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As per journalist Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express, the race to sign Benfica striker Darwin Nunez is ‘starting to intensify’ as news emerges involving Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites in contention…

90min, sharing news at the end of last month, namedropped Spurs as one of the interested parties with Nunez attracting a lot of Premier League attention.

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Tottenham, and by extension their transfer chief Fabio Paratici, have allegedly made contact with the forward’s entourage to find out the conditions of a potential deal alongside the likes of Newcastle, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Man United.

London rivals West Ham are also said to taking a keen interest and insider Claret & Hugh believe they’re determined to sign him.

The outlet claims Benfica will demand around £60 million for the 22-year-old, and according to Taylor, Spurs officials even travelled to Portugal on Tuesday evening.

The Latest: Taylor shares Nunez update…

According to the journalist, amid his links to Spurs, it is claimed by ‘Portuguese sources’ that Lilywhites officials were running the rule over Nunez during Benfica’s clash in the Champions League against Liverpool earlier this week.

Taylor says that, alongside Spurs, club scouts from Man City, West Ham, Newcastle, Arsenal and Man United were also there.

The Verdict: Interesting news…

As Paratici sends his Spurs scouts to keep tabs on Nunez, it’s safe to say they would have been particularly impressed, with the young striker grabbing a goal against Liverpool and completing 100% of his take-ons (SofaScore).

Bundesliga expert and Forbes journalist Manuel Veth, speaking on Twitter, has even urged clubs interested in Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland to consider Nunez as an alternative – calling the South American a ‘beast’ of a striker.

As Nunez’ profile continues to grow, Spurs may have to act quickly this summer amid all the competition and his increasingly big name status.

In other news: Tottenham eye agreement ‘in the coming weeks’ as they make offer for exciting midfielder, find out more here.

Newcastle United are expected to have an explosive transfer window this summer, with new owners committed to improving the club’s Premier League form, and now it is reported that they have wasted no time in making a bid for a new player this summer.

What’s the word?

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, Newcastle have made their first move by bidding around €60m (£50m) to sign hot prospect Darwin Nunez.

The North-East club are competing with a number of Premier League sides for the signature of the Benfica star, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool all also reportedly plotting moves for the 22-year-old.

Huge coup for Newcastle

Following their bid, if Newcastle United were able to secure the signing of the star striker over their competitors it would be a huge coup for the club going into next season.

The centre-forward – who is believed to be valued at £83m and has been hailed a “diamond” by Steve McManaman – has been drawing attention to himself this season, scoring 32 goals in all competitions – with 24 goals in 24 games in the league and six huge Champions League goals that guided Benfica to giant killings in the prestigious European competition.

Nunez scored two goals against Barcelona in the group stages, with Benfica taking four points from both games that ultimately led to the LaLiga giants falling into the Europa League, with the striker also bagging against Bayern Munich in the group.

The 22-year-old’s fourth goal in the competition knocked Ajax out in the second leg of their round of 16 clash, however, despite netting two impressive goals against Liverpool over the two legs in the quarter-finals, it wasn’t enough to progress the Portuguese side further – who crashed out of the Champions League at Anfield this week.

A goal-scorer of this calibre exactly fits the profile of what Newcastle need to take them to the next level in 2022/23, with Callum Wilson unable to fulfil the striker role successfully following a series of injuries since he joined the club in 2020, so the signing of Nunez would be an incredible upgrade.

Howe will have a lot of work to do this summer to identify players that can make a difference in the team to ensure they don’t find themselves in another relegation battle next season, and with the backing from the new owners, there’s no doubt that Newcastle will be able to attract a number of great prospects for the team going forward.

AND In other news: NUFC handed big injury boost as major Darsley Park update emerges, Howe surely buzzing

Crystal Palace still want to sign Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah this month, according to journalist Tom Barclay, who was talking to GiveMeSport.

The Lowdown: Ramsey links

Palace are yet to bolster their squad this month but could be set for a busy final few days of the January window going off recent reports. According to Italian news outlet TuttoJuve, the Eagles are getting ‘closer and closer’ to signing Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey.

Patrick Vieira is attempting to ‘convince’ the Welshman over a move to Selhurst Park, with the 31-year-old set to leave Turin before the end of the month. However, it’s not only Ramsey who Vieira wants at Selhurst Park before Monday’s deadline, with Nketiah also on the radar.

The Latest: Barclay’s claim

Barclay was talking to GiveMeSport regarding Palace and the 22-year-old Gunners forward. He revealed that the Eagles are still interested in the £45,000-a-week striker and would like to bring him to the club ‘now’.

