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Spurs are interested in a deal to bring Youssef En-Nesyri to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish media outlet Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), who claim that Spurs have joined West Ham United in monitoring the situation of the Sevilla centre-forward ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

It is reported that Julen Lopetegui’s side require a big-money sale of one of their more valuable players in order to fund their own transfer business, and that, if the LaLiga side fail to sell Jules Kounde, they could be tempted into parting ways with the Morocco international.

However, En-Nesyri himself is not thought to be sold on the idea of a switch to Tottenham in the current transfer window, and is instead hoping that “one of the greats” will make a move for him ahead of next season.

Nuno would love him

While it would appear that a Tottenham move for En-Nesyri would be a difficult deal to get over the line this summer, it is undeniable that the 24-year-old would make a fantastic addition to Nuno Espirito Santo’s attacking options next season, as well as generally being a player the Portuguese boss would love to have at the club.

Indeed, the £49k-per-week man scored 18 goals and set up six big chances over 38 LaLiga appearances for Lopetegui’s side last season, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots and making 0.4 key passes per league fixture.

These metrics saw the striker earn an impressive average SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking him as Sevilla’s eighth-best player in the Spanish top-flight, playing a key role in his team securing a Champions League spot via a fourth-place finish in LaLiga.

However, it was not only in domestic competition that En-Nesyri impressed, with the 24-year-old also bagging six Champions League goals over eight appearances in the tournament, with his displays earning him an average SofaScore rating of 7.33 – the third-highest rating of any Sevilla player.

As such, with a clinical season in Spain behind him, the centre-forward Euan McTear claimed was “like Benzema” would certainly appear to be a signing Nuno would love to get done this summer, particularly as Harry Kane has been heavily linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, with the £36m-rated man appearing to not be overly enthused by a move to Spurs, perhaps the 47-year-old Tottenham boss should turn his focus elsewhere in the summer transfer window.

In other news: Spurs dealt big blow over “important” £51.5m target, Levy will be fuming

Former Sheffield United striker Dean Windass is confident that legendary Blade Billy Sharp will be an important player for the club next season.

The Sheffield-born frontman has scored more than 150 goals across three separate spells, although he struggled to stamp his authority on Sheffield United’s two-year stay in the Premier League and was unable to save them from relegation.

The previous two seasons were Sharp’s first two in England’s top-flight, and the 35-year-old managed to score just six times in 41 outings, having been mainly used as a bit-part player behind the likes of David McGoldrick and Oli McBurnie, featuring for just 728 minutes across the 2020/21 Premier League campaign.

However, Sharp is proven at Championship level, and scored 23 league goals when Sheffield United won promotion back in 2018-2019.

By the end of next season, Sharp will be 36, and despite being one of six first-team strikers currently at Bramall Lane, Windass believes he could still prove the difference for Slavisa Jokanovic’s team.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“Billy Sharp will be a big player for them next year. I know he’s getting on a little bit, but he’ll still get you goals in the Championship.”

West Ham have made a surprise enquiry for Adama Traore, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claim that the Hammers are targeting the Wolves attacker as manager David Moyes looks to bolster his attacking options going into next season. And he sees him as the perfect foil for Michail Antonio.

It’s suggested that the Scotsman believes the Spain international is capable of spearheading his frontline, as well as operating in his natural role out on the wing.

Traore is not thought to be the club’s no.1 striker target but he does feature on Moyes’ shortlist, although the Midlands outfit are said to value him at a whopping £50m.

The next Antonio?

Interestingly, the 25-year-old seems to be a player that is available for a move this summer as the very same source claimed several months ago that they would listen to offers in a bid to cut costs.

It remains to be seen whether that is still true after a change in management and coaching staff but that shouldn’t deter West Ham from mounting a bid.

Traore endured an indifferent 2020/21 campaign as he struggled to hit the same heights from a season earlier – as per Transfermarkt, the explosive winger contributed to just six goals in all competitions.

However, he did so without Diogo Jota, who joined Liverpool last summer, and leading talisman Raul Jimenez, who suffered a cruel head injury that ended his season prematurely.

Next to the pair in 2019/20, Traore provided six goals and 12 assists in what appeared to finally be his breakthrough season in the top-flight.

It’s that sort of form that earned him plenty of plaudits.

For example, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp lauded him “unplayable” after one encounter with the Wolves animal, so perhaps it’s no surprise to see the Reds also keen on signing him this summer.

Whilst BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand described Traore as a “machine” ahead of an FA Cup tie against his former club, Manchester United.

“He’s a machine. I was watching him pre-game and he could be a powerlifter or a cruiser-weight boxer – he’s huge,” Ferdinand claimed, via Birmingham Live.

