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Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to be linked to Florian Wirtz ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Sport Bild, Spurs have entered the race to sign the 18-year-old Bayer Leverkusen sensation, who has also been intensely scouted by Premier League rivals Newcastle United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.

It’s thought that the 5 foot 9 attacking midfielder would command a fee in excess of €100m (£90m) as he’s under contract at the BayArena until 2026.

Transfermarkt currently value the four-cap German international at £58.5m, whilst some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, are also keen.

No.10 solution

Wirtz has emerged as a real star of the future over in Germany and he has certainly helped fill the void left behind at Leverkusen by Kai Havertz, who left for Chelsea over a year ago.

Whilst Bayer head coach Gerardo Seoane has found a solution from within, Nuno Santo is still looking for a man to step up and take aboard the creative burden of his inconsistent Spurs side.

Indeed, the north Londoners have not sufficiently replaced Christian Eriksen, who left the club in January 2020. Neither Tanguy Ndombele (18 goal contributions in 83 games) nor Giovani Lo Celso (13 contributions in 76 games) have regularly stepped up to the plate since their arrivals in summer 2019.

Similarly, Dele Alli’s fall from grace makes it hard to imagine that he is the man either, especially as the Lilywhites’ hierarchy now seem open to selling him in January, per The Athletic.

Spurs rank amongst the lowest in the Premier League for average number of shots per game (10.4, second-worst) and expected goals (9.48, third-worst), so that only goes to show how much they have struggled in the final third. Harry Kane is bereft of proper service – if the Danish playmaker were here, he’d be looking a whole lot better, that’s for sure.

Eriksen delivered a goal or assist every 151.6 minutes during his time in N17.

Wirtz could hold the keys to this problem.

The teenage wonderkid has already provided six goals and six assists in only 11 appearances across the Bundesliga and Europa League this term, which means that he’s well on course to usurp last season’s already impressive exploits of eight goals and eight assists, as per Transfermarkt.

His end product isn’t the only key attribute – for example, in just 30 minutes for Germany against Armenia, he created four key chances, whilst ESPN have noted that his passing is near-perfect in every match.

“Florian is one of the most impressive talents in Germany,” said Stefan Kuntz, the Germany U21 coach who handed Wirtz his debut.

Also dubbed a “special player” by teammate Julian Baumgartlinger and an “elite talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, Wirtz could be exactly what Spurs need to resolve their problems in attack, so Fabio Paratici and co must look to complete a move for him at all costs.

He’s a player who, on the above evidence, would really excite the Lilywhites faithful.

AND in other news, Spurs could seal huge Winks upgrade in “dangerous” 27-cap gem, won’t cost ENIC a penny…

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to make it three wins on the bounce when they host Newcastle United in the Premier League as the race for the top four hots up.

The Lilywhites could not only go three points clear of Manchester United, who are sat in sixth, after their slip-up against Leicester City on Saturday night but they would also put the pressure on their fourth-placed arch-rivals, Arsenal, before their clash with Crystal Palace on Monday night.

However, the Magpies will be no easy task as Eddie Howe has transformed their fortunes at St James’ Park since taking the helm – three wins in their last five outings have seen them move clear of the relegation zone.

Antonio Conte is facing a few injury problems heading into kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, so it will be interesting to see what sort of side he can name this afternoon.

Here’s the XI we’re predicting…

There could be just one change from the side that defeated West Ham 3-1 before the international break.

Sergio Reguilon is doubtful for this encounter, and with Ryan Sessegnon currently absent through injury, it leaves the Italian head coach light on options at left wing-back.

Without the pair, it hands him only two options.

He can either revert to a back four with Ben Davies returning to his natural left-back role, or he could switch Matt Doherty to the other flank and reintroduce Emerson Royal on the right.

It’s the latter that seems more plausible, so the £26m Brazilian defender returns to the team, playing alongside the Irishman, Davies, Eric Dier and Cristian Romero, in front of skipper Hugo Lloris.

Emerson, 23, has not been in the best of form since arriving from Barcelona in the summer, with his performances being described as “terrible” and “horrendous” on occasions.

The midfield remains unaltered, with Oliver Skipp also still missing, so Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur continue in tandem.

Further forward, the electric trio of Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevksi and England talisman Harry Kane will look to continue their fine form together, even despite the big dilemma surrounding Steven Bergwijn.

It’s hard to ignore the Dutchman’s form for his national side this week, scoring three times, twice in the win over Hojbjerg’s Denmark and once in the draw with Germany.

But given the form of the aforementioned unit, Bergwijn may still have to wait for a chance to impress domestically.

AND in other news, Conte handed big injury boost ahead of Newcastle clash…

Nottingham Forest manager Chris Hughton has been relieved of his duties at the City Ground following the Reds’ lastest defeat.

What’s the talk?

