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Tottenham Hotspur have been scouting Djed Spence ahead of a potential summer switch…

What’s the word?

That’s according to ever-reliable football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who told supporters in a recent online Q&A that the north London outfit “like” the Nottingham Forest loanee, as well as his young teammate Brennan Johnson.

“Spurs like Djed Spence.

“Fabio Paratici went to watch him recently, along with Brennan Johnson.

“Spence certainly ticks the homegrown box and is a talented young defender with plenty of attacking potential.”

The 21-year-old dynamo is currently on loan to Nottingham Forest from Championship rivals Middlesbrough and has played a key role in their form under Steve Cooper this season, defeating Premier League heavyweights Arsenal, as well as Leicester City in the FA Cup.

Next Kyle Walker

Indeed, the England U21 international has played 36 times for Forest this season, where he has scored three goals and laid on five assists across both the Championship and FA Cup, via Transfermarkt.

He has largely been deployed in a right wing-back role, so it’s no wonder Spurs are taking a keen eye on his progress – not only does he fit manager Antonio Conte’s system like a glove but he also holds homegrown status.

Only three other players have been graded better by WhoScored this season with the Boro man earning a 7.11 seasonal rating for his league performances.

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Defensively, he’s been solid, averaging 1.6 interceptions (joint second-most) and 1.4 tackles per outing, whilst further up the pitch, he’s proven to be a nuisance with an average of 1.9 dribbles (second-most) and one key pass per game.

It’s thought that Spurs failed with two bids to sign Spence on deadline day in January, so it would certainly be no surprise to see them follow up their interest come the summer once more.

After the win over the Lilywhites’ arch-rivals, Gunners legend Ian Wright waxed lyrical about the right wing-back, claiming to his podcast:

“But let me say, that was one of the best right-back performances I have seen for a very long time. A very long time. I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.”

This move could echo that of Kyle Walker as it isn’t the first time that Spurs have dipped their toes into the lower divisions of English football.

The north London outfit poached the Englishman from lowly Sheffield United back in July 2009 before going on to play for the club for eight successive seasons.

Since his departure, Spurs have arguably failed to find a player fit for the role – in recent times, Serge Aurier, Matt Doherty and Emerson Royal have failed.

Spence looks an ideal fit for Conte and co, so they should definitely look to sign him in the summer, should the opportunity arise.

AND in other news, Spurs could seal Conte’s dream signing in £54m-rated “Rolls-Royce” who’s like Bonucci…

Eddie Howe has been handed a huge behind-the-scenes boost over Newcastle full-back Kieran Trippier’s recovery from injury…

What’s the latest?

The Toon defender has been out of action since February and is now taking steps forward towards making his return to the first-team squad before the end of the season.

Journalist Miles Starford Tweeted: “Kieran Trippier close to injury ‘handover’.”

This Tweet was in relation to Howe’s comments on the defender’s current situation. Speaking about Callum Wilson and Trippier, the head coach said: “They’ll definitely be stepping it up.

“I don’t think they’ll be with us at all, so they won’t train with the group. There will be a handover period for Kieran, I think, where he’ll go with our sports science guys.”That might happen at some stage soon. It’s not happened yet. Both players are still with physiotherapists.” Howe will be buzzing

Howe will surely be buzzing with Trippier’s recovery and the pace at which he is going through it. These comments suggest that he is making good progress and stepping up the work that he is doing at Darsley Park to get himself back in contention to play in the Premier League.

The Toon boss will be keen to see him back out on the pitch in the coming weeks to make sure that he heads into the summer with a good base of fitness under his belt.

If he fails to play any minutes before the end of the campaign then that will mean that he will have gone around six months without competitive minutes by the start of 2022/23 and that is not an ideal way to start a season. Therefore, getting him back in for the last few matches would be a big boost ahead of the summer.

Howe will also be delighted with his return to action because of the quality he has on the pitch. In the top-flight this term, he has scored two goals in four matches and made a whopping 6.0 tackles and interceptions per game from right-back since joining from Atletico Madrid.

The England international has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.67 for the Magpies so far and this is why the head coach will be keen to have him back in the squad. He is a joy to watch with his sublime performances in defence, as he was able to showcase his attacking and defensive quality prior to his injury against Villa.

AND in other news, NUFC could finally axe shocking £80k-p/w flop with “insane” £40m “star in the making”…

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Son Heung-Min is emerging as Tottenham Hotspur’s clutch player.

Having returned from the Asian Cup with South Korea, the 26-year-old has been thrown into the fire at Spurs, playing against both Watford and Newcastle.

The north London outfit won both games, and the winger has been integral to the victories.

He netted an 80th-minute equaliser against Watford prior to the winner by Fernando Llorente, before scoring a late decider against Rafa Benitez’s men on Saturday.

The results kept Mauricio Pochettino’s men in touch with the Premier League leaders Liverpool, as well as second-placed Manchester City. Prior to Monday’s game between West Ham and the Reds, Spurs are just four points behind Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Of course, it remains to be seen if Liverpool will slip up any further, but Tottenham are in there, scrapping, and that is largely down to the performances of Son.

He has emerged as the club’s go-to player when it comes to needing to win a game, particularly with Dele Alli and Harry Kane both out injured.

