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After some major transfer activity involving Richarlison and Clement Lenglet in the last 48 hours, it appears Tottenham Hotspur could also be closing in on agreement for Djed Spence.

The Lowdown: Spurs keeping busy…

Moves for the Everton striker and Barcelona’s central defender have been widely covered as Lilywhites chief Fabio Paratici keeps busy in an attempt to fully back manager Antonio Conte.

Spurs are set for Conte’s first full Premier League season in charge of the club over 2022/2023 and have so far put ENIC’s £150 million equity increase to good use.

It is reliably believed that the north Londoners will continue chasing targets and aren’t finished despite a hectic last few days with news now coming to light on their attempts to sign Spence.

The Latest: Levy nearing Spence breakthrough…

Indeed, as Spurs aim to sign the exciting Middlesbrough wing-back, it appears there has been a crucial development.

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According to Football Insider, Conte’s side are ‘increasingly confident of reaching a full agreement’ to sign the 21-year-old after upping their bid closer to Boro’s £20 million asking price.

Allegedly ‘nearing a breakthrough’ after ‘new discussions’ between club chairman Daniel Levy and Steve Gibson, the report adds Tottenham are ‘close to agreeing a fee’ for Spence.

The Verdict: Potentially huge…

Right back is seemingly a major priority for Conte and Spence comes as the ideal potential addition.

Homegrown and able to balance the books in terms of the club’s overseas quota, the starlet also shined on loan at Nottingham Forest over 2021/2022 and proved vital to Steve Cooper’s promotion push.

Described as the ‘perfect player’ for Conte due to his fit on the right of a back five, he comes as a more-than-ideal choice for the role.

Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien this summer, according to a fresh transfer claim.

The Lowdown: O’Brien superb for Huddersfield

The 23-year-old has arguably become the Terriers’ most influential player in recent years, standing out with his superb performances in midfield – indeed, he posted the squad’s highest WhoScored rating in 2021/22 when goalkeepers are excluded.

O’Brien started 46 Championship games last season and helped guide his team to the play-off final, where they were eventually beaten 1-0 by Forest at Wembley.

It now looks as though the Englishman could be heading to the club which shattered Huddersfield’s Premier League dreams six weeks ago.

The Latest: Forest eye up O’Brien move

According to The Athletic, Forest are in talks to sign O’Brien in the summer transfer window, as Steve Cooper looks to bolster his options ahead of his side’s return to the Premier League.

Discussions are believed to be ongoing, with Harry Toffolo and Morgan Gibbs-White also mentioned as possible suitors in the report.

The Verdict: Great potential addition

O’Brien may be unproven in the Premier League but he is someone who looks ready to make the step up to the next level, having mastered the Championship at this point and been hailed as ‘exceptional’ by his former Terriers boss Carlos Corberan.

Indeed, Cooper will be all too aware of the damage that the 23-year-old can yield. When the current Forest manager was in charge of Swansea in February 2021, they fell to a crushing 4-1 loss at Huddersfield in which O’Brien scored one goal and set up another (Transfermarkt).

The midfielder could be a perfect fit for Forest, possessing technical quality on the ball but also endless tenacity out of possession, having averaged 2.1 tackles per game in the league last season.

At 23, O’Brien should only mature further in the coming years, further highlighting why he could be an excellent signing who can enhance Forest’s midfield next season.

Tottenham Hotspur are more likely to sign another defender than a new attacker as they target more additions…

What’s the word?

That’s according to talkSPORT’s transfer expert Alex Crook, who dropped an interesting claim to GIVEMESPORT this week, where he revealed:

“I’ve been told that a centre-back is more of a priority [than a number ten].

“Obviously, they’ve signed [Clement] Lenglet but I think they will sign one more as well because they’re going to play a back three, ideally with [Djed] Spence and [Ivan] Perisic as the wing-backs.”

Defensive depth

Spurs are yet to complete a deal for the Middlesbrough right wing-back, with talks thought to be continuing over the ‘finer details’ of a deal, but after that one gets over the line, then the north Londoners may well target another central defender.

They have been linked to plenty of exciting names throughout the off-season, including Antonio Conte’s former Inter Milan gem Alessandro Bastoni and RB Leipzig star Josko Gvardiol. Both of those are likely to prove to be too expensive, with the former wanting to stay at the Serie A club, too.

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Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres has also been mooted with a switch to Hotspur Way, whilst Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde is the latest name to emerge.

Conte deploys a three-at-the-back system, so it certainly makes sense for him to want to sign more defenders. It remains to be seen whether Clement Lenglet is the first choice but he – or Ben Davies – could be featuring alongside Eric Dier and Cristian Romero. After that, there isn’t much quality in Joe Rodon and Davinson Sanchez.

