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An update has emerged on Tottenham and their interest in Everton striker Richarlison during the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

The Athletic’s Adam Crafton has claimed that Spurs are “considering” a deal to sign the £50m Brazilian attacker ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

In the attached report, it is stated that Fabio Paratici is lining up a potential swoop for him and other targets so that he has back-up options to pick from if one move collapses during the window.

Big Steven Bergwijn upgrade

By snapping up the former Watford attacker, Paratici can land Antonio Conte a big upgrade on Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn.

The ex-PSV man is reportedly keen for first-team football amid interest from Ajax and Spurs can replace him with a better player by signing Richarlison this summer.

Both players played in 25+ Premier League games in the 2021/22 campaign and the statistics show that there was a huge difference between their performances.

As you can see in the graphic above, Richarlison offered far more to his team both in terms of scoring and creating goals in the final third.

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The 25-year-old can, therefore, make a bigger impact for Tottenham than Bergwijn by taking some of the goalscoring load off the likes of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

He also caught the eye of ex-Toffees boss and current Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti in 2020/21, with the Italian saying:

“Richarlison is a modern striker, a complete striker, because he works really hard. His physical statistics are really high, like a midfielder – but he has speed and he is really clinical in the box.

“He is fantastic with the head and clinical in front of the goalkeeper and his movement without the ball is really good.

“I think he can be one of the top strikers in Europe. I’m sure he can because he has all these kind of qualities and he doesn’t have a specific position on the pitch. He is really complete.”

These comments suggest that he would be a player Conte could use in a variety of positions as he has the versatility to play in a multitude of roles. Ancelotti believes that he has all the attributes to thrive at the top level and his form for Everton indicates that he has the potential to get there.

At the age of 25, he has time on his side to hit his peak and he is a player who can improve over the course of several seasons whilst playing for Spurs.

Therefore, he can be a big upgrade on Bergwijn in the immediate future and he can be a key asset for Conte and Tottenham in the long term.

AND in other news, Spurs can unearth dream Kane heir in deal for “invaluable” £22m “Ibrahimovic-machine”…

Tottenham Hotspur have made their first move in a bid to bring Gabriel Jesus to north London this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Tutto Juve (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici has now tabled a €47m (£40m) bid with Manchester City regarding a deal for the centre-forward – who looks certain to depart The Etihad in the summer transfer window following Pep Guardiola’s signings of both Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.

Previous reports had claimed that Arsenal are also interested in a move for the Brazil international this summer, with Mikel Arteta’s side believed to be willing to offer the 25-year-old a weekly wage of £190k at The Emirates, however, it would now appear as if Tottenham have taken the lead in the race for the former Palmeiras striker’s signature.

He’d be “unreal” for Conte

With it being reported that one of Antonio Conte’s priority signings in the summer transfer window is the addition of a new centre-forward who can also operate out wide, it is easy to see why the 52-year-old would be interested in a move for Jesus ahead of Tottenham’s 2022/23 campaign.

Indeed, over his 28 Premier League fixtures in 2021/22 – 13 of which came on either the left or right-wing – the £60m-rated forward was in fantastic form, bagging eight goals, providing eight assists and creating eight big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.3 shots, making 1.4 key passes and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

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These metrics saw the £110k-per-week talent who Jack Lang dubbed “stunning” and Nic English labelled “unreal” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.18, ranking him as Guardiola’s ninth-best player in the top flight of English football.

Furthermore, the Brazilian’s overall record in English football speaks for itself, with Jesus having scored a total of 95 goals and registered 46 assists over his 236 appearances for City – averaging a direct goal involvement every 101 minutes of football played.

As such, it is clear to see just how talented a player the 25-year-old is, with the prospect of him linking up with Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski in the Tottenham attack next season sure to be an extremely tantalising one for both Conte and the Spurs faithful alike.

AND in other news: “His agent was…”: Romano drops big Spurs transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Leeds United are now closing in on a deal to bring Rasmus Kristensen to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Mike McGrath, with The Telegraph journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that Victor Orta has now agreed a deal with Red Bull Salzburg for the transfer of the right-back.

