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An update has emerged on Tottenham and their pursuit of Djed Spence in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Spurs are set to enter negotiations with Middlesbrough over a deal for the full-back later this month.

The Italian reporter has also stressed that Fabio Paratici has prioritised two positions after landing Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma already this summer.

He Tweeted: “Djed Spence deal. No negotiations this weekend, Tottenham are really interested since March but still no official bid, new direct contacts expected next week. Right back* and centre back, two priority for Spurs on the market.”

Antonio Conte will be delighted

The Italian head coach will be delighted with this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, he will be buzzing with Paratici’s prospective swoop to sign Spence as the defender is a promising young talent with the potential to make an impact in the first-team at wing-back next season.

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Ex-Premier League forward Ian Wright compared him to some of the best full-backs in the top-flight last season, saying: “If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we’re talking about Reece James and Trent, but I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.

“I said to him, in all seriousness, ‘That level we saw there? You should be in the Premier League.’ Simple as that.”

In the Championship, the 21-year-old chipped in with two goals and four assists in 42 starts on loan at Nottingham Forest – creating six ‘big chances’ for his teammates in total. This shows that he has the attacking quality to burst forward from defence to make an impact in the final third, which suggests that he would suit a wing-back role in Conte’s 3-4-3 system.

Therefore, the Italian manager will be delighted by the prospect of having the England U21 international available to him next season.

The head coach will also be pleased by this update from Romano as it shows that Paratici is hard at work and looking to get all of the club’s business done early. Despite signing three players already, the Spurs chief is prioritising other areas and plotting moves to improve the team.

This will leave Conte delighted as it will, hopefully, give him plenty of time in pre-season to bed players in and get them ready for the 2022/23 campaign.

AND in other news, Conte can axe £80k-p/w “nightmare” as Spurs plot bid for £50m gem who “rarely misses”…

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update regarding the situation surrounding Newcastle United’s attempts to sign Reims striker Hugo Ekitike.

What’s the news?

In a tweet on Thursday evening, the journalist and transfer expert had this to say on the matter: “New hamstring injury for Hugo Ekitike today during France game. His agent was expected in Newcastle on Monday after agreement reached with Reims, but he delayed. #NUFC

“The deal could be even more delayed now after injury – Newcastle will also consider other options.”

Having been linked with a move for the striker, it seems as though this update could be a rather unfortunate speedbump for the Magpies, and one which will surely have Eddie Howe fuming if the club aren’t able to secure the Frenchman’s signature.

Howe will be fuming

A product of Reims’ youth system, the 19-year-old has made 41 appearances across their senior and youth teams, in which he has found the net 17 times and delivered four assists along the way.

This latest season in France saw the teenager score 11 goals and supply three assists in 25 appearances, highlighting the attacking talent that he has at such a young age. He also ended the campaign with the joint-second highest average of shots per game (1.3) out of players currently at Reims.

Taking all this into account, it’s certainly easy to see why the Toon are so keen to add Ekitike to their ranks, as they could then have the chance to unearth someone who could become one of the Premier League’s top strikers in the future.

However, now that this injury to the 19-year-old may have delayed the potential deal, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not Newcastle stick with it and try and get it over the line. As Romano mentioned, they may forget about signing the youngster and move onto other potential targets on whom they could miss out by waiting around for Ekitike and his agent.

In our view, if the Tyneside club and their scouting staff are completely sure that the Reims prodigy would be a good addition to Howe’s squad, then they should stick with it and see it out. He clearly has a knack for finding the the net, and he also has plenty of time ahead of him to develop his game even further.

In other news: Newcastle eyeing £15m magician who Shearer dubbed “magnificent”, he’s better than Almiron

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s interest in Moussa Diaby heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has claimed that the Magpies are “looking” at both Watford’s Ismaila Sarr and the Bayer Leverkusen flyer as Dan Ashworth attempts to bolster the squad for the 2022/23 campaign.

It was reported by The Sun in March that the Toon were willing to spend around £50m on Diaby, who is valued at around £75m by his club.

Eddie Howe’s own Salah

One of the stars of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign was Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who ended the season with the joint-most goals and the most assists in the top flight.

Ashworth can now find Howe his own version of the Egypt international by securing a deal to sign Diaby from Leverkusen this summer.

The Frenchman’s current team-mate Kerem Demirbay previously lauded the 22-year-old, saying: “He’s not only very quick but also a very clever player and you don’t see that very often in the Bundesliga.”

The rapid winger could be an excellent addition to Newcastle’s squad by making a huge impact in the final third after a sublime campaign in the Bundesliga.

