Category Uncategorized

Journalist Ben Jacobs has insisted that Tottenham Hotspur could soon face competition to land Pedro Porro.

The Lowdown: Spurs eager to sign Porro

For the majority of January, it appeared that Spurs were indeed keen on signing Porro from Sporting CP after the Spanish defender featured twice against Tottenham in the Champions League earlier this season.

And there appeared to be a breakthrough within the last few days, with Tottenham said to be willing to meet or at least get very close to Porro’s release clause – something Sporting had been insisting on all month. However, they are now reportedly dragging out negotiations, according to Sky Sports.

The fact that Spurs are seemingly closing in on Porro now makes sense given the fact that they could be set to sanction the exit of fellow right-back Djed Spence on a temporary basis, which would free up a space in Antonio Conte’s squad.

The Latest: Porro deal could be hijacked

Spurs hijacked Arnaut Danjuma’s deal to Everton this week, but they could soon be given a taste of their own medicine, with Jacobs claiming on The Done Deal Show that Premier League rivals Chelsea could soon move for Porro.

He said: “What complicates things late in the window is that you start with a target, and maybe some of your rivals are looking at other names, but for example, if Chelsea don’t succeed with Malo Gusto, then Tottenham could have a problem and Chelsea may enter later into the race for a player like Pedro Porro.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-3/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-tottenham-fans.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Tottenham have to move quickly

If Spurs were to lose out on Porro – who they’ve been interested in all month – that would surely only anger Conte and make him far less likely to sign a new contract than he reportedly already is.

Porro is said to be keen on making the move to Tottenham, and having been sold by Manchester City before he played a league game, he’ll likely be eager to finally test himself in the Premier League.

Tottenham need to get some business done pretty quickly as the Champions League is not too far away and Conte will want his new signings to adapt to his tactics and methods before that comes around, as they have a great chance of progressing having drawn Milan in the last 16.

Manchester United winger Antony has been slammed for his midweek performance by TalkSport pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor.

What’s the word?

United dropped crucial points as they attempted to go into second place in the Premier League, as Michael Olise’s stunning late free-kick meant Crystal Palace snatched a draw at Selhurst Park.

Midfielder Casemiro picked up a yellow card, meaning he is suspended for United’s game away at league leaders Arsenal this weekend, adding insult to injury.

United were below-par in attack and Brazil winger Antony was singled out for his display.

Speaking on TalkSport, Agbonlahor claimed the £86m signing has not been doing enough and compared him to Gunners flop Nicolas Pepe.

He said: “Watching him last night, he wasn’t happy when he got dragged [off]. He doesn’t do enough, for me. He’s giving me [Nicolas] Pepe vibes.

“[He does] tricks, he doesn’t really beat a player, and they need, for me, Garnacho to start against Arsenal.

“They need more options on the wing because Antony is not at it at the moment. Maybe he will [be] with time, but at the moment, he’s not doing enough.”

An anonymous display

The 22-year-old was almost completely ineffective against Palace, failing to create a single key pass or complete a single dribble, while he was dispossessed eight times, as per Sofascore.

He has had a mixed start to life at United, scoring five times in 18 appearances, but clearly needs more time to adapt to life in the Premier League.

United parted with a substantial fee to bring him to the club at the request of Erik ten Hag, and whilst he is yet to justify his fee, he has shown talent in flashes, although he has also drawn criticism for his showboating style, and he needs to start providing more output on a regular basis.

Glasgow Rangers maintained their 100% record under the new management of Michael Beale on Wednesday evening, with the Light Blues running out comfortable 3-0 winners over Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership clash at Ibrox.

Indeed, goals from Alfredo Morelos, Connor Goldson and Malik Tillman sealed all three points for the home side on the night, with the result ensuring Gers remain nine points behind league leaders Celtic ahead of Monday’s Old Firm derby.

Aside from the result, a number of the individual performances on display against the Steelmen will have offered Beale hope of a positive result against their Glasgow rivals next week, with the aforementioned Tillman particularly impressing on Wednesday.

After something of an indifferent start to life in Scotland under former boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst, the summer signing has quickly become a key player in Beale’s starting XI since the 42-year-old’s appointment at Ibrox earlier this month, with the 20-year-old arguably enjoying his best performance to date under the former Queens Park Rangers boss against Motherwell.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £13k-per-week starlet was in electric form going forwards, bagging Gers’ third of the night with an extremely well-taken drive from the right-hand side of the box, as well as creating two big chances – one of which came via a scrumptious backheel into Morelos – making two key passes and completing two of his three attempted dribbles.

