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Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks to sign Jules Kounde…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who delivered a fresh update on Spurs’ pursuit of the impressive Sevilla defender on this week’s episode of the ‘Here We Go’ podcast.

He said:

“Kounde could be an opportunity.

“Also, Manchester United are on the list. Tottenham are considering a move, they are in contact with his agents.

“For sure Tottenham will do something in defence, [at] right-back and centre-back in the next weeks.”

It’s also thought that the France international is a specific target of newly-appointed manager Nuno Santo, with fellow Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio claiming it is his first request at the club (via Marca).

Instant hit

Nuno has one hell of a job on his hands after Spurs’ farcical managerial search came to a much-needed end on Wednesday. One of the biggest problems facing the Portuguese coach is the need to perform a squad overhaul, in which an unhappy Harry Kane features.

The 47-year-old may have to shift a lot of deadwood and underperformers on, in order to bolster the playing squad to the extent that they could challenge the top six again next term.

And according to the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, the North London outfit are prepared to listen to offers for as many as six first-team stars, including inconsistent centre-back Davinson Sanchez.

Well, if Nuno were to replace the £42m flop with someone of Kounde’s calibre, then he could well become an instant hit at the club. It would certainly be one way to win over the small section of supporters that are against his arrival.

Considering his price tag, the Colombian defender has never cemented his place down in the team or lived up to his potential and at just 25, Spurs could make a considerable amount back if they manage to offload him.

He was dubbed a “real liability” and slammed as someone who “costs you 20 goals a season” by a few former professionals during 2020/21.

Kounde could be a real star of the future as at 22 years of age, he’s made France’s Euro 2020 squad following another impressive season at Sevilla.

He ended the campaign as their highest-rated player (7.01), having averaged three aerial duels won, 1.2 interceptions as well as a 90.1% passing accuracy, via WhoScored.

The £54m-rated beast has been described as a “pretty special” talent by La Liga expert Euan McTear, who told The Transfer Tavern: “He’s still so young, he’s got energy, great positioning too. All the centre-backs, not just in Spain I think, but if you look around Europe, he’s got to be one of the highest prospects.”

Interestingly, the 5 foot 10 defender can also play at full-back, so that gives Nuno plenty of potential tactical options heading into next season.

Sevilla are said to want around £50m to let their star man depart this summer but he would be the perfect statement of intent for the newly-appointed Spurs boss.

It’s time to wave goodbye to Sanchez to pave the way for the marquee addition of Kounde.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Spurs transfer claim…

As per football.london correspondent Tom Clark, a West Ham United transfer update has come to light involving Manchester City defender Nathan Ake.

The Lowdown: Ake keen to join…

An emergency central defensive signing is on the agenda for manager David Moyes as he aims to keep his West Ham side in contention to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

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Injuries to both Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna have prompted both the Scotsman and recruitment chief Rob Newman to look at their options in January with City ace Ake one of their targets.

As per Eurosport journalist Dean Jones, the 26-year-old ‘is believed to be keen’ on the prospect of a move to the London Stadium if his side sanction a transfer.

Clark, writing for football.london, has now shared an update.

The Latest: Newman exploring offer…

As per his sources, West Ham, and by extension transfer chief Newman, are ‘exploring’ an offer to sign Ake in January.

However, a deal may be difficult to pull off given City are in no hurry to let him leave – especially since the Netherlands ace has worked his way back into contention with 11 appearances so far.

The Verdict: Pull out all the stops?

The £28.8 million-valued ace would be a shrewd signing for Moyes given his versatility as a central defender, left-back and even a defensive midfield man.

Ake would plug many gaping holes in West Ham’s side and come as a really assured presence – having averaged a better pass success rate out from the back (93.2%) in the Premier League than any Irons defender (WhoScored).

Lauded as ‘underrated’ by Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk, this further highlights his quality, but if City refuse to budge on letting him go then Anfield defender Nathaniel Phillips could be a great alternative.

It is believed that the 24-year-old could leave for just £15 million and he has already signalled his willingness to leave next month as West Ham eye a move (The Sun).

In other news: ‘We are back’, ‘What I wanted to hear’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘best news’ has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Aston Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi, who is currently on loan at Everton, isn’t wanted by either club in the summer, Football Insider have reported.

The Lowdown: Everton loan…

The 26-year-old hasn’t had the best of seasons, making just four Premier League starts, all of which came under former Villa boss Dean Smith.

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El Ghazi was sent out on loan to Everton in the January transfer window, but he has played just 11 minutes of football under Frank Lampard.

Labelled as ‘inconsistent’ by Villa podcaster Aaron Clark, it now looks as if the Dutch winger will be on the hunt for a new home over the coming months.

