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Tottenham Hotspur are likely to be gearing up for what could be another summer transfer saga involving record goalscorer, Harry Kane, with the 29-year-old facing an uncertain future in north London as the end of his current deal looms large.

The England skipper – whose existing contract is set to expire in 2024 – is said to be ‘open’ to extending his deal at the club, although speculation is rife that the 80-cap sensation could be bound for pastures new, amid interest from Premier League rivals Manchester United.

It was just over 18 months ago that the prolific marksman was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City and had even attempted to force an exit to the Etihad, albeit with the typically stubborn Daniel Levy having thwarted that interest with his reported valuation of more than £120m.

That failure to seal a departure has hardly made an impact on the experienced striker as he has remained the go-to man for the club since then, notably bagging 18 league goals already this season as well as 20 goals in all competitions – ensuring he is the only member of Antonio Conte’s squad to reach double figures this term.

Evidently a crucial figure for Spurs, it would be an obvious blow if Kane were to move on any time soon, with it likely to prove an almost impossible task for Conte and co to be able to replace him.

As such, rather than taking the risk of splashing the cash on a high-profile new addition that may not ultimately be a success, Tottenham could potentially save themselves millions by looking to the youth ranks to find a suitable candidate – with teenage starlet Jamie Donley no doubt one such option.

Who is Spurs starlet Jamie Donley?

The promising Northern Irishman – who has represented England at youth level – could well be the next gem to emerge from Spurs’ academy set-up, having even been branded as the ‘new Harry Kane’ in recent times, as per the Belfast Telegraph.

The eye-catching 18-year-old – who signed his first professional contract just over a year ago – has been a real standout figure in the youth ranks of late after bagging 24 goals and nine assists in just 39 games for the U18’s, while he boasts 11 goal involvements in 27 games across all fronts this season.

Clearly a real ruthless presence in front of goal, Donley was recognised for his talents by earning an inclusion in the Guardian’s Next Generation list for 2021 – showcasing the top 20 youngsters across the Premier League – with journalist David Hytner writing that the young dynamo has been ‘noted for his tenacity and finishing ability’.

The exciting left-footer was also the recipient of notable praise from journalist Josh Bunting back in November, with the respected source having stated: “Jamie Donley what a talent he is, 17 years of age and I have no doubt if he keeps his head down he’ll have a bright future in the game. Natural finisher but his work-rate is really good, has a nice attitude and will get better as he matures. Could see a loan really benefit him.”

As Bunting acknowledged, Donley may have to follow Kane’s path in trying his luck out on loan before making the grade in the first-team, although the hope will be that he can eventually rise to become the club’s leading figure in attack.

Everton sent ’emissaries’ to run the rule over Benfica midfielder Florentino who they are ‘in love with’, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Reinforcements needed

The Toffees failed to make any new signings in January so Sean Dyche will be in need of reinforcements regardless of whether his side avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Portuguese’s contract with Roger Schmidt’s outfit isn’t set to expire until 2027, but following some impressive performances, he appears to have caught the eye of the hierarchy at Goodison Park.

The Latest: Everton scout Florentino

According to Record (via Sport Witness), Everton are ‘in love’ with Florentino and even sent ‘emissaries’ to watch him in Benfica’s 2-0 Champions League victory at Club Brugge on Wednesday.

The Merseysiders took ‘very positive notes’ from what they saw of the 23-year-old, who has a €120m (£106m) release clause included in his terms.

The Primeira Liga giants currently have ‘no intention’ of selling their talisman, but their president Rui Costa ‘will consider’ entering negotiations at the end of the season.

The Toffees are ‘yet to make’ an official offer but remain ‘huge admirers’.

The Verdict: Splash the cash

Florentino’s clause would be extremely unaffordable for Everton, but should some kind of cut-price opportunity arise, Farhad Moshiri should splash the cash to get a deal over the line.

The Adidas-sponsored athlete is naturally a defensive midfielder and currently ranks in the 99th percentile most interceptions and passes attempted per 90 minutes.

The Lisbon native, however, can also operate in central midfield where he bagged two assists in one appearance, highlighting his versatility and threat in the final third.