In his accompanying report, the journalist revealed that the transfer could be worth up to £10m, while Leeds are said to have beaten both Brentford and Borussia Dortmund to the 24-year-old’s signature.

In his tweet, McGrath said: “Deal in place for LUFC to sign Rasmus Kristensen. They are expected to win race for Denmark full-back from Red Bull Salzburg.”

Big coup for Orta

When considering just how exciting a prospect Kristensen has proven himself to be during his three-year stay in Austria, in addition to the fact that both Dortmund and Brentford were reported to be keen on the 24-year-old, the news that Leeds now look to have agreed a deal for the full-back undoubtedly represents a big coup for Orta.

Indeed, despite his defensive position, the £13.5m-rated talent is quite clearly an extremely threatening right-back, having scored 13 goals and registered 19 assists over his 107 appearances for Salzburg, in addition to the Denmark international having also created 15 big chances in the Austrian Bundesliga over the last three years.

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The vast majority of these came over his 29 outings in the most recent league campaign, during which the £14k-per-week defender scored seven goals, registered four assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.4 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 1.3 dribbles per game.

However, the Dane also impressed at the back, helping Salzburg keep 13 clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.3 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 clearances and winning 5.7 duels – at a success rate of 60% – per appearance.

These metrics saw the 24-year-old average a rather breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as Matthias Jaissle’s second-best performer in the league but also as the fourth-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, it is clear to see just how big of a coup Kristensen would be for Leeds, with McGrath’s latest update on the Whites’ pursuit of the defender sure to be something that will have left the Elland Road faithful buzzing.

AND in other news: Orta now plotting Leeds offer for “scary” £17m “beast”, it’d be an “unreal” signing

West Ham United are reportedly keeping tabs on Red Bull Salzburg starlet Junior Adamu, with the striker also attracting attention from across Europe.

What’s the word?

As per the Daily Mail, the Hammers have entered the race for the Austria international and are said to be ‘monitoring developments’ with regards to the 20-year-old’s future at his current side.

The report suggests that the Nigeria-born marksman is attracting interest from the likes of Ajax, RB Leipzig and Premier League outfit Southampton, with his reported £12m fee seemingly an enticing prospect for those potential suitors.

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As for David Moyes’ side, the club are still on the lookout for a new forward addition, with Michail Antonio still the only recognised, senior centre-forward in the squad, having missed out on Benfica’s Darwin Nunez in January.

Next Haaland?

Adamu, who has been described by journalist Gimba Kakanda as a “low-key” talent, may not quite be the household name that Irons’ supporters are chasing, although he has already showcased his promise after an impressive last few seasons.

A brief loan stint at Swiss outfit FC St.Gallen saw the young starlet net six league goals in just 14 games during the tail end of the 2020/21 season, before he followed that up with an impressive nine goals in all competitions in the most recent campaign after returning to his parent club.

That tally included a shock opener in a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16, first-leg tie in Salzburg, in what was the hosts’ first-ever knockout tie in the competition.

That image of a young striker impressing at the elite level for the Austrian outfit stirs memories of a certain Erling Haaland, the Norwegian menace having burst onto the scene at the club, notably netting eight goals in his first five group stage appearances in the competition during the 2019/20 campaign.

A move to Borussia Dortmund soon followed, although after scoring 86 goals in just 89 games for the Bundesliga side, the 21-year-old has since been plucked by Manchester City, with the £135m-rated gem having arguably been the most coveted player in Europe, alongside Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe.

Like Adamu – who previously spent two-and-a-half seasons as a teenager at second-tier outfit FC Liefering – Haaland also rose from obscurity at the likes of Byrne and Molde back in Norway, with the duo potentially mirrored in their carefully plotted career paths.

Although Adamu has yet to hit anywhere close to the heights of the new City addition, his explosive form this term has showcased just what a potential talent he could become in the coming years, with the east Londoners set to have a real bargain on their hands if a deal can be struck.