The Latest: Source’s reveal

Football Insider shared an update on El Ghazi after being informed by a Villa source. They claimed that the attacker will be let go by Everton in the summer, with Villa looking to secure a permanent exit for the player.

Steven Gerrard does not see the 26-year-old in his plans ahead of his first full season in charge, with the player set to enter the final 12 months of his Villa Park deal in the summer.

The Verdict: Right call?

Gerrard has also given the green light over an exit for midfielder Morgan Sanson in recent days, so it seems as if there will be a major shake-up over the coming months.

A permanent move away for El Ghazi does seem to be the correct decision, though, with the winger clearly not in the manager’s plans after he agreed to a winter loan move.

Villa officials may well have been hoping that Everton would take up the option to make El Ghazi’s move permanent for €10m (£8.4m), but it looks as if Johan Lange will be on the phone looking to find a new permanent home for the winger.

In other news: Newcastle now keen on signing another Villa player as advanced update emerges

Former Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama is hoping to make a Parkhead return, Football Scotland report.

The Lowdown: Wanyama since Celtic exit…

Wanyama, who was a colossus for Celtic, made 91 appearances in green and white during his two-year stay.

The Hoops made a £12m profit on the Kenyan after Southampton paid over £13m for his services in 2013.

Since then, the midfielder has made 154 appearances in the Premier League with the Saints and Tottenham, where he was hailed by Mauricio Pochettino and called ‘fantastic’ by Christian Eriksen.

He is now plying his trade with MLS side Montreal, with the 30-year-old under contract with Montreal for another 12 months, but it seems as if he has his eye on a return to Scotland.

The Latest: Open to return

Wanyama, talking to Football Scotland, admitted he would ‘love’ to play for the Hoops again and opened up on a ‘loan approach’ during Neil Lennon’s time in charge.

“I had a contract at Tottenham and they were very difficult to let me go, the demands were very hard.

“Celtic was a club that I would love to play for again and again. It’s more than a club. I enjoyed my time there.

“I honestly want to come back and give it a last go because I love the club, the people there, the fans, just everything there was great. They give the players everything to go on the pitch and perform. Everything was just on top.

“There was a loan approach but I don’t know what happened. I didn’t follow it up that much.

“I spoke to Neil as well and he said to me ‘it’s difficult with the demands’ and at that time they didn’t have the money to make it happen.

“But it is what it is. As I say, I still love that club, it’s in my heart.”

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The Verdict: Midfielders needed:

Wanyama is seemingly extremely keen on a return to Celtic, and the Hoops could do with midfield reinforcements.

Ange Postecoglou has relied heavily on Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and David Turnbull this season, with Nir Bitton filling in for Rogic in recent weeks.

On that basis, a move for Wanyama could be a smart one, especially with his wealth of experience and previous Hoops connections, however, the club might be cautious following James McCarthy’s form since joining on a four-year deal.

McCarthy, the same age as Wanyama, has started just three times this season and appears to be struggling to break into Postecoglou’s side, so they could be better off bringing in a younger midfielder with one eye on the future instead of possibly having another McCarthy on their hands.

In other news: Celtic now hoping to sign 11-goal international in January. 

A big update has emerged on Rangers and Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s plans for Ibrox loanee Aaron Ramsey…

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, the Gers are plotting a potential swoop to sign the gem on a permanent basis at the end of the season.

He is currently on loan from Italian giants Juventus and the Serie A side are said to be willing to let him leave on a free transfer, despite his current contract expiring in the summer of 2023.

Outstanding

Arsenal icon Martin Keown once dubbed the Welshman as “outstanding” and that is exactly what he would be for van Bronckhorst next season.

He has already shown glimpses of what he is capable of in a Light Blues shirt, with two goals in his last two games, and it is exciting to think about what he could do with a full pre-season under his belt.

The £175k-per-week midfielder has enjoyed an excellent career at the top level and his pedigree suggests that there is more to come from him in Glasgow. He scored 65 goals and provided 65 assists in 371 matches for Arsenal, before heading to Turin to chip in with 12 goals and assists in 70 outings.

This shows that he has the quality to regularly deliver in the final third with his bursts forward from the middle of the park. He played in the number 10 role against Celtic and caught the eye with a SofaScore rating of 7.6, winning 100% of his duels, scoring a goal, and creating two chances for his teammates.

Ross Wilson sang the gem’s praises in January, saying: “Not only is Aaron a world-class player who will play a key role in our team, his level of ability and professional standards will be an inspiration to our existing players.”

His recent form in the Premiership is now starting to live up to the hype and it is down to him to continue to deliver on the pitch, whilst making sure that he does not suffer any injury setbacks.

