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Tottenham Hotspur are now eyeing a move for Inter Milan right wing-back Denzel Dumfries, according to a report by Sport Mediaset (via SportWitness).

The Lowdown: Conte’s search for a RWB

It was heavily reported that Spurs boss Antonio Conte wanted to bring in a new right wing-back in January.

Fabio Paratici was initially negotiating with Adama Traore over the proposition of playing in the position, having come close to agreeing a £20m fee with Wolves.

However, Spanish giants Barcelona swooped in at the last minute, snatching the 26-year-old out of Conte’s grasp.

As a result, the Lilywhites manager has been left with just Emerson Royal, following the season-ending injury sustained by Matt Doherty.

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The Latest: Dumfries rumours

According to a report by Sport Mediaset (translated by SportWitness), Inter may need to sell players to manage the books this summer. Therefore, Dumfries could be an option which would make significant money.

It is claimed that Bayern Munich and Tottenham would be “in the front row” for a summer transfer, as both sides are “watching him very carefully”.

Sport Mediaset further report that it would take in the region between £29.5m and £33.7m to secure the Dutchman’s services.

The Verdict: Good signing

After a shaky start to his Serie A career, Dumfries has gone on to earn comparisons with that of Inter legend Maicon, after a string of “brilliant” performances.

The Netherlands international’s underlying stats certainly illustrate this; he ranks in the 99th percentile in his position for non-penalty expected goals, non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists, touches in the attacking penalty area and progressive passes received (Europe’s top five leagues via FB Ref).

His attacking threat would complement Conte’s play-style perfectly, as he would slot in as an overlapping wing-back in Spurs’ back five.

If Paratici can get this deal across the line, we feel this would be a perfect signing for Conte.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Sky Sports man drops Steven Bergwijn claim

Leeds could sign their own Andy Robertson in Hibernian starlet Josh Doig amid suggestions that the Whites are interested in the teenage left-back.

What’s the story?

A report from The Scottish Sun earlier this month claimed that, along with Celtic, the likes of Manchester City and Leeds United are interested in the 18-year-old, who would command a fee of around £1.5m.

Alan Hutton has now thrown his backing behind a potential move for Doig, and insisted that he has all the tools in his locker to become a real star in the future.

Speaking to Football Insider, the ex-Scotland right-back said: “He’s only 18 but he’s got a great engine, can get up and down, got a great left foot, aggressive. He is definitely one for the future.

“They see a talented player they think they can develop and make better for £1.5m. You can definitely tell he’s a talented player. He’s got all the attributes to be a left-back or a wing-back. He is one that you’re hoping does well.”

Leeds’ own Andy Robertson

Make no mistake about it, both Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold have really led the way in terms of showing the kind of devastating impact that full-backs can have going forward – even in a below-par season for Liverpool, the former has already racked up five assists in the Premier League, while he has set up a whopping 35 goals in 171 games in total for the Merseyside club.

The flying Scot matches a superb work-rate with some incredible deliveries into the box – his 1.6 successful crosses per game ranks him fifth in the Premier League – and it appears that Doig is from the same mould.

Goal claimed that “scouts have noted Doig’s attacking output as a huge part of his game, with his crossing ability and tireless running two of his key attributes”, a trait for which Robertson has really made a name for himself.

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Doig has contributed four assists in just 24 Scottish Premiership matches this season, and like Hutton says, he appears to have a “great engine” in getting up and down the pitch as either a traditional left-back or a modern wing-back.

Just like Robertson did when he initially moved to Hull from Dundee United when he was only 20, Doig could follow his fellow Scottish full-back in making the move down south at a young age and later establishing himself as a bona-fide star at Premier League level.

All he needs is a chance, and under Bielsa’s guidance, Leeds could very well unearth their own superstar like Robertson has become at Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign their own Dele Alli in this starlet…

Aston Villa must avoid a major disaster over Carney Chukwuemeka after his latest masterclass for the youth side.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City are interested in signing the 17-year-old, with The Athletic’s Gregg Evans adding that clubs from across Europe are also keeping an eye on things too.

And if Villa needed any fresh reminder that they absolutely have to keep him, then his starring performance in the FA Youth Cup certainly sent a huge message to Dean Smith and the rest of the club’s hierarchy.

