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An update has emerged on Tottenham and their interest in signing Udinese forward Gerard Deulofeu in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Spurs are one of the clubs interested in the winger as Fabio Paratici eyes a swoop for the Spaniard.

The report claims that Real Sociedad and Napoli are also keen on the ex-Watford man, who is said to be available for a fee in the region of €20m (£17m).

At this point, it remains to be seen who is leading the race for his signature and how much Paratici is willing to spend to get the deal done.

Antonio Conte’s own Paulo Dybala

If the Italian chief is able to secure a move for the 28-year-old then he will be landing Antonio Conte his own version of Paulo Dybala.

Spurs were reportedly keen on the current free agent before moving on and they can now bring in an alternative, yet similar, option in the wide areas in the form of Deulofeu.

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Both players are silky, talented, attackers who are capable of making a big impact in the final third in the Serie A for their respective teams, with FBRef listing them as similar players based on their statistics.

In the 2021/22 campaign, Dybala produced ten goals and five assists in 29 games for Juventus whilst creating 1.3 chances per game. The 28-year-old Argentine international showcased his quality on a regular basis for the Old Lady and would have been an excellent signing because of his knack for chipping in at the top end of the pitch.

However, Deulofeu also caught the eye with 13 goals and five assists whilst creating 2.4 chances per game for Udinese in the same division.

Reporter Anthony Lopopolo once dubbed the Spaniard “unstoppable” whilst the wizard was at Watford and his form in Italy suggests that he has carried his talent over to the Serie A.

He has shown that he can create chances on a regular basis whilst also carrying a goal threat. This means that he has the potential to be a match-winner for the club next season.

Conte would surely love to have a player of his quality to call upon as an alternative to the likes of Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski out wide. He can join as the Italian’s own version of Dybala and improve the depth of Tottenham’s options in the final third.

AND in other news, Paratici now given green light to seal “outstanding” Spurs signing, he’d be “clinical”…

Aston Villa are in the running to sign Yannick Carrasco from Atletico Madrid, according to Spanish publication Sport. 

The lowdown

The transfer window may not officially open until Friday, but Villa have already got a head-start in Steven Gerrard’s first summer market in the Midlands.

They have signed Philippe Coutinho permanently for £18m following his loan move from Barcelona in the second half of last season, shelled out £27.8m on Sevilla centre-back Diego Carlos, brought in Boubacar Kamara on a free transfer and sealed a £3.15m deal for Robin Olsen (via Transfermarkt).

It now seems that Gerrard may have identified Carrasco as a candidate to be his fifth new arrival, with the Belgian playing most of his football this season on the left wing but also featuring on the right for Diego Simeone’s side.

The 28-year-old, who is under contract at the Wanda Metropolitano for a further two years, is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt.

The latest

As per Sport, the noises from Atletico are that Carrasco may be one of the players who is sold in the summer transfer window.

Newcastle United have made him their ‘main target’, but two other Premier League sides have also been alerted.

One of them is Aston Villa, while Tottenham Hotspur are also said to be keen.

The verdict

Signing Carrasco, who was dubbed an ‘extremely underrated’ player by sports journalist Josh Bunting, would be another strong piece of business for Villa.

He has played 219 matches for Atletico, scoring 37 goals and laying on 39 assists, and he’s also earned 55 caps for Belgium, currently ranked as the second-best international side on the planet.

Gerrard has already had the opportunity to watch Carrasco in the flesh, having travelled to Madrid for the second leg of Atletico’s Champions League quarter-final tie against Manchester City in April.

He was apparently there scouting Geoffrey Kondogbia, but the Villa manager would have seen a tidy substitute performance from Carrasco, who won every duel and completed 11 out of 13 passes in his 21-minute cameo.

Perhaps it was on that night that he caught Gerrard’s eye…

In other news, this journalist has dropped a big claim on Villa’s pursuit of Calvin Bassey

Crystal Palace could soon agree a deal for Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure after holding further talks with the French club. 

The lowdown

Palace are going in search of their first signing of the summer as they look to arm Patrick Vieira for his second season in charge.

They’re in the market for central midfield reinforcements, with Conor Gallagher headed back to Chelsea after his season-long loan move and Cheikhou Kouyate’s future uncertain following the expiry of his contract.

Doucoure played most of his football last season just in front of the defence as a no. 6, but he can also operate in a more advanced role in the middle of the park.

He joined Lens from Malian football club AS Real Bamako in February 2018 and has gone to make 131 appearances for the club, including 34 (33 starts) in the league last season.

