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Reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has now shared his thoughts on the rumours linking Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Lukaku rumours

After enduring a difficult return to life in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge, a whole host of transfer rumours have emerged linking the Belgium international with a move away from the West London club.

Back in April, 90min reported that Chelsea are prepared to let the 29-year-old leave this summer, amid interest from former club Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.

However, Italian media outlet La Repubblica claimed that Lukaku was more likely to join Antonio Conte at Tottenham, rather than making a return to the Serie A.

The Latest: Gold’s claim

During football.london’s latest QnA, Gold was asked if there is any truth in the Lukaku rumours. In his response, he claimed:

“Conte loves him but I’d have my doubts over whether Chelsea would deal with Spurs and also whether Lukaku would feel he’d get to play week in, week out with Harry Kane at the club. He wouldn’t be the main man.

“They may well be able to play together but what that would mean for Son and Kulusevski I don’t know. It’s a lot of money for a player who hasn’t had the happiest time back in the Premier League. I just can’t see Chelsea dealing with a London rival and their former manager, but who knows what could happen in this crazy summer.”

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The Verdict: Conte doesn’t need him

Hailed a ‘complete striker’ by Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci, Lukaku was a dominant force under Conte at Inter, having netted an impressive 64 goals in 95 games.

However, the Italian boss now has Harry Kane at his disposal, whom he is also said to be an extremely big fan of.

When compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, Kane ranks in the 86th percentile for non-penalty expected goals, whereas Lukaku comes in at the 68th percentile for the same statistic (via FB Ref), and it doesn’t take any such statistics to see the former is a superior playmaker too.

Therefore, with Conte’s preferred formation utilising just one out-and-out striker, it seems unlikely that Lukaku would join Spurs with Kane still at the club, ‘crazy’ summer or not.

In other news: Journalist says Conte will be ‘impressed’ by quick Perisic swoop

Southampton are interested in re-signing Danny Ings this summer, according to a report from 90min. 

The lowdown: Ings’ Premier League past

Sold last summer for £25m following three years at St Mary’s (Sky Sports), the striker left the Saints having scored 46 times and registered 10 assists in 100 outings.

Despite being a regular for Aston Villa last season, the 29-year-old could already be deemed surplus to requirements as Steven Gerrard looks to strengthen the ranks in the Midlands.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given his impressive top-flight record of 62 goals in 170 Premier League appearances, Southampton could be in the mix to bring Ings back to the south coast…

The latest: Saints keeping tabs on Ings

As per 90min, the Saints have ‘asked to be kept informed’ of the situation surrounding the three-cap England ace.

It’s claimed that fellow south coast clubs Brighton & Hove Albion and newly-promoted Bournemouth are also keen on signing Ings this summer.

The report states that Villa will ‘entertain offers’ for the man who Martin Keown dubbed ‘outstanding’ in 2020 amidst interest from elsewhere.

The verdict: No-brainer

Despite leaving in rather inauspicious circumstances, the opportunity to bring the Englishman back to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad isn’t one which should be passed up by Southampton.

Having ended the 2021/22 season with four consecutive defeats, the Saints will be looking to freshen up the squad this summer, and the attacking department is certainly in dire need of a more clinical goal threat.

Club captain James Ward-Prowse ended the campaign as their top scorer with 11 from midfield, with strikers Che Adams, Shane Long and Adam Armstrong only mustering 12 goals between them.

Meanwhile, Ings netted seven goals and provided six assists in 30 Premier League outings for Villa, so he remains a worthwhile target for Hasenhuttl and co.

In other news: ‘Likely to be resolved quickly’ – Southampton meet with agent as they ‘world class’ 40-cap forward move…find out more here

Rangers have been linked with a move for a player who could prove to be the next James Tavernier in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side at Ibrox.

According to the print edition of The Sun (via The Boot Room), the Light Blues manager is keen on signing a 23-year-old full-back from the English Championship this summer.

Stoke City’s Josh Tymon has recently been linked with a move to Rangers, but any such transfer will have to wait until either Borna Barisic leaves or Champions League qualification is potentially secured, as the Potters value him at £5m.

Last season was Tymon’s best in a Stoke shirt since he joined the club in 2017. He made 44 appearances in the Championship, contributing one goal and four assists and averaging a solid 6.73 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

At 23, the left-back still has plenty of time to improve. If he joins Rangers, he could even have a similar impact to Tavernier, who was playing in the English Football League before his move to Glasgow in 2015, with the right-back arguably securing legendary status at Ibrox with his performances in the seven years since.

In 347 appearances for the Teddy Bears, the former Wigan Athletic man has gone on to contribute an extraordinary 83 goals and 107 assists from right-back, with the 30-year-old remarkably finishing as the top scorer in the entire Europa League last season with seven goals in 14 appearances.

