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Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Nicola Zalewski to the Premier League this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet CalcioMercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that Antonio Conte has now instructed Fabio Paratici to make a move for the AS Roma winger in the summer transfer window – as the 52-year-old is enamoured by the 20-year-old’s talents.

However, a further report has suggested that, while both Spurs and Paris Saint-Germain have made entered into talks regarding a deal for the Poland international, Jose Mourinho’s side have informed the English and French clubs that Zalewski is not for sale this summer.

“Simply amazing”

Considering the sheer amount of potential Zalewski undoubtedly possesses, it is not difficult to understand why Conte is reported to be so keen on a deal to bring the youngster to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

Indeed, the £13m-rated talent caught the eye over his seven appearances in Roma’s victorious Europa Conference League campaign last season, registering two assists – in the quarter-final against Bodo/Glimt and the semi-final against Leicester City – and creating two big chances, as well as making an average of 0.9 key passes, taking 0.6 shots and completing 0.9 dribbles per game.

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The £9k-per-week forward who Jacek Kulig dubbed “simply amazing” also impressed in a defensive capacity, making an average of 1.7 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and winning 4.1 duels per fixture.

These returns saw the 20-year-old average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.85, ranking him as Mourinho’s 14th-best performer in the European competition.

Furthermore, Roma’s legendary 47-goal winger and current youth coordinator, Bruno Conti, also appears to be incredibly excited about the future of Zalewski, with the 67-year-old stating in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this month:

“Let me preface this by saying that what I’m about to say, I say it without bias for Roma. But among the young people playing today, I recognize my way of playing the most in Roma’s Nicola Zalewski.

“He has the ability to attack the spaces and dribble the ball just like I did, as well as his tendency to retreat he be useful in defensive coverage. It is true that he now plays on the left flank, but I am convinced that he will soon become a useful player on both [wings].”

As such, with the five-cap international quite clearly being a talent who is extremely creative, incredibly versatile and impressive when working back in defence, it would very much appear as if Zalewski would be something of a dream fit for Conte’s style of football – leading us to believe that Paratici must do everything in his power to convince Mourinho to part with the 20-year-old this summer.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano relays devastating Spurs transfer claim, Antonio Conte will be fuming

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to finally wrap up a deal to sign Djed Spence…

What’s the word?

That’s according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who delivered a fresh update on the north Londoners’ attempts to sign the 21-year-old from Middlesbrough.

Speaking to Football FanCast this week, he said:

“Djed Spence wants to go to Tottenham.

“Tottenham are close to agreeing that fee for the defender as well, so I think this one will get wrapped up pretty quickly and then Middlesbrough will be looking to use the funds to strengthen their squad elsewhere.”

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Supporters will be buzzing

The England U21 international looks set to be Spurs’ sixth signing of the summer and that will surely leave supporters around N17 absolutely buzzing as the rebuild continues ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

Sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy have delivered something of an unprecedented transfer window thus far, backing their manager, Antonio Conte, with quality additions.

Their £60m swoop for Richarlison from Everton was certainly a signal of intent, whilst the likes of Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic and Clement Lenglet will all play an important role throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

Bolstering the Italian’s squad with strength in depth was vital as the Lilywhites will be competing in the Champions League, meaning the prospect of two games per week is soon on the horizon – and if Spurs are wanting to remain competitive, then Conte needs quality in even his backup players.

Spence would be another fine arrival in north London and one that plenty of fans will be delighted to see finally get over the line, having been linked with him for much of the off-season. Spurs even had two bids knocked back for him in January.

Therefore, O’Rourke’s suggestion that this deal could be finalised quickly is sure to leave many around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium thrilled.

AND in other news, “I’ve been told..”: Transfer insider drops late Spurs claim, supporters surely excited…

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Josh Tymon to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim a source has revealed that, following reports of Glasgow Rangers’ interest in a move for the Stoke City left-back this summer, both Leeds and Norwich City have now joined the race for the 23-year-old’s signature.

It is suggested that both the Premier League and Championship side have informed the Potters of their interest in the former England U20 international, while it is also claimed that Michael O’Neill would be willing to sanction the defender’s sale this summer – as long as he is to receive an offer in the region of £6m.

“An outstanding young talent”

Considering just how exciting a prospect Tymon undoubtedly is, the news that Leeds now look to have been given the green light to make a move for the full-back is undoubtedly fantastic for everyone involved with the club.

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Indeed, the £1.62m-rated talent highly impressed over his 44 Championship appearances last season, scoring one goal, registering four assists and creating a whopping 14 big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.2 key passes, taking 0.7 shots and completing 1.1 dribbles per game.

