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As per Jornal de Notícias, via Sport Witness, some midweek transfer news has emerged involving Tottenham Hotspur and Sporting Lisbon star Matheus Nunes.

The Lowdown: Man in demand…

The 23-year-old midfield maestro, who has starred for Sporting in the Portuguese top flight this season, has also attracted Premier League attention for his performances.

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Indeed, alongside Spurs, the likes of Wolves and Everton also want to sign him as the English trio all hold a keen interest.

This comes after Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, speaking after his side’s 5-0 Last 16 win over Sporting in the Champions League earlier this season, lavished Nunes with praise.

The Spaniard labelled him ‘one of the best players in the world today’, extremely lofty praise from one of the world’s most elite managers, and Tottenham’s interest has continued heading into the summer window.

The Latest: Spurs eye move…

According to Jornal de Notícias (via SW), the Lilywhites still want to sign Nunes alongside Everton and Wolves – coming as Sporting seem willing to negotiate a fee lower than his €60 million (£50m) release clause.

Indeed, according to the report, Nunes’ club could actually let him go to Spurs for around €40m (£33m) – £17m less than his clause.

The Verdict: Lodge an offer?

His numbers for Sporting this season perhaps highlight why Tottenham are taking such a keen interest.

According to WhoScored, no player in their squad has completed more successful take-ons per 90 this season (2.4) with Nunes also attracting the most fouls on average.

He’s consistently proved a tricky player to compete against in midfield and there is little wonder Tottenham are keen on a move.

In other news: ‘I know thanks to a source very close’ – Journalist claims big name is now set to leave Spurs, find out more here.

Newcastle United are reportedly now eyeing up a summer move for Taiwo Awoniyi.

The Lowdown: Awoniyi having a ‘remarkable’ season

As per Bundesliga journalist Stefan Bienkowski, the Nigerian striker is having a ‘remarkable’ season at Union Berlin.

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He has scored no fewer than 17 goals and supplied a further four assists in 37 games across all competitions so far this term (Transfermarkt), so a number of clubs will no doubt be looking at him over the summer.

The Latest: Newcastle lurking for Awoniyi

As per Soccernet, sources close to Awoniyi have revealed that he is now ‘set’ for a move to the Premier League at the end of this campaign, but he has not yet decided who he would like to sign for.

Newcastle are joined by West Ham United and Southampton in having already ‘signified interest’ in the Nigeria international, and his departure is expected to be a record sale for Union.

They signed him for just €5m (£4.2m) last summer, so they could end up cashing in for a tidy profit.

Sources believe that Awoniyi has ‘unfinished business’ in English football after leaving Liverpool, where he was sent out on loan seven times before being sold without ever playing for the Reds.

The Verdict: Get it done

Currently rated at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, Newcastle could snap up Awoniyi for a tidy fee.

Given Callum Wilson’s injury problems, and with Chris Wood only finding the net twice since signing from Burnley in January, Eddie Howe could do with another option up top, and the Nigerian powerhouse would be perfectly suited to the pace and demands of the top flight.

Described as having ‘explosive power, a poacher’s instinct and cool head’ on the Bundesliga website, the 24-year-old could thrive on Tyneside, and of course he will have the extra motivation to show everyone what he can really do on these shores.

In other news, find out what amazing PIF claim this transfer insider has now dropped

Jesse Marsch’s track record when it comes to developing young players is certainly impressive, so Leeds United’s latest up-and-coming prospects are in very good hands.

During spells in charge of Red Bull conglomerates, Salzburg and Leipzig, the American coach had many a talent at his disposal, trusting them to start for him in the senior game.

These names ranged from goalscoring superstar Erling Haaland and Patson Daka, who is now at Premier League rivals Leicester City, to mooted Whites transfer target Brenden Aaronson.

Whilst the likes of Hwang Hee-chan, Takumi Minamino, Dominik Szoboszlai, Karim Adeyemi, Christopher Nkunku and Josko Gvardiol have all benefitted from his influence.

Some of the players listed went on to score a pretty neat profit but who could follow in the footsteps of say, a Haaland, at Elland Road?