The 20-year-old forward also enjoyed 58 touches, found his man with two long balls and completed 29 of his 36 attempted passes – a success rate of 81% – in addition to making four tackles, one interception, drawing five fouls and winning 11 of his 15 duels – at a success rate of 73%.

These returns saw the USA international who journalist Mario Reinoso dubbed “tremendous” and claimed is becoming an “indispensable figure” at Ibrox earn an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 8.1, ranking him as the second-best player to feature in the fixture.

Indeed, having now scored three goals – including the two in a 3-0 mid-season friendly victory over Bayer Leverkusen – and registered two assists under the management of Beale, it would indeed appear as if Tillman is already a key player for the 42-year-old, with it looking extremely likely the club will now make the attacker’s loan deal a €7m (£6m) permanent one next summer.

CBS journalist Ben Jacobs has shared a promising update on Liverpool’s chances of signing Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham.

The Lowdown: Reds eye move…

It is no secret that the Reds are seriously interested in signing the England international who has been shining for the Three Lions in Qatar.

The 2022 World Cup ace has started every tournament game under manager Gareth Southgate and stands out as their second-best performer by average match rating, behind only Arsenal star Bukayo Saka (WhoScored).

Bellingham has completed more dribbles per 90 than any England player, notching a goal and assist over his outings, adding further fuel to the fire that he will be a superstar.

The Latest: Liverpool ‘frontrunners’ for Bellingham…

The 19-year-old has an array of suitors from the Premier League but is in fact the Reds and manager Jurgen Klopp who are in pole position for his signing.

As per reporter Jacobs of CBS, Liverpool are the ‘frontrunners’ for his signature after putting in ‘a lot of leg work’.

He explained (via Twitter):

“Liverpool are frontrunners for Jude Bellingham largely because they have put in a lot of legwork. As previously reported, signing a top young talent isn’t just about the fee but the courting process. #LFC have always been excellent at pitching to players.”

The Verdict: Promising…

Called a ‘monster’ by other members of the media, Bellingham’s performances in the Middle East only highlight further why Klopp seems determined to bring him to Anfield.

Liverpool are arguably short of both quality and youth in the middle of the park and England’s newest sensation would certainly bring both in abundance.

There will be competition, but this latest update comes as a promising one.

Newcastle United are set to hold ‘decisive talks’ with SAUDIA over a potential £300m sponsorship deal, according to a fresh report.

The Lowdown: Mid-season tour sponsor

The Magpies are currently enjoying a mid-season break because of the World Cup in Qatar, allowing some of Eddie Howe’s squad to recharge their batteries.

Newcastle will make an imminent trip to Riyadh for a warm-weather camp and to face Al-Hilal in friendly, allowing the players to retain some match fitness.

SAUDIA have been confirmed as the sponsor for the tour, and a new update suggests that the airline could have an even bigger part to play in the club’s future.

The Latest: Permanent deal incoming?

According to Football Insider, talks are now planned over a permanent deal with SAUDIA – one which could be worth £300m over a 10-year period.

It is stated that the deal may not go through until the spring but the Public Investment Fund and representatives for SAUDIA will look to reach an agreement in the next week or so.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: More financial power

While some detractors will, perhaps understandably, take issue with the source of Newcastle’s new-found wealth, this is undoubtedly another positive update for Toon supporters.

Howe’s team are flying on the pitch, mounting a genuine top-four challenge, and striking a deal like this should make even more funds available for new signings.

A couple of high-profile additions in the January transfer window could take the Magpies to another level, and if Champions League football is achieved this season, the sky really could be the limit in terms of who the club could attract.

Tottenham Hotspur journalist Alasdair Gold has shared some details regarding a behind-the-scenes meeting between Antonio Conte, Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy ahead of the upcoming January transfer window. 

The Lowdown: Spurs’ transfer business under Conte

Since the Italian took charge of the north London club just over a year ago, he has been backed in the transfer market and been able to bring in numerous players.

Names such as Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Richarlison and Yves Bissouma, among others, have all made moves to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With the January transfer window set to open for business shortly after the conclusion of the World Cup, it seems that some behind-the-scenes details have emerged regarding what may happen in the window.

The Latest: Gold shares behind-the-scenes meeting details

In a recent online Q&A on the Football.London website, Gold was asked what he thinks the priorities will be for Spurs in terms of strengthening the side in January and when a meeting between Conte, Paratici and Levy will take place to discuss the upcoming winter window.

