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According to Eurosport journalist Dean Jones, Tottenham Hotspur could now make an offer to sign AC Milan star Franck Kessie and become the first club to ‘test the water’.

The Lowdown: Spurs and Kessie…

Links are starting to re-emerge with the Ivory Coast international after Tottenham were allegedly trying to bring him to north London in the January transfer window.

Tuttsport (via Sport Witness) claim both the Lilywhites and north London rivals Arsenal were hot on Kessie’s tail at the beginning of this year.

His agent, Massimo Brambati, has now also revealed to TMW Radio that Tottenham are still firmly eyeing the midfield machine.

The Latest: Spurs could now make offer…

As explained by Jones, Tottenham could now make an offer to sign Kessie this summer if they get the impression he is genuinely open to leaving.

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Indeed, Spurs may become the first club to ‘test the water’ with an approach as they attempt to bolster their options in midfield.

Milan are very eager to keep Kessie in the midst of his contract dispute and his previous terms over a new deal were said to be excessive.

Club directors at the Serie A giant are braced for bids this summer as a result, and Spurs could now make one despite midfield not being a top priority.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Kessie enjoyed a phenomenal 2020/2021 campaign at the San Siro and was one of the Rossoneri’s key players, starting 36 Serie A matches whilst scoring 13 goals and notching four assists (WhoScored).

This is despite being a natural defensive midfield player, with sports writer and broadcaster Nicky Bandini raving over the ‘extraordinary’ 24-year-old to ESPN.

Valued at £49.5 million by Transfermarkt, it will be difficult for Spurs to get a deal over the line and Milan will not sell one of their best assets easily.

However, as it stands, Kessie’s deal expires in 2022 and his club may be forced to sell this window if no agreement can be reached over an extension.

This could gift Tottenham a big opportunity to seriously strengthen their midfield with Kessie’s colossal presence.

In other news: Tottenham approach now made to sign £43.2 million-valued star once likened to Messi, find out more here.

Leicester City could receive a huge blow this summer after star midfielder Youri Tielemans was linked with a move to Manchester United.

What’s the story?

According to Belgian journalist Sven Claes, the Red Devils are keen to secure the 24-year-old’s signature over the upcoming transfer window, with one of Spain’s top teams also said to be interested in him. He also said that he expects Tielemans to leave the King Power Stadium this summer.

Tielemans won Leicester’s 2020/21 Supporters’ Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season after a stellar campaign, once which has seemingly attracted the attention of the continent’s best clubs.

Would be a huge blow

The Belgium international has been one of the Foxes’ standout performers since his arrival on loan from Monaco halfway through the 2018/19 campaign.

After making his stay at the King Power Stadium permanent at the end of the season in a £40 million deal, Tielemans has gone from strength to strength under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers.

He’s made 108 appearances for the Midlands outfit, scoring 17 goals and laying on 19 assists in the process, but his stunning effort to seal the club’s maiden FA Cup crown last season is undoubtedly the midfielder’s key contribution.

However, with just two years remaining on the £33,000-per-week contract Tielemans signed back in 2019, Leicester are keen for the midfield maestro to put pen to paper on a new deal.

Contract talks are thought to have begun as Rodgers attempts to keep hold of his prized possession, although the lure of United would be enough to tempt plenty of players into making a move.

It’s easy to see why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to sign the diminutive star after he recorded an average of 65.2 passes per game last term and 1.3 key passes, both the second-highest totals in Leicester’s squad.

Those figures also illustrate how big a blow his departure would be for Rodgers as he aims to guide the 2016 Premier League champions back into the Champions League.

If the Foxes are to stand any chance of securing a top-four finish next season, then keeping hold of Tielemans has to be a priority, and his exit would be a serious step back in the club’s progress.

And, in other news…Time’s up: Rodgers must ruthlessly axe £7.2m-rated Leicester flop, he’s not needed 

Graham Roberts insists that Mauricio Pochettino still loves Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs opened talks with the Argentine amid their chaotic hunt for a replacement for Jose Mourinho.