The Yorkshire giants are blessed with a pretty exciting academy set-up, where we have seen players such as Joe Gelhardt, Lewis Bate and Sam Greenwood go from starting for the youth team week-in, week-out, to earning minutes in the top-flight of the men’s game.

But it could be Leo Hjelde who benefits most from the arrival of Marsch.

The 18-year-old defender has recently been absent through injury but made his return on Monday night as the U23s were walloped by West Ham United, though these valuable minutes are positive for his comeback.

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Described as “rusty” in the game by LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross, it was more of a first runout for the Nottingham-born Norwegian in two months.

Capable of playing at left-back and in the middle, Hjelde could be hugely valuable to the 48-year-old going forward, particularly into next season, where the makeup of this Leeds squad is surely set to change following a torrid season full of injury and inconsistency, leading to them largely fighting a relegation battle.

His debut for the Yorkshiremen came against West Ham United earlier this season highlighted his true potential, earning immense praise from club legend Jermain Beckford, who told the club’s official podcast:

“The young boy, Hjelde when he came on as well, what a player he’s looking by the way. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him. But that’s twice we’ve seen him, twice we’ve seen him against West Ham, against a very physical, very strong, very quick centre forward in Michail Antonio and a tricky player in Jarrod Bowen. I don’t want to say he had them in his pocket, but I think he did.”

Meanwhile, during his time at Ross County, his former manager John Hughes likened him to a current Premier League star, which only bolsters claims that Hjelde could emerge as a big money-making sensation in the future.

“Leo is going to be the next Van Dijk. Trust me on that,” he said. “The quality he has shown, the physical challenge, playing real men’s football and standing up to it – it’s been a wonderful experience for Leo. He’s got massive things in front of him.”

Also dubbed a “massive talent” by his ex-boss, it’s clear that Leeds – and Marsch particularly – have a special defender in their grasp. He should be in line for more game time next season as the league’s worst defence will surely be altered.

The Norway U21 international could earn Leeds a pretty penny one day.

AND in other news, Alan Nixon drops 12-word Kalvin Phillips transfer update…

Newcastle United have been handed a major injury lift over Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier…

What’s the latest?

Eddie Howe has revealed that both players are likely to be back in action before the end of the campaign as they recover from their respective knocks.

The Magpies face off against Crystal Palace in the Premier League tonight and will be without the pair for now, but that may not be the case for much longer…

Injury analyst Ben Dinnery relayed an update from the coach’s press conference, Tweeting: “There are no fresh injury concerns from the late win over Leicester. Howe confirms Trippier and Wilson are still on track to play again this season.”

Supporters will be buzzing

The Toon faithful will be delighted with this update as it means that they are set to get the chance to watch both of them in action again this term.

Wilson being back will be a welcome return due to the goalscoring quality he provides at the top end of the pitch for Newcastle. Chris Wood was brought in during the January transfer window to cover for him but has only scored twice in 13 outings so far.

Despite him not playing since December, Wilson remains the club’s top scorer in the Premier League this season with six goals to his name in 14 starts. He is Howe’s biggest goal threat and the fans will want to see him poaching in the penalty box again before the end of the campaign – making St. James’ Park rock as he fires the ball into the back of the net.

Trippier, meanwhile, hit the ground running in January after joining from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid as he immediately showcased his quality. In four top-flight matches, the England international averaged a phenomenal WhoScored rating of 7.87.

In those games, he scored two goals and made a whopping six tackles and interceptions per game from full-back. He was able to provide strong defending at the back whilst also making himself a big threat in the final third with his ability from deadball situations.

His incredible performances in the short amount of time he has been able to represent Newcastle on the pitch surely left the supporters wanting more and that is why they will be buzzing to read that he will be back before the end of the season.

AND in other news, Howe can unearth his own Ginola in Newcastle’s rarely-seen 19 y/o “bright talent”…

Football pundit Noel Whelan has been reacting to an update regarding Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Ornstein’s late-night news

The Brazil international was the subject of late interest in the January transfer window, with David Ornstein revealing on Monday evening that the club turned down three separate offers for the 23-year-old.