Florentino has been dubbed a ‘beast’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig and it would be a massive coup for the club if they were successfully able to land their target for Dyche.

Ben Jacobs has revealed that Newcastle United have taken a look at Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The Lowdown: PIF set to go big in the summer

Newcastle decided to bolster their attacking options in January after letting Chris Wood go on loan, despite heading into the window with their priority being a new midfielder, which was surely only increased when Jonjo Shelvey departed.

Eddie Howe had spoken to the media about how the club wouldn’t spend lavishly in January and handcuff themselves in future transfer windows, so the arrival of just two new players won’t be a surprise to many.

While Newcastle were seemingly very keen on Anthony Gordon from the summer all the way up until January, that didn’t stop reports suggesting they were still looking at other targets such as Kvaratskhelia, who was said to be their number-one target heading into the window.

The Latest: Kvaratskhelia will be difficult to sign

Newcastle may well retain an interest in Kvaratskhelia as Jacobs spoke about on his latest Twitter Space, but luring him from runaway Serie A leaders Napoli could be a difficult task.

He said: “Other wide players for Newcastle that I think are worth keeping an eye on; ‘Kvaradona’ as he’s known, like Maradona, a player at Napoli often compared to Georgi Kinkladze – they share the same nationality as well. Manchester City have looked, Newcastle have looked.

“Really difficult to get anyone away from Napoli, though, because they’re flying at the moment, but who knows, the summer might be a different situation.”

The Verdict: Newcastle could flex their financial muscles

If Newcastle were able to land the Georgian winger, who has a reported £50m price tag on his head, it would be a sensational piece of business as he’s been tearing up Serie A this season with 17 goal involvements and combined impressively with Victor Osimhen last weekend for one of the goals of the season.

Kvaratskhelia was signed by Napoli for a reported £10m last summer and he’s already helped them to edge ever closer to a first Serie A title in decades, so he’s arguably already paid back the club and the fans for having faith in him.

The winger is certainly starting to catch the eye of people outside of Italy and Naples, with editor Bill DiFilippo claiming he is ‘different gravy’ – so he could seemingly be a player who can take Newcastle to that next level, especially if they manage to secure Champions League football.

Tottenham have made an opening bid to sign attack-minded Sporting CP defender Pedro Porro, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Porro move…

The former Man City wing-back has been made a transfer priority at Spurs over the last few weeks amid manager Antonio Conte’s search for an upgrade on his right flank.

Reports have suggested that the 23-year-old is top of the list for sporting director Fabio Paratici, but what could make this move difficult is Sporting’s stance on selling in January.

Reliable outlets like The Guardian have shared that the Portuguese giants are stern and Spurs may have to fork out Porro’s €45m (£39.5m) release clause to land him this month.

Conte is believed to be personally targeting the defender and Tottenham appear determined to negotiate their way around having to pay the player’s exit clause.

The Latest: Tottenham table opening Porro bid…

Reliable reporter Romano, taking to Twitter, has shared an update on the situation.

He claims that Spurs have made their opening bid for Porro, offering one player plus guaranteed money.

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However, in some bad news for supporters, Sporting have replied to their approach by rejecting this formula and maintaining that they must pay his release clause.

The Lilywhites are set for further talks with the club ‘insisting’ on his signing for Conte.

The Verdict: Keep pushing…

Porro could be the ideal solution for Spurs at right-wing-back as Conte seeks to guide his side to a second-consecutive top four Premier League finish.

The Spaniard tops the charts for his club in terms of league assists with five in 13 appearances, and that’s not the only piece of evidence for his real threat.

As per WhoScored, Porro also ranks in Sporting’s top two for shots at goal and key passes made per 90 in Liga Portugal.

Still just 23, he could come as both an instant upgrade for Conte and a signing of real longevity if all goes to plan, with members of the media lavishing Porro as one of Spain’s ‘incredible’ bunch of talented full-backs.

This saga looks like it could go to the wire as talks continue between Spurs and Sporting – but his numbers and reputation indicate he may be worth the transfer push.