In Traore, Moyes could well discover his next Antonio, especially if the aforementioned report is true. Primarily a winger, the Spaniard could be converted into a full-time centre-forward, just like the 58-year-old has done with the Irons star.

Currently, the 31-year-old is the Scotsman’s only striker at the club, so perhaps he can repeat his stroke of genius with a move for the £26m-rated Wolves sensation.

AND in other news, Moyes could land Abraham alternative in West Ham swoop for “phenomenal” 31 G/A machine…

Speaking to Football Insider, Kevin Phillips has claimed that Everton manager Rafael Benitez may have implicitly told suitors to ‘come and get’ James Rodriguez.

The lowdown

When asked about the Colombian’s future, the 61-year-old refused to ‘talk about individuals’ because it’s ‘not fair for the other players’ (via Liverpool Echo).

Patrick Boyland and Greg O’Keeffe, Everton correspondents for The Athletic, wrote in June that ‘question marks remain’ over whether Rodriguez be keen to stay in the absence of Carlo Ancelotti, who brought the 30-year-old to Goodison Park last summer after previously working with him at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but the Italian has now returned to Los Blancos.

Rodriguez was directly involved in 10 Everton goals in 21 starts last season, scoring six goals and setting up four (via WhoScored). However, the Colombian struggled with his calf, causing him to miss a total of 11 games between December and April.

The latest

Phillips interpreted Benitez’s response as an indication that Rodriguez will be free to leave and thinks that interested parties will be on high alert after the Spaniard’s subtle remark.

“It’s definitely a hint or a sign,” the former Sunderland striker told Football Insider.

“He doesn’t want to comment on it and I understand that managers don’t want to sometimes. But that’s almost a way of saying ‘He’s there, come and get him’ without actually having to say those words.

“Managers always like to make a statement and I think that might be his way of saying it judging by the way he’s answered that question.

“From my experience, that suggests that the player will be made available.”

The verdict

Ability-wise, Rodriguez is surely the standout player in Everton’s squad. There were a number of matches season in which he showed his class, carving the opposition open.

It isn’t all down to talent, though. Supporters wouldn’t necessarily want the Colombian to stay put unless they were certain that he remained fully committed. Also, some fans may have grown frustrated with his persistent fitness struggles, particularly when he’s said to be banking £140,000 every week, which makes him the joint-top earner in the squad.

Phillips’ comments on Rodriguez’s future may indeed be pertinent.

In other news, this Everton starlet is growing ‘impatient’. 

Fulham have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Matt Grimes to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that both Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion have joined the race to sign the Swansea City midfielder ahead of the new season.

It was previously reported that Fulham looked close to securing a deal for the 25-year-old, with a medical at Craven Cottage having been scheduled for this week.

It is also claimed that Southampton and Newcastle United are thought to be keeping a close eye on the situation of the former England U21 international, who would be available to sign for as little as £1.5m due to having just one year remaining on his contract at the Liberty Stadium.

Silva will be gutted

Considering just how close Tony Khan appeared to be to securing the signing of Grimes this summer, should the midfielder eventually go on to seal a move elsewhere, it would undoubtedly leave Marco Silva gutted.

The 25-year-old has played a key role in Swansea City’s Championship success in recent years, and would have made a fantastic addition to the Portuguese manager’s options in the middle of the park next season.

Indeed, over his 45 Championship appearances for the Swans last term, the £6.3m-rated man scored two goals, registered three assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of one shot and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The £10k-per-week midfielder also made an average of 1.5 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 1.3 clearances and won 5.3 duels in each league appearance.

These metrics saw the man Steve Cooper dubbed an “excellent” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.04, ranking him as the club’s fifth-best performer in the English second tier.

As such, with Grimes demonstrating that he is something of a complete midfielder, his signing would have given Silva a huge boost to his chances of going on to secure an immediate return to the Premier League with Fulham next season.

However, with Watford and Brighton now sniffing around the 25-year-old, Grimes may well be playing Premier League football a lot sooner than the Cottagers.

In other news: Khan must axe Fulham’s “fabulous” £35k-p/w flop, he’s stealing a living

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a blow in their bid to keep Brennan Johnson at the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Alan Nixon’s report for The Sun on Sunday (via The 72), with the journalist claiming that Brentford are set to make a fresh bid of £6m for the versatile Forest winger.

The Bees were reported to have already seen an offer of £3.5m turned down for the 20-year-old this summer, with Dane Murphy’s side believed to be demanding a fee between £8m and £10m in order to part with the Wales international.

It is also claimed that the new Forest CEO is planning to offer the forward a new deal at the City Ground in an attempt to dampen the interest in his services, although no progress in these contract talks has been reported as yet.