The most recent of those came on deadline day, with the likes of Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham all linked with the midfielder.

As we know, Luiz remained a Villa player past the deadline, with Ornstein adding that Villa now want to secure him to a new deal, with his current contract set to expire in June 2023.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments

Whelan, who regularly contributes as a pundit for the BBC, was talking to Football Insider regarding the update on Luiz. He believes that Villa have ‘the finances in place’ for a new contract and seemed to be all for a new deal, saying:

“Look, it’s all about performances and consistency. That’s when you earn the amount of money that you might be getting on a new contract.

“If you’re not playing regularly, then you don’t really have a leg to stand on.

“Douglas Luiz, 18 months, he has been consistently in the side and put in some great performances.

“They’ve got money, they’ve got all the finances in place and he’s been a player for them that has played continuously.

“If you’re going to be a top club playing at the top end of the league, you’ve got to have the squad that can handle that.”

The Verdict: Needed

Villa didn’t add to their midfield ranks last month despite showing an interest in Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, so a new contract for Luiz is crucial.

He has been a regular under Steven Gerrard, so failing to tie him down to a new deal before the summer will only add fuel to the fire over a possible departure when he enters the last 12 months of his contract.

Luiz has actually been the club’s second-best Premier League performer among players to have made more than three appearances, as per WhoScored, which just underlines his importance to the team, and the importance of securing his future without delay amid widespread interest in him.

In other news: ‘Hats off to the board’ – Sky Sports pundit purrs at ‘amazing’ out-of-the-blue Villa transfer news

Arsenal fans will be extremely excited about the future of Folarin Balogun given his superb performances in Ligue 1 with Stade de Reims so far this season but Mikel Arteta could have another superstar waiting in the wings at London Colney.

Nikolaj Moller arrived at the Premier League leaders with a big reputation and will be hoping to make an impression in the first team in the coming years, having spent time away from the Gunners on loan in recent seasons.

Who is Nikolaj Moller?

The 20-year-old joined Arsenal from Malmo in October 2020 and was an instant hit with the U23s side, hitting seven goals and three assists in 18 appearances in the Premier League 2 in the 2020/21 campaign.

He was sent out on loan to FC Victoria Koln the following season, and while he failed to find the back of the net in ten appearances in Germany's third tier, he did score three times and assist once in just two appearances in the DFB Pokal.

The Sweden U20 international has spent time with FC Den Bosch in the Netherlands in each of the last two campaigns, notching a combined five goals and two assists in just 27 appearances, which suggests that he is not struggling to adapt to senior football.

Moller, who is described on Arsenal's website as "a towering striker with devastating finishing ability and strong link-up play", will draw natural comparisons with legendary Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, because of his style of play and 6 foot 4 stature.

Indeed, he has already been compared to the great Swede, with one of Moller's former youth coaches, Robin Asterhed, not only labelling him a "super talent" but suggesting "there are some similarities with a young Ibra."

The former Barcelona and Inter forward is still going strong at the age of 41 with AC Milan and boasts an incredible record of 493 goals and 202 assists in 819 club appearances across his career thus far.

He has also scored a phenomenal 62 goals in 121 appearances for his country and has won a plethora of awards across a glittering career that has spanned across Europe and America, with 32 club trophies under his belt.

Naturally, if Moller was able to reach anywhere near that level in his time with Arsenal, then he could prove to be a huge success at the Emirates, and fans will be hoping that they can finally possess their own Ibrahimovic, having famously failed to sign the striker when he was just 19.

With Balogun attracting interest from across Europe after hitting 17 goals in 25 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season, Arsenal may have to look towards Moller as their next young striker to take up the wonderkid mantle.

Ange Postecoglou has been handed a major boost at Celtic ahead of the Old Firm derby next weekend…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, the Hoops look set to receive a big lift ahead of their clash with their rivals next weekend.

The report claims that Alfredo Morelos has returned to Rangers with a thigh injury after failing to pass a fitness test to play in any of Colombia’s matches.