Southampton are keen on signing Everton defender Michael Keane on loan this month, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Orsic move close

The Saints appear to be closing in on their first signing of 2023 in Dinamo Zagreb attacker Mislav Orsic. The Croatia international was due to have a medical on Thursday ahead of a proposed deal worth around £6m.

It looks as if Nathan Jones is already looking at further reinforcements, with Keane -who is sponsored by Nike – seemingly another target.

The Latest: Southampton interested in Keane

Sky Sports stated in their live transfer blog on Thursday (15:59) that Southampton are interested in Keane.

They claimed that signing a new centre-back on loan is one of the Saints’ priorities in this transfer window alongside bolstering their attack.

The Verdict: Makes sense

Keane has fallen out of favour at Goodison Park this season, failing to make a Premier League start under Frank Lampard. The 29-year-old may therefore be open to the idea of moving to the south coast, provided that he is guaranteed more game-time.

He would add plenty of top-flight experience to Jones’ side, something which could prove handy in the second half of the season, with the Saints already conceding 33 times in just 18 league games as they sit bottom of the table and fighting for their Premier League status.

Keane, who has 12 caps for England, has averaged a rating of higher than 7/10 by WhoScored in three previous Premier League campaigns, so if he could replicate that form at St Mary’s, a loan move would make sense.

Newcastle United are reportedly set to return for summer transfer target Kouadio Kone, who could flourish within the growing pool of talent at St James’s Park.

What’s the word?

French outlet Media Foot stated last summer that Borussia Monchengladbach’s Kone was subject to a failed €35m (£31m) transfer bid from Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, who was enamoured with the ubiquity of his multi-faceted toolkit from the heart of the midfield.

And following a recent report from The Athletic, it is clear that the Magpies still maintain a vested interest in the player, who has been shortlisted as Howe continues to mull over the best strategy to continue the club’s meteoric rise since a Saudi-led consortium completed the £300m takeover in October 2021.

With Bruno Guimaraes currently occupying the holding midfield position for the Magpies – considered more of a pivot – and Jonjo Shelvey’s incessant injury troubles restricting him to just three substitute showings in the league all season, technical director Dan Ashworth would be prudent to sign a fresh anchor to protect the defence and initiate forward advances from deep is paramount for Newcastle’s efforts across the second stage of the season.

Kante 2.0

Kone, just 21 years old, has earned his name on the team sheet for Gladbach, starting 14 of the 15 league outings this term and impressing with the tenacity of his all-encompassing performances.

As per Sofascore, the French starlet – hailed as the “complete package” by talent scout Jacek Kulig – has recorded a rating of 6.85, completing 87% of his total passes and chipping in with 2.1 tackles per match, also winning 54% of his total duels.

He does have a tendency to lunge in and attach himself to a booking, with his five yellow cards across the first 11 German Bundesliga outings this term resulting in a one-match ban, but with experience comes maturity, and he will continue to nurture every aspect of his game over the coming years.

And as per FBref, he remarkably ranks within the top 1% of midfielders for dribbles completed, averaging 2.17 per 90 – indicating the kind of forward-thinking presence from the heart of the midfield that will serve Howe’s offensive philosophy well as he looks to pump further vitality into his team.

Should he sign for Newcastle, then based on the evidence above he could be the Premier League’s next N’Golo Kante.

He has won league titles with both Leicester City and Chelsea, earning the Player of the Season award with the Blues due to his tough-tackling nature and dynamic skills in control of the ball.

Having made 222 appearances in the English top flight, Kante has made an incredible 676 tackles at a 62% success rate, and 504 interceptions, illustrating the supreme recycling aura he brings to the pitch.

Kone, who equally possesses an innate defensive aptitude and a tendency to seek promising forward plays, would be a fine addition to St. James’ Park, which would welcome the robust tenacity of his game, bringing “an extra man” to the fold.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Rafael Leão to the Premier League.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by Fabrizio Romano in a post on Twitter, AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli revealed that, despite earlier reports suggesting that the Serie A side would be unable to offer the left winger a new contract that matched his wage demands, Paolo Maldini is now close to agreeing a new deal to keep the 23-year-old at the San Siro beyond the summer of 2024.

