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According to Calciomercato, Tottenham have entered the race to sign Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger next summer.

The Lowdown: Rudiger out of contract

Under Thomas Tuchel, the 28-year-old has developed into one of the Premier League’s best defenders – he has featured in eight of the Blues’ nine Premier League outings this term (Transfermarkt) as they have conceded just three times in the league (Sky Sports), while Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann labelled his progress as “fantastic” (The Sun)

However, his contract is set to run out at the end of the season, and as it stands, Chelsea and the Germany international are at an impasse with regards to a new deal (ESPN).

The Latest: Spurs want Rudiger

As per this latest report from Calciomercato, Spurs are one of the many clubs interested in signing the former AS Roma centre-back.

They are joined by Juventus, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in their admiration for the Champions League-winning defender.

The Verdict: Beyond them

While it is ambitious from Spurs to enter the race for Rudiger, it would be a surprise to see him move to north London. For a start, that would represent a significant step down – after all, Chelsea are European champions and currently top the Premier League, while Spurs are sixth and competing in the Europa Conference League, the third-tier continental tournament, this season.

Not only that, the other four clubs in pursuit are more attractive propositions, and not just because of their Champions League presence. The £31.5m-valued defender (Transfermarkt) is said to be looking for £200,000 per week (ESPN) if he is to sign a new deal at Stamford Bridge, which would immediately make him the joint-highest earner at Tottenham – even Harry Kane does not take home more (Spotrac).

Quite frankly, it seems a pipe dream that Rudiger would end up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In other news, this man wants to leave Tottenham

Aston Villa will look to sign a new left-sided centre-back this summer to replace club captain Tyrone Mings, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Summer rebuild

Villa have struggled in recent weeks, losing their last four Premier League games. They have dropped down to 15th in the table as a result, and it looks as if Steven Gerrard is planning a major rebuild ahead of his first season in charge.

Recent reports have claimed that NSWE are expected to spend over £150m this summer, with the futures of eight players thought to be in doubt.

One of those is Mings, who has been a regular at Villa Park this season, and a further update regarding the England international has now emerged.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story on Monday morning after being informed by a Villa source. They led with a title suggesting that Villa want a new defensive star to replace Mings, with Gerrard not convinced about the 29-year-old.

Mings has just over two years remaining on his current contract and is actually represented by the same agency as Gerrard.

The Verdict: Busy summer

Should Mings and Ezri Konsa move on as reports have suggested, Villa would be in desperate need of marquee defensive signings with just Calum Chambers and Kortney Hause remaining.

It looks as if Villa will have the funds to make some big-money signings, and you’d expect that could grow beyond £150m with funds brought in by possible departures.

The likes of Joe Gomez, Stefan de Vrij and Matthias Ginter are just three centre-backs who have been linked with a move to the Midlands in recent months, and at this rate, all three could be needed.

In other news: Gregg Evans: AVFC chiefs very excited over midfielder now set to sign at Villa Park

A number of Sunderland fans have been speculating on social media ahead of the club’s Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal on Tuesday evening.

Both Sunderland and the Gunners managed to play on Saturday, with Lee Johnson’s side drawing 1-1 with Ipswich and Mikel Arteta’s men beating Leeds 4-1.

There were plenty of games called off, however, with a number of teams suffering due to positive virus cases. Only six out of 12 games were played in League One, whereas just four managed to go ahead in the Premier League.

At this moment in time, Sunderland’s trip to north London is going ahead as scheduled despite a positive case within the squad, but as we know with Aston Villa’s weekend game with Burnley being called off just over two hours before kick-off, that could change very quickly.

Sunderland fans react

Sunderland posted a picture of the Emirates Stadium on their official Twitter channel on Sunday evening with the caption ‘next stop’.

Here is what these Black Cats supporters had to say in reply, with a number of fans speculating whether the game will even go ahead due to the sheer number of cancellations over the weekend.