In response, Gold said: “Personally I think an attacking midfielder and a centre-back are priorities plus any upgrades Spurs can find in the market. As I said below, a right wing-back might end up becoming a requirement depending on Conte’s decision when it comes to Djed Spence.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-3/” title=”Tottenham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”] 

“The meeting between Conte, Levy and Paratici should happen after the head coach returns on November 28 when first team training resumes at Hotspur Way. Paratici and Conte speak most days so you would imagine they will still have some dialogue even during this rest period for the latter at some point.”

The Verdict: Reinforcements needed at Spurs

Given the hefty amount of deals that Spurs have been involved in since Conte took charge, this should fill a lot of supporters with confidence that the same thing can happen again this time around.

In terms of what areas of the squad Spurs may need to strengthen in January, the fact that they have conceded more goals (21) than the likes of Brighton (19), Crystal Palace (18) and Everton (17) this season, some extra defensive reinforcements is what Conte needs for his side.

Also, with only two clubs making more errors that have led to an opponent’s shot at goal than Spurs (8), this is something that the manager will want to work on with his current players and whatever new faces come in during the January window.

Everton made nine new signings over the summer and there are lots of positives to be drawn from the business they completed in the transfer window.

Conor Coady and James Tarkowski have been standout performers, as their centre-back partnership has flourished and improved the quality of the defensive performances the Toffees have put on over their 11 Premier League outings.

Everton have the joint fourth-best defensive record in the division (12), but they also have the fourth fewest goals scored (eight), and the team’s goal-shy approach to their games has now left them just one point off the relegation zone.

Despite Dominic Calvert-Lewin returning from injury alongside the signing of Neal Maupay this summer, the Merseysiders didn’t replace Richarlison’s goal threat. As a result, they are scoring 0.7 goals per match this term compared to 1.1 per game last season.

Frank Lampard will surely be looking ahead to the January transfer window to identify a striker who can improve the creativity and goal contributions in the team, and Everton may get a second chance on one of their biggest summer transfer targets.

It has been reported by TuttoMercatoWeb this week that Chelsea’s young striker Armando Broja is not in the thoughts of Graham Potter and could force a move away from the west London club as early as the January transfer window in search of regular first-team football.

This news will surely grab the attention of the Everton boss, who is a huge admirer of the Albanian centre-forward, so much so that Lampard gave Broja his Premier League debut whilst managing Chelsea in 2020.

The 44-year-old sang the player’s praises when Everton came up against Southampton, where Broja was on loan, last season: “He’s fast, strong, has an eye for a goal. A very good player.”

The €70m (£57.8m)-valued striker, who was dubbed “unstoppable” by journalist Nizaar Kinsella, scored nine goals and delivered one assist during his loan spell with the Saints last season and has since been given the opportunity to earn his place in the team at Stamford Bridge following Romelu Lukaku’s loan departure.

Broja hasn’t been given much game-time to build up a run of form for the Blues, averaging just 22 minutes per game across eight appearances, but he has scored one goal, won the majority of his duels (57%) and successfully completed the majority of his dribbles (57%) so far this term.

The player’s possible desperation for first-team football could be Lampard’s leverage in convincing the Albanian to make the move to Goodison Park in the second half of the season, as there is no doubt that the Toffees manager will want to improve the attacking threat in the team when the transfer window re-opens.

Leeds United and Victor Orta have got a number of transfer decisions right in recent years, with the £17m signing and subsequent £55m sale of Raphinha, the £5m signing of Illan Meslier and the £11m signing of Jack Harrison standing out as three of the director of football’s better deals during his tenure at Elland Road.

However, the Spaniard has also got a few deals wrong in his time in LS11, with the £13m signing of Junior Firpo, the £25m signing of Daniel James and the £16m signing of Helder Costa not particularly representing excellent value for money for the Whites.

And, while many of the Elland Road faithful may well have agreed that Ezgjan Alioski was not quite of the standard required for Premier League football at the time his contract came to an end in the summer of 2021, with the benefit of hindsight, Orta’s call on the versatile left-back now looks to have been something of a nightmare.

Indeed, while the 30-year-old’s return of two goals, three assists and four big chances created was far from disastrous over his 36 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, there was a general feeling that, should Leeds wish to kick on, the club should sign an upgrade on the North Macedonia international.

However, with this upgrade being Firpo – a player who has started just 22 games for the Whites due to a series of injuries, as well as largely disappointing when he has been on the pitch – coupled with Alioski now enjoying something of an Indian summer while on loan at Fenerbahce, perhaps Leeds would have been better off sticking with the left-back.

Indeed, the defender has impressed over his five Super Lig appearances in 2022/23, scoring one goal and helping his side keep one clean sheet, as well as averaging an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.86.