Forest fans will be gutted

While Brentford’s potential offer for Johnson still falls a little short of Nottingham Forest’s reported asking price, the fact that the Premier League side are getting closer to lodging an acceptable bid for the 20-year-old could have left Forest fans gutted.

With there now being just £2m of a difference between the Bees’ bid and the £8m figure at which Forest are reportedly willing to begin negotiations, this is a gap which would appear to be relatively easy to close for Thomas Frank’s side.

Considering just how much raw talent Johnson quite clearly possesses, should Murphy indeed go on to sanction his sale this summer, it would not bode well for Nottingham Forest’s Championship aspirations this season.

Indeed, over his 43 League One appearances while on loan with Lincoln City last term, the £360k-rated man bagged 11 goals, registered 12 assists and created four big chances for his teammates, taking 2.3 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the man Sabri Lamouchi dubbed an “unbelievable” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking the £2.5k-per-week winger as Michael Appleton’s sixth-best performer in the third tier last season.

As such, the addition of the 20-year-old to Chris Hughton’s first team squad ahead of 2021/22 would very much look to provide the Reds with an injection of both goals and assists, something they were desperately lacking last time out.

However, with Brentford’s interest in Johnson not likely to go away any time soon, whether or not Forest benefit from the youngster’s ability in their upcoming Championship campaign is very much up in the air at present, something which is sure to leave the City Ground faithful on edge.

In other news: Get him gone: Murphy must be ruthless with Forest’s “important” £18k-p/w Lamouchi flop

Tottenham Hotspur have now been backed in their hunt to try and sign Conor Coady before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Talks opened

As per Football Insider, Spurs have already opened preliminary talks over the potential signing of the Wolves defender, with his former manager Nuno Espirito Santo pushing to take him to North London.

They have already confirmed the signing of Cristian Romero from Atalanta but are now looking to add another centre-back to the squad ahead of the start of the new Premier League season.

The Latest: Mills backs potential Coady signing

Speaking to Football Insider, former top-flight defender Danny Mills has backed the Lilywhites in their hunt for Coady, describing the England international as an ‘incredible’ player. He said:

“Tottenham still need a centre-half or two.

“They’re still light in that area, you would say.

“Nuno knows him from Wolves and Coady has done incredibly well at Wolves.

“He’d be a really good signing, I think.”

The Verdict: Sign

If Spurs were to add another centre-half to the mix, then they should look no further than Coady.

Having played in a total of 191 games over all competitions across the last four campaigns under Nuno, scoring two goals and supplying a further two assists (Transfermarkt), the Portuguese coach knows how to get the best out of him.

His near-constant presence in the team shows just how much trust the 47-year-old has in the Liverpudlian, who had been his on-field general at Molineux. Furthermore, Coady’s former Wolves team-mate David Edwards hailed him as a “very clever” player who  is “smart enough to not get into positions where he’s isolated or exposed”.

Being English as well, the 28-year-old helps fill the home-grown quota, and with that experience of playing under Nuno and in the Premier League, it is surely a deal that Tottenham must look to get done. We’re with Mills on this one.

In other news, find out which ‘explosive’ ace Spurs are now targeting

Everton will make a late move for Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge if they manage to offload fringe players before the transfer window shuts, according to Michael Ball.

Berge is facing the prospect of competing in the Championship after suffering relegation with the Blades last season.

The Norway international was left helpless in Sheffield United’s plight as he was restricted to just 16 appearances after undergoing surgery shortly before Christmas.

Berge, who became the Blades’ club-record signing when he joined from Belgian club Genk in a deal reportedly worth close to £22million, has been the subject of plenty of interest this summer.

Everton and Arsenal have been keeping tabs on Berge since Sheffield United’s relegation was confirmed, with the 23-year-old having a £35million release clause after suffering the drop – higher than his £16.2m valuation on Transfermarkt.

The Toffees, under new boss Rafa Benitez, have been eager to get some out-of-favour players off the wage bill and former Everton left-ball Ball feels the Merseyside club may look to sign Berge shortly before the window slams shut at the end of the month.

He exclusively told The Transfer Tavern: “It could be on the back-burner. Everton will want to see how Jean-Philippe Gbamin gets on with his fitness levels and it also depends on the futures of Allan and Andre Gomes, along with Tom Davies possibly.

“I think Everton have probably reached out to all the targets they would like to bring in and found out the financial packages from Sheffield United and the player.

“It’s a case of whether they can press the button at the right time.”

When Celtic turned their attention to a Japanese market that new manager Ange Postecoglou knew well, questions were raised.

Not at Postecoglou’s judgement but at whether the man of concern would be able to make the adjustments required to settle in Scottish football with the Hoops.

However, any worries have been quashed immediately by their marquee signing Kyogo Furuhashi.