The £7.1k-per-week defender who Steve Bruce dubbed “an outstanding young talent” also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.3 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 1.3 clearances, 25.7 passes, 1.3 long balls and winning 3.7 duels per fixture.

As such, with left-back having been something of a problem position for Jesse Marsch last season – with Junior Firpo struggling to adapt to the pace of Premier League football – the signing of a new player in the position would appear to be an extremely wise move for Victor Orta to make this summer.

And, considering just how exciting a prospect Tymon appears to be, £6m could very quickly look to be an absolute bargain for the Whites.

AND in other news: Phil Hay relays big Leeds United transfer news, supporters will be buzzing

Wolves have been credited with an interest in Mario Vuskovic recently and the Hamburg centre-back could be the ideal man to replace Romain Saiss in Bruno Lage’s side next season.

According to Sky Germany, Wolves are keen on signing the 20-year-old after his impressive performances with the Bundesliga.2 side last season.

Despite only exercising their option to buy the defender for £2.7m in March, the German side are seemingly looking to make a quick profit on the young defender, with the report from Sky Germany claiming that they value him at around £8.6m.

Although he is only 20, Vuskovic has already amassed 76 senior appearances for Hadjuk Split and Hamburg SV, while he is also a regular in the Croatia U21 side, so could be a solid addition to Lage’s backline next season.

The Old Gold are still yet to make a signing this summer and with the season set to kick off in less than a month, supporters will be desperate for some new additions, especially after a disappointing end to last season.

Wolves’ success in the early part of the last campaign was built on a strong defence, and Saiss was a big part of that, making 31 appearances in the top-flight and averaging a strong 6.84 rating from WhoScored for his appearances.

If Lage is going to stick with playing three centre-backs again next season, then another signing is needed to support Conor Coady and Max Kilman in Wolves’ backline, and Vuskovic could represent an excellent long-term option for the Old Gold.

At 6 foot 2, he is unlikely to struggle with the physicality of the Premier League, and £8.6m could prove to be a bargain if he can adjust quickly and live up to his obvious potential.

BBC contributor and podcaster Dave Azzopardi was full of praise for the centre-back recently, suggesting he was “very highly rated” by those at Hamburg and given Wolves’ need for new signings, the Croatian should be a priority for Lage this summer, as he could slot in on the left-hand side of the defence to fill the gap left by Saiss’ departure.

And, in other news… Lage plotting game-changing Wolves bid for £22.5m-rated star, he’s “one of the best”

Illan Meslier could be the next high-profile departure from Leeds United, journalist Graham Smyth has claimed. 

The lowdown

Midfielder Kalvin Phillips has today left Elland Road to sign for reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in a £45m deal.

It is the most lucrative sale in Leeds’ history, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s £30m move to Manchester United in 2002. The record may not stand for long, though, with Raphinha potentially following Phillips out the door.

The Brazilian has interest from Barcelona, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal and will be allowed to depart if Leeds’ demands are met (via The Athletic). Some reports have claimed that a £55m deal has been agreed with the Camp Nou outfit.

Meslier, who joined Leeds from Lorient in 2020, is under contract with the Yorkshire club for another four years.

The latest

In a Yorkshire Evening Post Q&A, one Leeds supporter asked chief football writer Smyth whether the 22-year-old could be ‘next’ to leave because of his ‘exponential potential’.

Smyth insisted that the club aren’t actively looking to offload Meslier but admitted that the goalkeeper may have lofty ambitions. A departure is unlikely this summer though, with the Whites looking to avoid further upheaval.

Smyth claimed: “I wouldn’t say Leeds are looking to move Illan Meslier on but he’s the one in the squad that you would think will be capable of going on to the next level and playing European football.”

He later added: “What Leeds don’t want is a scenario where multiple players are lost at once. Selling two, as they are, is just about manageable but the situation with any squad has to be very delicately balanced.”

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The verdict

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Meslier goes in the short- to medium-term future, as he could well have his admirers.

After all, he was Leeds’ Young Player of the Year in 2020/21 (also earning a nomination for the Premier League equivalent), while he has been capped nine times by France at under-21 level.

Indeed, Les Bleus’ incumbent number one Hugo Lloris has identified Meslier as his potential successor when the Tottenham veteran retires from international football.

The ‘massive goalkeeping talent’, in the words of The Athletic’s Phil Hay, is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Leeds demand a lot more than that for the stopper, whose 139 Premier League saves last season exceeded every other ‘keeper in the top flight.

