All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur are homing in on their second signing of the summer in Brentford shot-stopper David Raya, with new manager Ange Postecoglou swiftly addressing the glaring weakness of the Spurs squad.

What's the latest on David Raya to Tottenham?

That's according to Fabrizio Romano, speaking to GIVEMESPORT – who has recently provided a pleasing update for Tottenham fans, underlining the increasing desire to sign the 28-year-old this summer.

Romano said: "For David Raya, they are confident. I think when all parties want the same, Brentford have already signed a new goalkeeper, the player wants to go, he's not extending the contract and Tottenham want him. When they all want the same, I think there is a good chance to make the deal happen.”

Bees boss Thomas Frank has previously been adamant that the Spaniard is available for no less than £40m, but there is a sense that with just one year left on his current deal, such a valuation might be whittled down.

Another report from the Telegraph does state that Manchester United are also intrigued by the player's availability, but Postecoglou can rest assured at present with his outfit firmly leading the pursuit.

How good is David Raya?

Veteran Hugo Lloris, who has occupied the No. 1 spot between the sticks since arriving from Lyon for £12m in 2012, still has one year remaining on his current deal but confirmed he wishes to depart this summer, having been at the epicentre of the club's defensive disarray this season.

Having made four errors leading to goal this term – the most in the Premier League – and Spurs having conceded 63 times in the league, it is evident that change is needed, with the 35-year-old, stalwart though he is, at the end of his career in north London.

And in Raya, who has been riding the crest of a wave with the Lilywhites' London rivals, an almighty upgrade would be achieved if the club manage to pull off the signing, with his ball-playing aptitude playing into Postcoglou's favour and his top-class shot-stopping feats good enough to rival any 'keeper across Europe.

Indeed, as per FBref, the two-cap international ranks among the top 8% of peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for save percentage and the top 6% for touches per 90, which illustrates his ability in possession and his superlative strength as a defensive wall, praised as "next level with the ball at his feet" by Dan Bardell.

Such a ball-centric game is no doubt attracting Postecoglou's undivided attention, with the former Celtic manager heralded for his "fast, attacking style of play" upon signing by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

By securing his signature, the Australian manager could emulate Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's success with goalkeeper Ederson, who has been the glove-sporting centrepiece of the Sky Blues' incredible and illustrious exploits since signing from Benfica for £35m in 2017.

City's Spaniard manager called the 29-year-old Brazilian "the best" goalkeeper in the world with his passing ability, having succeeded with 53% of his long balls in the Premier League this season.

Raya might not be quite that good yet but his ability to play the ball comfortably from the back certainly deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the Man City stopper.

Starting with the perfect foundation to craft his outfit from is imperative for the success of Postecoglou at Tottenham, and by signing the Spanish 'keeper, such success could be realised.

Talk of a potential Harvey Barnes move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer "will grow legs over the coming weeks", believes journalist Ben Jacobs.

Barnes could end up being a key signing in Ange Postecoglou's new-look Spurs side going forward.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news – Harvey Barnes

With Leicester City's relegation from the Premier League this season, stars such as Harvey Barnes are expected to leave the club to remain in the top flight.

The 25-year-old made 187 senior appearances for the Foxes, scoring an impressive 45 goals and earning 32 assists, so it isn't surprising that he is a wanted man.

According to the Telegraph, West Ham United are currently leading the race for the once-capped Englishman's signature.

The publication have reported that the Hammers could start the bidding war at around the £30m mark.

Unai Emery's Aston Villa have also been linked to the player by the same report, a move that would see him link up with former teammate Youri Tielemans.

However, the Daily Mail have reported Newcastle United won't be pursuing the Leicester man due to their belief in recent signing Anthony Gordon to come good eventually.

What has Ben Jacobs said about Harvey Barnes to Tottenham Hotspur?

Jacobs was straight to the point, explaining that a move to Tottenham will become more likely for Barnes as the window goes on.

Speaking on the podcast The Last Word on Spurs, he said: "I think Harvey Barnes to Spurs is going to grow legs though over the coming weeks."

Would Harvey Barnes be a good transfer for Tottenham?

Despite getting relegated with the Foxes this season, the Burnley-born forward has had a solid year himself, being one of the few bright sparks in the club's dreadful season.

According to WhoScored, Barnes averaged a fairly respectable rating of 6.66 across his 32 Premier League games, hardly the form of a player deserving of relegation.

His goal return has also been Impressive, netting 13 times and creating one assist for his teammates.