Dubbed a “jewel” by Varsky Sports, the £1.1k-per-week prospect appears to have an incredibly high ceiling, much like that of Haaland, with Moyes and co set to relish the chance to nurture and improve him over the coming years.

IN other news, “Another target…”: Ex drops big WHU summer transfer claim that supporters will love

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on reported Leeds United transfer target Brenden Aaronson.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that Leeds are closing in on a £28m deal for the RB Salzburg attacking midfielder, with the Whites having already agreed personal terms with the 21-year-old ahead of a proposed summer switch.

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In his post, the transfer insider said: “Leeds are closing on Brenden Aaronson deal, here we go soon. Full agreement reached with RB Salzburg and paperwork to be prepared soon, deal worth £28m as reported yesterday. Aaronson has already agreed personal terms with Leeds as he wanted Premier League move.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how talented a prospect Aaronson quite clearly is, the news that Victor Orta looks to be closing in on a deal for the USA international is sure to have left the Elland Road faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the £18m-rated talent played a key role in Salzburg’s title-winning campaign over his 26 Austrian Bundesliga appearances this season, scoring four goals, registering four assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.0 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 1.5 dribbles per game.

The £19k-per-week forward also impressed over his eight Champions League outings, registering two assists, in addition to taking an average of 1.1 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 1.3 dribbles per match, while his 27.23 pressures per 90 also ranked him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s big five leagues over the last 365 days.

As such, with Leeds in rather desperate need of greater creativity and attacking impetus from midfield if they are to improve on their disappointing 17th place finish next time out, it would very much appear as if a player of Aaronson’s skillset would make a fantastic addition to Jesse Marsch’s current options in the position – not to mention a player who represents a huge upgrade on Tyler Roberts.

AND in other news: Orta must brutally axe “pathetic” £50k-p/w Leeds flop, he’s “papering over the cracks”

Leeds United’s chances of survival on the final day of the Premier League season were thin.

They started the day inside the bottom three and with injuries and suspensions cutting through the squad like a knife through butter, there wasn’t really much hope.

Jesse Marsch’s men had to travel to London, a part of the country where for some strange reason, Leeds struggled under the tenure of Marcelo Bielsa.

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However, as Victor Orta was all too keen to point out at full-time, Marsch is now the manager and he is very much here to stay.

The curse of failing to win in the big smoke is surely now over as this group of players ensured they left Brentford with three points and Premier League safety in the bag.

It felt like the moment their place was secure, they got to work in the transfer market.

It’s thought that Brenden Aaronson will finally join the club from RB Salzburg but Orta can form a devastating duo by lining him up alongside Noa Lang.

The former Ajax man is now playing his football in Belgium for Club Brugge and has been superb on the flanks. So much so that Football Insider revealed this month that Leeds had been in talks over a potential summer switch.

During the current campaign, he has found the back of the net on nine occasions while registering a mammoth 15 assists in all competitions.

With that in mind, should Raphinha leave as is widely expected, there would be no better replacement than Lang, someone who in the eyes of FB Ref is a similar player to Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho.

Potentially costing in the region of £33m this summer, the Dutchman has been described as both “unstoppable” by scout Jacek Kulig and a “phenomenon” by Belgian journalist Peter Vandenbempt.

A look at the stats tells you why that assessment has been made.

He ranks in the top 2% when comparing his numbers across Europe’s best five leagues for progressive passes per 90, the top 5% for progressive carries per 90 and the top 10% for dribbles completed.

Sancho, in comparison, also ranks in the best 6% for progressive carries, proving how dangerous the pair can be when given the chance to isolate a defender and take them on.

Lang would be a stellar first signing this summer and if Victor Orta can conclude a deal, supporters may well forgive him for some suspect recruitment in the last few years.

AND in other news, Leeds United supporters will be fuming at what Victor Orta did at full time yesterday…

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been dealt a big blow as early SFA Cup injury news has emerged on the Glasgow giants’ opponents…

What’s the talk?