The 22-year-old has two left years on his contract with the upper-mid table outfit and is valued at £13.5million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reports that ‘a deal is thought to be close’ after a fresh round of negotiations between the two sides.

Vieira knows Doucoure from his time as a manager in Ligue 1 with Nice and is confident that he’s well-suited to English football.

Steve Parish, Dougie Freedman and Co would apparently regard the signing as a major coup, should they successfully complete it.

The verdict

Doucoure isn’t necessarily a midfielder who will score goals or provide assists – he’s only managed 15 G/A at Lens – though he does rank in the 75th percentile among positional peers in the top five leagues for shot-creating actions, so you would say he still makes a noticeable attacking contribution (via FBRef).

His main strengths are his ability to progress the ball through passing and carrying (he ranks in the 93rd percentile in both departments). Out of possession, he reads the game well, averaging 2.26 interceptions per 90 minutes (84th percentile).

In terms of profile, he’s similar to Chelsea’s Jorginho and Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka, and so he’d be expected to add real class and steel at SE25.

According to talent scout Jacek Kulig, ‘smart scouting clubs’ will have identified Doucoure as a ‘combative, intelligent and consistent’ talent. What’s more, team-mate Seko Fofana has billed him ‘a complete player’, while journalist Alex Lowy has marvelled at his ‘incredible’ performances.

You can see why Palace would be so pleased to get this one over the line.

In other news, Palace are eyeing two Manchester United players.

A major Rangers development has emerged on Ibrox dud Cedric Itten heading into the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to reports in Switzerland, via the Glasgow Times, Young Boys have agreed a fee with the Light Blues and are now set to sign the centre-forward.

The report claims that he is expected to put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the club back in his home country, with the Gers bringing home a fee of £1.55m.

Supporters will be buzzing

Ibrox supporters will surely be buzzing with this update as it means that the club are finally set to part ways with the outcast.

Itten has not been good enough for Rangers this year and it is the right decision to allow him to leave on a permanent basis. Selling him will take his wages off the bill and the £1.55m fee could be reinvested into bringing a fresh signing in to bolster Gio van Bronckhort’s squad.

The Swiss striker spent the first half of the campaign on loan to Greuther Furth in Germany. In 12 Bundesliga appearances, the 25-year-old scored two goals and lost 67% of his duels as he struggled to find his best form during that spell.

He was then recalled by the Gers in January to add another option at the top end of the pitch. However, he failed to grasp his opportunity to impress and found game time hard to come by in the final few months of the season.

In the Premiership, he only scored one goal in six matches as he lost a whopping 74% of his individual duels on the pitch. He did not offer a great deal in the final third and was bullied off the ball by opposition defenders as he found the physicality of the division difficult to handle.

Itten did not make a single appearance in the club’s Europa League run as he was omitted from the European squad as van Bronckhorst decided that he was not needed.

This shows that the manager does not hold the striker in high regard and his minimal game time in the top-flight backs that up, with his statistics suggesting that it was the right decision.

Therefore, fans will now be buzzing that an underperforming player is set to be sold in the coming days or weeks. Hopefully, Wilson can use the funds to sign someone more capable of making an impact in the first team in comparison to Itten.

AND in other news, GvB can find Kemar Roofe 2.0 in Rangers swoop for “clinical” gem who “rarely misses”…

Rangers have identified Rakow goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic as a potential goalkeeper signing, according to Aidan Smith of The Glasgow Times. 

The lowdown

Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Rangers may need a new no. 1 ahead of the 2022/23 season.

That’s because Allan McGregor, out of contract in just a week’s time, now ‘looks certain’ to hang up his boots at the age of 40.

McGregor made 48 appearances for Rangers over the course of the campaign, starting all of their Europa League knockout matches en route to the final.

Kovacevic kept 16 clean sheets in 21/22 as Rakow finished runners-up behind Lech Poznan in the Ekstraklasa table.

The 24-year-old has two years remaining on his contract and is valued at £1.8million by Transfermarkt.

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The latest

Rangers have shortlisted Kovacevic as they consider possible replacements for McGregor, says Smith.

Encouragingly for the Gers, Smith’s understanding is that Rakow are ‘keen’ to ‘cash in’ on a player regarded as their ‘star man’.

The journalist adds that the possibility of Champions League football, should Rangers qualify, could be a ‘major’ factor in the deal.

The verdict

Rangers fans might be wary about signing a keeper from the Polish top-flight.

After all, it ranks way down in 28th in UEFA’s league coefficient, a full 19 places behind the Scottish Premiership.

However, Kovacevic has already shown what he’s capable of on the European stage too, and that might put any fears at rest.