Buzzing

This update will leave Ange feeling buzzing as the Gers being without Morelos would be a massive boost to his side’s chances of winning the match.

The Bhoys are top of the Premiership table heading into the game at Ibrox and it is poised to be a season-defining clash for both teams. A win for Postecoglou’s men will see them go six points clear and in with a fantastic chance to win the title, whereas three points for the hosts will see them draw level with Celtic and tee up a tense end to the campaign.

This is why this match is a huge moment in the season and Rangers being without one of their best players will weaken their chances of winning. Morelos’ thigh injury has cut his international duty short because he was not fit enough to play against Venezuela on Wednesday, suggesting that he is unlikely to be ready – or at least 100% fit – for the game on Sunday.

In the Premiership this season, the striker has racked up a sublime 11 goals and seven assists in 25 starts. He has been phenomenal – averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.32 – and that is why him being out of contention would strengthen Celtic’s chances as they would not need to deal with his huge attacking threat at the top end of the pitch.

Postecoglou will, therefore, be relieved by this news as Morelos – at best for Rangers – is coming into the game carrying a big knock or he will be out completely. Celtic may not have to play against the attacker at the peak of his powers and the statistics suggest that it will be a significant boost.

The Colombian centre-forward was absent from the Gers squad when the two teams last met in the Premiership back in January and the Australian head coach enjoyed a fine night at Parkhead on that occasion. His side won 3-0 as they swept their rivals aside with ease, with Kemar Roofe starting in place of Morelos and being unable to cause any issues to Cameron Carter-Vickers or Carl Starfelt.

AND in other news, Celtic handed huge summer boost on “outstanding” £42k-p/w dynamo, Ange will be buzzing…

Ex-Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson has suggested St Johnstone’s Zander Clark as a potential replacement if Allan McGregor leaves the club at the end of the season. 

The lowdown

McGregor, who turned 40 at the end of January, is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

At the start of the season, Steven Gerrard rotated his ‘keepers, handing chances to Jon McLaughlin and Robby McCrorie, but McGregor has now started every league game since Halloween.

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell recently wrote that he was expected to depart Ibrox in the summer, along with Connor Goldson and Steven Davis.

Significantly, Clark is also set to be free agent in five months’ time, meaning Rangers could snap him up on a free.

A report from The Daily Record in November revealed that The Gers were ‘closely’ monitoring the 29-year-old.

The latest Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show (via Glasgow World), Ferguson said he’d like to see McGregor stay for another year, but backed Jon McLaughlin and Clark to be able successors.”Jon McLaughlin is a really good backup keeper, I really like him,” he said.”Zander Clark is another, St Johnstone have had a poor season but Zander is still performing at a high level.”I’d like him to stay. He’s old enough to make his own mind up but I still think there’s football left in Allan McGregor.” The verdict

While he can’t compete with McGregor, who’s played more than 400 times for Rangers, Clark does at least have plenty of experience.

He’s one short of 150 games in the Scottish top flight, and he’s kept an impressive 51 clean sheets along the way – that ratio of 0.34 is not far off McGregor’s top flight ratio of 0.46, when considering the quality of the squads they are playing in.

It also bodes well that Steve Clark has called him up to the Scotland squad twice this season, and that St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson has dubbed him ‘phenomenal’.

The £405,000-rated ‘keeper does have some weaknesses – WhoScored say he could improve when it comes to long passing and claiming crosses – but perhaps the opportunity to snap him up on a free will prove too good to turn down.

In other news, Danny Mills reckons this 21/22 signing could soon be headed for the PL.

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the signing of Sofyan Amrabat this January transfer window…

What’s the word?

Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano delivered a fresh update on Spurs’ pursuit of the Fiorentina midfielder, who is currently excelling for Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, very early on Wednesday morning.

He said:

“Sofyan Amrabat to Tottenham, advanced but not a done deal yet. [Antonio] Conte and [Fabio] Paratici both want him – he’s also doing great at AFCON.