Villa must avoid disaster

Dubbed a “star in the making” by Evans, Chukwuemeka bagged himself a stunning hat-trick in Villa’s 6-1 thrashing over Newcastle to reach the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece was understandably fulsome in his praise, giving him a perfect ten and adding: “This was a Carney Chukwuemeka masterclass. It was a clinic in how to play an advanced midfield role with the 17-year-old oozing confidence and swagger. The hype’s real surrounding this kid who, as supporters know, has been around Dean Smith’s first team for a long time now. Villa’s No.10 started almost every attack and looked to hurt Newcastle at every opportunity.

“European clubs are hovering looking to take Chukwuemeka and Villa could do with reassuring him that his future’s at Villa Park. He’s ready for some Premier League minutes. A scary talent who assisted Reddin as well. Unreal. He’s got everything.”

Knowing that the club could stand to lose one of their prized young assets, even after proving his value and potential, would surely infuriate NSWE.

Bringing in new players for big money is all well and good, but having a good academy system that can provide a couple of genuine first-team stars is always key to a club’s future – you only have to look at Jack Grealish to see that.

Losing Chukwuemeka would be a monumental mistake from Smith and co.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a summer swoop for this star…

Crystal Palace have joined Brentford in the race to sign free agent Christian Eriksen.

That’s according to 90min, and their claim has had a number of Eagles fans talking on social media.

Eriksen is currently without a club after leaving Inter Milan last month and has been offered a return to the Premier League with Brentford.

The Bees have tabled an initial six-month contract with the option of a further year for the 29-year-old, however, Palace are also circling.

90min suggest that the Eagles and Championship leaders Fulham have also made contact with the attacking midfielder, who has made 226 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 51 times and providing 67 assists.

Eriksen left Tottenham in 2020, but it seems as if a return to England is on the cards with multiple clubs keen on his services.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the update regarding Palace’s interest in Eriksen on Twitter. This is what these Eagles supporters have had to say in reply, with many surprised at the links.

“Please @CPFC”

Credit: @joshstoneham03

“Maybe Eriksen is coming? Seems interesting”

Credit: @byson_matrix

“I’m going to pretend this is happening and have a fantastic Monday night”

Credit: @erictwigs

“Let’s get him!”

Credit: @SidViscous9

“Beautiful player, who I would LOVE to see in red n blue, BUT – can he really be allowed on a pitch after his last appearance? There’s a reason why his last contract was annulled…”

Credit: @Promo_man

“Erm”

Credit: @matthew_poole30

In other news: Crystal Palace now move for Celtic defender with transfer on the cards – journalist. 

Former Crystal Palace and Brighton frontman Glenn Murray has announced his retirement from football, as reported by Sky Sports.

An outstanding servant to the English game, the Cumbrian has decided to call time on a career which has spanned over 19 years featuring for 12 different clubs [Transfermarkt].

Most recently at Sky Bet Championship club Nottingham Forest [BBC], he will undoubtedly be sorely missed by every club he played for.

In recent years especially, not many footballing issues have harmoniously bound together the fans of Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion. Fierce rivals on the pitch, they also have their fair share of tensions off it.

Nevertheless, Steve Parish’s tweet on Murray was quick to unite Seagulls and Eagles fans – a fitting tribute to a man who is still loved by both sets of the divide to this day.

Parish encapsulates his feelings in an honest manner, saying: “A fantastic player, wrote his name in our history for ever – but perhaps his greatest achievement is to be loved by the fans of two fierce rivals.”

Albion fans responded with hordes of positive messages, testament to how well their former hero is still received both on the south coast and in south London to this day.

Fans praise Parish post

 “couldn’t agree more. And as a Brighton fan that’s hard to admit. The word Legend is used a lot. But

@GM_83 fits that word and then some #bhafc”

Credit: @AlexxODonnell

“Absolutely Steve Massive mistake by Poyet to sell Muzza & as much as we hated it at the time, he was only doing what was right by his family signing for you lot and getting the best deal he could So much respect for Glenn, even if he did score too many goals against us”

Credit: @Brighton_Peer

“Didnt ever want to agree with parish but totally agree. Ultimate professional.”

Credit:@Brighton11Sarah

“Absolutely Steve, I may be a Brighton fan, but very well said sir.”Credit: @MissyMo38043964″You only have to look at how he reacted at both clubs when he scored against them. Completely respectful and clearly a gent.”Credit:@robin35311″About the only thing both sets of fans will ever agree on”Credit:@Azzer1989221

Many Crystal Palace fans have been reacting to the club’s Goal of the Day post on Twitter, which on Tuesday featured Marouane Chamakh’s effort against Stoke City in 2013/14.