Gent eventually prevailed 3-1 in their Europa Conference League playoff against Rakow in August, but they had to overcome an ‘incredible’ performance from the Bosnian that prompted talent scout Jacek Kulig to label him a ‘superkeeper’.

Kulig said the display was ‘Oblak-esque’ and declared that the stopper would go on to become his country’s number one. Perhaps it caught Rangers’ eye.

In other news, Jonny McFarlane has been left stunned by this Cinch news.

Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham has said that he believes defender Joe Rodon does now have a future at the club after a ‘telling’ development in recent weeks.

The Lowdown: Expected to leave

A Lilywhites source told Football Insider just last month that the 24-year-old had been informed by the club that he was free to leave this summer. The Welshman was also reportedly keen on a move away from north London back in January following interest from the likes of Premier League rivals Newcastle and Brighton.

However, the centre-back has been brought on as a substitution in Spurs’ last two games after previously failing to make any top-flight appearances under Antonio Conte, signalling that his luck might just be about to change.

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The Latest: Twist in the tale

Wenham claimed that even though these outings have only amounted to nine minutes of action, it is a hugely positive development for Rodon and one that could mean Antonio Conte now wants to include him in his plans for next season.

He told Football Insider: “I think it is really telling that Conte has brought Rodon on in his last two games.

“He did not have to do that, make no mistake about it. I said a few weeks ago that maybe there was a way back for him.

“Obviously he hadn’t played at all under Conte so it was clear to see where he is in the pecking order.

“I think him coming on in these games has been Conte telling him that he might have a future here.

“He definitely wants Rodon to feel a part of this squad because, as I day, he did not need to bring him on in either of those games.”

The Verdict: Rodon’s pre-season chance

Despite not being handed hardly any game time at Spurs, Rodon has become an integral part of Robert Page’s Wales international squad, where he’s been capped 24 times since making his debut three years ago and drawn praise as ‘flawless’ and ‘special’ from journalist Ian Mitchelmore.

The 5 foot 11 youngster has been in great form when performing for his country on the world stage, averaging an outstanding 6.3 clearances, 1.3 interceptions, and 1.3 blocks per game at Euro 2020, via WhoScored, showing his defensive capabilities are more than passable.

If Conte does view Rodon as part of his long-term vision at Tottenham, he should maybe start giving him more of a chance to prove himself, with pre-season being the perfect opportunity for the talented prospect to show just what he’s capable of ahead of the start of the new campaign.

In other news… a BBC pundit has hinted at Conte’s number one ‘underlying problem’ at Spurs.

Jurgen Klopp has always kept his squad tight in his journey at Liverpool but we’re expecting to see big changes this summer as the German coach reaches his seventh year in charge, and some players that have been involved in the majority of the success could be moved on to make way for fresh legs.

The club has been linked with several players already ahead of the summer transfer window with Calvin Ramsay, Fabio Carvalho, Aurelien Tchouameni and Arnaut Danjuma all speculated to make a move to Anfield, which means there will likely be outgoings to accommodate.

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With that being said, one player who is likely set for the chop after a five-year spell is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The 28-year-old has found himself further pushed out of the match-day squads over this season in particular as he falls further down the pecking order, with the star not featuring in the last six Premier League squad selections despite making 29 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and assisting twice.

However, Klopp clearly doesn’t feel that the midfielder has enough to offer the team in the business end of the season, with Liverpool desperately trying to compete with Manchester City to win the Premier League title this season, sitting three points behind with just two games to go.

Despite his goal contributions this term, Oxlade-Chamberlain has struggled to impose himself on opponents during his opportunities to play, losing the ball every 6.3 minutes in his league performances, and this unnerving control of the ball in the centre of the pitch has clearly not gone unnoticed by his manager.

According to SofaScore, the former Arsenal star has only won 29% of his aerial duels and has lost the majority of his ground duels (55%) too, making only 31.6 touches and 0.6 key passes per game, proving that he has been largely ineffective in his performances without his five goal contributions.

Following his recent snubs to join the side on match day it has been reported that Oxlade-Chamberlain “fears” for his future at Anfield with one year left on his contract, and the club are set to adopt a “wait and see” approach according to Daily Mail.

Now it could be the perfect time to go and seek out first-team football elsewhere as he still has plenty of years left to play and make an impact on another team However, sadly it looks like his time on Merseyside is coming to an end with Klopp favouring others for selection.

AND in other news: Sources: Liverpool on verge of sealing 2nd summer signing, Klopp will be buzzing

Wolves manager Bruno Lage will return to the dugout for their Premier League clash against Norwich City on Sunday, reliable journalist Tim Spiers has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Lage misses midweek defeat

The Old Gold were thumped 5-1 at home to Manchester City on Wednesday and they had to get through proceedings without their manager on the touchline.