Robbie Neilson has revealed that soon-to-be Gers defender John Souttar and Craig Halkett will both be available for selection on Saturday.

Van Bronckhorst’s men come up against Hearts in the final of the Scottish Cup this weekend and both players are poised to be involved.

When asked if they will be in contention to play, he told STV: “Yeah, 100 per cent. We’ve got a bounce game here on Tuesday.

“They’ll get some game time in that and then we’ll make a decision after that.”

Supporters will be frustrated

The Ibrox faithful will be frustrated by this news as Halkett and Souttar being fit comes as a blow to van Bronckhorst’s side, as both of them being out would have increased the Gers’ chances of winning the trophy.

Rangers know all about Souttar as he is a player who has agreed to move to the club at the end of the campaign on a free transfer. Ironically, his last match for Hearts will be against the team he is moving to, which will make for an interesting subplot on the day if he turns in a less-than-impressive display.

The Scotland international seems unlikely to do that, though, as he has been in terrific form throughout the season for the Jambos. In the Premiership, he has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.30 across 27 appearances, winning a whopping 71% of his duels.

Halkett is also a defender who will be familiar to Gers supporters as he came up through the youth ranks at Ibrox. He has made a name for himself at Hearts and performed well alongside Souttar – averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.14 across 28 matches in the division.

These statistics prove that both players have been in fine form for the club in the league this season. They have both consistently put in quality displays at the back and have proven that they are able to compete at the top end of the table in the Scottish top-flight, with Souttar doing enough to earn a switch to the Glasgow giants, and that is why their involvement is a big blow for the Gers.

Rangers supporters will be frustrated that both of them appear set to play in the game and will be hoping that the players with connections to the club do not end up costing them a trophy on Saturday.

AND in other news, Wilson plotting Rangers bid for “top notch” 16 G/A “master”, GVB needs him badly…

Frank Lampard has been working hard to keep Everton in the Premier League next season with a relegation battle going right down to the wire and to add to the relegation worries a new transfer threat has emerged.

What’s the latest?

According to The Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing not one but three Everton players this summer with Richarlison, Ben Godfrey and Anthony Gordon on Antonio Conte’s summer wish list.

Since the Toffees picked their form off the floor in the last few weeks these three players, in particular, have caught the eye of the London club, and the report suggests that Spurs are watching the developments of Everton’s end of season outcome closely.

Supporters will be furious

There is no doubt that these three players play important roles in the team and have been three of the most influential in keeping Everton’s chances of survival alive, so the prospect of them leaving will leave supporters furious if it did go ahead this summer.

Richarlison has been linked with securing a new challenge at another club for months now, so it will come as no shock that Spurs have thrown their hat into the ring for the Brazilian goal machine. However, they will need to compete with the likes of Manchester United who have also shown interest.

Gordon would be a huge blow for Evertonians as the youngster is a boyhood Blue, which means a move away would be devastating for supporters of the club as if the current season hadn’t been disappointing enough.

Out of all three of these players Gordon has been by far the most consistent and hard-working player in the team this term and the position of the club bears no reflection on the performances of the young winger who in terms of form, has had his best season yet at Goodison Park.

The 21-year-old has bagged himself four goals and two assists but it is his all-round play that has been an absolute nuisance for opponents to mark and tackle in the Premier League this season.

Gordon has created 30 chances, successfully made 52 tackles and 21 interceptions for Everton and has won the majority of his 326 duels (50.3%) which shows how effective he is in making his presence known in the team. At such a young age to dominate your position with such strength is something the Toffees cannot afford to lose under any circumstances.

Ultimately, the future of all three of the players Tottenham Hotspur have their eye on currently will not be sealed until the end of the season when Everton will either drop into the Championship or remain in the Premier League.

If Lampard can keep his side in top-flight football we’re sure he will do his best to hold onto them.