With numbers like that, in a team as dysfunctional as the Midlands club have been this year, it is no surprise then that Jurgen Klopp hailed the England international as 'unbelievable' back in 2021.

If Spurs can get this deal done, they would have a great player on their hands, and at a good age as well.

Crystal Palace have placed Mike Tresor on their transfer radar this summer, according to a report from Het Laatste Nieuws, via Sport Witness.

Is Mike Tresor joining Crystal Palace?

The 24-year-old currently plies his trade in Belgium and has produced some incredible goal contribution numbers for Genk over the course of the 2022/23 season. Playing in 34 league games this campaign, he managed a haul of eight goals in total. What's extraordinary however is his assist total, which stands at 21 and means that player managed 29 goal contributions in just 33 starts for the club. Despite his expert ability to tee up his teammates though, his side could manage only a second-place finish in the Belgian league this season.

Playmaking seems to be the specialty of the forward too, with Tresor producing a further seven last season, although he bagged no goals. Back when he played for Wilem II in the Netherlands as well, he managed a haul of 14 assists in 44 starts and had a further two in ten for NEC Nijmegen before that.

His displays have now led to interest from both the Premier League and Ligue 1. According to a report from Het Laatste Nieuws via Sport Witness, Tresor is on the radar of both Crystal Palace in England and Lille in France and both could make moves to land the player this summer.

No official bids have been made as of yet, but it looks like any potential move for the player would cost an interested suitor around 25 million Euros (or £21m). Whilst Genk would also no doubt like to hold onto their leading assist maker, the report adds that they seem resigned to losing the attacking midfielder during the transfer window, with the Eagles shopping for a replacement for Wilfried Zaha.

When does Mike Tresor's contract expire?

Tresor has a deal with the Belgian side that currently expires in 2025 and the club would no doubt like him to see out the remainder of that deal with them. However, his performances mean that he may now end up at another club this summer.

He's certainly caught the eye of the football world now, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig stating that the player has managed "crazy numbers" and also adding that he has had an "absolutely sensational" campaign for his club.

Crystal Palace then could do a lot worse than replacing Zaha with a player like Tresor, who is young, relatively proven and may not break the bank for someone with remarkable end product.

When Tottenham Hotspur reached the Champions League final in 2019, it was supposed to be a watershed moment for the ambitious London outfit.

Mauricio Pochettino had crafted one of the most eye-catching and fluid teams in the Premier League and, despite the loss on that fateful day by the hand of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, the rich pool of talent tantalised green pastures over yonder.

Instead, the dismissal of Antonio Conte this year was the fourth permanent manager discarded in as many years, and the failure to qualify for European football this term has underscored the issues that the club is currently beset with.

Ange Postecoglou has now been appointed and supporters will eagerly anticipate how the Australian will bolster the squad this summer.

One of his first moves could be to seal a swoop for Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie, who has been linked with a departure from Camp Nou after just one season and has been reported by Spanish publication AS to be of interest to the Lilywhites.

As per the report, a fee of €35m (£30m) could be required to prise him away, and given his imposing physicality and tendency to progress play with his barging presence, he could suit English football and Postecoglou's system to a tee.

Should Tottenham sign Franck Kessie?

Dubbed a "warrior" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 60-cap Ivory Coast international won Serie A last term and LaLiga this season, making 43 appearances for Xavi's outfit but only starting seven times in the league, consequently discontented with life in Catalonia and ostensibly seeking an exit, with Spurs all too willing to enrich their ranks.

If he is managed aptly, Kessie could be moulded as Tottenham's next version of Dele Alli, with the England international suffering misfortune and a plummet from prominence over the past several seasons but unequivocally one of the most prodigious talents to ever grace Premier League soil.

Alli plundered 67 goals and 61 assists from 269 appearances for Spurs before losing his spark and being shipped out to Everton at the midpoint of the 21/22 campaign, having now completed an unsuccessful season-long loan move with Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas.

At his resounding best, Alli was lauded as a talent with the "world at his feet" by Frank Lampard and "very special" by Xavi – two former stars who know a thing or two about how to succeed as a first-rate midfielder.

The one-time MK Dons youngster was best suited to an attacking role deployed behind the all-encompassing talisman Harry Kane, almost a shadow striker at times, and wreaked havoc with his unflinching approach and devastating offensive potency.

Praised as an "amazing player" by former Spurs 'keeper Paul Robinson, Kessie can emulate this; he ranks among the top 12% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for both touches in the attacking box and progressive passes received per 90, as per FBref, driving forward just like the 37-cap England ace.