Ramsey’s career statistics and his two goals in two league starts for Rangers suggest that he will be able to have a huge impact on the pitch next season if they sign him permanently. He has the quality to be an outstanding player for the Glasgow giants and van Bronckhorst will surely be keen to keep him.

Wilson must now work hard off the pitch to make this a deal that is financially viable for the Gers, to take advantage of Juventus being willing to let him go for nothing.

AND in other news, Smith endured big Rangers howler over “world-class” £7.5m gem who was “admired by all”…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been slamming the display of Alfredo Morelos in their game at home to Hearts in the Premiership this afternoon.

It was not the Colombia international’s best day as he was guilty of missing several decent chances to make the match more comfortable for Steven Gerrard’s men, after John Lundstram had given his team the lead late in the first half at Ibrox.

The striker was also guilty of giving the ball away far too cheaply and far too often throughout the match in an overall performance which would have disappointed his manager considering what Morelos can produce.

Nonetheless, he must now put this performance behind him and try to make amends in the Europa League in midweek.

Rangers fans on Morelos display

These Rangers fans slammed Morelos’ performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he was ‘rotten’:

“Morelos looks miles off it. Again.”

Credit: @BMCRangersRants

“Not alone. Morelos has been rotten”

Credit: @Grove1969

“Announce the 2019/20 Morelos please”

Credit: @johnbucky81

“Get that Morelos off!!!!”

Credit: @RFC5572

“Hook Morelos. Please”

Credit: @FinlayV3

“If Morelos could finish game would be over”

Credit: @Dp1973Dp

In other news, find out what Michael Stewart comments have left these Gers fans raging

Fulham are interested in a deal to bring Bruno Paz to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Portuguese media outlet Record (via The 72), who claim that the Sporting Lisbon defensive midfielder has emerged on the radar of Marco Silva, who could be planning for life after Jean-Michael Seri, with the 30-year-old being linked with a move away from west London this summer.

The report goes on to state that Sporting may be willing to allow the 23-year-old to leave the club for nothing in the summer transfer window, however, they are hoping to insert a €2.5m (£2.1m) buy-back clause into any potential deal, in addition to a further sell-on clause.

Bye-bye Seri

While Paz has struggled to establish himself in the Sporting first-team after graduating from the club’s youth system, making just one senior appearance so far in his career, it would nevertheless appear the midfielder is a player with a significant amount of potential.

Indeed, the £518k-rated man has featured for every Portugal age group from U15 to the U21 team, while the 23-year-old has also racked up 47 appearances for the Sporting U19, U23 and B-team sides – with Portugal Resident journalist Skip Bandele dubbing the Paz a “promising” talent.

And, with the youngster having been stuck behind the likes of William Carvalho, Joao Palhinha, Manuel Ugarte and Idrissa Doumbia for the defensive midfield role during his time at Sporting, perhaps his failure to break into the first team is less a reflection of his own talent, but more so that the Leoes have been blessed with a number of exceptional players in the position in recent years.

Furthermore, considering the player looks to be available on a free transfer, as well as his salary not even being listed by Capology, should Silva go on to sanction the sale of the £65k-per-week Seri this summer, Paz would not only seem to be a replacement with a much higher ceiling than the Ivory Coast international, but also a substantially more cost-effective player.

As such, it would appear highly advisable for Tony Khan to take something of a risk-free gamble on the Sporting starlet this summer, as the bargain signing of Paz could turn out to be something of a masterclass by the Fulham director of football.

In other news: Silva drops claim on “important” hardly-seen Fulham gem that’ll leave fans buzzing

Newcastle United have been given fresh hope in their transfer pursuit of Ousmane Dembele.

The Lowdown: Newcastle ‘in pole’

Mundo Deportivo reported last week (via Sport Witness) that the St James’ Park outfit are ‘in pole position’ to sign Dembele and are ‘pushing very hard’ to sign the winger from Barcelona.

They have reportedly offered an ‘astronomical proposal’ worth €15m (£12.7m) per season and a signing-on bonus of €15m (£12.7m), and his agent would also get a generous commission.

It will no doubt be interesting to see whether Dembele’s head will be turned by the money, given that the Magpies currently find themselves in a relegation battle.

The Latest: Deadline set

As per Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Xavi has now set a deadline of December 15 for Dembele’s future to be resolved at Camp Nou.

His delay in accepting their contract offer is ‘giving hope’ to Newcastle, as well as Manchester United, as they look to potentially sign him on a free transfer next summer.

The Verdict: Depends on relegation

If the Magpies end up relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season, then they will surely have no chance in capturing a player of the calibre of Dembele.

Recently dubbed ‘phenomenal’ by Barcelona’s latest signing Dani Alves, the 24-year-old has scored and set up plenty of goals at the highest level, and the World Cup with France in 2018 is just one of many high-profile trophies that he has won in the game.