Now with the new Premier League campaign less than a month away, Lilywhites supporters will be hoping that sporting director Fabio Paratici can deliver another addition to Conte’s squad as he will need to keep his team competitive when balancing both domestic and European competitions.

Given his tactics and immense desire to win, the Italian will surely be delighted to know that the club are prepared to back him with further defensive signings.

Having already brought in five new players, this latest claim from Cook will surely also leave the Spurs faithful absolutely buzzing as it will help keep Conte a very happy man, as well as helping them contend across all competitions.

AND in other news, Conte could solve major Spurs issue and save ENIC millions with 20 y/o “coach’s dream”…

Newcastle United had one standout figure in their squad last season on whom they relied to make things happen from an attacking point of view – Allan Saint-Maximin.

With five goals and five assists to his name, no other Toon player could match the number of goal contributions for the team that the French winger accrued.

In fact, the attacker also topped the list for number of shots taken (64), shots on target (26), shot-creating actions (114) and successful dribbles (140) at the Tyneside club. This highlights just how important the 25-year-old is for Eddie Howe’s side in an attacking sense.

With the summer transfer window still open, the next few weeks could give Howe the chance to bring in a player who could not only take some of the attacking workload away from Saint-Maximin, but also create a devilish partnership with him at the same time.

One player who has been mentioned with a move to St James’ Park and who could fit this bill is Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio.

Despite predominantly playing on the left wing throughout his career, the Spaniard has also been known to play as an attacking midfielder and on the right flank, the sort of versatility which could make it easy for Howe to get him into the same team as Saint-Maximin.

With 49 goals and 24 assists to his name in 235 appearances for Real Madrid, this shows just how similar he is to the current Toon attacker in terms of not only being able to score goals but set them up for his team-mates as well.

To further highlight his attacking talent, in his 137 La Liga outings since the start of the 2017/18 season, the 26-year-old has racked up 309 shot-creating actions, 215 shots at goal, 126 successful dribbles and 270 crosses.

Hailed as a “magical” player by Casemiro, Asensio would surely be an excellent addition to Newcastle’s squad and give lots of opposition defenders nightmares, especially playing alongside Saint-Maximin.

If an opportunity to sign the £117k-per-week winger arises before the transfer window ends, the Magpies should not be reluctant in trying to secure a deal for him.

AND in other news: PIF plotting NUFC bid for £211k-p/w target, he’d be “one of the best” summer signings

West Ham United are closing in on the signing of Armando Broja from Chelsea and the player has agreed personal terms with the Hammers, as per Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Broja interest

The 20-year-old has been at the centre of heavy speculation this summer regarding his future at Stamford Bridge. The Hammers, Everton, Newcastle and Southampton have all been named as Premier League clubs interested in signing the striker.

Recently, the Albania international flew back from Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the USA due to a minor injury, which he is set to receive treatment for at Cobham. Luckily, this isn’t believed to affect a possible move in the upcoming days, with talks still ongoing and a major breakthrough now shared.

The Latest: Romano’s news

Romano has revealed the latest news regarding Broja’s next move, with a major move now getting closer.

Taking to Twitter, the journalist revealed:

“West Ham are now close to signing Armando Broja. Talks progressing with Chelsea, West Ham insist for permanent deal after official offer submitted but it’s up to Chelsea.

“Broja has agreed personal terms with West Ham – all parties are getting closer.”

The Verdict: Great signing

After scoring nine goals in 38 games whilst on loan at Southampton last season, the Chelsea youngster received heavy plaudits for his electric start to life in the Premier League.

Sky Sports pundit and former Saints man Jamie Redknapp was full of praise for the 20-year-old saying: “He’s got this incredible pace and strength and he can finish really well. He’s a fantastic young player.”

With David Moyes’ imperative need to sign a fresh striker this summer given Michail Antonio’s lack of support, Broja could be the perfect addition to the Irons’ starting squad, providing both immediate depth and a long-term successor to the Jamaica international.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has shared an exciting update regarding the club’s plans for the remainder of the summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Athletic’s Southampton reporter Jacob Tanswell gave an update on the matter, in which he included comments made by the Saints boss after seeing his side defeat AS Monaco 3-1 in their latest pre-season game on Wednesday night.

Tanswell outlined: “Ralph Hasenhuttl knew exactly how many days left of the transfer window (36) when asked about signings… “Quite long, huh? We don’t have to hurry but we’re sure we will bring players in.”