The Japan international arrived in mid-July but it took a while for him to be integrated with his teammates. A period of quarantine followed and he wasn’t seen in the famous green and white hoops until the opening day defeat to Hearts.

Fortunately, Furuhashi’s match fitness was already up to scratch. He joined the Bhoys as the J-League’s top scorer, a competition that was ongoing throughout the summer months of 2021.

It’s unsurprising, therefore, that he’s settled the quickest of Celtic’s new signings. In fact, he has been a breath of fresh air to everyone associated with the Glaswegian club.

The 26-year-old has been in impeccable form since penning terms, scoring versus Jablonec in Europa League qualifying before bagging a scintillating hat-trick against Dundee last weekend.

Postecoglou had his pick at the J-League market and he could have welcomed Kaoru Mitoma and Ao Tanaka through the door as well. Instead, they signed for other teams on the European continent.

That being said, there remains a Japanese talent that Postecoglou could still bring to Celtic.

That happens to be Manchester City’s Ko Itakura. A centre-back or defensive midfielder, he was signed by the City group in 2019 after catching the eye in his native Japan.

He hasn’t made a single appearance for City but he has starred in the Netherlands during a two-year loan with Groningen.

Itakura is now back on British shores and could make a move north of the border after reports linked him with a switch to Celtic. Journalist Ekrem Konur then revealed this week that talks were underway with the Citizens and the player regarding a move.

Although he isn’t a striker, the boss could repeat the success they’ve had with his fellow countryman, Furuhashi.

The 24-year-old played for Japan at the Olympics and after the games came to an end last weekend, he now has to decide on his future.

Judging by the form he showed in the Eredivisie, he’d be a brilliant acquisition, one who’d need even less time to settle in considering he’s already played to a high standard in Europe.

Speaking about the 6 foot 1 defender’s game last term, former Dutch footballer Haans Kray said: “One of the very best central defenders in the Eredivisie. He can play football well, he can head well and he is incredibly fast. He’s such a good player but Manchester City don’t see anything in him.”

It’s clear to see why that assessment has been provided. He completed 88% of his passes in 2020/21 while showed an impressive reading of the game, producing two interceptions a match.

Celtic have already signed one central defender in Carl Starfelt but considering the defensive mistakes of Nir Bitton early in the campaign, they could do with another signing in that area of the pitch.

The Bhoys are already enjoying the red hot form of Furuhashi; now they must welcome his countryman to the club too.

AND in other news, Celtic must seal swoop for 45-goal beast who can “cause havoc”, he’s a “big Furuhashi”…

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has dropped an update on Leeds United’s transfer pursuit of Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien.

What’s the story?

Journalist Alan Nixon had previously revealed via Twitter that O’Brien was “very near” to the top of the shortlist for Marcelo Bielsa’s side this summer as they look to strengthen their midfield options ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

And now, Hay has revealed where things currently stand right now with regards to a move for the 22-year-old.

He said: “A left-back was essential in this window but having addressed that with Junior Firpo, they could do with an extra midfielder materialising — not least to try to answer the question, posed again in the heavy loss at Old Trafford on Saturday, of how this side manage on the days when Kalvin Phillips is out.

“If Leeds manage to agree a price with Yorkshire neighbours Huddersfield Town for Lewis O’Brien, then it’s going to be him. O’Brien has been the choice since Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher rejected Leeds and went to Crystal Palace on loan instead. But here and now, there’s no deal in place.”

Fans will be buzzing

In O’Brien, Leeds could find someone who is the ideal cover for midfield talisman Kalvin Phillips, with Huddersfield Town writer Steven Chicken raving about the 22-year-old’s industry and work ethic in the engine room.

He said: “O’Brien is a left-footed, tough-tackling central midfielder. Former Huddersfield boss Danny Cowley often praised O’Brien as being ‘like having two players’, with the midfielder receiving particular praise from his manager and fans alike for his ability and willingness to rush back and win the ball with a clean sliding tackle whenever his side were caught on the counter-attack.

“He certainly has the potential to be (a Premier League player), if he’s not already.”

As per WhoScored, O’Brien averaged two tackles and one interception per game in the Championship last season, which is only slightly less than the 2.6 tackles and 1.6 interceptions that Phillips managed in the top-flight.

The fact Hay has now confirmed that O’Brien appears to be the number one target for Bielsa’s side, and that if they can agree a fee with Huddersfield, he will be the man to arrive, should have fans buzzing.

Whites supporters saw exactly the kind of impact not having Phillips in the team can have, not least because Bielsa feels he needs to play a centre-back in Robin Koch in that holding role – something that back-fired spectacularly at Elland Road.

Hay’s latest update is sure to have fans delighted and relieved in equal measure.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped an update on Leeds target Ryan Kent…