FBRef list Salah as the most similar player to Diaby in Europe’s top five leagues, and it is easy to see why when you look at their statistics for their respective clubs.

From this graphic, you can see that both players are able to score and set up goals on a regular basis and create a high volume of ‘big chances’ for their team-mates.

However, Salah seemingly had better service from his team as he missed 12 more ‘big chances’ whilst also scoring 10 more goals. Interestingly, Diaby scored 5.2 more non-penalty goals in the Bundesliga in comparison to his non-penalty Expected Goals and Salah scored exactly one more, which suggests that the Frenchman was more clinical in front of goal.

They both registered between nine and 10.5 Expected Assists, which this shows that there was little between them in terms of creativity. Both wingers have proven that they can score and create goals on a regular basis at the top level, whilst at 22, Diaby has plenty of time on his hands to start hitting 20+ league goals a season regularly like Salah.

For now, he is producing similar levels of productivity to the Liverpool star and can be Howe’s own version of the Egyptian maestro in the Premier League next season if Ashworth can get a deal over the line.

AND in other news, Ashworth can land big Wood upgrade in Newcastle deal for £30m gem who’s “one of the best”…

Alasdair Gold has dropped an exciting update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte.

What’s the latest?

In a recent Q&A on football.london, the journalist suggested that, should the 52-year-old be happy with Spurs’ transfer business this summer, there is a very real chance that the Italian could extend his stay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next season.

Gold also went on to reveal that Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici do possess an option to extend the former Juventus, Inter Milan and Italy manager’s contract in north London for a further year – on the premise that Conte also agrees to remain at the club.

When asked whether the Italian could extend his current deal at Spurs this summer, Gold said: “I wouldn’t rule it out, but one step at a time. Getting him to stay and be happy was an important first step.

“He’s already one of the best-paid managers in the Premier League with his current deal and there is an option, if he and the club both agree, to extend his current contract by another season. Let’s see what happens if he’s happy with the transfer window.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering the quite breathtaking job Conte has already done at Tottenham in such a short space of time, the potential of the 52-year-old remaining at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for what could prove to be another two years is sure to be something that will have Spurs supporters buzzing.

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Indeed, despite taking over a lacklustre Tottenham side sitting ninth in the Premier League standings, the Italian oversaw an incredible turnaround in form, guiding the Lilywhites to 17 wins and five draws over his 28 league fixtures in charge – returns that saw Spurs seal a highly unexpected top-four finish on the final day of the season.

Furthermore, it appears as if the 52-year-old also implemented something of a culture change at Hotspur Way, with it being reported back in December that Conte informed Harry Kane he needed to lose weight – after which, despite having scored just one league goal all season, the England captain subsequently went on a run of 16 goals and eight assists over 28 Premier League fixtures under the Italian.

As such, it is clear to see how much of a positive impact Conte has already had in north London, with the prospect of the coach remaining in the Tottenham dugout for two more years undoubtedly providing Spurs’ chances of success with a substantial boost – something that will certainly delight everyone involved with the club.

AND in other news: “Tottenham want…”: Fabrizio Romano drops transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Celtic could be set to enjoy a recruitment upper hand in the upcoming summer transfer window, according to former Rangers manager Alex McLeish. 

The lowdown: Instant impact

Appointed at Parkhead following the departure of Neil Lennon in June 2021, Postecoglou’s time in Glasgow has been nothing short of sensational so far.

Winners of the 2021/22 Scottish Cup and having regained the Scottish Premiership, the Hoops are on an upward trajectory under the 56-year-old Greek-Australian.

Much of the improvement at Celtic Park can be underpinned by Postecoglou’s smart recruitment that saw the likes of Liel Abada, Jota, Carl Starfelt and Kyogo Furuhashi flourish last term.

The latest: Ange’s advantage

Speaking to Football Insider in reaction to the Bhoys being linked with a move for the Manchester City duo Ko Itakura and Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Sky Sports), McLeish suggested that the former Yokahama F. Marinos bosses’ connections to the City Group could stand the club in a strong position this summer.

The Rangers TV pundit said: “It is good, of course, that you have close relationships. We saw with Ange Postecolgou, he brought some players in who ran their socks off for the manager and for Celtic.

“They ended up with great dividends, winning the league. You would think that the relationship they have is one where Postecoglou is the chooser rather than the recruitment guys that seem to have big say in loads of other clubs.

“You can see, all day long, that Postecoglou’s mark is on that Celtic team last season. It’s very much like Liverpool as well, who have got relationships with other clubs in Europe. The Porto signing, Diaz, was magnificent.”