Lage tested positive for a viral infection earlier this month, meaning that he isolated at home and relayed information to his backroom team from his living room.

It wasn’t an ideal scenario and the result arguably wouldn’t have panned out the same if he were in the dugout, but a positive update has now emerged.

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The Latest: Spiers provides welcome update

Taking to Twitter during Lage’s pre-match press conference, Spiers confirmed in two simple words that the manager was now out of isolation and will be back for Sunday’s must-win visit of bottom club Norwich City to Molineux

The journalist succinctly tweeted: “He’s back”.

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The Verdict: Good to have him back

This is an undoubted boost for Wolves, with Lage’s influence badly missed against City as his side were ripped to pieces at Molineux.

Having the manager on the touchline and getting his thoughts across in the dressing room is vital for any team, so the hope is that an improved performance comes Wolves’ way this afternoon, albeit against far inferior opposition to table-topping Man City.

A win for the Old Gold would preserve their slim hopes of qualifying for Europe, especially with West Ham hosting City today. The Irons currently have a five-point lead over Lage’s men with two matches left, highlighting the need for Wolves to win their remaining fixtures and hope for the best elsewhere.

In other news, one Wolves attacking hero could leave the club this summer. Find out who it is here.

According to a report from Italian outlet Tutto Juve (via Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Brighton wing-back Marc Cucurella. 

The lowdown: Star arrival

The 23-year-old arrived in England at the start of the season from Getafe and has enjoyed a stellar debut campaign in the Premier League.

Formerly of the youth setup at Espanyol and Barcelona, the marauding left-back amassed 209 appearances in Spanish football before moving to Brighton, where he’s registered two assists in 35 showings.

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Now, another move could already be on the cards for the Spain international…

The latest: Major interest

As per Tutto Juve, translated by SW, Tottenham, as well as Fabio Paratici’s former employers, Juventus, are ‘evaluating’ whether or not to move for Cucurella this summer.

Under contract until 2026 (Transfermarkt), it’s claimed that the one-cap Spain ace would cost €20million (£17.1million).

Described as the ‘smartest kid in class’ due to his ability to read the game by former Eibar manager Jose Luis Mendilibar, Cucurella has started 32 league games for Graham Potter’s side this season.

The verdict: Reguilon’s replacement?

Blighted by injuries in recent times, Spanish wing-back Sergio Reguilon has been extensively linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer and Cucurella could be the man in line to fill the void.

Primarily operating in a back five as a wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation at Brighton,  the Spaniard has also played higher up as a left-winger and as a more conventional left-back. Therefore, as Antonio Conte also prefers to employ a similar style, it’s no surprise that interest would be forthcoming.

So far this season the energetic Spaniard has earned a 7.06 Sofascore average match rating with an impressive 5.3 duels won per game – and would represent superb value for money at the mooted price point.

In other news: Tottenham ready to cash in on ‘colossal’ international gem, find out more here.

Manchester United are reportedly looking to pip Tottenham to a move for Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries.

The Lowdown: Spurs contact

Dumfries, labelled as a ‘difference maker’ by Eurosport journalist Siavoush Fallahi, only made the move to Inter last summer. Since then, the 26-year-old has made 41 appearances for the Serie A giants, contributing to 12 goals.

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The Netherlands international is under contract until 2025, however, he is already a wanted man ahead of the summer, with Spurs making contact to discuss a deal.

It now looks as if Manchester United have joined the race, with a busy summer expected at Old Trafford.

The Latest: United links

Sports Witness relayed an update from Tuttosport on Wednesday regarding Dumfries and United.

They claimed that the full-back is high on Erik ten Hag’s wishlist, with a €35m figure (£29.5m) mooted ahead of a potential swoop.

The Verdict: Wan-Bissaka replacement?

Aaron Wan-Bissaka hasn’t been a regular since the turn of the year, with Paul Scholes labelling him as ‘useless on the ball’ back in November.

The 24-year-old will be entering the final two years of his Old Trafford deal this summer and has been linked with a return to Crystal Palace.

Therefore, Dumfries could prove to be the Englishman’s replacement under Ten Hag, providing United can pip Tottenham to a deal. It could be a move to keep a close eye on, but it won’t be the only transfer to watch closely ahead of Ten Hag’s first season in charge.

In other news: ‘In the coming weeks’ – Fabrizio Romano drops Man Utd transfer news as Ten Hag gets his way.