Barclay stated: “They are interested. They tried to sign him in the summer and they would like to have him and they’d like to sign him now if possible.

“He’s obviously out of contract at the end of the season. I was told it was a difficult deal to do, Arteta’s gone on record saying he wants him to stay, he’d like him to sign a new contract apparently.”

The Verdict: Unlikely?

Reports prior to the New Year suggested that Palace would cut short Jean-Philippe Mateta’s loan spell to make way for a new striker As we know, that hasn’t happened, and with just days remaining in the transfer window, it seems as if a move for Nketiah won’t materialise.

That’s because Mikel Arteta has previously ruled out a January exit for the striker, so perhaps Palace should be looking at a summer swoop, when Nketiah could be a free agent.

A cut-price move could still be a shrewd one, though, as the forward is only 22 years of age and has 75 appearances for the Gunners under his belt, scoring once every 102 minutes in the current campaign.

In other news: ‘We’re big time’ – Many Palace fans erupt as ‘class’ transfer news emerges

Wolves are reportedly eyeing up moves for Matheus Luiz Nunes and Joao Palhinha, amid doubts surrounding the futures of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.

The Lowdown: Influential pair could leave

Many Wanderers players have impressed throughout what has been a positive season, with Neves and Moutinho undoubtedly two of the key figures.

The Portuguese duo have been superb in the middle of the park, often dovetailing beautifully and starting 53 Premier League matches between them.

It could be that both move on this summer however with Neves linked with an exit and Moutinho’s contract ticking down, which would of course leave a gaping void in Wolves’ midfield.

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The Latest: Ornstein makes key claim

According to The Athletic‘s ever-reliable David Ornstein, Sporting CP duo Nunes and Palhinha are being looked at as possible replacements to Neves and Moutinho, with the pair valued at £50.4million combined by Transfermarkt.

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The Verdict: Key summer at Molineux

Losing both Neves and Moutinho would be a bitter pill to swallow for Wolves, but sadly, it does feel increasingly as though that could be the case.

Bruno Lage would then face the unenviable task of plugging the gap this summer, with those brought in simply having to provide a similarly positive influence for the manager’s success to continue.

Nunes and Palhinha could be those figures, with the pair both still young 23 and 26, respectively, and their Portuguese roots meaning they could fit in seamlessly at Molineux.

Palhinha has shone in a No.6 role for Sporting this season, averaging an 86.5% pass completion rate, while Nunes is more attack-minded, averaging 3.3 dribbles per game in the Champions League.

In other news, Wolves are reportedly ‘planning for life’ without one player. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace supporters have been in high spirits in recent times after seeing their side get back to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday.

Roy Hodgson’s men went into their encounter with struggling Fulham at Selhurst Park having drawn one and lost two of their last three league games, a run which saw them fall towards the division’s bottom three. But the Eagles now sit 14th in the table after a routine 2-0 success over Claudio Ranieri’s Cottagers, with goals from Luka Milivojevic and Jeffrey Schlupp inspiring the hosts to a seventh Premier League win of the season, which in turn moved them four points clear of the relegation zone.

As such, there have been many delighted Palace fans up and down the country in recent times, with supporters likely lauding a fine team effort from their side on Saturday to finally get back to winning ways in the league for the first time since January 2.

And while it was Milivojevic and Schlupp that came up with the vital contributions, it was the performance of Mamadou Sakho in the heart of the Eagles backline that epitomised everything brilliant about Palace at the weekend.

Ultimately, the 28-year-old has proven to be an inspired addition to the Palace backline following his arrival from Liverpool on a permanent deal back in the summer of 2017, what with the centre back excelling in a loan spell earlier that year to underline his importance to this Eagles side.

And the defender, but for the odd lapse in concentration, continues to prove his worth to Hodgson, and that was none-more-so evident than on Saturday as the France international produced another authoritative display to help Palace to a ninth clean sheet of the season.

The centre back may have only touched the ball on 58 occasions over the course of the 90 minutes, what with Fulham dominating possession for much of the encounter, but Sakho finished the contest with a staggering 98% pass success rate, misplacing only one of the 41 passes he attempted – for what it’s worth, no other Palace starter hit 90% on Saturday (as per WhoScored).

And having someone like that on the ball who is comfortable in possession but invariably picks a pass can only be good news in bringing calmness and a measure of control to the backline – Sakho certainly helped do that at the weekend.