The verdict: Exciting times

Fresh off the back of returning to the summit of Scottish football and with it securing Champions League group stage action next season, Celtic are in a strong position on and off the pitch heading into the transfer market.

Albeit a major overhaul isn’t expected to take place at Lennoxtown, arrivals and departures seem inevitable as Postecoglou continues to put his stamp on the squad whilst likely raiding the Japanese market once again, a process that would be aided immensely by the capture of either or both Harwood-Bellis and Ikatura.

Moreover, the financial boost given by confirmed Champions League participation should allow Celtic to enter an improved market, perhaps also helping to confirm the capture of loan stars Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota.

In other news, a journalist has provided a key Celtic transfer update. Read more here.

Crystal Palace have had their hopes of re-signing Conor Gallagher boosted, but not in the way you would expect.

What’s the word?

As per a report from The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam, Gallagher could well find himself on loan next season, with his immediate prospects at Chelsea questioned.

In The Athletic’s Crystal Palace match-day discussion, Woosnam said:

“I’m not sure Gallagher gets into that Chelsea team, but then perhaps they’ll set up in a way that suits him better than the slightly more defensive outlook Palace have had in the last couple of months that doesn’t play to his strengths.

“Would not be surprised to see him back out on loan somewhere.”

Great news for Palace

If Gallagher is to head out on a second consecutive loan spell, Vieira’s side should be among the favourites to secure his services once more.

22-year-old Gallagher has built on the glimpses of potential he showed at West Brom the season prior and has shone on the platform that the Eagles have granted him.

It’s been a breakout season for the young midfielder, with his eight goals and three assists a by-product of the emphatic displays he has put in for the Selhurst Park side.

In that time, he has shown maturity in his playstyle and well-roundedness in terms of his ability to occupy more defensive roles in a slightly-tweaked tactical shape.

His form has earned him three caps for England, and in a World Cup year, he will surely want to play it safe in familiar surroundings with guaranteed game time.

He’s been integral to the Eagles’ progress this season, ranking as the second-highest goal scorer at the club, as well as the second-highest assist creator with a combined total of 11 attacking returns.

With Palace’s reported intent of signing a defensive midfielder, the 22-year-old could be granted even more attacking freedom. So, from Gallagher’s perspective, why would you not want to return to a club who are undergoing an exciting transitional project under Vieira, and could bolster your prospects of making England’s World Cup squad?

A second loan spell at the side would be best for both parties.

In other news: CPFC plotting bid to sign “outrageous” 19 y/o “huge talent”, he’s Gallagher 2.0…

Wolves are lining up a bid for João Palhinha as Bruno Lage looks set to rebuild his squad in the summer.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias (via Sport Witness), who reported that the Old Gold are among the clubs who have been linked with the midfielder.

Sporting Lisbon are demanding €30m (£25m) for the 26-year-old and this is well within Lage’s budget, especially if he is to offload a few players.

The Premier League side could face a battle for his signature, though, with Tottenham Hotspur and Sevilla also credited with an interest.

Lage will love Palhinha

Lage has had a solid if unspectacular first season in charge of Wolves, leading them to a top-half finish, and it is a solid base to build upon ahead of next season.

With the 46-year-old previously discussing transfer plans ahead of the summer window, there could be a lot of activity taking place at Molineux.

The future is uncertain for the likes of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, which suggests that Lage will be looking to add to his midfield options, and Palhinha could be a fine addition in that regard.

The 26-year-old has featured 38 times for Sporting this season, scoring three goals. Compared to positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues, he is ranked in the 99th percentile for pressures (32.42 per 90), the 92nd percentile for blocks (2.20) and the 87th percentile for tackles (3.04).

These stats suggest that Palhinha could do a great job for Lage in Wolves’ midfield, and with Sporting manager Ruben Amorim stating that he is a “special player”, it could be a shrewd move to sign him. Furthermore, a match report from Portuguese outlet A Bola earlier in the season claimed that he “rules midfield”.

The next mission for Wolves is to return to European competition again, as they did under Nuno Espirito Santo in 2019/20, and signings such as Palhinha could be the first step to possibly reaching that goal.

AND in other news, Wolves can save millions by unearthing 22-year-old “diamond”, Lage will be ecstatic

Everton manager Frank Lampard will be without midfielder Fabian Delph for Sunday’s game against Brentford.

The lowdown

Everton host the Bees at 16.30 on Sunday in what is shaping up to be another crucial game in the relegation battle.

The Toffees dropped two points away to already-demoted Watford in midweek, drawing 0-0, and could end up either in the bottom three or secure safety depending on results on Sunday.

