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According to Calciomercato.it, Tottenham Hotspur managing director Fabio Paratici is already set for a 2022 swoop as he eyes Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs in summer chase…

As per numerous reports, Tottenham were heavily linked with a move for Vlahovic during the summer with suggestions that talks were held and a bid was made.

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The Serbian, however, elected to remain in Serie A and there are rumours of him potentially putting pen to paper on a new deal with La Viola.

Regardless, Calciomercato.it believe Spurs certainly are not done with the 21-year-old just yet.

The Latest: Paratici certain for 2022 Vlahovic move…

As per their sources, Paratici and Spurs ‘will certainly return’ with a swoop for the striker alongside La Liga giants Atletico Madrid – with Juventus also eyeing a move.

However, if the Lilywhites wish to land him, they may have to pay big money as Fiorentina are believed to value him at ‘no less’ than €70-€80 million (£60m-£70m).

Indeed, the Italian news website list Vlahovic as one of the Serie A big names who could leave at the end of this season.

The Verdict: A must…

The 6 foot 3 forward would undoubtedly provide Tottenham and Nuno with some much-needed steel in the forward areas and a back up or alternative to Harry Kane.

Lauded as a ‘really exciting’ player by Serie A expert Conor Clancy, speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Vlahovic also racked up an incredible 21 goals and two assists in 37 top flight outings last term (Transfermarkt).

Financially, this move is a tough ask, but it would certainly be a statement of intent by Paratici.

In other news: Medical was done: Source reveals player’s summer move from Spurs fell apart at the very last second, find out more here.

West Ham United are set to offer Declan Rice ‘fresh terms’ after managing to keep the England international in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Late business at London Stadium

David Moyes’ side left their business until the final few days of the transfer window this summer after securing Europa League football last season.

Craig Dawson made his loan move permanent and Alphonse Areola joined from Paris Saint-Germain on loan, before Kurt Zouma and Nikola Vlasic both signed from Chelsea and CSKA Moscow respectively.

Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral then joined his fellow international teammates Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek in London, on a season-long loan from Spartak Moscow.

After a busy summer, the Hammers are turning their attention to keeping their current stars, with this latest report claiming Soucek and Coufal are set to sign new deals.

The Latest: New Deals set to be handed out

In the report from insiders Claret & Hugh, which details the bumper new deals set for the Czech pair, the final line may come of particular interest to Irons fans, suggesting that Rice is ‘another’ player who could have a new deal in the pipeline.

The report reads: “Declan Rice is another who could be handed fresh terms – as soon as he is willing to put to paper, there will be a deal waiting for him!”

After making his 24th appearance for England and scoring his first goal for the Three Lions, BBC pundit Chris Sutton has hailed the midfielder as ‘an outstanding talent’, whilst Gary Lineker also congratulated Rice on his Twitter.

The Verdict: Needs to happen

Rice has been instrumental for Moyes’ side since the former Manchester United boss arrived at the London Stadium.

Alongside Soucek in the middle, Rice has boasted 1.7 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per game this season, playing every minute of the Premier League campaign so far.

He has now deservedly cemented himself in Gareth Southgate’s squad and has been linked with a move to his boyhood club Chelsea – the Champions League winners’ interest shows exactly how well the Hammers star is performing.

Keeping Rice at the club is vital for everyone involved if West Ham are to continue their push into the top six.

Manchester United have suffered a big injury blow ahead of their opening Champions League group stage fixture after Edinson Cavani was ruled out of action.

The Red Devils will be looking to get their Group F campaign underway with a victory when they travel to Switzerland to take on Young Boys this evening, but they’ll have to do so without their experienced South American striker.

What’s the word?

Cavani is yet to start for United this season after returning late to Manchester following his summer exploits for Uruguay in the Copa America.

The 34-year-old then suffered a strain in the Red Devils’ behind-closed-doors friendly with Stoke City two weeks ago.

Since then, the former Paris Saint-Germain ace has been pictured doing ball work on the training pitch but he was not in the matchday squad for the win over Newcastle United on Saturday and has not travelled to Bern.

“Edi is hopefully back with us soon,” Solskjaer said in his recent press conference. “He had a slight strain during the international week after the in-house game that we played. He’s working hard to get back.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be gutted

Although United have fared well in Cavani’s absence so far this season, picking up 10 points from a possible 12 in the Premier League, his enforced absence could be a big blow for the 20-time English champions.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s shock arrival on transfer deadline day provided Solskjaer with an abundance of options in the final third, but at 36, the Portugal international won’t be able to play two games a week all season.

Coupled with the fact that Young Boys play on an artificial surface and Anthony Martial has made a slow start to 2021/22, bringing Cavani into the starting lineup would surely have been something Solskjaer may have been contemplating had he been fit. Instead, the manager could be left feeling gutted by the Uruguayan’s untimely absence, not least with the veteran proving a very potent option whenever he is called upon.