Yet the former Liverpool centre back also did his bit off the ball as well to stop Fulham in their tracks, winning three of the five aerial duels he contested over the course of the 90 minutes, as well as making a joint team-high eight clearances and two interceptions to relieve pressure on the Palace defence.

Clearly then, Sakho helped deliver a performance of note both on and off the ball to help Hodgson’s side to a crucial three points on Saturday, with the £13.5 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) the star in a great team display to underline just how much he epitomised everything brilliant about the Eagles at the weekend.

Palace and Fulham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Tottenham Hotspur ‘insider’ John Wenham expects the club to ‘get rid’ of Matt Doherty during the summer transfer window. 

The lowdown

Spurs paid £15.1million to sign Doherty from Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of the 2020/21 season.

The wing-back penned a four-year, £65,400-per-week contract on his arrival in North London.

Doherty was enjoying an extended run in the side under Antonio Conte, starting seven consecutive Premier League matches before sustaining a season-ending knee injury earlier this month.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick said the 30-year-old had been in ‘resurgent’ form, The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare called the injury a ‘big’ blow, and Conte himself confessed it is ‘really bad news’.

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The latest

Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham predicted that Spurs will sell Doherty, whom he believes is ‘out of his depth’.

“I would still get rid of him and I think we will,” he said.

“I’m basing this on the game against Man United. He was in a run of good form and as soon as he came up against someone at a decent level he couldn’t handle it.

“We want to go back to the Champions League next season, that’s the level we need to be at.

“He wasn’t good enough for that, he was out of his depth. I think he will be moved on.

“Hopefully this run of form has done well to increase his price. There is an argument for him staying as backup but I just don’t think he’s good enough for where this club wants to be.”

The verdict

It’s true that Doherty did play in some kinder fixtures prior to his injury.

Spurs’ run included games against Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United and Aston Villa, all of whom currently sit in the league’s bottom seven.

But is Wenham’s assessment of Doherty’s performance in the 3-2 defeat against Manchester United fair?

Well, on the one hand, he won a respectable four out of seven duels and completed 31 of the 36 passes he attempted (via SofaScore).

But on the other, it’s fair to say his offensive impact was limited, given that the Irishman failed to create a chance or find a team-mate with any of his three crosses.

In other news, an Italian transfer report raises the prospect of an Antonio Conte reunion at THFC.

West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh have shared a promising transfer update out of Rush Green involving Leeds United and Premier League star Raphinha.

The Lowdown: Hammers make move…

Hammers boss David Moyes, according to reports, was heavily interested in signing the Brazilian playmaker over winter.

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West Ham apparently made a move for Raphinha in January but to no avail with the South American coming as yet another marquee target GSB couldn’t bring in for the club.

Their bad luck in the last transfer window has even lead to doubts surrounding head of recruitment Rob Newman, according to Claret & Hugh again, with the Irons chief now facing a pivotal summer window.

As Newman aims to take his next set of opportunities to land key targets, C&H have shared an update on Raphinha and West Ham’s interest.

The Latest: Newman could launch ‘cut-price’ move…

According to their information, West Ham, and by extension their transfer chief Newman, are keeping a ‘close eye’ on Leeds’ situation in case they’re relegated.

The club insider goes on to say that the Whites’ drop down to the Championship could allow West Ham to ‘launch cut-price moves’ for Raphinha and another target in Kalvin Phillips.

C&H add that ‘deals will surely be there to be done’ if Jesse Marsch’s side go down.

The Verdict: Promising update…

Signing a player of Raphinha’s calibre for a bargain fee would be pretty special, especially given his serious links to La Liga giants and footballing heavyweights Barcelona.

The 25-year-old has been a revelation at Elland Road and one of their most pivotal figures, with ex-top flight goalkeeper and pundit Paddy Kenny claiming he has been ‘unbelievable’.

Raphinha’s sensational numbers back his obvious quality with the Whites superstar averaging more shots at goal, key passes and successful take-ons per 90 than anyone in Marsch’s squad this season (WhoScored).

If Leeds do indeed drop a division, we believe West Ham shouldn’t hesitate in making a bargain move for the attacker.

In other news: As of now: ExWHUemployee shares West Ham player update after agreement reached…find out more here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in central defender Josko Gvardiol… 

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are set to consider a swoop for the Croatia international at the end of the season, although they are set to face stiff competition for him as a number of sides are keeping an eye on the defender.

RB Leipzig reportedly signed him for £13.5m (€16m) but it remains to be seen how much they would demand for his services this summer.