Should Leeds lose to Brighton in a 14.00 game, then three points would mathematically guarantee survival for Lampard’s side.

Delph started Wednesday’s stalemate at Vicarage Road but he was forced off after 81 minutes, with Allan replacing him.

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The latest

Joe Thomas, Everton correspondent for The Liverpool Echo, relayed the news on Delph on Friday afternoon.

According to Lampard, he says, ‘Delph is out of [the game against] Brentford’.

The verdict

The manager is aware of the importance of Delph. Not only is he a ‘good player’ with real ‘quality’, he’s a ‘great’ presence in the dressing room because of his calmness and experience.

As such, he will be a ‘big miss’ when Thomas Frank’s side visit Goodison Park.

The 32-year-old had started five of the last six Premier League matches, helping them collect 11 vital points.

But Delph’s £80,000-per-week contract is due to expire at the end of the season and, having had two spells on the sidelines already this season, this latest setback certainly won’t help his chances of a renewal.

In other news, Patrick Boyland drops a contract update.

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘confident’ that they can sign Hugo Ekitike in the summer.

The Lowdown: January bid

A reported £33m deal for the 19-year-old to move to Tyneside from Reims fell through on deadline day in the January transfer window, so Chris Wood from Burnley ended up being the only attacker to come through the doors at St James’ Park.

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However, journalist Ryan Taylor has claimed that the Magpies have been ‘told’ that they can sign Ekitike this summer instead, but it is not clear whether the same kind of fee will be required to seal a deal.

The Latest: Newcastle confident on Ekitike

Taking to Twitter, transfer insider Graeme Bailey has revealed that Newcastle are now ‘confident’ of signing Ekitike.

Expanding in his latest article for 90min, the journalist added that they hope to wrap up a deal ‘soon’ after Eddie Howe ‘pinpointed’ him as a target back in the winter.

Sources close to the player have revealed that he is ‘keen’ to move to St James’ Park as the Magpies target another striker to bolster their ranks.

The Verdict: Get it done

After failing to sign him in January, the St James’ Park board simply must now get a deal for Ekitike over the line.

Described as a ‘very special‘ player earlier this season by his manager Oscar Garcia, the teenager has a big future ahead of him, and some in France even go as far as to believe that he could be the ‘next Mbappe‘.

With 10 goals and four assists in 25 matches across all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt), Ekitike has burst onto the scene in his home country, so this would be an exciting deal for the Tyneside club if they can finally go through with it.

In other news, find out what exciting NUFC transfer update Keith Downie has now revealed

With three games left of the Premier League campaign, Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United host Chelsea on Wednesday evening with the 48-year-old coach knowing that the Whites simply must better Everton’s result at Watford if they are to give themselves the best possible chance of avoiding relegation to the Championship come the end of the season.

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However, although Chelsea’s form has somewhat tailed off in recent weeks – with the Blues having won just one of their last five Premier League outings – Thomas Tuchel’s third-placed outfit will nevertheless present Leeds with an extremely stern test at Elland Road, meaning that the American manager must ensure his team selection is absolutely spot on this evening.

So, will Marsch make any changes to his starting XI from the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal last time out? Here’s how we at Football FanCast think Leeds could line up against Chelsea, as well as the latest team and injury news…

With Marsch confirming in his pre-match press conference that Liam Cooper looks set to return to action this evening, while also revealing that Patrick Bamford will once again be unavailable for selection, in addition to the fact that Luke Ayling will be missing due to suspension, we predict the 48-year-old will make two changes to his starting XI at The Emirates.

First of all, we predict Ayling’s unavailability, coupled with Stuart Dallas being ruled out for the season as a result of injury and both Cody Drameh and Leif Davis being unavailable due to their loan spells away from Elland Road, will see Leeds set up in a 3-4-3 formation against Chelsea.

This means that, alongside Diego Llorente and Robin Koch, club captain Cooper will return to take up a place in a three-man backline, while Junior Firpo and Daniel James take up the left and right-wing back roles respectively.

In the middle of the park, after an extremely encouraging cameo against Arsenal, 19-year-old Lewis Bate – who Chris Spearing claimed is “like a whippet” – comes into the XI alongside Kalvin Phillips, with the “shocking” – in the words of Noel Whelan – Mateusz Klich dropping to the bench.

In attack, Jack Harrison and Raphinha start on the left and right flank respectively, while Joe Gelhardt – despite being sacrificed at Arsenal after Ayling’s sending off – retains his spot leading the Whites line.

AND in other news: Phil Hay drops exciting 5-word Leeds United transfer update, he’d be a huge upgrade