And while the former AC Milan gem has been a peripheral figure with La Blaugrana this year, 19 goals across his final two seasons in Serie A, complemented by clinching the Scudetto last term, illustrates a goal-scoring prowess and a "devastating" danger, as remarked by Antonio Cassano, to match Alli's – who posted 37 strikes across his first three top-flight campaigns.

Kessie's possible transfer to Tottenham could well be an unmitigated success, with Kane's superlative skill as one of football's most creative striking focal points – ranking among the top 10% of strikers for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for progressive passes per 90 – providing Kessie with the perfect platform to unleash the full might of his attacking arsenal.

Forging a battle for top four and a confident domestic cup run is imperative next year and with Kessie's signing, the return to the former free-flowing football that left the Spurs support in raucous rapture could return to cast aside the cobwebs of the 22/23 term and drape the curtain irrevocably on the recent woes.

Manchester United are close to reaching an agreement with David De Gea over a new long-term deal.

Despite a story from Calciomercato claiming that United were investigating replacing De Gea with Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, the Spaniard is close to committing his future to the club.

Is there a contract update on David De Gea?

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reports that Man United are "really close" to reaching an agreement with De Gea over a new deal.

He told GIVEMESPORT: "At the moment for De Gea, the agreement is really close.

"As we know, Man Utd are looking to extend De Gea and sign a new backup goalkeeper.

"So, this is the idea. For De Gea, it's about the final details."

De Gea is out of contract at the end of the season but with a new agreement on the way, he looks set to stay at Old Trafford. It's unclear if he will receive a raise on his current £375,000 per week terms.

How did De Gea play for United this season?

The 32-year-old won the Premier League Golden Glove for keeping the most clean sheets. Alisson Becker, who finished second, kept three fewer than his Manchester United rival's 17 clean sheets.

Speaking recently, Harry Maguire had plenty of praise for his defensive teammate. The Englishman said: "He's been amazing this season. I think of the things I can say about him.

"He's made big saves in big moments and that's what David does. When we need him and he's called upon, he makes big saves. He's had an amazing season and It's one I'm sure he'll be really proud of."

Despite the praise, there have still been question marks surrounding De Gea's long-term future in the Premier League.

After a calamitous mistake against West Ham which gifted Said Benrahma a goal, it emerged that no Premier League goalkeeper has made more errors (4) leading to a goal than the Spaniard.

Even so, De Gea was brilliant for United this season. Without his 17 clean sheets, it's difficult to envisage a situation where Erik ten Hag and his players would have finished in the top four this season.

Retaining De Gea's services is a smart move especially with more pressing concerns to be addressed in the squad this summer transfer window.

The Red Devils can now preserve their funds and with a move to sign Neymar being mooted, they'll certainly need every penny they can save.

Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Atalanta wonderkid Giorgio Scalvini – and the Italian centre-back could prove to be Mauricio Pochettino's own Paolo Maldini at Stamford Bridge.

Could Chelsea sign Scalvini this summer?

According to reports from Italy, Chelsea are among the suitors for the 19-year-old this summer after a fine season in Serie A with Gian Piero Gasperini's side.

The likes of Inter, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Atletico Madrid are also said to be keen on the youngster, who is likely to cost around €40m (£35m) this summer.

While Scalvini is contracted at the Gewiss Stadium until 2027, it is suggested in the report that he earns a relatively low wage – something he would likely be able to increase should he make the move to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Could Scalvini be Pochettino's own Maldini?

Pochettino is all but confirmed to be the man in the dugout for Chelsea next season, with the Argentinian's appointment likely to be formally announced in the coming weeks as the Blues finally end their nightmare campaign at home to Newcastle this weekend.

While it has been scoring goals rather than keeping them out which has been the main problem for the Blues in the Todd Boehly reign, Thursday's heavy defeat against Manchester United exposed their defensive vulnerabilities, while 38-year-old Thiago Silva cannot be expected to be the main man at the back forever.

Scalvini has featured 30 times in Serie A so far this term with a solid 6.67 rating from WhoScored for his performances, while he has already earned a call-up to the national side.

Italy is famous for producing world-class defenders, with the likes of Fabio Cannavaro, Franco Baresi and Alessandro Nesta all regarded as some of the best centre-backs in footballing history.

However, the best of the best is arguably Maldini, with former teammate Alessandro Del Piero suggesting that he went beyond the description of world-class, arguing that he was number one.