They did not manage to lure the Argentine away from PSG at the time and moved onto Antonio Conte, although those talks fell through too.

TalkSPORT now claims that Spurs’ leading candidate is Nuno Espirito Santo, who left Wolves at the end of the season, but they claim that there is still interest within the club in rehiring Pochettino.

Roberts believes that the ex-Southampton boss still holds a real affection for the club he left in 2019, with his family still residing in the area.

Reports amid their first links with Pochettino claimed that he still wanted to return to north London and finally conclude his unfinished business.

And Roberts thinks that he may well be willing to make a return this summer.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “His family still live in north London, he loves the club, I think the chairman knows he made a mistake by letting him go.

“We keep our fingers crossed. I think Paris are looking to see who they can bring in first before they sanction anything so we keep our fingers crossed but it’d be really, really good for the club.”

Some Everton fans have been buzzing as a transfer update emerged on Daryl Dike.

As per TEAMtalk, the Goodison Park club have joined Wolves at the front of the queue to sign the USA international, while Southampton, Brighton, Crystal Palace and Norwich are also making enquiries and West Brom and Fulham are considering making a move.

Dike impressed while on loan at Barnsley from Orlando City in the 2020/21 season, scoring nine goals in 21 games in the Championship (Transfermarkt) as he helped them towards securing a play-off spot.

Everton are in desperate need of a potent back-up striker to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, given that both Moise Kean and Cenk Tosun were shipped out on loan this season, and as such their futures remain unclear.

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Dike now has the experience of playing in English football and, at just 20 years of age, still has a lot of potential, which hopefully can be fulfilled under Carlo Ancelotti.

Everton fans on Dike transfer update

These Toffees supporters were buzzing as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one echoing previous comparisons to former Everton predator Romelu Lukaku:

“I pray he get him, he’s like a Lukaku regen”

Credit: @Djeczo

“As an American and Everton fan, I need this in my life”

Credit: @toffeesinchains

“Yes please – COYB!”

Credit: @CKDexterHaveNot

“Pleaseeeeeee”

Credit: @aqqqqqqil

“I’d be happy with this if true”

Credit: @jay_smith1

“Go ‘ed”

Credit: @EFCJakeee

“Let’s gooooo”

Credit: @paul1878___

In other news, another transfer update has also left many Blues buzzing!

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer believes Sam Allardyce could have got more out of this Everton squad than Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Both Allardyce and Ancelotti have had spells in the Goodison Park dugout, with the former being sacked by Everton back in 2018 and the latter recently leaving to return to Real Madrid.

During his short tenure at the club, Allardyce came under heavy criticism for his style of football, though he was still able to guide the Toffees to an eighth-placed finish.

It is two places higher than where Everton finished last season despite Ancelotti bringing in the likes of James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure, the last two for sizeable fees.

With similar resources, Palmer has suggested that Allardyce could have done a better job than the new Real Madrid manager.

“He finished eighth in the league with Everton only a few years ago and still got the sack because the fans weren’t happy with the brand of football,” the ex-Leeds United midfielder said.

“Ancelotti has finished there or thereabouts and look at the amount of money he spent. Now people might say the brand of football is better, but he spent a lot more money. Put Sam Allardyce with that same squad of players he’s got now, where would Sam finish?”

Given that he was able to steer Everton to eighth having found them in 13th after taking over, perhaps the former West Brom boss could have got the Merseyside club into Europe with a nice transfer budget like the one Ancelotti had.

A number of Aston Villa supporters have hit out at Ross Barkley on social media for his first half display against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

Dean Smith named the same side which beat Everton 2-1 last time out, with Jack Grealish unavailable for the 12th game in succession.

However, it was Barkley’s performance which had a number of Villa fans talking online, and not for the right reasons.

The 27-year-old was making his 17th Premier League start of the season and 26th appearance in all competitions during the current campaign. His display in the opening stages didn’t exactly impress some fans, though, with many venting their frustrations on Twitter.

The attacking midfielder was lining up in front of Douglas Luiz and John McGinn at Villa Park but failed to really get involved, leaving many Villa fans frustrated as he wasted a 14th-minute cross, a moment indicative of his display.