Van Dijk 2.0

Eddie Howe can find his own Virgil van Dijk by securing a deal to sign Gvardiol this summer as the young defender has the potential to become as good as the Premier League giant, according to someone who has watched him in his home country.

Germania Sport journalist Izak Ante Sucic recently told BBC Sport that he is “built like a tank” and went on to liken him to the Dutch Liverpool star.

He said: “In Croatia we like to compare him to Virgil van Dijk, because he’s built that way (6 foot 1). He’s one of his role models in football and he’s also mentioned Thiago Silva and Sergio Ramos – Ramos because he’s also one of those players who likes to score as many goals as he can.

“In my opinion, I think he can be as good as Virgil one day. When you see how he behaves on the field and off the field, he’s one of those guys where you’d say ‘he’s going to succeed’.”

His statistics in the Bundesliga back up these claims. He has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.12 across 25 appearances, making 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game whilst also completing 84% of his attempted passes for Leipzig – as per SofaScore.

Couple this with the fact that he only turned 20 in January and it shows that he has the potential to make his way right to the top. He is already performing to a high standard on a consistent basis in the German top-flight at such a young age and Sucic believes that he can get to van Dijk’s level.

This is why PIF must do everything in their power to ensure they can strike an agreement with Leipzig for Gvardiol this summer. Howe would then have the opportunity to work with the Croatian to help him fulfil his potential and compete amongst the best centre-backs in Europe.

AND in other news, Howe can unearth a new “outstanding” £20m gem in NUFC’s rarely-seen Darsley Park star…

Leeds United are in talks with Hamburg over a possible loan move for winger Crysencio Summerville.

The Lowdown: Summerville at Leeds

Summerville, labelled as a player with a ‘bag of tricks’, made the move to Yorkshire back in September 2020 and is out of contract at Elland Road next year (summer 2023).

The Dutch U21 international has made 24 appearances for the club’s U23 side and recently scored a hat-trick against Sunderland.

His impressive displays have earned him eight senior appearances under Marcelo Bielsa, but it seems as if he could follow in Cody Drameh’s footsteps in leaving in search of regular first-team football.

The Latest: Talks gathering pace

According to Bild, relayed by Sports Witness, talks are gathering pace between Leeds and Hamburg over a move for Summerville.

The player wants to feature more at senior level, with a long-term loan deal possibly on the cards.

Summerville is also wanted by sides in his native country, but a move to Germany with Hamburg is apparently on the cards before the month is out.

The Verdict: Not ideal

January was supposed to be a month where Victor Orta bolstered Bielsa’s squad for the second half of the season. However, should Summerville leave the club, Leeds could end up with fewer players than they started with.

Of course, both Drameh and Summerville weren’t first-team regulars, however, with the number of injuries Leeds have suffered this season and Bielsa’s small squad, every player is needed at Elland Road.

Key target Brenden Aaronson may not end up joining until the summer, so the club’s outgoing business at the end of the month could now be viewed as a gamble as Leeds look to ensure a third successive season of Premier League football.

In other news: ‘Another?’ – Sky Sports man ‘very surprised’ at ‘crazy’ Leeds United transfer update.

Leicester City are keen on signing reported Liverpool transfer Gleison Bremer target this summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour that has emerged.

The Lowdown: Liverpool keen on Bremer

The Reds have been linked with a move for the Torino centre-back recently, as Jurgen Klopp possibly looks at boosting his defensive options this summer.

Bremer is enjoying another commanding season for the Serie A side, winning a mammoth average of four aerial duels and 3.4 interceptions per game, as well as being hailed as ‘incredible’ by his former manager, Davide Nicola.

It appears as though Liverpool are not alone in expressing an interest in the Brazilian, however.

The Latest: Leicester eyeing up move

According to The Telegraph, Leicester are considering a £40million bid for Bremer, with Brendan Rodgers seeing him as an ideal summer signing.

The 25-year-old’s current Torino deal expires at the end of the 2023/24 season, and it looks like there could be quite the fight for his services this summer.

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The Verdict: Squad role key

While Liverpool are clearly a more exciting proposition than Leicester at the moment, given their status as arguably Europe’s best team, Bremer may see the Foxes are the more sensible option.

The Torino man could find himself behind Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate in the centre-back pecking order at Anfield, with Joe Gomez possibly moving on.

In comparison, Bremer would likely go straight in as a key starter for Leicester, with the Foxes conceding 51 goals in 31 Premier League games this season. It may, therefore, depend on whether or not he is happy to play a squad role at Liverpool.

In other news, a key update has emerged regarding Liverpool’s interest in Jude Bellingham. Read more here.