According to Football Transfers, Tymon is a stylistically similar player to the Rangers captain, with both full-backs loving to get forward and put in crosses; while WhoScored suggests that both Tymon and Tavernier’s strengths include key passes and concentration.

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One of Tavernier’s most impressive attributes is his athleticism and physicality, and Tymon certainly doesn’t seem to be short of that either.

Stoke manager Michael O’Neill praised the 23-year-old in that respect last season, saying: “He never lost what he had, his natural attributes: athletically very, very good, quick, left-sided. What he’s got now is that his confidence and belief has grown.

“He understands the game. He’s got good game intelligence and he’s easy to work with. I always felt from a manager’s point of view that there was a player in there but he had to get it out of himself as well.”

The full-back also has an element of flair to his game, being crowned a “nutmeg king” for his efforts in the English Championship last term.

If Tymon were to achieve even half of what Tavernier has at Rangers, then he would surely be worth the £5m fee this summer, so Van Bronckhorst should definitely look to bring him in at Ibrox.

In other news… Rangers could repeat Ryan Kent masterclass with swoop for “bullish” £5.4m-rated gem

Liverpool have not been reluctant when it comes to signing players from fellow Premier League clubs.

Names such as Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain among many others have all made moves to Anfield from other clubs in the top division.

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In the midst of another summer transfer window, it seems as though the Reds have had their eye on signing yet another figure from one of their top-flight colleagues.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Merseyside club had made a £60m bid for Leeds United winger Raphinha, which was rejected by his agent Deco.

Should the Reds look to move on from potentially signing the Brazilian this summer, another Premier League attacker that could serve as a suitable alternative for the Reds and FSG to target is Jarrod Bowen.

Having been linked with a move for the West Ham United winger previously, Jurgen Klopp has also aired his admiration for the Englishman in the past.

Darwin’s a Red! Get your special edition Darwin Nunez tee here.

Since joining the east London club back in the 2020 January transfer window from Hull City, the 25-year-old has scored 27 goals and delivered 21 assists in 102 appearances across all competitions.

With 12 goals and ten assists to his name throughout his 36 league appearances for the Hammers last season, no other player in David Moyes’ squad racked up more shots on target (33) or goal-creating actions (21) than the winger.

This highlights the clear attacking talent Bowen has and why he could be a good fit at Liverpool considering how they racked up more goal-creating actions (156) as a team than any other side in the league last season.

He also ended the recent campaign with an overall performance rating of 7.15/10, making him the highest-rated player at the east London club according to WhoScored.

Labelled as a “bundle of energy” by Gary Neville, Bowen could also be a great addition to Klopp’s side given the high-tempo style of play they are famed for.

Even though he has a reported price tag of £75m, which is more than the reported fee that the Reds put in for Raphinha, the Hammers star could well be worth making a big investment on given how he’s already proven to be a deadly attacking figure in the Premier League.

In other news: Contact made: FSG now plot Liverpool move for £34.3m “special talent”, Klopp needs him

Leeds United winger Raphinha is ‘very close’ to joining Arsenal, according to Barcelona journalist Adria Soldevila.

The Lowdown: Barcelona out of the running?

Raphinha has been heavily linked with an Elland Road exit in recent months after starring for the Whites last season. The Brazilian is a wanted man at Barcelona, who have already agreed on personal terms for the winger.

However, the Catalan giants find themselves in a financial crisis and don’t appear to be in the position to match Leeds’ valuation, which reportedly stands at a minimum of €50m.

The Latest: Arsenal move ‘very close’

Soldevila, a reporter for various outlets in Catalonia took to Twitter on Monday morning and provided three points on Raphinha’s future.

The first was that the 25-year-old is ‘very close to Arsenal’, the second being that ‘Leeds United sources admit that they know nothing about Barca and that the player does not want to wait’, with the third and final point adding that a move to the Emirates could be finalised ‘this week’.

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The Verdict: Interesting

It looks as if it is extremely likely that Raphinha will be plying his trade in the Premier League next season, but not at Elland Road.

The Whites will want a big fee for their star winger, and with Chelsea and Tottenham also keen, they may be holding out for a bidding war.

However, it appears as if a move to join two fellow Brazilians at Arsenal is on the cards, and it will be interesting to see how he would fit in, especially as Mikel Arteta already has Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe as right-wing options.

In other news: Orta now working on signing 31-goal striker for free; famous Leeds fan may help Elland Road move. 

Bruno Lage and Wolves have been given the green light in their transfer pursuit of Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from L’Equipe, who claimed that the Ligue 1 club are intent on selling the Croatian defender this summer to avoid losing him on a free transfer next year.