AND in other news: Everton can finally axe “poor” £68k-p/w dud by signing 22 y/o with “huge potential”

Leeds United have been dealt a fresh setback ahead of their upcoming Premier League meeting with Arsenal this Sunday.

What’s the latest?

Speaking after Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over West Ham United on Sunday afternoon (via the Evening Standard), Mikel Arteta revealed that Ben White, who missed the fixture due to a hamstring injury sustained in the 3-1 win over Manchester United a week prior, could be in line to make a return to action against Leeds this weekend – with the centre-back’s predicted return date being May 8.

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Regarding the defender’s absence against the Hammers, the Arsenal manager said: “Ben got injured against Manchester United, he felt a muscular problem and we checked him, and we will have to assess him in the next few days to see how he is.”

Marsch will be livid

Considering Leeds’ mounting injury concerns of their own – with Stuart Dallas being ruled out for the season after fracturing his kneecap in the 4-0 defeat to Manchester City, as well as Liam Cooper missing the game after sustaining his own knee injury in the warmup to the fixture – the news that Arsenal could be boosted by the return of White ahead of Sunday’s clash is sure to have left Jesse Marsch livid.

Indeed, following his £50m move to The Emirates last summer, the 24-year-old has highly impressed over his 31 Premier League appearances, helping Arsenal keep 13 clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.4 tackles, 3.1 clearances and winning 4.4 duels – at a success rate of 59% – per game.

These returns have seen the £120k-per-week defender average a very respectable SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as Arteta’s joint tenth-best player in the top flight of English football.

As such, it is clear to see just how important a player the £36m-rated England international is within the Arsenal defence, with the former Leeds loanee’s potential return ahead of Sunday’s meeting sure to come as a huge blow to the Whites’ chances of leaving north London with all three points.

And, following Everton’s 1-0 win over Chelsea last weekend – a result that saw the 18th placed Toffees climb to within two points of Leeds – Marsch’s side will be looking for any marginal gains they could possibly take advantage of ahead of their trip to the capital, something which White’s potential return is certainly not.

AND in other news: Huge update emerges on big-money summer deal, Leeds supporters will be devastated

Rangers delayed their rivals’ title party as they held their opponents to a 1-1 draw away from home in the Premiership on Sunday.

The Gers came from behind to secure a draw to prevent the Hoops from celebrating their league triumph on derby day.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s side found themselves 1-0 down at half-time after a strike from Jota put the hosts in front and they were lucky to only be one goal behind as Celtic missed a number of chances to make it 2-0 and potentially 3-0.

They rode their luck and eventually found the equaliser through Fashion Sakala as the Zambia international brilliantly fired the ball past Joe Hart after good build-up play from Scott Wright and Ryan Kent. The striker also came close to a winner as he struck the post late on after a quick break through the middle of the pitch.

Whilst the 2021 signing scored the goal to rescue a point for the Gers, the real Old Firm hero for Rangers was central midfielder John Lundstram.

The former Sheffield United man was absolutely phenomenal in the middle of the park as he bossed the majority of the game for van Bronckhorst. He was excellent on and off the ball as he put in a fine display that will have supporters excited to see him in derby action again next season.

In possession, he was a reliable outlet for the team. As per SofaScore, he completed 89% of his attempted passes and only gave possession away nine times from a whopping 74 touches of the ball. He was also successful with all eight of his long pass attempts and created one chance, as he showed his quality and range of passing with the ball at his feet.

Defensively, he was a monster for Rangers. As per SofaScore, he won 77% (7/9) of his individual duels as he dominated the opposition throughout the match. He also made four tackles, three interceptions and two clearances to continually cut out Celtic attacks in midfield to put the Gers on the front foot.

With these statistics in mind, Lundstram was the real hero for Rangers – not Sakala – as he made an impact at both ends of the pitch and was sublime.

Hopefully, he can carry his form into next Thursday’s Europa League clash with RB Leipzig in what is poised to be an electric night under the lights at Ibrox.

AND in other news, Wilson must reignite Rangers swoop for “impressive” 28 G/A flier, GvB needs him…