Maldini famously said that "if I have to make a tackle, then I have already made a mistake" and it could be argued that Scalvini seems to play with that mindset, with his preference to intercept the ball, as according to FBref he ranks in the top 3% of defenders across Europe for interceptions per game.

Goal journalist Tom Maston lauded the youngster's "eye-catching" displays and it is easy to see why, as he also ranks 6% of defenders for shot-creating actions, progressive passes and progressive passes received per 90, which suggests that he is a very modern centre-back who is comfortable in possession.

It is rare to see a centre-back as young as Scalvini playing regularly for club and country and he will certainly be looking to follow in the footsteps of the great Maldini, who broke into AC Milan's first team at the age of 16 and retired nearly 25 years later at the age of 41.

Boehly has already shown a preference for signing players with potential, and in Scalvini, he could uncover a top-class player for Pochettino – so long as the Italy international is allowed to properly develop at Stamford Bridge.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has claimed it will be a "huge gamble" for Tottenham Hotspur to hire Arne Slot as their new manager.

What is the latest Spurs manager news?

Despite having fired former boss Antonio Conte some months ago, and then subsequently firing his interim replacement Cristian Stellini, it still remains unclear who will be Spurs' head coach next season.

At Chelsea, for instance, they may still have Frank Lampard in charge as caretaker – much like Ryan Mason – but it's almost certain that Mauricio Pochettino will be taking over in June.

The same cannot be said about Tottenham. However, at least a new candidate has emerged as the favourite for the role in the form of Feyenoord manager Slot.

Despite that, while talking on 90min's Talking Transfers, Bailey has claimed that Spurs are still "talking to others" and warned against hiring the Dutchman.

He said: "He's emerging as the strong bookmakers' favourite, but I'm told they are talking to others.

"So I do believe Spurs in this instance, whether they don't know who the first choice is, we'll have to see how talks go.

"It's a huge, huge gamble, it really is a huge gamble from their side.”

Why is Arne Slot a risk for Spurs?

Seeing as the 44-year-old has no experience of management outside of the Netherlands in the Eredivisie – having been the manager of AZ Alkmaar before Feyenoord – it certainly is a bit of a risk to give him a shot at this job.

However, there are obvious comparisons to fellow Dutch coach Erik ten Hag, although he'd at least done some coaching in Germany with Bayern Munch II before heading to Manchester United via spells with FC Utrecht and Ajax.

Interestingly enough, Slot has actually recently commented on all these rumours, but it seems he is keeping his cards close to his chest for the time being.

Indeed, he told Dutch media (via Evening Standard): "We're here for next Sunday's game. I'm not here to talk about my future. That could mean that English journalists are leaving with their tails between their legs."

"You'll get the same response from me as your colleague: I'm here for Sunday's game, which we are taking very seriously. So you won't get a response from me on that matter.

"It's going to be a very boring press conference."

He added: "I’m under a huge magnifying glass in everything I say about this subject. So I choose to say as little as possible again … when it comes to new clubs there’s a huge scale in every word I use, so I try not to talk about it until I can say something about it."

And with Bailey noting that Tottenham are still considering other names, it feels as though this particular manager race still has a way to run yet before we'll know who will take charge in north London next term.

Celtic put in a disappointing performance last time out as they were beaten 3-0 in the Old Firm clash with their rivals at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership.

Ange Postecoglou's side have already been crowned champions of the division for the 2022/23 campaign and allowed their standards to slip in the defeat last weekend.

The Hoops now have a chance to react to that result by putting St Mirren to the sword at Parkhead this afternoon in their 36th league match of the season.

Postecoglou could make a number of changes to his starting XI, however, after a number of poor individual performances against Michael Beale's team.

Will Hyeon-gyu Oh start against St Mirren?

South Korea international Hyeon-gyu Oh must be ruthlessly ditched from the side this afternoon after his woeful showing at Ibrox last weekend.

The centre-forward, who joined from Suwon Bluewings for £2.5m in January, was provided with a huge opportunity to showcase his quality in the Premiership's showpiece event and failed to grasp it.

Oh started ahead of Kyogo Furuhashi, who has scored 24 league goals this term, in what was a bold call and did nothing to prove that he should be starting more matches moving forward.

The 22-year-old played 63 minutes of the 3-0 defeat and struggled badly in and out of possession – as per Sofascore, the dud only had seven touches of the ball and missed one 'big chance' to go along with his solitary completed pass.