“Getting called off Tuesday afternoon when we’re an hour away from London, watch”

Credit: @TomNixon03

“Hopefully…. I keep wondering if I’m half way down and getting told to turn around”

Credit: @twangmackem

“Scared”

Credit: @MackemDuck

“Class, now it’s gonna be off”

Credit: @spj7104

“Jinxed it now”

Credit: @RyanC2408

“Can we be told today if going on not tomorrow when everyone’s left”

Credit: @michaelcopelan9

Pundit Kevin Phillips has been reacting to Leeds United’s interest in Blackburn Rovers midfielder John Buckley, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Midfielders wanted

Victor Orta is thought to be ‘busy’ when it comes to searching for midfield reinforcements at Elland Road, with the Whites after RB Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson.

Leeds have had a £15m bid turned down for the American but are intent on signing the 21-year-old before the end of the month.

Buckley is another player of interest to Leeds, with Burnley also keen on the 22-year-old, who can play as a central, defensive or right midfielder.

The Latest: Phillips reacts

Phillips, who regularly features for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding Leeds’ interest in Buckley.

He labelled Buckley being versatile as a ‘bonus’ and labelled a possible deal as ‘big’.

“Blackburn have been in great form this season and he’s been a big part of that. If you get a good player from a club that is flying in the Championship midway through the season you’ve done well.

“He’s a centre-midfielder which is a position Leeds desperately need to strengthen in. He’s versatile as well which is a bonus, so it’s a big signing if they can do it.

“At the end of the day though, it’s always a gamble signing a player from the Championship. It’s a jump to the Premier League. It could be a signing that pays off though.

“From Blackburn’s point of view, there is no way [Tony] Mowbray will let any of those players go on the cheap.”

The Verdict: Shrewd move?

It seems as if Leeds will need to spend big on Aaronson after having a £15m offer rejected. Should they manage to bring the American to Elland Road, then perhaps funds will be limited when it comes to the club’s search for a deeper midfielder.

Buckley could be the perfect addition then considering his £720,000 Transfermarkt valuation, but you’d expect Leeds may have to pay way more than that figure given he has been a regular in an impressive Rovers side this season.

A fee under eight figures could still be a shrewd move in the long run, with Buckley possibly Marcelo Bielsa’s dream player after already playing in eight different positions in 27 games in 2021/22.

In other news: Positive Leeds injury claim regarding two players emerges. 

The Athletic’s Sam Lee has given his verdict following the news that Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo has signed a contract extension.

The Lowdown: Cancelo’s rise at City

The Portuguese defender became the most expensive full-back of all time in 2019 when he signed for Manchester City from Juventus in a deal worth £60m, with Danilo heading the other way for £34m.

Since arriving at the Etihad Stadium, the 27-year-old has played an integral part in Pep Guardiola’s side, having totalled 106 appearances for the Citizens. That includes 22 Premier League outings this season, where he has amassed one goal and five assists in becoming one of the team’s best performers, according to WhoScored metrics.

Cancelo signed a six-year deal when he joined the Sky Blues, keeping him at the club until 2025.

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The Latest: Cancelo signs contract extension

Despite having three years left on his contract, City have been looking to tie down Cancelo on a long-term deal. On Tuesday morning, the club announced that the full-back has signed a two-year contract extension, which will keep him at the Etihad until 2027.

The Athletic’s Man City reporter Lee shared this news on Twitter along with a link to his corresponding article, beaming that it is ‘a fitting reward’ for the 27-year-old’s impressive form.

He proclaimed: “New deal for Joao Cancelo, a fitting reward for his emergence as a key City player and his phenomenal form over the past few months in particular”.

The Verdict: Great business

Cancelo is currently one of the most valuable full-backs in world football, with Transfermarkt estimating his value at a cool £54m.

When the initial lockdown happened, the defender struggled to adapt to life in England and thus wanted to leave the club. However, he overcame this to duly become one of the key components of Guardiola’s side.

Former City midfielder Nigel de Jong has offered some effusive praise of the 27-year-old, saying: “We can have a healthy discussion and debate on who is the best right-back in the world and Cancelo is certainly up there for me. It’s not only his versatility but also the fact he is as strong defensively as any right-back or left-back in the world.”