In a short statement posted on the Nottingham Forest website, the club confirmed that they have parted company with the 62-year-old manager, with Steven Reid taking over as interim head coach.

The statement continued to reveal that the club’s search for Hughton’s successor has already begun, as well as claiming that they will provide fans with an update on any developments regarding their appointment of a new manager.

Fans will be buzzing

Having taken over from Sabri Lamouchi at the start of last season, after the Frenchman had suffered a similarly bad run of early-season form, it would be a difficult argument to make that Hughton has been a success in his role at Forest.

Indeed, while he did guide the team to safety, something that was sure to be the very minimum expectation the Forest board would have been demanding upon his appointment, the Irishman hardly blew fans away with the results achieved in the Championship last term – winning 12, drawing 16 and losing 14 of his 42 league fixtures.

And, rather than the team improving after his first summer transfer window, things have actually gotten worse for the former Brighton & Hove Albion manager this season, with Forest having picked up a single point over their opening seven games of the 2021/22 Championship campaign, with the Reds being the only second-tier side yet to have won a league fixture.

As such, the news that Hughton has left his role at the City Ground is sure to have left fans of the club buzzing, as it is abundantly clear that the Garibaldi are very much in need of a new direction.

In other news: Dane Murphy must sanction Forest swoop for “outstanding” 53 y/o, he’d be a major coup

Chelsea are waiting to discover the extent of an injury to striker Romelu Lukaku ahead of their clash with Aston Villa this weekend, the Evening Standard reports.

The lowdown

£97.5million signing Lukaku has started Chelsea’s last two matches following his move from Inter Milan.

The Belgian was labelled ‘unplayable’ and ‘incredible’ by Arsenal great Sol Campbell after scoring in a man-of-the-match performance against the Gunners on his second Chelsea debut.

Villa, for their part, will head to Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening without Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia, who have been playing international football in ‘red list’ countries and so can’t yet return to the United Kingdom (via Birmingham Mail).

However, they may be boosted by the return of Bertrand Traore and summer signing Leon Bailey, with Dean Smith suggesting last month they would be back in contention after the break (via Premier Injuries).

The latest

Lukaku is suspended for Belgium’s World Cup qualifier against Belarus on Wednesday, clearing him to make him an early return to Chelsea.

However, he will first undergo a scan on what he calls a ‘minor’ thigh issue with which he’s been ‘struggling’ for ‘a while’.

This could rule him out of this weekend’s visit from the Villans, in what is surely a boost for Smith and co given the striker’s potency in recent years, scoring 24 and assisting 11 in Serie A last term.

The verdict

Villa fans might have had little hope of getting anything away against the European champions, particularly with no prospect of any Martinez heroics or creative flair from Buendia.

But there’s no denying that it would be a big blow to Chelsea if Lukaku was sidelined. He’s their deadly finisher and he can single-handedly dominate defences due to his physicality.

If Smith doesn’t have the Belgium star to worry about it may be easier to plot a way to stifle the hosts and launch counter attacks through the likes of Danny Ings, Traore and Bailey.

In other news, Kevin Phillips issues his verdict on a prospective Villa signing.

Phil Hay has admitted that Leeds United star Raphinha could attract bids from clubs, but said that an exit in the January transfer window would be a surprise.

The Lowdown: Raphinha shines yet again

Marcelo Bielsa’s side picked up a massive 2-1 win away to Norwich City on Sunday afternoon, climbing to 17th place in the Premier League. It was Raphinha who again stood out for Leeds, scoring the opening goal and receiving a seven-out-of-10 rating from Leeds Live’s Beren Cross. SofaScore went one better, giving him an 8.0 rating, by far the highest of anyone to feature at Carrow Road.

The 24-year-old has been a wonderful signing but his form has inevitably seen him linked with a move away from Elland Road in the near future, with Liverpool among those interested.

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The Latest: Hay answers Raphinha query

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after Sunday’s match, Hay gave a telling update regarding Raphinha’s future, admitting there is sure to be interest in the Brazil international.

When asked by a Leeds supporter how long the club would likely be able to keep hold of the 24-year-old, the journalist replied: “Very hard to say. He’s bound to attract bids. All a case of what they are and when they arrive. Needless to say, no way in the world that Leeds would want to lose him in January.”

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The Verdict: Raphinha exit seems probable

Raphinha is a wonderful footballer and has excelled for Leeds, scoring 10 goals and registering nine assists in 40 appearances for the Whites. His reputation is growing rapidly, however, especially after a flying start to his Brazil career, and it would be no surprise if he seeks a fresh challenge soon.

As Hay has said, a January exit would come as a shock, not to mention a big blow midway through a season which is already proving difficult for Leeds, but it is easy to see him moving on next summer, potentially wanting the challenge of playing in the Champions League. The Elland Road faithful should enjoy Raphinha while they can.