This shows that the Korean forward did not do enough to get involved in the match and was left isolated on his own up front, whilst the lightweight also flopped in the one moment he had to make an impact by failing to score the aforementioned 'big chance'.

Oh's lack of presence in the no.9 position was on full display as the striker lost 100% (2/2) of his physical duels and this shows that the attacker did not put his body about to cause issues for the opposition's defenders and that led to his lack of involvement in possession.

The January dud did not show enough of a desire to force himself into the game and Postecoglou must ruthlessly ditch him from the XI in order to bring Celtic's top scorer back into the side.

Kyogo has scored 24 goals in 29 Premiership starts this season and has proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer for the Hoops, which is why he should start through the middle ahead of the underwhelming Oh, who flopped in the Old Firm clash, today.

Leeds United have been dealt yet another injury setback ahead of their Premier League meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Phil Hay, who revealed in a recent article for The Athletic that, after being withdrawn in the 37th minute of the 3-0 loss to Chelsea on Wednesday evening, Jack Harrison now looks as if will be ruled out of the weekend’s clash with the Seagulls.

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Concerning the 25-year-old’s injury, Hay wrote: “Others are simply injured, like Harrison, who went down in the 37th minute and is probably beyond Marsch’s reach for the meeting with Brighton.”

Marsch will be fuming

With Leeds now in need of something of a miracle if they are to secure Premier League survival following their recent run of three straight losses, the news that Harrison could now be ruled out of what is undoubtedly a season-defining fixture this Sunday is sure to have left Jesse Marsch fuming.

Indeed, with Daniel James being ruled out for the remainder of the season after receiving a straight red card against Chelsea on Wednesday, as well as both Tyler Roberts and Crysencio Summerville being unavailable for the last two fixtures of the current campaign due to injury, the further loss of Harrison in the Whites’ attacking arsenal will undoubtedly come as a huge blow.

And, while it is true that the £13.5m-rated winger has not been in the best form of his career this season, the 25-year-old has still scored seven goals, registered one assist and created three big chances over his 33 Premier League outings – with the £60k-per-week forward being Leeds’ second-top scorer in the top flight this term.

As such, with it now being absolutely essential that the Whites secure all three points against Brighton this weekend, it is clear to see that the loss of Harrison would come as a huge blow to Marsch’s chances of doing so – with a loss at Elland Road, coupled with a Burnley win over Tottenham Hotspur, being enough to condemn Leeds to the Championship.

AND in other news: Forget James: “Completely anonymous” dud should’ve just played his last game for Leeds

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has made a decision concerning the future of Kalvin Phillips.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Star, who claim that Radrizzani is not prepared to offer the defensive midfielder a new contract until the conclusion of the Premier League season, as Leeds’ status as a top-flight club appears increasingly uncertain following Everton’s 1-0 win over Chelsea last weekend.

The report goes on to state that, should the Whites ultimately suffer relegation back to the Championship, not only will they be unable to offer the England international the £100k-per-week wage he is looking for in a new deal at Elland Road, but the club will also have no choice but to cash in on the 26-year-old.

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Finally, the report claims that Liverpool, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have all enquired about the signing of the Leeds academy graduate, while the Daily Mail recently reported that Radrizzani and Victor Orta would be willing to accept an offer of around £60m for the Whites midfielder this summer.

Supporters will be devastated

Considering just how important a part of the Leeds side Phillips has become in recent years, the news that Radrizzani is holding off on his offer of a new deal until the end of the current campaign certainly does not appear to bode well for the long-term future of the 26-year-old at Elland Road.

Indeed, while injuries have hampered Phillips’ 2021/22 campaign, the £45m-rated deep-lying playmaker proved just how crucial he is to the Whites over his 29 Premier League appearances last term, making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.6 tackles, 1.7 clearances and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per game.

The £38k-per-week dynamo also impressed going forwards, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as completing an average of 1.2 key passes, 4.7 long balls and 41 passes per fixture.

These metrics saw the 26-year-old average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.21, not only ranking him as the club’s best performer in the top flight but also as the ninth-best midfielder in the league as a whole.

As such, while the vast majority of Leeds supporters will likely admit that, should the Whites indeed suffer relegation to the second tier this season, it will be a near-impossible task for the club to keep hold of a player of Phillips’ ability, the fact that Radrizzani already appears to be planning for life without the midfielder is sure to have left the Elland Road faithful devastated.

AND in other news: Orta can finally axe £55k-p/w “schoolboy” as Leeds plot bid for £15.3m-rated “beast”