In other news… MUFC suffer potential blow in pursuit of “excellent” 22y/o machine, Ole will be gutted 

Matt Woosnam, who covers Crystal Palace for The Athletic, reckons that the south London outfit should have re-signed Gary Cahill.

He joined from Chelsea following his release two years ago, but his contract at Selhurst Park ran out earlier this summer and he is once again a free agent.

The 35-year-old, who often wore the armband in Luka Milivojevic’s absence, made 48 outings during his two seasons at the club, with his experience and quality helping Palace stay in the Premier League under Roy Hodgson.

Following several key experienced departures, 6 ft 4 colossus Cahill was offered fresh terms by the Eagles, although they were unable to agree a new deal and his exit was confirmed by himself on Twitter earlier this month.

New manager Patrick Vieira has since added two centre-backs in Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen to his squad, but Woosnam feels Palace might rue the loss of Cahill.

He told The Transfer Tavern:

“The likes of Gary Cahill would offer a lot to Palace.

“His experience has been vital. I remember his debut at Old Trafford, and he was coaching 29-year-old Patrick van Aanholt through the game. You think that’s crazy when he has so much experience, so I would have kept him.”

Lee Ryder has said that Newcastle United are now willing to let Matty Longstaff go out on loan before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Limited games

Longstaff was limited to a mere five senior games in the Premier League in the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt), and with the arrival of Joe Willock on a permanent deal from Arsenal, the central midfield player could see even fewer minutes on the pitch in this campaign.

Thus, he may want to think about leaving St. James’ Park in order to guarantee himself more matches and further his development.

The Latest: Ryder on Longstaff

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder has said that the North East club have agreed to allow Longstaff to leave on loan.

The Englishman is hoping for a move to the EFL Championship, with Sheffield United, Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield Town all said to be interested in his signature.

The Verdict: Right move

It would certainly be the right move for all parties involved if Longstaff did move out on loan, especially down to the Championship.

Described as a ‘talented’ player by pundit Kevin Campbell back in June, the 21-year-old still has a lot of potential, and as a local boy, the Tyneside club should be looking at keeping him for the future.

However, a loan move would mean that he would get more game time, and could come back into Steve Bruce’s squad a much better player after a season in the extremely physical second tier.

In other news, find out what the latest is on NUFC’s alleged pursuit of this £55k-p/w ace here!

Michael Ball has called for Manchester City to spend their money wisely and not pay over the odds for Harry Kane.

Kane has been among City boss Pep Guardiola’s top summer targets since the England captain publicly confirmed he was eager to leave Tottenham Hotspur in a bid to challenge for more silverware.

The Sun reported Kane was set to get his wish and join the current Premier League champions in a £160million deal after Spurs chairman Daniel Levy sanctioned the move. However, City dismissed claims of the transfer, which would break the British transfer record, being agreed.

Kane finished last season as the Premier League’s Golden Boot winner and also registered the most assists, resulting in him snapping up the Playmaker award.

Guardiola is looking to strengthen his attacking options after seeing club legend Sergio Aguero depart following the expiry of his contract and join Spanish giants Barcelona.

While he believes Kane is the ideal replacement for Aguero, former City left-back Ball does not feel the 28-year-old is worth £160million.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I hope they don’t pay £160million but I hope Harry Kane still goes to Manchester City.

“They need that type of player to push for that Champions League, which is what they’re craving.

“If they feel £160million is worth it to make that happen, so be it.”

Crystal Palace confirmed Osian Roberts as the club’s new assistant manager on Friday afternoon.

As to be expected, a number of Eagles supporters were quick to give their thoughts to the news via social media.

Roberts, who was described as ‘the most influential man in Welsh football’, becomes Patrick Vieira’s newest backroom staff addition after Kristian Wilson arrived as first-team coach and Said Aigoun as development coach.

The Welshman recently stepped down as the Moroccan Football Federation’s technical director and was pictured in Palace colours alongside Shaun Derry in the club’s pre-season friendly with Reading.

Vieira actually gained his coaching badges on a programme overseen by Roberts, with the pair now set to work side by side at Selhurst Park in the Premier League.

Palace fans react

Palace announced the appointment by posting on their official Twitter page and here is what these Eagles fans had to say in reply, with one describing the appointment as ‘fantastic’.

“yeah we’re winning the league”Credit: @bentekefan0″Wow”Credit: @w_cpfc”We’re massive”Credit: @zakksharpe”A fantastic edition to the #cpfcfamily.”Credit: @AmandaClark44″about time. brilliant appointment though”Credit: @CPFC_Ollie_”Another member of the backroom staff confirmed, PV’s team well and truly taking shape.”Credit: @BackOfTheNest

In other news: Many CPFC fans buzzing as transfer news emerges.