Taking everything into account, this seems like a brilliant bit of business by City, and it’s no wonder that Lee has voiced his firm approval of Cancelo’s contract extension.

In other news: These Manchester City fans approved of one prospective successor to Pep Guardiola

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BBC Football pundit Mark Lawrenson has tipped Premier League strugglers Southampton to lose 2-0 when they face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, but that isn’t the only piece of bad news he has for the club.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Liverpool legend was once again providing his weekly score predictions in the English top flight, but he doesn’t believe that Saints will bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 defeat against lowly Cardiff City last time out, a result which saw them slip into the relegation zone.

Predicting a 2-0 scoreline for the Gunners, the 61-year-old also added that he believes the south coast outfit are going to find themselves in a lot of trouble for the foreseeable future.

According to BBC Football, Lawrenson said: “Southampton dropped into the relegation zone after losing to Cardiff last time out, and I think they might stay there for a while longer.

“Arsenal have got some issues they need to sort out – Mesut Ozil’s future being one of them – but their home record is very good and they should still be too strong for Saints.”

Is he right?

While his comments won’t be great reading for Southampton supporters or manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, he may well be correct in his thinking.

The south coast outfit face Unai Emery’s men, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in their next four Premier League fixtures, while they have fellow bottom-three outfit Fulham at St Mary’s on Wednesday night.

The clash against the Cottagers may be more winnable on paper than the other three, but the south coast outfit showed by taking just one point at home to Crystal Palace and the Bluebirds that they don’t always have the quality to get wins against the teams around them in the table on their own patch.

Even if they beat Claudio Ranieri’s side and lose the other three, they will be in big trouble in the final eight games.

Adama Traore’s Wolves future is potentially up in the air at the moment with talks going on behind the scenes, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Traore falling out of favour

The 25-year-old has been a solid servant for Wolves, providing incredible pace out wide and contributing to 28 goals in 143 appearances for the club.

Traore has fallen out of favour of late, though, finding himself on the substitutes’ bench in the 2-0 defeat away to Crystal Palace last weekend and not appearing at all in the win over Everton at the start of the month.

The winger has been linked with a move away from Wolves in January, with Liverpool seen as possible suitors.

The Latest: Hatfield makes Traore claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield admits that he believes things are happening away from the pitch with regards to Traore’s future at Molineux

He outlined: “Some fans were saying Crystal Palace was more a game for Adama Traore. But, with his contract situation at the moment, I think there’s things going on behind the scenes with him not playing as much.”

The Verdict: Coming to the end?

Traore is a hugely entertaining player to watch when he is in full flow, mainly due to his unrivalled speed and dribbling ability, but it could be time to part ways with him in January.

His record of 10 goals for Wolves is poor given his position – he has also only registered 18 assists in three years at the club – and he looks to be falling out of favour somewhat under Bruno Lage.

The £27m-rated Spaniard’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, so January or next summer has to be the time to cash in on him if Wolves want to reap money from a sale.

In other news, some Wolves fans are happy with a contract update that has emerged. Read more here.

Aston Villa are open to offers for 2021 arrivals Leon Bailey and Morgan Sanson, according to The Mirror’s Neil Moxley.

The lowdown

Villa paid £25m to sign Bailey from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen just last summer, making him the third most expensive signing in their history, while Sanson arrived the previous January in a £14m switch from Ligue 1 outfit Marseille.

Steven Gerrard is gearing up for his first summer transfer window as Villa manager, having taken over from Dean Smith in November.

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The latest

In a report for The Mirror, Moxley wrote that Villa could ‘surprisingly’ entertain any bids which arrive for Bailey or Sanson, which may come as a shock development given how recently both players came to the club.

Gerrard apparently believes that he needs to improve the quality at his disposal if he is to fulfil his ambition for the Villans to compete with the top teams in England and qualify for Europe.

The verdict

In truth, neither player mooted with an exit has made much of an impact this season.

Bailey has only started five Premier League games, although that’s partly a reflection on his struggles for fitness as opposed to his ability. The Jamaican has been unavailable for 13 matches, and it’s tempting to wonder how differently things might have panned out so far had he enjoyed an injury-free run.