Villa fans react to Barkley’s performance

Here is what these Villa supporters had to say about the England international, with one describing his display as ‘poor’.

“Traore and Barkley really doing us no favours”

Credit: @_C45EY_

“Barkley is a waste of a man on the pitch”

Credit: @MJDodge84

“Dross Barkley strikes again”

Credit: @b0ngs12

“Traore and Barkley are so so poor”

Credit: @UTV_LC

“Can we send Barkley back now?”

Credit: @kandemanUK 

“If Barkley had just some footballing IQ”

Credit: @josh_priv3

In other news: Villa make contact for in-demand defender; report shares brilliant reason for weekend absence, find out more here. 

Daniel Farke’s Norwich City are interested in a summer move for Mehdi Zerkane.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by La Gazette du Fennec, who claimed that both the Canaries and Aston Villa are keeping a close eye on the Bordeaux winger ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report added that, while the 21-year-old would like to stay in Ligue 1 for a further year to continue his development, Les Girondins could be tempted into parting with the £1.8m-rated youngster if a significant offer is made due to their troublesome financial state.

Mahrez 2.0

With Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber having an extraordinary amount of success in recent seasons with signing lesser-known and under-appreciated talents, such as Emi Buendia’s £1.35m signing from Getafe and Teemu Pukki’s arrival from Brondby on a free transfer, Zerkane could well fit the bill for the sporting director once again this summer.

The winger, who is a product of the youth setup at AS Monaco, has yet to truly burst onto the scene at Bordeaux, having featured just 27 times for the Ligue 1 side, scoring one goal and registering one assist. However, it seems that a number of clubs believe the 21-year-old possesses a considerable amount of talent, with Marseille, Lyon, Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid all attempting to sign Zerkane upon his departure from Monaco.

Indeed, there are obvious comparisons which can be drawn between Zerkane and Riyad Mahrez, with both players being left-footed right-wingers who like to cut inside, both being Algeria internationals and both starting their footballing careers in France.

As such, with Bordeaux reportedly open to offers for the highly-rated youngster this summer, it would seem a highly advisable move for Webber to pursue a deal for the 21-year-old. If he goes on to fulfil the potential that a number of Europe’s biggest clubs clearly believe he possesses, Norwich could indeed have the next Mahrez on their hands ahead of next season.

In other news: Forget Skipp: Webber must seal Norwich deal for “fantastic” £6.3m-rated star – opinion

Speaking in a football.london Q&A, reliable correspondent Alasdair Gold has dropped a short and sweet update on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium naming rights situation – with new chief financial officer Todd Kline believed to be ‘on the case’. 

Kline was appointed in February as chairman Daniel Levy aims to clinch a lucrative deal for Spurs’ brand new state of the art ground as soon as possible.

Gold drops enticing Tottenham stadium update

The former NFL executive has orchestrated multi-million pound deals of that nature in the United States and has played a major role in securing blockbuster stadium naming contracts.

One example of his financial work off the field is once securing an 18-year naming rights deal for the Miami Dolphins, worth a reported £180 million.

Gold, dropping an update as Spurs fans hope for a financial bolster amid the coronavirus pandemic, has insisted that Kline remains ‘on the case’ and Tottenham’s need for a deal should hurry things along.

Transfer Tavern take

Even though there hasn’t been a major development as of yet, news of Kline’s work behind the scenes could come as an encouraging bit of information regarding the naming rights.

Amid the pandemic, the Lilywhites posted an ‘irrecoverable’ loss of around £63.9 million for the year ending June 30, 2020 (Evening Standard).

Supporters still aren’t fully allowed back in stadiums as the club continue to miss out on millions of pounds worth of matchday revenue.

Therefore, it is imperative that Tottenham manage to secure the best deal possible for their brand new stadium as Kline hustles to strike a potentially major financial boost.

In other news: Tottenham working to sign this colossus, find out more here.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has tipped Rodrigo to shine for the Whites next season, despite a tricky first year at Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Tough first season

The 30-year-old arrived at Leeds last summer as the most expensive signing in the club’s history, joining for a sizeable £27m from Valencia.