Championship returnees Sunderland are preparing to launch a mega contract offer in order to convince their talisman to remain at the Stadium of Light.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Daily Record, who claimed that the Black Cats are ready to offer star striker Ross Stewart more money in a bid to fend off interest from last season’s Europa League finalists Rangers.

As per the report, the Wearsiders’ 2021/22 top scorer already pocketed an automatic pay rise after playing a vital role in their promotion bid.

The outlet has now claimed that Sunderland want to “table a further improvement” in the form of an extended deal, and the club plan to kickstart further talks when Stewart is back from his summer break.

Neil will be buzzing

Quite simply, securing the future of a player who has just come off the back of a 26-goal campaign would be as good as, if not better than, securing the services of a new signing.

It’s a terrific statement of intent from the Black Cats and an ultimately important move for the club as they preparing for a dogfight next term. Stewart’s presence up top will surely make life easier for manager Alex Neil, with the forward possessing the ideal profile for Championship football.

The 25-year-old was so integral to Sunderland’s promotion season that, if he had not featured, they would go from League One’s third-highest scorers with 79 scored (just three behind both Oxford and Wigan, the joint-most prolific teams with 82 goals) to the eighth-lowest scorers with just 56 goals.

Ensuring Stewart’s commitment to the club is integral for the upcoming campaign, and as such, Neil will be buzzing with the efforts being made by Kristjaan Speakman and co to keep the Scotland international at the Stadium of Light.

AND in other news: Alex Neil now drops teasing Sunderland transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

According to a Brazilian source, Nottingham Forest have now opened talks to sign Palmeiras midfielder Gustavo Scarpa.

The Lowdown: Contract expiration looming

The Brazilian first put pen to paper on a deal with the Sao Paulo-based side in 2018 when he arrived at the Allianz Parque from Fluminense, and he’s clocked up 182 appearances for the club to date.

The 28-year-old is still currently in the middle of his season, with Palmeiras’ campaign having only begun in April and not set to finish until November.

However, his contract in his homeland is set to expire on New Year’s Eve, and his recent performances appear to have been attracting some Premier League interest, more specifically from the City Ground.

The Latest: Forest open talks for Scarpa

In a new article published by Brazilian outlet UOL Esporte (via Nottinghamshire Live), it’s claimed that Forest, alongside Olympiacos, who are also owned by Evangelos Marinakis, both ‘want’ to complete a deal for the maestro this summer.

The source states that ‘talks’ for the player have now been ‘opened’ by both clubs, though it’s believed that Palmeiras are ‘determined’ to do everything they can to keep him.

The report further reads that the one-cap international will be able to ‘sign a pre-contract’ with any potential suitors from next month onwards for a free transfer, with the creative thought to be ‘keen on a move to Europe’.

The Verdict: Zinckernagel replacement

With Philip Zinckernagel looking set to depart the Midlands, Steve Cooper will now be on the hunt to find a new suitable replacement in that attacking midfield position, and Scarpa could be just the man he’s looking for.

The Campinas-born talent, who was once likened to a young Roberto Rivellino by former Fluminense star Paulo Cezar Caju, has so far made 14 goal contributions in 31 outings across all competitions under Abel Ferreira this season, via Transfermarkt, highlighting his crucial involvement in the final third.

Scarpa played the full 120 minutes of Palmeiras’ Club World Cup defeat to Chelsea back in February, so he’ll know exactly what it feels like to play against Premier League opposition, and if this positive contact between himself and Forest continues, there’s a strong chance he could be testing his mettle against the very best on a more regular basis.

Borna Barisic is being linked with a move away from Rangers this summer and it could prove to be a disastrous move by Giovanni van Bronckhorst to let him leave Ibrox.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Record, Trabzonspor are set to up their interest in the Croatia international after securing the Super Lig title last season, while an unnamed Serie A side are also said to be keen on the left-back.

The report suggests that while claims from Turkey that an official bid has been made are wide of the mark, it is only a matter of time before the newly-crowned Champions make their move for Barisic.

Van Bronckhorst heading for disaster?

While some Rangers fans might have been consigned to losing a left-back this summer, they probably would have expected to see Calvin Bassey depart after his impressive performances last season, with the likes of Aston Villa and West Ham linked with the young defender.

Therefore, it could be something of a disaster if Van Bronckhorst were to lose both Bassey and Barisic this early in the window, especially with Champions League playoff fixtures to come next month, and supporters will surely be worried that they could start the season without a recognised left-back.

To make matters worse, promising left-back James Maxwell has already announced his departure from the club, with Rangers unable to convince him to extend his stay at Ibrox after a lack of first-team opportunities.