This is sure to come as a huge blow to Antonio Conte and Spurs, with reports back in October claiming that the 53-year-old manager was interested in a deal to bring the Portugal international to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the Premier League side said to be willing to offer the forward a package worth €10m per year (£8.6m) – roughly £165k per week.

Regarding the future of Leão, Romano tweeted: “AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli tells Sky Sport on Leão contract talks: ‘He’s really happy with us, it’s clear. Maldini & Rafa’s camp are in negotiations. We’re waiting for good news. He’s happy with Milan, I want him to stay.’ Current deal expires in 2024.”

Conte’s own Mbappe

While the latest update concerning Leão’s future would not appear to be positive for Tottenham’s chances of landing the winger any time soon, considering just how impressive the Portuguese sensation has been for both club and country in recent years, it would appear highly advisable for Fabio Paratici to do all he can to sway the winger away from penning a new deal at Milan.

Indeed, Leão was influential in the Rossoneri’s title-winning campaign over his 34 Serie A outings last time out, scoring 11 goals, registering ten assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.9 shots – 1.1 of which were on target – making 1.7 key passes and completing 2.9 dribbles per game – the most in the league.

These returns saw the £69m-rated talent who Fabio Cordella dubbed a “phenomenon” average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.19, not only ranking him as Pioli’s third-best player in the league but also as the 22nd-best player in the top flight of Italian football as a whole – while the winger also sealed the Serie A Most Valuable Player award last time out.

The £30k-per-week flanker – who can also operate as a number nine – has continued this fine form over his 20 fixtures in the current campaign, having already bagged seven goals – six in the league and one in the Champions League – and provided a further nine assists – five in Serie A and four in Europe – in all competitions.

Furthermore, the player who has been labelled “the Portuguese Mbappe” has already made his mark at the Qatar World Cup this winter, turning in an excellent 17-minute cameo in Portugal’s 3-2 win over Ghana – bagging the eventual winner, completing one dribble and taking two shots at goal, seeing him earn an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 7.1.

As such, while the 23-year-old’s current €150m (£130m) release clause is undoubtedly an eye-watering amount of money, it would be hard to argue that Leão is not worth this fee, as Paratici could very easily be rewarded with the discovery of Conte’s very own Mbappe-esque talent on the left wing if he were to launch a move for the winger this winter.

Tottenham Hotspur are well aware of Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae, according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.

The north Londoners have long been linked with a move for the South Korean colossus, who is currently competing alongside Heung-min Son at the World Cup in Qatar, ever since his days at Beijing Guoan.

Despite moving to Super Lig giants Fenerbahce and more recently to Napoli, the 26-year-old appears to very much still be on the Lilywhites’ radar.

Earlier this month, Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb suggested that Spurs had ‘concrete interest’ in Min-jae but Gli Azzurri president Aurelio De Laurentiis was prepared to do everything to keep him in Naples, although he is thought to be valued in excess of €50m (£42.8m).

Now, speaking to Football FanCast, the reliable journalist has given his thoughts.

“Spurs wanted him two or three years ago,” he said.

“He’s very well known at Tottenham and wrongly, I think people looked at him as just bringing in a friend of Sonny’s.

“He’s really impressed for Napoli, whether they’re going to renew that interest [in January], I don’t know but the club are more than aware of him and have tried to pursue him in the past.”

Indeed, the 6 foot 3 colossus has been in fine form for the Serie A leaders, resulting in his presence at the World Cup.

As per WhoScored, Min-jae is Luciano Spalletti’s highest-rated centre-back for the season so far (seven or more starts) and he also leads the way for clearances per game and only one midfielder in the whole squad has a better passing success rate, meaning he’s not just defensively sound as he is evidently adept with the ball at his feet, too.

The South Korean sensation has been nicknamed as the “monster” and even lauded as “one of the best in the world” by his teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, so it’s clear that Spurs may have missed out massively in the past.

That said, they should still look to pursue the centre-back in 2023 as he could be a very valuable addition to Antonio Conte’s squad – you only have to imagine him alongside someone like Cristian Romero to realise the potential that could have.