Big things were expected of Rodrigo, but he has experienced an underwhelming season, scoring just four goals in 25 appearances. One of those did come in last Saturday’s 3-1 win over Tottenham, though, suggesting that he may have rid himself of his injury problems and rediscovering his confidence.

The Latest: Rodrigo backed to come good

Whelan is confident that Rodrigo will turn things around at Elland Road, telling Football Insider that he could explode next season. He said:

“It was a brilliant finish from a brilliant player on Saturday. It was emphatic and you could not tell that he had been out for that long.

“If anyone deserved something to go right for him it was Rodrigo. I think he really needed that goal, more than anybody in that squad. He needed that for his confidence, his self-belief and his general happiness at the club.

“He has been in and out this season because of Covid, injuries etc. There is nobody that needed it more than him.

“I really hope he now kicks on until the end of the season. If he finishes strongly, I expect him to show everyone why we broke our transfer record to sign him.

“He needs to prove to the fans that £29million was well spent. Come next season I expect to see a lot more from him and that is what we need. If you are going to be the top earner at a club and the record signing, you have got to prove you’re worth it.”

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The Verdict: Plenty more still to come

Assuming Rodrigo stays put this summer, there is no reason why he can’t be a key player for Leeds next season. His pedigree speaks for itself, with eight goals in 25 caps for Spain, not to mention being prolific in La Liga, enjoying 100 goal involvements for Valencia.

Patrick Bamford needs competition in attack to ease the burden on him, and a fit Rodrigo could battle the 27-year-old in 2021/22, hopefully justifying the money spent on him (along with Whelan’s faith) and also meaning that Leeds won’t need to sign another striker.

In other news, one pundit has been talking up the prospect of Leeds signing a left-back this summer. Find out who it is here.

Rangers were one of several clubs reportedly interested in signing Ivan Toney last summer and, after his hugely impressive season, it was clear that Steven Gerrard missed out on a top-quality player.

However, sporting director Ross Wilson can amend this error by bringing Jonson Clarke-Harris to Ibrox ahead of next season.

According to Football Insider, Rangers scouts were in attendance at the Weston Homes Stadium at the weekend to watch the Peterborough United striker and were treated to an incredible performance from the 26-year-old, as he hit a hat=trick in a 7-0 thrashing of Accrington Stanley.

The former Bristol Rovers man, who incidentally joined the Posh as Toney’s replacement, has managed to outscore his predecessor, hitting 25 goals in 37 league appearances so far this season.

Toney managed 24 goals in 32 league appearances last term before the season was ended early due to the current viral outbreak, and completed a move to Championship side Brentford last summer despite reported interest from Rangers.

The 25-year-old has gone on to enjoy a superb campaign with the Bees and has been the driving force behind their promotion push, contributing 28 goals and nine assists in just 36 Championship appearances this season.

Therefore, it seems fair to suggest that Toney would have been a hit in Gerrard’s side this season and that Wilson made an error in not bringing him to Ibrox.

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Their reported interest in Clarke-Harris looks to be the ideal second chance for Wilson this summer and he should avoid making the same mistake again, as the Englishman could prove to be an excellent addition to Gerrard’s squad.

Earlier in the season, the striker was heavily praised by his manager Darren Ferguson, who said:

“Jonson’s goals have been valuable, but he’s more than just a goalscorer. He is a leader, a winner and a real focal point for this team.“He was our number one target when Ivan Toney left and we had to work hard on his fitness when he first got here, but he’s been an outstanding signing and a real pleasure to work with.”[freshpress-quiz id=“588789″] After the striker’s impressive showing in front of Rangers scouts at the weekend, Wilson will be aware of Clarke-Harris’ talent, and will hopefully realise that he can amend last summer’s transfer failure with Toney by ensuring that, if the 26-year-old leaves Peterborough this summer, it will be to make the switch to Ibrox.And, in other news… Bye-bye Edmundson: Rangers signing £1.08m-rated beast would surely be bad news for 23 y/o