The player who Alex McLeish once dubbed a “firework” has also caught the eye in the Europa League, starting two of Fenerbahce’s three fixtures in the competition, over which he has averaged a very respectable SofaScore match rating of 6.73.

However, while the £42k-per-week Alioski playing European football will not likely be the cause of too many sleepless nights for Orta, the fact that the player the Spaniard released on a free transfer now has a market valuation of £6m will more than likely come as a gutting blow to the 43-year-old – especially considering Firpo’s struggles both on and off the pitch.

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is not currently looking to leave the club to force his way into the England team, according to transfer insider Dean Jones for GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

The 22-year-old has won three caps for his country, making his debut against Switzerland in March before featuring against Italy and Hungary in June.

Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate included him in the squad last month for the final set of fixtures before the World Cup, but the Eagles defender watched on from the sidelines.

Guehi only joined Palace in the summer of 2021 but he has already attracted interest from some of England’s leading clubs, with The Athletic reporting that Spurs had been ‘big admirers’ of him over the summer.

The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones said that Guehi is content at Selhurst Park and is willing to ‘bide his time’ at the international level, rather than trying to forced a move away from south London to improve his England prospects.

He outlined: “In terms of Guehi, from what I understand, he’s happy with his role. He knows that breaking into the England line-up might require some patience and he’s going to have to bide his time.”

The verdict

Southgate used four different players in his central defensive setup across the two games against Italy and Germany – Eric Dier, Harry Maguire, John Stones and Kyle Walker.

If there’s one player who may theoretically be vulnerable ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, it’s Maguire, who has lost his place in the Manchester United side. By contrast, Guehi has played every single Premier League minute for Palace so far this season.

Even if he can’t break into the starting line-up, he knows that, at the age of 22, he is still in the early phase of his career and should have plenty more opportunities to play in major tournaments.

Ranking in the 79th percentile among centre-backs in the top five European leagues for dribbles completed per 90, he is a centre-half with a modern, progressive skillset.

Former England under-21 goalkeeper Josef Bursik has previously dubbed him an ‘absolute tank’ and a ‘brick wall’, which suggests that Guehi can do the ugly side of the game too, so it must be reassuring for Palace fans to hear that the 22-year-old seems content at Selhurst Park.

There were certainly a few eyebrows raised when Wolves broke their transfer record to sign 18-year-old Fabio Silva from Porto in 2020.

The Old Gold paid a whopping £35.6m to sign the teenager, despite him having scored just three goals in 21 appearances for the Portuguese giants, in a deal that was later described as “increasingly baffling” by New York Times journalist Tariq Panja.

The teenager was thrown in at the deep end following the injury to Raul Jimenez and seriously struggled, hitting just four goals in 32 appearances in his debut campaign.

The following season was even worse for Silva, as despite Jimenez’s return and the pressure on him being eased somewhat, he would fail to score in 26 appearances in all competitions for Bruno Lage’s side.

During the 2020/21 season, Silva came under a lot of criticism, particularly from former manager Harry Redknapp. He was a pundit on Sky Sports when he said: “He’s a kid, he looks well short at the moment. Well, well short.”

Now 20, and Redknapp’s comments seem more true than ever, as Lage felt that he wasn’t needed at Molineux this season, despite seeing his side hit just 38 goals in the top flight last season.

Perhaps all he needs is a hair cut in order to improve his game.

That was certainly the view of club legend Steve Bull, who in an interview with Football FanCast commented: “I think if I had him in front of me, the first thing I’d say to him is get your hair cut because when he’s heading the ball it isn’t hitting him directly on his head, it’s hitting him on the side where his hair is and he isn’t getting the power behind it.

“Seriously, that’s not me being funny. Think when you head a ball at full power it’s off your forehead but when it comes to him, it’s gliding off his locks.”

However, while he has started well in his loan with Anderlecht, scoring seven goals with the Belgian side, it is a testament to how much Lage rates the youngster that he felt he would be better off on loan, despite Wolves’ issues in front of goal.

The Old Gold have scored the joint-fewest goals in the Premier League this season with just three from their opening seven fixtures, with Diego Costa brought in as an emergency reinforcement.

Those at Wolves will obviously be hoping that Silva can return from Belgium a much more confident and developed striker, as they will want to see a return on a significant investment that has so far cost them a mighty £8.9m a goal.

But it certainly does not bode well that he was loaned out this summer by Lage, and Redknapp’s historic thoughts on the signing in 2021 will still be a commonly-held one as we approach 2023. In this case, the former Spurs manager was absolutely right, but Wolves were quite evidently wrong in their decision to sign the striker.