremely uncertain having not yet put pen to paper on fresh terms. Despite spending a lot of time on the sidelines through injury, the Blues star has a match rating of 7.20 this term, which is higher than any of his teammates, showing just how much of a valuable player he is in the capital.

Premier League rivals Liverpool, alongside Paris Saint-Germain, had been credited with an interest in the 31-year-old at one stage when it looked like he could have been on his way out the door, but an update has now emerged which supporters will be pleased to hear.

Taking to Twitter, Romano confirmed that Chelsea and Kante are closing in on an agreement over a new contract at the Bridge. He wrote:

“N’Golo Kanté was back on the pitch for friendly game earlier this week… and the negotiations over new contract are still ongoing and progressing well to final stages. Discussions on last details as new deal could be valid for next two years plus one season club option.”

Are Chelsea right to hand Kante another contract?

Kante is Chelsea’s second-longest serving player after Cesar Azpilicueta, so whilst he can certainly be classed as a veteran of the squad, the hierarchy are absolutely correct to extend his stay.

The £290k-p/w talisman is absolutely tenacious in the middle of the park and was averaging 2.5 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game prior to his absence, showing that he loves getting stuck in and winning back possession, but he is also equally as strong in the offensive aspect of his play (WhoScored).

The Paris native has clocked up 28 goal contributions during his time in SW6 and ranks in the 99th percentile for midfielder progressive carries per game, highlighting his desire to make a difference in the final third. The Adidas-sponsored gem can additionally operate in four various positions across the midfield so is a useful player to have available should any unexpected injuries or formation changes occur.

Kante has been dubbed “magic” by ITV pundit Ally McCoist and it will be a massive boost for Potter that he’s about to sign on the dotted line and commit his future for many more years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur could finally sign James Ward-Prowse this summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Ward-Prowse to Tottenham?

According to Football Insider, the 28-year-old playmaker will definitely leave Southampton if they are relegated from the Premier League this season and the Lilywhites are among the most likely destinations.

It's thought that Spurs are big admirers of the England international, and it is expected that they make their move before next term.

It does, however, remain to be seen how much Ward-Prowse would command, with FootballTransfers currently valuing him in the region of £36m. Presuming the Saints do go down, you'd imagine that they would struggle to garner anywhere near that sort of figure.

When Burnley were relegated last year, the Clarets' biggest sale that saw a player instantly return to the top-flight was Nathan Collins, having cost Wolverhampton Wanderers just £20.5m.

Is this Paratici's last roll of the dice?

Spurs have long been linked with interest in the Southampton skipper, having been mooted with interest via the Telegraph back in the summer of 2021.

Just like first-team manager Antonio Conte, sporting director Fabio Paratici is facing immense pressure over his job security right now because ultimately, he was the one that pushed to sign the Italian on an expensive contract and signed off questionable transfer dealings, such as Clement Lenglet in the summer and Arnaut Danjuma in January.

Bringing Ward-Prowse to the club this summer could save face as it would fulfil one of the squad's biggest gaps – the need for an attacking midfield maestro.

Truth be told, the north London outfit have never replaced Christian Eriksen, with players such as Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso failing to stake a claim in such a role.

The 28-year-old dynamo – renowned for his set-piece ability – is a proven Premier League playmaker, having provided over 100 goal contributions across 399 appearances for the Saints. As Roman Selles' top-performing player this campaign, via WhoScored, Ward-Prowse leads the squad for key passes by quite some margin (2.2 per game).

These returns would also see the "unbelievable" £100k-per-week "machine" – as lauded by his former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl – rank first among the current Spurs squad, with Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski ranking joint-first on 1.8 attempts per game.

As such, the introduction of Ward-Prowse would be a good way to kickstart a new era because whoever walks into the dugout will have one less gaping void to worry about and at the same time, this calibre of signing could well keep Paratici in a job, at least in the short-term.

Sky Sports’ Vinny O’Connor has spotted that Dominic Calvert-Lewin has missed yet another Everton training session.

The Lowdown: Injury woes continue to hamper Everton

Ever since the beginning of last season, Calvert-Lewin has not been able to stay fit or put a run of consistent starts together for the Toffees, with the England international only starting 24 league games over the last two campaigns.

When Sean Dyche was appointed at Everton, he vowed to get to the bottom of Calvert-Lewin’s injury woes, with the club looking into his mattress and the car he drives. However, he is yet to return to the pitch.

Just last week, the striker was finally back doing training sessions with his Everton teammates, but with their next game on Saturday afternoon swiftly approaching, it looks as though Calvert-Lewin may well have suffered a setback.

The Latest: Calvert-Lewin struggling to get fit

Reporter O’Connor had been at Finch Farm to take in Everton’s latest training session prior to this weekend’s clash against Chelsea, and dropped the worrying news that Calvert-Lewin wasn’t out on the grass.

He said: “Someone like Dominic Calvert-Lewin in a relegation battle, if he can find his top form and get the trust of his manager in terms of form and the ability to play game after game after game, he’s a much-needed weapon as Everton look to pull away from that drop-zone.

“But at the moment, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is not out there training with his Everton teammates.”