“He and #SaintsFC making it clear they need and will continue to strengthen the squad.”

Great news for Southampton supporters

So far in the summer transfer window, the south coast club have brought in the likes of Gavin Bazunu, Romeo Lavia, Sekou Mara, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Joe Aribo and Mateusz Lis on permanent deals.

Now that the Saints manager has said (via Tanswell) that the club are not finished with their transfer business this summer, this will surely have lots of Southampton fans jumping for joy.

In terms of what areas of the squad the club could look to strengthen that they already haven’t, the wide positions could be something for the Saints to focus upon.

Bearing in mind how the likes of Moussa Djenepo, Theo Walcott and Nathan Tella failed to score even one goal between them in the Premier League last season, perhaps a new winger who could add an extra attacking threat could be just what the Saints need in order to top off what has been a rather impressive transfer window for them.

Also, with only Norwich City (0.17) posting a lower rate for goals per shot on target in the top flight last season than Southampton (0.23), maybe a new striker alongside Mara could be beneficial for the club and help them to climb the league table.

If the St Mary’s outfit can strengthen their squad even more and get their new players to hit the ground running when the 2022/23 league campaign starts, this could give Southampton the foundations to have a strong season and give their supporters something to cheer.

AND in other news: Ralph can seal dream Delap alternative in Southampton swoop for “unbelievable” £20m target

Sunderland are still in the market to add to their Championship squad before the end of the summer transfer window.

Black Cats boss Alex Neil recently confirmed that he would like to bring in at least four new players to bolster his team in the coming weeks.

One route the club could go down is to look at Premier League reserves who need to drop down a league to kickstart their career.

They did this when they signed Jack Clarke from Tottenham this year and he made an instant impact on his Championship debut for the club last weekend.

The gem scored in a 1-1 draw with Coventry and managed one goal and three assists in 11 starts for the club on loan in League One last term.

He was not getting game time at Spurs and the flying winger now has the chance to settle down at the Stadium of Light, which is a move they can now replicate by snapping up Marlos Moreno.

AS Colombia reported last month that the Black Cats are one of three teams keen on a deal to sign the Manchester City attacker. 

Norwich and Bristol City were also named as potential suitors for the winger, who can play out on either flank or through the middle.

Manchester City chief Txiki Begiristain praised the gem upon his arrival at the Etihad for £4.5m, telling the club’s official website:

“Marlos is an excellent prospect who has already broken into his national team.

“He’s a versatile player, still learning, but we believe he has a fantastic future in the game and with City. He makes and scores goals and is an intelligent footballer, we’re delighted to have signed him.”

The attacker was tipped for big things at the time as South American football journalist Tim Vickery said: “There are no guarantees but not since the likes of Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez and Neymar have I been so enthusiastic about a young player.”

However, he has not played a single match for the club since arriving in England as he has gone out on several loans away from Pep Guardiola’s squad.

In that time, he has shown signs of promise that suggest he could be the next Clarke to come in from a top-flight team and have a big impact on the team from out wide.

Moreno produced five goals and four assists in 23 league matches on loan at Lommel SK and managed eight goals and nine assists in 41 games for Atletico Nacional earlier in his career.

This shows that there is a player there who is capable of being a match-winner when he is at his best but he may need a settled home, like Clarke did, to showcase his talent on a consistent basis, with him still having plenty of time on his side at the age of 25.

Therefore, the Black Cats should now take a punt on signing the magician on a permanent basis in the hope that he will be another Premier League prospect to have a positive impact on their team.

Newcastle United are reportedly one of a number of clubs who are interested in signing Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, with the Englishman facing an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge.

What’s the word?

As per 90min, the Magpies – as well as a raft of other Premier League clubs and Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund – are said to be ‘showing an interest’ in the forward this summer, with the 21-year-old seeking a loan exit from west London.

The report suggest that the three-cap gem is ‘wary’ that he may be restricted to a bit-part role under manager Thomas Tuchel this season, having not even made the bench in the recent win over Everton at Goodison Park.

The report also outlines how the Blues academy graduate could potentially be part of a deal involving Crystal Palace, which would see Eagles talisman Wilfried Zaha head in the other direction.

Game-changer

The end of the transfer window may be in sight, yet there is work still to be done for the northeast side, with manager Eddie Howe having been unable to add a new attacking recruit to his side so far this summer.

Securing the capture of Hudson-Odoi would, however, be a notable coup for the Tynesiders were they to win the fierce battle for his signature, with the £22.5m-rated man having proven just what a talent he is in recent seasons.