As such, it is said that Marseille are willing to entertain offers in order to avoid a direct repeat of the Boubacar Kamara scenario, in which they lost a precocious asset for free due to the Frenchman running down his contract and consequently joining the Old Gold’s Midlands rivals Aston Villa.

As per L’Equipe, it is said that the Croatia international was the subject of a £13m bid during Lage’s first transfer window in charge at Molineux, with Marseille rejecting the offer and Wolves having not signed a centre-back since.

Ruben Dias 2.0

Operating in Jorge Sampaoli’s possession-based team (second-highest in Ligue 1 last term with 62.1%), Caleta-Car has clocked up metrics which are very similar to that of Manchester City colossus Ruben Dias.

Quite simply, with the similarity between the two players, especially throughout the possession phase, Wolves could well sign their own version of Dias in the Croatian asset.

Completing 73.18 passes per match at a success rate of 92.1%, Caleta-Car registers metrics which are scarily close to the Portugal international, who completes 74.12 passes per game at a success rate of 93.6%.

Elsewhere, they are both right-footed centre-backs, both 25 years of age, both scored two goals in their respective leagues, and are of similar height, with Dias standing at 6 foot 1 and Caleta-Car 6 foot 2.

The pair also boast a similar amount of carries, with Caleta-Car averaging 60.95 per game with around 5.22 progressive carries; whilst Dias averages 62.79 carries per 90, with 8.01 of these being progressive.

The similarities between the two are eerie, but with the Croatian rated at around £15m, it means that Lage could sign Dias 2.0 for Wolves. It’s a move which would massively bolster the Old Gold’s backline and comes with an element of safety, with his metrics hinting that the Marseille tank would suit Premier League football.

This is also backed up by Dejan Lovren’s admission, who believes that his compatriot can play in England and once said that he “will explode” onto the big stage.

In other news – “I keep hearing…”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge Wolves update that will leave supporters buzzing

CBS Sports Golazo journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that Youri Tielemans ‘will sign’ for Arsenal, if an agreement is reached with Leicester City.

The Lowdown: ‘Stepped back’

Gunners journalist Charles Watts has reported that Mikel Arteta’s side have ‘stepped back’ in their pursuit of Tielemans this summer, in order to try to get deals for the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Raphinha over the line.

Interest in him from other clubs has now emerged as a result, notably Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Latest: Tielemans update

Taking to Twitter, Jacobs has revealed that Tielemans ‘wants to join’ AFC, with Edu and the club still ‘in touch’ with his agent. They have ‘agreed terms’, but an official bid has not been made:

“Tielemans wants to join Arsenal and Edu still in touch with his agent. Arsenal have agreed terms, and worked on the deal for a year, but have never placed an official bid.”

He added that if the teams can reach an agreement, then Tielemans ‘will sign’ for the North London club, and United’s interest could force Edu to make a decision ‘quicker than expected’:

“If Arsenal reach an agreement with Leicester, told Tielemans will sign. But for now, #AFC haven’t decided on him. The genuine interest from #MUFC may force Edu to make a decision quicker than expected, especially if ten Hag pitch proves appealing.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Arsenal have already been scuppered in their chances of signing Raphinha, with both Chelsea and FC Barcelona attempting to hijack a deal, while United have now submitted a bid for Martinez as they look to beat the Gunners to his signature.

Interest in Tielemans is likely to creep up as the window progresses, especially if he does not sign a new contract with the Foxes, with only one year left on his current deal at the King Power Stadium.

Nonetheless, Arteta would have been given encouragement by the fact that he wants to join them, but as the window has shown so far, any deal is not guaranteed, so the Gunners need to act fast and get him signed on the dotted line.

Manchester United’s interest in Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans ‘is growing’, according to CBS Sports Golazo journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: United linked with Tielemans

The Red Devils have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old this year, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that the club have been ‘exploring’ a possible deal.

United appear to be closing in on free agent Christian Eriksen after a verbal agreement was reached, while it seems that they haven’t given up on priority target Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, and it looks as if Tielemans could be another midfielder to make the move to Old Trafford.

The Latest: Jacobs provides Tielemans update

Jacobs took to Twitter on Thursday to provide an ‘update’ on Tielemans. He said that United’s ‘interest is growing’, and along with Arsenal, it could provoke a ‘formal offer’ from the Red Devils.

The reporter tweeted: “Youri Tielemans update. Told Tielemans is more likely than Sergej Milinković-Savić for Arsenal. No truth yet in any bid, though. Man United’s interest is growing and could finally provoke formal offers from both clubs. Tielemans wants Arsenal. But as yet nothing tabled to LCFC.”

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The Verdict: One to watch?

It could well be an extremely busy few weeks at Old Trafford ahead of Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge, with the United boss thought to be a big fan of Tielemans.