The Verdict: Everton may rue Calvert-Lewin’s injury problems

Despite the positive news of Calvert-Lewin returning to first-team training, the fact he was not seen with his teammates just days before a tough game away to Chelsea will be devastating for Evertonians and Dyche.

If Everton can somehow manage to get Calvert-Lewin fit for at least five games before the end of the season, he could prove to be the difference between staying up and experiencing their first-ever relegation from the Premier League.

He’s an experienced and established striker in the top flight and certainly has the mentality needed to lead the line for Everton as he did so whenever fit last season, and popped up when it mattered against Crystal Palace last year, although they’ll likely have to wait a while longer with Dyche since admitting they’re still ‘monitoring’ the striker and being very careful with his situation.

Tottenham Hotspur chief Fabio Paratici is personally ‘more likely’ to target former Spain boss Luis Enrique over the heavily-linked Mauricio Pochettino.

The Lowdown: Conte future uncertain…

The future of current Spurs manager Antonio Conte is set to be one of the hot topics over these next few months with reports suggesting he may well leave.

While the north Londoners have an option to extend his stay by a further 12 months, some sources claim the Italian is far more likely than not to depart by the end of 2022/2023.

Pochettino, who is currently out-of-work after leaving PSG, has been tipped as a hot contender for the role yet Spurs reporter Jack Pitt-Brooke claims Paratici may personally target another name.

The Latest: Paratici ‘more likely’ to target Enrique…

Indeed, former Barcelona tactician Enrique may be more favoured by the managing director despite chairman Daniel Levy and those within Tottenham appealing to Pochettino.

Pitt-Brooke explained on Twitter:

“If they go for Pochettino it would be driven by Levy, not Paratici. No way Paratici would hand over that much power willingly. He’d be more likely to go for, say, Luis Enrique. But then it was Levy (not Paratici) who appointed Conte in the first place…”

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The Verdict: Big name…

Also currently a free agent and proven at the top level of management, Enrique emerges as a potentially astute option to succeed Conte if he does leave.

The 4-3-3 attacking boss has won nine major pieces of silverware in total, including a Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and two La Liga titles with Barca (Transfermarkt).

Enrique would not only represent a fine Pochettino alternative for little to no cost, the 52-year-old’s pedigree and philosophy as a forward-thinking tactician would seriously appeal to Spurs supporters.

If Paratici campaigns with the Spurs hierarchy to appoint Enrique, he would have a serious case to bring forward to Levy and the board.

Tottenham are now readying a bid to sign Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs linked…

The north Londoners are looking for a long-term Hugo Lloris successor as he enters the final 17 months of his contract at Spurs.

Antonio Conte’s favourite is currently sidelined through injury but has been criticised for some Premier League performances this season, leading to Fabio Paratici’s search for a goalkeeping heir.

Bono is one of the names to have been linked with a move to N17 with reports suggesting he is a firm transfer target for Tottenham.

The Latest: Tottenham plan Bono bid…

According to reports out of Spain, as shared by Sport Witness, the Lilywhites are planning to make a €20 million (£18m) offer for Bono.

It is claimed that Spurs are one of three teams set to lodge a bid for the Morocco international, who starred for his nation at the 2022 World Cup.

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The Verdict: Perfect candidate?

There are few names who could filly replace Lloris considering his phenomenal tenure as Spurs number one overall.

The Frenchman has been a mainstay since joining from Lyon in 2012, but as the time nears to say goodbye, Bono could at least come as a safe pair of hands.

The 6 foot 4 shot stopper made a name for himself in Qatar, standing out as one of the keepers of the tournament with manager Walid Regragui calling Bono ‘one of the best’ in world football.

As well as this, after his showings for Morocco, members of the media branded Sevilla’s keeper one of football’s ‘rising stars’ as Bono swiftly rose to prominence.

£18 million for such a player would come as a real steal for Spurs but it remains to be seen if Sevilla are willing to accept.

Tottenham and sporting director Fabio Paratici are ‘looking to sign’ two new centre-backs with Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni on their ‘radar’.

The Lowdown: Spurs defensive reshuffle?

Spurs could be about to instigate a real defensive overhaul this summer with Clement Lenglet’s loan deal expiring at the end of this Premier League season.

As well as the Frenchman, it is believed that Davinson Sanchez, who has seen game time limited under manager Antonio Conte, could be on the way out.

The Colombian’s future is in doubt, according to reports, with Spurs thought to be prioritising the addition of a new centre-back.

The Latest: Tottenham ‘looking to sign’ two new centre-backs…

As per The Daily Mail, Spurs and sporting director Paratici by extension are ‘looking to sign’ as many as ‘two’ central defenders this summer.

Tottenham will apparently attempt to secure tow fresh faces in the position, and while we’ve already covered their interest in Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi, one familiar name is also on their ‘radar’.

It is believed the Lilywhites are still eyeing Bastoni from Inter Milan, though that deal is thought to be a difficult one to pull off.

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The Verdict: Get it done…

Two central defensive stars, including Bastoni, would certainly be the dream window for Conte and co.

The Nerazzurri star has been heavily courted by Spurs for the last 12 months, but with his contract set to expire in 2024 as things stand, Paratici may actually stand a better chance of getting him.