Currently building for the 2021/22 campaign, the south Londoners face going into pre-season without a manager following the departure of boyhood Eagles fan Roy Hodgson [Independent].

Facing the exodus of 22 first-team players after releasing their retained list at the start of June [Tribal Football], former Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre now looks to be the front-runner for the Selhurst Park hotseat [The Guardian].

Of course, times are ever-changing at Crystal Palace, as rumours of a takeover also swirl in the SE25 area [Daily Mail].

Nonetheless, there is always time to revert to bygone endeavours. Upon viewing the club’s throwback tweet, loads of Palace fans took to Twitter to reminisce about the Moroccan’s effort, which was their first goal back in the Premier League in the opening weeks of the 2013/14 season.

Crystal Palace fans react:

Replying to the club’s official Twitter account, here is how some supporters summarised their thoughts on the clip:

“Thought we were Europe bound for about 20 minutes after that”

Credit: @cpt_plt”My goat”Credit: @CPFC_GH”Chamakh was such a classy player. Loved him at Palace.”Credit: @rednbluephil”I was there. Unreal moment”Credit: @Harry_Cambridge”I was behind that goal. First moment I realised we might be good enough. What a player Chamakh was for Palace!”Credit: @Pjstevens07946″We lost this game in the end but I left with hope we’d stay up. We weren’t out of our depth in the league at all, especially with the Moroccan Maradona.”Credit: @ohjoewalkerIn other news, many Crystal Palace fans are ecstatic over this Lucien Favre update.

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Jack Hendry to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by TEAMtalk, who claimed that Club Brugge, Anderlecht and Royal Antwerp have all made a move for the KV Oostende centre-back, while Aston Villa are also thought to have joined the race for the 26-year-old’s signature.

A host of Championship clubs, including West Brom, Sheffield United and Fulham, were previously reported to be keen on a move for the former Celtic defender in the summer transfer window, although the relegated trio could now be gazumped by teams offering the prospect of top-flight or even European football.

Ismael will be gutted

With Ismael typically operating with a system which utilised three centre-backs during his time at Barnsley, it would seem highly likely that the Frenchman will implement this setup at The Hawthorns next season.

With the 45-year-old not having a great deal of choice in that position at Albion, the heart of defence would very much appear to be an area where the Baggies manager will look to strengthen in the summer transfer window, with Hendry appearing to be an excellent candidate for the role.

Indeed, over his 30 Jupiler Pro League appearances for Oostende last season, the £3.15m-rated man helped his team to keep six clean sheets, along with averaging 0.6 interceptions, one tackle and 4.1 clearances and winning 4.8 duels per game.

The £8,000-per-week defender also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals and providing one assist, as well as averaging 0.2 key passes per league game.

These returns saw the man Alex McLeish dubbed a “confident” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as Alexander Blessin’s third-best performer in the Belgian top flight.

As such, it would very much appear that the signing of Hendry would have been a perfect fit for Ismael. However, with a number of clubs interested in the centre-back who boast considerably greater pull than the Baggies, it would seem as if a deal for the Scotland international does not look overly likely at present, an outcome which will surely leave their manager gutted.

In other news: Get it done: Major update emerges on “fantastic” £8m West Brom target, Ismael must act

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani must avoid making a massive mistake by selling Raphinha amid a recent transfer claim.

What’s the story?

The Brazil star has been in scintillating form for his country during the international break, including a game-changing performance against Venezuela when he came on as a substitute and helped set up two goals in a 3-1 win.

That has since seen former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor drop a major claim that Marcelo Bielsa’s side will find it difficult to keep hold of Raphinha in the long-term, and that he could look to push for a move away sooner rather than later.

He said: “I think it’s going to be very hard. Leeds need more investment in their squad, they need to start buying players that can keep them fighting even further up the table.

“Over the next year, year and a half, people like Raphinha will leave, his head will get turned by other clubs. Raphinha is getting into Brazil squads, he’s playing for Brazil now. He’s not going to want to play for Leeds, he’s going to want to move and play for a bigger club that’s playing in the Champions League. Someone of Raphinha’s quality should be playing in the Champions League.

“It’s just the reality of football. If Leeds can’t invest and get a better squad that’s challenging to get into Europe he will want to leave. That’s just normal.”