Dubbed a “game-changer” by Gabe Henderson, the £120k-per-week sensation has chipped in with 16 goals and 22 assists in 126 games in all competitions for his current side thus far, despite having been hampered by injury in that time.

The “electric” wideman – as described by Tom Barclay – registered nine goal contributions in 28 outings across all fronts last term, with only Callum Wilson (8) and Allan Saint-Maximin (10) having registered more goals and assists among the Newcastle squad during the 2021/22 campaign.

The London-born starlet could be the ideal figure to line up in attack alongside that devastating duo, with his sheer pace and quality in possession making him a real frightening prospect for any defence.

The 5 foot 10 speedster also notably ranks in the top 6% for progressive carries among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, showcasing his ability to drag his side up the pitch in a manner similar to that of Saint-Maximin – who ranks in the top 13% in the same metric.

Having two lethal threats on either flank in the Frenchman and Hudson-Odoi could well prove to be something of a game-changer for Howe and co, with no opposition likely to enjoy coming up against such dynamic and unpredictable talents.

Leeds United got their new Premier League campaign off to a good start by securing a 2-1 comeback victory against Wolves at Elland Road.

The Whites got off to a bad start, conceding a goal from Daniel Podence in the sixth minute of the game, but they managed to find an equaliser before half-time as Rodrigo fired past Jose Sa to restore parity.

In the second half, after Jesse Marsch made a couple of substitutions, an own goal from Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri put Leeds ahead and ultimately handed them their first three points of the campaign.

Despite seeing Rodrigo get the Whites back on track in terms of the scoreline, another Leeds attacker who could be seen as Marsch’s true hero of the day is Jack Harrison.

In addition to setting up the Spaniard’s equalising goal, the winger had 52 touches of the ball, playing seven key passes in total and creating two big chances for his team.

The Englishman also made three successful crosses, played four successful long balls and completed two dribbles, highlighting just how much of a danger he was for Wolves’ defenders to handle.

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Even from a defensive point of view, Harrison managed to win eight duels and make two tackles, one clearance and one interception. This shows how hard he was willing to work for his team without the ball.

This display ultimately earned the winger an impressive overall match rating of 7.7/10, making him the highest-rated Leeds player on the day according to SofaScore.

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that Harrison certainly played a big part in seeing his team secure all three points this afternoon and ultimately getting their season off to a winning start.

Even though he picked up a yellow card and lost possession of the ball 20 times, his attacking presence and work rate off the ball will definitely have impressed his manager.

Indeed, speaking about the Englishman in March, the Leeds boss said that Harrison “can run all day, he is explosive, he’s effective in 1-v-1s, he’s dangerous, he’s smart”. This mirrors the qualities that the winger had on show in today’s performance.

If the 25-year-old can keep delivering this sort of performance throughout the rest of the campaign, he could just make the Elland Road faithful forget all about a certain Raphinha…

Crystal Palace are one of several Premier League sides said to be interested in signing Marseille striker Bamba Dieng this summer and the young forward could prove to be Patrick Vieira’s own version of Sadio Mane at Selhurst Park.

According to the Daily Mail, Palace and a number of other Premier League sides are all interested in signing the Senegal international before the transfer window shuts.

Previous reports have suggested that he would be available for as little as €15m (£12.7m) this summer, so he could present a relatively cheap option for the Eagles as they look to bolster their attacking options.

Vieira does already have Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta available as natural strikers in his squad but following the recent exit of Christian Benteke, the Palace manager may well be keen to add another frontman to his ranks.

Dieng enjoyed a breakthrough season in the 2021/22 campaign, making 36 appearances in all competitions for Marseille, in which he contributed eight goals and three assists.

The 22-year-old primarily featured as a striker last season but is also capable of playing on the left-hand side, where he competes in his national side with Bayern Munich star Sadio Mane.

According to FbRef, Mane is the third-most similar player to Dieng in terms of style of play and it’s not just their nationality and position that supports that claim.

They both excelled tremendously in their attacking play last season, scoring above the 90th percentile in shots per game and progressive passes received, which emphasises that they are extremely adept at getting themselves into goalscoring situations.

WhoScored also suggests that both Mane and Dieng excel at finishing and playing key passes, while they also like to cut inside from the left onto their stronger right foot.

Furthermore, Mane is also a big fan of his international teammate, suggesting that he has the potential to become “one of the best strikers in the world” after a 4-1 win over Namibia last year.

Considering how effective Mane was in the Premier League during his time at Southampton and Liverpool, where he comfortably established himself as a “world-class” player on his way to scoring 111 times, Palace would be foolish not to consider bringing a potential heir to the Bayern Munich star to Selhurst Park.