Although he lost his starting spot to Bassey on occasion last season, Barisic was still a regular for Rangers last season, making 19 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, in which he contributed three assists and averaged an impressive 7.24 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

While previous reports have suggested that Van Bronckhorst is yet to be convinced by the Croatian, the statistics suggest he was one of the top performers domestically last season, so it would perhaps be unwise to let him leave with Bassey’s future still in doubt.

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Barisic has been a consistent performer for the Teddy Bears during his time at the club, contributing seven goals and 35 assists in 155 appearances, so while he may have lost his place at times last season, it would be a mistake to let him leave this summer when Van Bronckhorst could potentially be left with no options at left-back.

And, in other news… GvB can land Rangers’ ideal Morelos heir with move for £5.4m-rated “goal machine”…

Journalist Toby Cudworth of 90min has now shared a West Ham United transfer update involving Hull City forward Keane Lewis-Potter.

The Lowdown: Moyes in transfer chase…

After just missing out on a 2022/2023 Europa League place to Man United on the Premier League final day, it is believed that the Hammers are seeking summer reinforcements to come back stronger.

Attackers are believed to be high on the agenda for manager David Moyes as links continue to surround the likes of Leeds United star Raphinha and long-time target Jesse Lingard (90min).

Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins is another who is of interest to the east Londoners with Cudworth now sharing news on Championship sensation Lewis-Potter.

The Latest: West Ham eye move…

According to the 90min journalist, West Ham’s chase is ‘ongoing’ to sign the 21-year-old with Moyes eyeing the starlet forward.

He explained:

“Interest in Raphinha remains & Keane Lewis-Potter chase ongoing. Difficult deals to do given vast interest and price tags but clear West Ham want forwards.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Reports have suggested that the Englishman could cost up to £20 million, but going by his age and scintillating form, he’d be worth every penny.

Called a ‘special’ attacker by former Hull boss Grant McCann, Lewis-Potter has been a mainstay for The Tigers over this last season and finished 2021/2022 as their most threatening player (WhoScored).

He bagged more Championship goals (12) and racked up more attempts per 90 than any of his teammates over last season (WhoScored), marking himself out as truly elite prospect who could shine at the London Stadium.

In other news: ‘Moyes loves him’ – Journalist says West Ham are eyeing a potential ‘huge’ signing, find out more here.

Recent reports have seen Liverpool linked with a move for Saint-Etienne starlet Saidou Sow, with the central defender having reportedly been recommended to the Merseyside outfit by current star Naby Keita.

The midfielder plays alongside the 19-year-old at international level for Guinea and has advised the Reds to take a closer look at the teenager, with the club believed to have taken note by heading to watch the player in action against Egypt in Cairo last weekend.

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The 6 foot 1 gem has a contract that runs until 2025, although the Ligue 2 outfit could be tempted into a sale if they are to receive an ‘interesting’ offer for his services, with the player currently valued at £3.6m, according to Transfermarkt.

The “superb” youngster – as he has been dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – has only made 30 senior appearances to date since making his debut back in October 2020, although that lack of action has also been caused by an ankle injury which hampered his game time in the second half of last term.

Prior to that, the centre-back had started the season strongly for the French side, eventually averaging 1.8 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and 2.5 clearances per game from his 13 league outings, while also winning 56% of his total duels and chipping in with two goals.

An all-round defensive talent, Sow can even be compared to Borussia Dortmund veteran Mats Hummels, as per FBref, as the pair share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities.

That will no doubt be of interest to a certain Jurgen Klopp, with the German having coached his compatriot during his hugely successful stint with the Bundesliga outfit, the pair overcoming the typical dominance of Bayern Munich to win successive league titles in 2011 and 2012.

Hummels was the bedrock of that side – which also reached the Champions League final in 2013 – with Klopp having even reportedly been keen to bring the World Cup winner to Anfield in 2016, before the defender opted instead to link up with Bayern.

Once labelled “extraordinary” by the Reds boss, the now 33-year-old has enjoyed a lengthy and successful career at the elite level, racking up 447 club appearances in all competitions, while also winning 76 caps for his country.

To think that Klopp may be able to find a similar talent in the form of Sow will no doubt be music to the ears of both him, but also to Liverpool supporters, with it always a joy to snap up an emerging, exciting young talent who can then blossom before your eyes.

The £3.6k-per-week starlet may be something of an unknown quantity to some, yet he could prove to be the next Hummels in the coming years. The Reds won’t want to miss out as their efforts in the window ramp up with Darwin Nunez close to arriving.

IN other news, Klopp now plotting Liverpool bid for “dangerous” £34m talent, just imagine him & Nunez