The 25-year-old has been hailed as ‘one of Europe’s top midfielders’ by Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers and can play as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder.

The Belgium international has plenty of Premier League experience during his three-year stay at the King Power Stadium, and with Tielemans now into the final 12 months of his contract, a cut-price move could be a possibility for the £49.5m-rated midfielder.

West Ham transfer target Jesse Lingard will reportedly make a final decision on his future in the next week, with a preference towards the Premier League.

What’s the word?

That’s according to David Ornstein, who took to Twitter to update Irons fans about the 29-year-old’s future.

Sharing a corresponding article for The Athletic, he outlined: “Jesse Lingard will make decision on future next week. 29yo wants to be in a club no later than Fri 22 July. Not moving to #MLS but considering Saudi in £10m-per-year deal. Preference is PL (3 offers on the table) but Saudi a firm option.”

West Ham had already shown an interest in Lingard, having reportedly made him a contract offer towards the end of June.

Moyes will be buzzing

David Moyes pulled a rabbit out of the hat when he signed Lingard in January 2021, revitalising the player’s career in the process.

This revelation that the former Manchester United man is keen on staying in the Premier League will delight the Hammers boss, who would surely be more than happy to add this tricky attacker to his already growing list of forwards.

In his 16 games for West Ham on loan last year, Lingard racked up a remarkable haul of 14 goal contributions, helping to propel the Irons to a sixth-place finish. It seemed that he would stick around in east London, but he opted to fight for his place in the Manchester United team and was forced to sit and watch on from the sidelines for the most part last season.

Another stint at the London Stadium could be exactly what the 29-year-old needs, and a full season of his early 2021 form would surely see the Hammers secure European football again next year.

In 2020/21, he boasted a 7.19 average SofaScore rating and took himself to the brink of England’s Euro 2020 squad, playing high-quality football again with a smile on his face.

Moyes was full of praise for the England international, stating that the loanee had “made a big difference” to his side during his time at the London Stadium.

Now that the opportunity once again presents itself to reunite Lingard with West Ham, it seems a no-brainer for both parties to get the deal done and see how it can benefit everyone involved.

AND in other news – “West Ham have…”: Fabrizio Romano reveals huge transfer update that supporters will love

Leeds United are reportedly interested in making a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward, Adama Traore, as the club plots a replacement for former talisman, Raphinha.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jacques Talbot has suggested it could prove an “absolute bargain” were the Elland Road outfit to poach the Spaniard this summer, amid reports that he could cost as little as £10m.

Following suggestions that the Yorkshire side have made a move for the 25-year-old, Talbot stated: “Raphinha and Traore, they’re both right sided, so that would make sense. He’s a cheap player, he is Premier League proven and he can, on his day, be absolutely phenomenal.

“He can do a lot of things that a lot of players can’t, big in size, a smart player. I didn’t realise it was £10m. I think that’s an absolute bargain.”

As the transfer insider alluded to, the eight-cap gem – who has just a year remaining on his existing deal at Molineux – would seemingly be a direct replacement for the aforementioned Raphinha, with the 25-year-old having recently joined Barcelona in a £55m deal.

Absolute bargain

Managing to secure the signing of the pacy colossus for such a minimal fee would no doubt prove an astute piece of business for sporting director Victor Orta, with Traore a simply unique asset who can enhance any side.

There are perhaps understandable concerns over his attacking output, having scored just eight goals and provided 14 assists in 160 Premier League games thus far – including spells at both Middlesbrough and Aston Villa – although few players possess his innate knack for terrorising defenders.

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Lethal on the counter and devastating down either flank, the “sensational” brute – as he has been described by journalist Graeme Bailey – will offer a potent threat for manager Jesse Marsch, with opposition defenders rarely enjoying an easy ride against the £18m-rated ace.

That point is rubberstamped by his impressive statistical record of late, the £46k-per-week machine comparing favourably to his peers across Europe’s top five leagues, notably ranking in the top 1% for progressive carries and in the top 3% for dribbles completed, showcasing his brilliance with the ball at his feet.

Equally, during his recent six-month loan stint at Camp Nou – where he had previously risen through the youth ranks  – the dynamic forward also put to bed some of those doubts regarding his end product, chipping in with four assists in all competitions for Xavi’s side.

While the La Liga outfit opted not to sign him permanently, having instead decided to pursue Raphinha, the door has been left open for Leeds to pounce, with it looking as if the 5-foot-10 speedster is set for pastures new this summer.

There may undoubtedly be moments of frustration for supporters when watching Traore, although managing to sign such an explosive talent for just £10m represents a deal that is simply too good to turn down.

AND in other news: Victor Orta plotting Leeds bid for “formidable” £19m sensation, he’s “one of the best”