In other news, one pundit has commented on Leeds’ potential January transfer business. Read more here.

Harry Kane made his long-awaited return to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon and now he appears likely to remain in north London, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Daily Mail have revealed a major update on the situation this week.

It’s claimed that the general feeling among those at Hotspur Way is that any move for the 28-year-old England international is ‘virtually impossible’ with just one week to go until deadline day.

Spurs are said to believe they are winning the battle to keep their leading talisman in N17 heading into September. Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy has always remained adamant that Kane is not up for sale and as the transfer window draws to a close, his stance has not wavered.

Manchester City are expected to launch another bid for the striker but it remains to be seen whether it meets the £150m valuation and even then, if the Spurs supremo will cash in at such a late stage.

Big boost

This claim should leave many in north London absolutely buzzing, perhaps none more so than manager Nuno Santo.

The Portuguese coach took over from Jose Mourinho earlier in the summer and was left with a lot on his plate. The last thing he would have wanted is to deal with this ongoing saga, particularly as he tries to get his ideas and system across to the squad.

Kane has been integral to Spurs’ fortunes for several seasons – for example, the Englishman contributed towards 54.4% of all their league goals scored in 2020/21, whilst he’s found the net once every 118 minutes throughout his Spurs career, having bagged at least 19 goals every season since 2014/15, via Transfermarkt.

Nuno’s start to life in the dugout has been perfect so far. It’s two wins from two and they are yet to concede a goal, which is a vast improvement on last season as defensive problems were their one major Achilles heel.

However, they have struggled to find the net, scoring just one goal in each game, which is a decrease on their 1.79 goals-per-game ratio for last season. It’s no coincidence with Kane out of the starting XI.

Heung-min Son has been filling in up top in his absence and whilst he scored against Man City on the opening weekend, he did not look himself against Wolves at the weekend.

As per SofaScore, he registered only 28 touches (fewest of any Spurs starter) and registered just the one shot on target. In just 18 minutes as his substitute, Kane managed to record half his touches and match his attempts on goal.

Having the £108m-rated talisman available to Nuno evidently makes the north Londoners a much bigger threat, which in turn makes the Portuguese’s chances of bringing success to the club all that greater.

As a result, if the general feeling across the Spurs camp is that Kane is staying, then it gives the head coach one massive boost heading into the rest of the season.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Ndombele: Paratici could find Spurs’ next Dembele in £26m “outstanding talent”…

Leeds United youngster Sam Greenwood has confirmed that he is the latest player to pick up an injury, with The Athletic’s Phil Hay reacting to the news in frustrated fashion.

The Lowdown: Leeds suffer constant injuries

The Whites have had a disappointing season so far, and while performances have often been poor, injuries have played a huge part in their struggles.

Marcelo Bielsa has had to deal with an endless stream of fitness issues to key men, whether it be Luke Ayling, Kalvin Phillips or Patrick Bamford, among others.

On Monday, Greenwood confirmed on Instagram that he picked up an injury during the FA Cup defeat away to West Ham at the weekend, in a further blow for Leeds.

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The Latest: Hay reacts to Greenwood update

Taking to Twitter shortly after, journalist Hay reacted to the news with a frustrated four-word verdict that sums up the thoughts of most Leeds fans:

“This is beyond ridiculous.”

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The Verdict: Bad luck continues

Any team expects to suffer a few injuries during the course of a season but what Leeds have experienced since August is simply bad luck.

The number of absentees has made it extremely difficult for the Whites to find any sort of rhythm for weeks on end and aforementioned key figures such as Phillips and Bamford have been big losses – the former has missed eight games while the latter has been absent for 18.

Greenwood’s setback only further highlights the need for new faces to arrive in the January transfer window or risk a depleted squad getting sucked into a Premier League relegation battle.

In other news, Leeds’ long-term interest in one Premier League midfielder has been confirmed. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch will be working with Victor Orta in the hope of enjoying a successful first transfer window at Elland Road this summer.

The former RB Leipzig boss has not yet had the opportunity to bring in his own players since arriving to replace Marcelo Bielsa in February and will now be plotting possible moves ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Leeds Live recently published an article stating that bringing in a central midfielder will be the club’s main priority as they look to bolster their options in that area of the pitch, with Manchester United’s James Garner and Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara named as potential options.

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Long-lasting issue

The Whites have not signed a player on a permanent basis in that position in more than four years, with Adam Forshaw being the last one to come through the door, way back in January 2018.

This shows that the club have neglected that part of the squad in recent years. Mateusz Klich and Forshaw have averaged underwhelming SofaScore ratings of 6.69 and 6.73 respectively this term and have been unable to consistently deliver in the top-flight in the middle of the park.