If the 23-year-old can’t reach an agreement on fresh terms with the Serie A giants, Tottenham should attempt a move alongside Guehi.

As per WhoScored, the star, valued at £49 million by Transfermarkt, ranks among Inter’s top three for successful tackles and interceptions per made 90 in the Italian top flight.

He’s also been called a ‘defensive genius’ by Serie A football experts at such a young age – highlighting the fact he would bring Spurs both quality and the potential to be a long-term fix.

Former Sheffield Wednesday centre-back Michael Hector could potentially seal a return to the club this month, according to reliable journalist Joe Crann.

The Lowdown: Hector’s previous with Sheffield Wednesday

The 30-year-old spent the 2018/19 season on loan at Hillsborough, having struggled to break through at Chelsea over a number of years, despite previously being hailed as ‘absolutely top class’ by journalist Dom Howson.

Hector made 39 appearances in total for the Owls, scoring twice along the way and proving to be a ‘fan favourite’ at the heart of their defence.

The former Jamaica international is currently without a club, having left Fulham last year, and it could be that a return to Wednesday materialises this month.

The Latest: Sheffield Wednesday considering Hector move

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for The Star, Crann claimed that Hector is being considered as an option for Sheffield Wednesday to come in and add defensive depth in January.

The journalist tweeted:

“Darren Moore has previously suggested that #SWFC weren’t really looking at free agents, but – as per @AlexMiller91 – we understand that former Owl, Michael Hector, is now being considered as an option at centre back after all.”

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The Verdict: Good centre-back option

This could be a shrewd piece of business by Wednesday, bringing in Hector on a free transfer and helping to ease their current shortage in centre-back areas following injuries to Ben Heneghan and Michael Ihiekwe.

Mark McGuinness’ return to Cardiff City is a big blow, following an impressive stint for the Owls (he is their second-highest rated player this season as per WhoScored), but Hector could help to fill that void, having won 3.4 aerial duels per game in the Championship during his previous spell with the club four years ago.

There would be an element of risk behind the move in terms of his lack of playing time – he has made just 15 appearances in all competitions since August 2020, and only two since the start of 2022 – but the free agent element of the transfer alleviates that issue.

Either way, bringing in another centre-back this month could be a wise move should any approach for Hector not work out.

Nottingham Forest target Chris Wood has now ‘approved’ a deal to make the move to The City Ground, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Out of favour

The New Zealand international has entered the final 18 months of his contract at Premier League rivals Newcastle, and having made just four top-flight starts this season, could be looking to head elsewhere in search of more game time.

Steve Cooper desperately needs to bolster the attacking ranks to ensure they survive relegation at the end of the campaign, and having initially identified the 31-year-old as an ideal candidate, a huge development has now taken place.

The Latest: Wood says yes

Taking to Twitter, Romano relayed an update from The Athletic and revealed that the Magpies striker has given the green light for him to join Cooper’s side.

“Nottingham Forest are in advanced talks to sign Chris Wood. Negotiations progressing well over loan with buy option clause.

“Player has already approved the move, it’s on the clubs now but advancing — as per @TheAthleticFC.”

The Verdict: Awoniyi replacement

Taiwo Awoniyi is reportedly facing months on the sidelines due to injury, so Wood will be an ideal replacement to bring to the Midlands.

The 6 foot 3 colossus has plenty of experience at this level having clocked up 61 goal contributions in 189 Premier League appearances, alongside currently ranking in the 99th percentile for aerials won per 90 minutes, showing he can bring a real focal point to Cooper’s team.

Forest are searching for a new forward and Wood is on the hunt for more minutes, making this a move that is definitely suitable for both parties.

Newcastle United’s attempt to sign Real Valladolid defender Ivan Fresneda is ‘fairly’ now a ‘done deal’, according to Reuters journalist Fernando Kallas.

The Lowdown: The story so far

The Premier League high flyers are reportedly on the lookout for a new right-back this month and have identified the 18-year-old as an ideal candidate.

The Magpies have been credited with a strong interest in the youngster, and speculation of a move was increased after head of recruitment Steve Nickson was spotted with his agent at a match last week.

The Latest: Kallas’ comments

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Kallas revealed that Fresneda is set to make the move to St James’ Park, with farewells already underway in La Liga.

Quoted by Newcastle World, the reporter said of the Valladolid defender: “He’s 18 years old and he made a very good game over the weekend. He neutralised Vinicius Junior when Real Madrid played Valladolid. I heard the coach and his team-mates are already saying goodbye to him because it’s fairly a done deal that he’s going to Newcastle.”

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The Verdict: A rock at the back

Eddie Howe’s side have already completed their first signing this month as Garang Kuol’s transfer was activated, and Fresneda could be the next to follow at Newcastle.

The Spaniard currently averages 3.3 tackles, 2.9 clearances and 1.4 interceptions per league game, highlighting the rock that he can be at the heart of defence (WhoScored).

PIF will be keen to bolster their ranks in a bid to secure a top-four spot at the end of the campaign, and the addition of Fresneda would surely only increase the chances of that happening.