An update has emerged on Lausanne defender Moritz Jenz, regarding Celtic’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to the Scottish Sun, Celtic are interested in signing the centre-back as Ange Postecoglou attempts to bolster his defensive options ahead of next season.

The report claims that Brighton are also preparing a £20m bid for Hoops forward Odsonne Edouard, which could free up funds for the Australian to make improvements to his team.

Fans would love it

Celtic must seal a deal for Jenz this summer to bolster their ranks as he could be a solid addition to Ange Postecoglou’s squad. The 6ft 2 gem impressed in the Swiss league and could be ready to make the move over to Scotland to come in and help the Hoops challenge Rangers for the title next term.

Last season, Jenz averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.95 for Lausanne. SofaScore rating him the same (71) for defending quality and higher (63-58) than Kristoffer Ajer for tactical intelligence. The recently departed Norweigan has left a gaping hole at the back for the Hoops and it is one that Jenz could now come in and fill, with these statistics suggesting that he could be of a similar level. Although, it is impossible to gauge the difference in quality between the leagues and whether or not he would be able to adapt to Scottish football.

One impressive statistic that Jenz ended the 2020/21 campaign with was that he only made one direct error leading to a goal in 30 matches. This shows that he is not prone to making blunders at the back and could, therefore, come in as a reliable and solid defender for fans to enjoy watching. It would not be ideal to bring in a centre-back who is used to regularly giving up easy shots on goal, as that would make them a liability in the back four and frustrate supporters.

He also has plenty of room for development. At the age of 22, he is still in the infancy of his professional career and he could be a player who is able to improve over the course of his time at the club, rather than arriving as the finished article. This is why fans would love to him arrive at the club and Celtic must swoop for the defender this summer and add him to their squad for the short and the long term.

AND in other news, Frimpong 2.0: Celtic lodge bid for “instrumental” £3m beast, Ange would love him…

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks.

And a number of Villa supporters have been sharing their displeasure with the rumour regarding the Spurs man on social media.

According to Mike McGrath of The Telegraph in his transfer notebook, Villa are monitoring Winks and Norwich City’s Todd Cantwell as possible midfield additions.

Reports from a Football Insider source last month suggested that Tottenham would listen to offers for Winks this summer.

The 25-year-old, who plays as a defensive or central midfielder, still has three years left on his Spurs contract.

He’s made 173 appearances for the club to date, and it seems as if Villa have been keeping a close eye on the England international ahead of a potential move.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared the links to both Winks and Cantwell on Twitter on Wednesday.

These Villa fans didn’t seem keen on a possible swoop for the Spurs midfielder, with one describing it as ‘another Barkley’.

“Wouldn’t say no to Cantwell but Harry Winks can stay well away thank you”Credit: @GaryBolton91″Cantwell yes Winks please no”Credit: @_JackAvfc”I feel like Winks would be another Barkley.”Credit: @JayVtid”Douglas Luiz > Harry Winks not even a debate”Credit: @GW_94″Not really keen on Winks, always felt he’s massively overrated. I’d definitely take Cantwell as an option off the bench. Harsh on Trez who’s out long term but he’s definitely an upgrade”Credit: @Benjmeister85″Winks? No thanks.”Credit: @AVFCTranstweet

In other news: Many AVFC fans react to Mark Goldbridge’s post on Jack Grealish, find out more here. 

As per Football Insider, Southampton are closing in on the signing of Adam Armstrong after Danny Ings turned down a new contract at the club.

The Lowdown: Ings turns down new deal

Ings has long been linked with a move away from the Saints, with both Manchester City (Sky Sports) and Tottenham (Eurosport) in particular linked with his services.

He is now arguably closer to the exit door than ever though, with him turning down a four-year contract to stay at St. Mary’s Stadium (The Athletic via Sky Sports).

The Latest: Saints close to Armstrong

Now, it has been revealed that the Saints are close to signing Armstrong for £10m.

A source has claimed to Football Insider that Saints are now in pole position for capture the 24-year-old forward.

The Verdict: Prolific

Losing Ings would be a huge blow for Southampton – with 34 goals across the last two Premier League campaigns (Transfermarkt), he has been a key player for Ralph Hasenhuttl.

However, in Armstrong they would be picking up a prolific striker who has earned his chance to play in the Premier League.

Last term, he netted 28 goals in 40 Championship matches despite Blackburn’s bottom-half finish – only Brentford’s Ivan Toney struck the back of the net on more occasions in the second tier (BBC).

Throughout his career, he has managed 110 goals, 64 of which have come for his current club. For £10m, he could prove to be a steal.

In other news, Southampton want to sign this defender on loan.