Therefore, sporting director Fabio Paratici must launch a move for Min-jae at the turn of the year. He may have to pay more than what Spurs could’ve three years ago but given his form and the glowing endorsements from those around him, the 26-year-old would be a wise investment.

Carlos Corberan has already had a monumental impact on West Bromwich Albion given his short tenure thus far at the club, having managed to drag them from the relegation zone off the back of three successive victories.

It marks a fine turnaround, but he has seemingly only fixed the defensive issues for now given their clean sheets in those wins.

Their toothless nature remains, as they have still only scored 24 goals in 20 Championship games this season.

One man who could arguably revolutionise both of these issues in one fell swoop is James Tavernier, who has established a reputation for being one of the finest goalscoring defenders of his generation.

Whilst this may seem like a random solution, the truth of the matter is that the Baggies could have signed him back in 2018.

Although their £2m bid was rejected during the summer window, it did provoke the manager Steven Gerrard to claim: “We’re at a club where every player does have a price so that may affect us…”.

Had they pushed harder, it might have been the Hawthorns that was being lit up by his sensational offensive displays.

The 31-year-old since went on to play an instrumental part in Rangers’ title-winning season, where they wrestled back the Scottish Premiership to prevent Celtic from winning ten in a row.

During his career at Ibrox he has boasted 91 goals and 112 assists, and although the bulk of his career has been spent in Scotland, in total he has scored 100 times. For a right-back, this marks outstanding numbers.

His consistently impressive performances led Gerrard to lavish the praise on the former Newcastle United man, labelling him “very robust” before claiming:” I think Tav is someone that, when he goes through the gears, he is unstoppable…”.

Tavernier certainly would mark a better option than Matt Phillips, who has often had to deputise as a wingback. His average SofaScore rating of 6.64 and two goal involvements further outlines the gulf in class between them, as despite Rangers’ poor form, their star full-back has still recorded 13 goal contributions this term.

Currently captain of the club, he will likely go down as a Rangers legend when he hangs up his boots.

Had they pushed a little harder back in 2018, it could instead be West Brom lauding his talents as they established themselves as Premier League mainstays.

Manchester United are still positive over their pursuit for Mason Mount, despite their latest bid being rejected, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's the latest on Mason Mount?

The Chelsea star looks set to leave the club as he has no intention to renew his £80k-per-week contract, as he enters the final year of his deal.

The Blues are seemingly keen to offload players this summer with a number of their players headed for new experiences in Saudi Arabia.

Man United are heavily interested in the 24-year-old, and have seen two bids rejected, but remain confident that they will land the midfielder.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that Mount has agreed personal terms with the Red Devils, and that United will not be swayed in their attempts to sign him despite Chelsea's strong stance over the transfer fee.

"There was also an official bid from Manchester United, the second to Chelsea for Mason Mount. Bid rejected, because the Manchester United proposal was still not what Chelsea wanted, it was around £45m fixed fee, so this was the idea of Manchester United for Mason Mount, but also with some add-ons," he stated.

"This is still not enough because Chelsea want more. Now the feeling is still positive around Mason Mount and Manchester United, because the player agreed 100% all the personal terms with Man United, so the contract is ready, it is done.

"Everything is okay between Mount and United, and Mount's camp confirmed again to Chelsea in recent hours that he's not signing a new deal, at least this is the situation as of now."

Will Mount be a good signing for Man United?

The midfielder would arrive on the back of one of the worst seasons in his career, as injuries limited him to just 24 league appearances, where he notched up just three goals and two assists as Chelsea finished in 12th place.

The Champions League winner has been a strong servant for Chelsea over the years, providing 70 goals and assists in 195 appearances, and he could slot straight into Man United's midfield alongside Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro.

Erik ten Hag is seemingly aiming to bolster his midfield, and the arrival of Mount could see Fred depart, as the Brazilian has been linked with Fulham.

Despite his relatively young age, Mount will arrive with plenty of experience domestically and in Europe, and if United can get a deal over the line soon, he could be a top signing to kick off what will be an important summer transfer window for the club.