Time for Radrizzani to act

After embarking on a spending spree in their first transfer window after clinching promotion to the Premier League – the club broke their transfer record to sign Rodrigo and also snapped up the likes of Robin Koch and Diego Llorente among others for decent amounts too – they were far quieter this summer.

The Whites spent almost half of what they did last year, bringing in Jack Harrison on a permanent basis from Manchester City, signing Barcelona ace Junior Firpo, and clinching a late deal for Manchester United’s Dan James.

With The Athletic’s Phil Hay already admitting that some of European football’s heavyweights could make a big bid for Kalvin Phillips sometime soon, losing him and/or Raphinha would be a monumental blow for Leeds.

If the Yorkshire club are intent on making progress and eventually closing the gap to the Premier League’s ‘big six’, and pushing for a potential European spot too, then continuing to spend money on reinforcing the squad is key to convincing the likes of Raphinha and Phillips that they can achieve their goals here at Elland Road.

It’s now become imperative for Radrizzani to put his money where his mouth is over these next couple of transfer windows, and show his star players and the fans as a whole that he wants this club to take that all important next step.

Selling Raphinha would leave fans absolutely fuming. It would be an unforgivable mistake on the part of the Leeds supremo to do so. He is too good a player to lose.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has delivered his take on Kalvin Phillips’ future…

Swansea City have initiated talks with Russell Martin regarding the vacant managerial position at the Liberty Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that Jason Levien and Steven Kaplan have made an approach to Milton Keynes Dons for the 35-year-old, who has one year remaining on his contract with the League One side.

As such, it is reported that the Swans would be required to pay MK Dons a compensation fee if they were to appoint the former Scotland international as Steve Cooper’s successor this summer.

The club’s interest in Jody Morris is also mentioned in the report, however, it is suggested that Martin now appears to be Levien and Kaplan’s favourite for the position.

Martin could transform Swansea

Having taken over an MK Dons side in the League One relegation places back in November 2019, over the course of his two-year spell at Stadium MK, Martin has worked something of a minor miracle at the club.

Indeed, in his first season, the 35-year-old impressively guided his side to survival in the third tier, eventually finishing the season in 18th place.

Last season, the upward trajectory continued under the Scot, as, after making a number of astute signings on loan deals and free transfers in the summer transfer market, the club solidified their status as a League One side, finishing the season in 13th place.

However, perhaps the reason why Swansea appear so keen to appoint the exciting coach is down to the way the former Norwich City defender has his MK Dons side playing, having implemented a very distinct style of football.

Indeed, the Dons approach every game with the intention of dominating possession of the ball, as well as always looking for a progressive pass – with the club ranking by far as the League One leaders in Possession x Progressive Passes per 90 last season.

In defence, Martin’s side press intensely, allowing the attacking side an average of just 9.28 passes before attempting to win the ball back – with their PPDA (passes per defensive action) ranking as the fifth-lowest in the league.

In Layman’s terms, this makes for an attractive, fast-paced and attack-minded brand of football, something that – in general – football fans tend to appreciate more so than a boggy, slow-paced game.

And, with Cooper not exactly winning many plaudits for his win-at-any-cost style during his time at Swansea – despite being undeniably successful with this method –  should the Swans go on to land Martin this summer, fans would be witnessing a much more free-flowing and attack-minded team in action at the Liberty Stadium, with the Scot’s appointment bringing with it the possibility of a transformed Swansea City side.

In other news: Swansea in crisis as McGrath drops manager claim, but there could be a silver lining

Former Premier League striker Nigel Jemson, a Liverpool fan, insists that the Reds need to aim higher with their new signings than Nat Phillips.

The 24-year-old defender has been linked with a move away from the club this summer as the Reds restructure their squad.

Phillips has been seen as a potential option for both Southampton and Newcastle United, along with West Ham United.

The centre-back has come through the ranks at Anfield and has made a total of 21 appearances for the club.

Phillips stepped into the breach after both Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk were struck down with injuries last season and made 17 Premier League appearances, even scoring in the 3-0 win over Burnley at the back-end of the campaign.

And Jemson believes that Liverpool likely need to move him on in this transfer window, and expects the Reds to include a buy-back clause in any deal.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “I’m sure if they do let him go, there’ll be a buy-back clause or something like that if it progresses.

“If I’m being perfectly honest, if Liverpool want to win Premier Leagues or Champions Leagues, then we’re going to look a little bit higher than Nat Phillips.”