Sanson has started even fewer top-flight games – just three of a possible 32. The Frenchman has been an unused substitute for three of the last four, raising further questions about the level of faith that Gerrard has in him.

Whatever about Bailey, it certainly isn’t looking too great for Sanson’s future in the Midlands judging by this report and his lack of game-time.

In other news, Villa will have to make a decision between two midfield targets

With Everton once again on the search for a new permanent manager after Rafa Benitez was given his marching orders followed by Duncan Ferguson being handed the role of caretaker boss for the time being, it’s a busy time for the hierarchy at the Merseyside club.

In terms of who could come in to try and get Everton back on track after managing to win just five of the 19 Premier League games that Benitez had taken charge of, it seems as though Farhad Moshiri has already made an approach to one particular candidate that will be very familiar to a lot of Everton fans.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent report from Spanish media outlet Marca (via Sport Witness), Everton have offered Roberto Martinez the chance to combine his role with the Belgian national team with another spell in charge of the Toffees.

After being appointed as Everton manager back in June 2013, the Spaniard took charge of 143 games across all competitions, winning 62, drawing 37 and losing 44 of them.

Marca’s claims are backed up by Fabrizio Romano who reports that Martinez is still very much their dream manager, even if a deal is unlikely.

A big risk?

In the weeks and months leading up to his eventual sacking in May 2016, Everton fans were not shy in making their voices heard when it came to expressing their dismay for Martinez and the job he was doing at Goodison Park.

With this in mind, it would certainly be a big risk for Martinez, who has been described as being an “absolute gentleman” by the 48-year-old’s former opposition scout Shadab Iftikhar, to come back to Everton and convince the fans, who were also not shy in their protests against Benitez even before he was officially appointed at the club, that he is the right man to turn the Toffee’s fortunes around this time.

Regarding his apparent offer to balance his potential position at Everton with his current role with Belgium, it would be hard to imagine how that would work out, especially with the World Cup in Qatar coming later this year, making an appointment at Goodison a rather big risk.

As a result, it may be better for Everton and Moshiri to look at different options for the manager role rather than go for Martinez again. After all, the fans are unlikely to want to see him take the reins again while a duel-role, especially when managing in the Premier League, would be tricky.

It’s safe to say that his thoughts wouldn’t entirely be on Everton, having to spend time thinking about Belgium too.

In other news: Moshiri may repeat Silva disaster as EFC eye boss who “wasn’t ready” for a “big club”

Everton journalist Patrick Boyland reckons that the Blues will be open to letting Cenk Tosun leave in January. 

The lowdown

The Turkey international was an unused substitute in the Toffees’ 1-0 defeat away to Brentford on Sunday.

It had looked like a potential starting opportunity for the striker, with Richarlison suspended and Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured, but Rafael Benitez favoured Salomon Rondon instead.

Tosun missed the first nine matches of the season with a patella rupture, but he has been in Benitez’s last four matchday squads (via Transfermarkt). However the £2.7m-rated 30-year-old is into the final year of his £60,000-per-week contract.

The latest

Boyland told supporters on The Athletic’s matchday discussion boards on Sunday that Tosun could be made available for transfer in the mid-season window.

In reply to an Everton fan bemoaning the striker, the journalist replied: “Leaning on the fact that Rondon has played more minutes, I think. Tosun is likely to be available come January – just a case of needs must in terms of padding out squad until main strikers back”

The verdict

It’s absolutely no surprise that Tosun could be on his way out of Goodison Park. He has failed to live up to his £27m price tag, contributing just 11 goals in 58 appearances.

The Turkish frontman, who spent the first half of 2021 on loan at Besiktas, is clearly well down the pecking order under Benitez too, given his lack of involvement even with a sparsity of centre-forward options and Rondon enduring a terrible run of form.

While they may not recoup much in terms of a transfer fee, Everton will be hopeful of clearing Tosun’s lofty wages off their books, especially with the club hamstrung by Financial Fair Play regulations.

In other news, many Everton fans reacted negatively to this piece of training insight