Therefore, it is now time for Orta to solve that long-lasting issue by snapping up Garner from the Red Devils on a permanent deal.

The 21-year-old has been picking up acclaim throughout the season for his impressive form on loan at Nottingham Forest. He has been dubbed “different class” by teammate Jack Colback, while former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson showered him with praise, saying: “Garner has been exceptional at Forest. He is an example of why players get sent out on loan.

“He can play at the top level and I think he has proven that at Forest. I don’t think he’s one that will go straight into the Man United side but I think there is a first-team role there for him and he will feature next season.”

In the Championship, Garner has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.23 across 34 appearances. He has chipped in with four goals and five assists from midfield, whilst making 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game as he has caught the eye in a box-to-box role.

This suggests that the 21-year-old has the potential to make the step up to the Premier League as he has been outstanding in the second tier, and he has the scope to develop even further at his young age.

He has time left ahead of him to improve and grow as a player to produce consistent performances in the top flight, in the same way that he has been able to do in the Championship, which is why Leeds simply must sign him this summer.

Orta must snap him up to make him a key part of Marsch’s Leeds midfield next season and for many years to come, in the process solving their long-standing issue in that position.

AND in other news, Huge boost: Adam Pope drops 6-word Leeds injury update, Jesse Marsch will be delighted…

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been handed a major boost in their bid to bring Donny van de Beek to Molineux.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Metro, via The Sun, who claim that the 24-year-old will leave Manchester United in the January transfer window if he is not awarded more first-team minutes by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the coming weeks.

The report goes on to state that Wolves are closely monitoring the situation of the Netherlands international ahead of a potential swoop, while Newcastle United are also credited with an interest in the central midfielder.

Furthermore, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano backed up The Sun’s claim regarding Van de Beek in a recent post on Twitter, with the journalist stating: “Donny van de Beek situation is so clear. He loves the club and he’s still super professional in training, doing his best for Man Utd – but if the situation remains the same, he will leave Manchester United in January.”

Shi must act

While it is true that van de Beek has somewhat stagnated since his move to Manchester United back in the summer of 2020, the fact remains that, should Jeff Shi be able to get a deal over the line for the midfielder this January, Wolves will be in possession of a player who, just a little over a year ago, was one of the most promising talents in European football.

Indeed, over his 23 Eredivisie appearances during his swansong campaign with Ajax, the £34m-rated man bagged eight goals, provided five assists and created six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 1.8 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the player who former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves dubbed “perfect” earn an average SofaScore rating of 7.32, ranking him as the joint 12th-best performer in the Dutch top-flight back in 2019/20.

The £120k-per-week 23-year-old also highly impressed over his five fixtures in the Champions League that season, scoring two goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates – returns which saw him average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating 7.32 in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

As such, when considering the sheer amount of talent Van de Beek quite clearly possesses, in addition to the fact that Bruno Lage’s side are extremely short of creative options in the middle of the park, should a deal for the Manchester United man indeed be on the table this winter, Shi simply must do all he can to land the Dutch dynamo.

In other news: Fosun must avoid Wolves disaster on “brutal” £71k-p/w sensation, Lage would be furious

A big update has emerged on Rangers and Gio van Bronckhorst’s transfer plans at Ibrox for the remainder of the January window…

What’s the talk?

A transfer has claimed that the Gers are working hard to source a new signing in attack before the end of the month.

Pete O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “They’re actively looking for options on the right flank, and it just seems they’ve been linked with a lot of players right now. So, it’ll all depend on who Van Bronckhorst sees as the best fit for his side going forward.”

Excitement

This news will surely leave Rangers fans feeling excited for several reasons.

Firstly, it shows that the club are still putting the work in behind the scenes and actively looking to add to their squad despite already making two signings in the form of James Sands and John Souttar.

Ross Wilson is seemingly keen to give van Bronckhorst as many tools as possible to ensure that they are able to secure a second Premiership title in a row. The Gers are also still in the Europa League and could be eyeing further progression in that competition as they prepare to face Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund next month in the first knockout round.

Therefore, supporters will be buzzing to read that they are not resting on their laurels and willing to go with what they have for the rest of the campaign. Continual improvement appears to be the way they want to go about it and it will be interesting to see if they have any more targets beyond a right winger for the current window.

The position in which Rangers want to make a signing will also get fans excited as it means that they can look forward to an attacking player coming in.

Bringing in a right-winger suggests that they want someone who can come in to score and create goals from out wide, which would surely get fans off their seats in excitement as they watch a new wing wizard causing havoc down the flanks.

Of course, there is no guarantee that they will be able to sign an effective forward who is able to deliver in the final third but, for now, fans can be buzzing with the prospect of a new attacker coming in to bolster the squad before the deadline next week.

AND in other news, Rangers could finally axe “really poor” lightweight by landing £2.8m-rated playmaker…