Footballing great and former teammate Lionel Messi even once described Dembele as a ‘frightening’ player, which is one of the highest endorsements you can get, and there seems little doubt that he would elevate the quality in Eddie Howe’s squad.

However, Newcastle must survive the drop first of all before evaluating their options in the summer.

In other news, NUFC are also after this forward from the continent

Taking to Patreon, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has made a transfer claim involving Wout Weghorst whilst also sharing an ‘interesting’ update.

The Lowdown: West Ham still in striker hunt…

West Ham’s hunt for a new centre-forward alternative to Michail Antonio has been ongoing since last January, when David Moyes first confirmed that offers had been made.

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Since then, their search has so far proved fruitless as they are repeatedly linked with many options, with Moyes himself going as far as to say he was ‘desperate’ for a forward signing over the summer.

The likes of Andrea Belotti, Adam Hlozek and Youssef En-Nesyri have been mentioned lately, but talk of a past summer target in Wolfsburg striker Weghorst has now resurfaced.

The Latest: Ex shares ‘interesting’ update…

Writing on his Patreon, Ex said that Weghorst continues to be a ‘definite target’ after West Ham’s public links earlier this year.

As well as this, the club insider relays an ‘interesting’ social media update, namely that the 29-year-old has now started following the club on Instagram.

He added that while you cannot read too much into his decision, it is certainly worth discussing given West Ham’s links with the player.

The Verdict: A must move?

While the towering 6 foot 6 colossus is slowly approaching the twilight phase of his career, he could be a brilliant backup option to Antonio going by his plaudits and goalscoring record.

He racked up an impressive 25 goal in all competitions last season for Wolfsburg and has even drawn comparisons to former Premier League star Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Lauded as the ‘most dangerous player in front of goal’ by his former boss Oliver Glasner, The Athletic claimed over the summer that he is valued at around €30m (£25.9m), a fee which could represent good value for money for West Ham.

In other news: ‘Christmas sorted’, ‘Announce the league’ – ExWHUemployee’s ‘fantastic news’ has many West Ham fans excited, find out more here.

An update has emerged regarding Celtic’s pursuit of Sheffield United defender George Baldock…

What’s the talk?

Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show, via Vital Football, former Hoops player Davie Provan claimed that the Glasgow club are baulking at the 28-year-old’s wages, which is causing their pursuit of the full-back to slow down.

The 65-year-old said: “George Baldock, I think, would have been a great signing for Celtic. Apparently they are baulking at the wages.

“But you know good players cost good money and Baldock is the type of player that Celtic are going to have to sign.”

Ange will be frustrated

If Baldock’s wage demands are causing an issue for Celtic, then Ange Postecoglou will be incredibly frustrated as the club would be missing out on a potentially excellent addition to their squad.

The right-back played 70 Premier League matches over the past two seasons for Sheffield United, particularly impressing in the 2019/20 campaign. He averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.79 that term, scoring twice and setting up three goals in 38 starts.

This shows that he has the quality to play in the top flight in England, suggesting that he could thrive in the Scottish Premiership for Celtic. As such, former Rangers player Barry Ferguson praised Baldock earlier this summer and backed the Hoops to sign him, stating that he would be a solid addition to their squad.

He told Go Radio: “One player that has stuck out has been George Baldock.

“He’s always been a steady Eddie on that right-hand side for Sheffield United. I can see the reasons why Celtic are interested in him.

“They’ll be getting a good, solid player, that’s for sure.”

This is why Postecoglou will be disappointed if the club’s wage structure prevents them from being able to do a deal for the Englishman. He is on £26k-per-week at Bramall Lane, whilst the Hoops’ top earner from last season was reportedly Scott Brown on £25k-per-week.

For a player of Baldock’s pedigree and quality, it could be worth shelling out slightly to ensure that Celtic are able to significantly strengthen the squad. Postecoglou needs as many good players  in his squad as possible to win back the title from Rangers, and the Sheffield United man fits the bill.

BBC pundit Garth Crooks once compared him to Manchester United legend George Best, after a strike against Norwich in the Premier League. He said:

“I wasn’t sure if it was George Baldock or George Best! I thought I was seeing things when I saw Baldock drag the ball back, pirouette and strike a glorious shot past Tim Krul. The finish – not to mention the skill – was superb along with Sheffield United’s performance.”

Therefore, he could be a sublime signing for the Hoops, as he is a proven, consistent and reliable performer at right-back. He could come in and be the club’s first-choice right-back for years to come, but it appears as though his wages are going to stop that from happening, which is why Postecoglou must be frustrated.

AND in other news, Celtic closing in on deal for “very gifted” gem, he’s the perfect Frimpong replacement…