“But Spurs are waiting to complete [Tanguy] Ndombele deal [to Paris Saint-Germain] before Amrabat (loan with buy option). Player side, not a problem: he only wants Spurs.”

Closing in

At the moment, this would be the Lilywhites’ first signing this month as a swoop for Adama Traore continues to rumble on without much success.

It appears as if Conte’s attentions have quickly turned to sorting out the engine room because you don’t make the likes of Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso all available for an exit if you’re not going to try and reinforce such a key position, especially with less than five days of the window remaining.

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Amrabat isn’t a signing that is going to thrill much of the Spurs fanbase but if the Italian head coach wants him, then he must be backed.

The 25-year-old midfielder has been restricted to only 211 minutes in the Serie A this season but has featured in three full 90-minute games for his country in Group C and the round of 16 at AFCON.

Conte has lacked someone capable of driving the ball forward from midfield and he could well find that in Amrabat. Of the 39 players to have attempted 150 or more dribbles since the start of the 2019/20 campaign,  only one player (Ismael Bennacer, 79.6%) has managed a better dribble success rate than the Viola enforcer (70.3%), per WhoScored.

That is also above every single one of Spurs’ current central options with Oliver Skipp leading the way on 66.7% and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg not too far behind on 62.2%. Ndombele – who is supposed to be the ideal fit for the role – sits down at 55%, which is rather telling.

He is also solid at delivering long balls and is aggressive in the tackle, so whilst his lack of game time is a worry, there are certainly credentials there that make him fit for Conte, who must be absolutely delighted that a deal is very close. to happening.

Somewhat of a perfect signing for the Spurs boss, the north London outfit are in for one busy few days ahead of Monday’s deadline.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold hints at Adama Traore twist for Spurs…

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte must make a ruthless decision ahead of their Premier League encounter with Newcastle United this afternoon.

The Italian head coach is facing plenty of selection decisions as his side looks to maintain ground in the race for a top-four finish and with teams slipping up around them, there won’t be a better chance to solidify their claims.

Eddie Howe has turned things around at the Magpies, winning three of their last five in the competition – a run of form that has seen them rise from the brink of an end-of-season relegation battle to near-enough survival.

And he has quite the threat upfront in Chris Wood, who swapped Turf Moor for St James’ Park during the January transfer window. Perhaps not the big-name signing many expected under their new Saudi backers but quite an astute addition, all things considered.

The 30-year-old marksman hasn’t scored as many goals as he’d have liked in the black and white, with just one goal from ten appearances, but having played 100% of minutes in those matches, it’s clear that Howe trusts him and his attacking credentials.

He has won a whopping 8.8 aerial duels won per game since signing for the northeast outfit, which is the most in the Premier League but quite some margin, eclipsing his 5.5 headers won at Burnley and far exceeding anyone in the Spurs squad, as per WhoScored.

This aerial threat will be something of a problem for Conte, even with three centre-backs being deployed, and at 5 foot 11, Ben Davies could be at risk from facing the axe.

The Welshman, dubbed “perfect” by ex-Lilywhites man Michael Dawson, withdrew from the Wales squad during the recent international break and whilst he is available for this clash, it may be wise to hold him back in case any lingering injury gets worse, whilst last time out, he was rated as one of Spurs’ worst-performing players in their 3-1 win over West Ham.

Those factors, combined with the fact that he’s a full-back playing out of position, should be enough for Conte to make a brutal and ruthless call to drop him from the starting XI when the two teams go head-to-head later today.

The 28-year-old star has won an average of only 2.2 headers per league outing this term, a mere fraction compared to the aerial threat of Wood, and last time out, he won only one of his three duels, failed to register a single tackle and lost possession eight times – and that was up against an out-of-sorts Michail Antonio.

A bit lightweight, in comparison to Howe’s big target man.

Therefore, it would be wise for Conte to ruthlessly axe the £18m-rated defender, who Jose Mourinho once lauded as “intelligent”, for this fixture, as he could well be dominated by the threat of Wood and co amid recent domestic form struggles and potential injury concerns.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt huge blow as early team news emerges ahead of Newcastle clash…