Against the Magpies, the South Korean enjoyed a match-winning display and simply never stopped running.

Per Whoscored, he scored, his goal came after a total of five shots, he made one tackle and boasted a pass success rate of 90%. He also had four successful dribbles, continually running at the Newcastle backline and causing problems.

When needed, he stepped up with a goal that confirmed three vital points and has moved the club one step closer to both Champions League qualification and a title challenge.

With Kane and Alli both out, Spurs have needed a hero to step up; Son has done just that and should now be regarded as their most effective forward option when it comes to big games.

Alasdair Gold has dropped a worrying injury update concerning Tottenham Hotspur left-back Sergio Reguilon.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the football.london journalist relayed the comments made by Antonio Conte following Spurs’ 5-1 victory over Newcastle United on Sunday, in which the 52-year-old revealed that the defender was left out of his matchday squad as a result of picking up a knee injury in training on Friday.

Regarding the Spain international’s knock, Gold tweeted: “Conte: ‘On Friday we lost Reguilon for an injury in his knee and we have found a solution to play with Matthew [Doherty] on the left and Emerson [Royal] on the right. It means there is great work behind the tactical and physical aspect.'”

Conte will be fuming

Considering that Tottenham’s only other natural left-back, Ryan Sessegnon, is currently sidelined due to injury, the fact that Reguilon has now also sustained a knock is sure to have left Conte fuming.

Indeed, while neither the Englishman nor the Spaniard have been in the best form of their careers so far this season – with Sessegnon averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.56 over his nine Premier League appearances and Reguilon averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.92 over his 23 league outings – both players being unavailable will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to the Italian’s hopes of securing a top-four finish come the end of the campaign.

As such, while the seriousness of the 25-year-old’s knock has not yet been revealed, Conte will certainly be hoping that the left-back will not be ruled out for the remainder of the season, as Reguilon could yet go on to play an important role in helping his side secure Champions League football next term.

AND in other news: Conte can axe “unacceptable” Spurs flop by landing the “biggest signing of the window”

Newcastle United are battling fellow Premier League side Arsenal in the race to sign Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta this summer.

What’s the story?

Having already beaten the Gunners to the signing of Bruno Guimaraes in the January transfer window, it appears that Eddie Howe’s side are keen to strike a second blow to their top-flight counterparts.

According to The Chronicle, Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain appear to have pulled out of the race to sign Paqueta given the overall financial package needed, leaving it as a straight two-horse race between Newcastle and Arsenal.

It is added that Magpies head of recruitment Steve Nickson has watched him on multiple occasions now, and that Lyon could reach a tipping point in terms of accepting a fee just like they did with Bruno.

His asking price is a cool £58m, which would make him Newcastle’s club-record signing if purchased for that sum.

Imagine him and Bruno at Newcastle

When reports initially emerged linking Paqueta with a move to St James’ Park, former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny talked up the prospect of seeing him link up with his former team-mate Bruno.

The Irishman said: “So they wanted him in January, I don’t see why they wouldn’t be interested again in the summer. He’s clearly a quality player and they have a player who knows him very well.

“To see those two players assisting each other for Brazil is all the proof you need that they are quality players, they are clearly mates who have a good understanding. If he wants to leave Lyon, I’m sure Newcastle will put an offer in and see if they can get him.”

Meanwhile, Brazil manager Tite has previously compared Paqueta to a couple of Brazilian stars, saying: “Lucas thinks about football in the same way as Neymar and Coutinho.

“When we played against El Salvador he had a series of exchanges with Neymar, practically without having seen him before and without playing together. They linked up with their eyes closed.”

Hailed as “extraordinary” by his Lyon manager Peter Bosz, the £60m-rated Paqueta could rekindle his fine partnership with Bruno in the heart of Newcastle’s midfield next season.

It’s the kind of eye-catching, statement-making move which would surely have St James’ Park rocking.

AND in other news – Sold for just £100k, now a two-time title winner: NUFC flop has delivered huge payback

Aston Villa saw a £25million bid for Yves Bissouma rejected by Brighton and Hove Albion, according to The Telegraph’s John Percy. 

The journalist tweeted that Villa are now prioritising a deal for Juventus’ Rodrigo Bentancur after Brighton batted away their offer for the 25-year-old.

Steven Gerrard seems intent on signing another midfielder before the January transfer window closes in a week’s time.

Villa bid was only half of Brighton’s valuation

The Athletic’s Brighton correspondent Andy Naylor wrote earlier in January that it would take a bid of £50m for the Seagulls to consider parting with Bissouma this month. They don’t see any need to sell, even though the Mali international is into the final 18 months of his contract and has apparently given no indication that he will sign an extension at the Amex Stadium.

Bissouma has previously been ‘linked’ with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, who all may now hope to beat Villa to his signature.

The Midlands outfit have spent £27m so far in Gerrard’s first transfer window, signing Lucas Digne permanently from Everton and loaning in Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen.

Here’s what Villa fans made of Percy’s revelation about the rejected bid for Bissouma, with many believing that sporting director Johan Lange has foolishly low-balled on the midfielder’s true value.

Villa supporters baffled by Bissouma bid

“25 mil? That’s embarrassing”

Credit: @_ali_mans

“Villa’s ‘bids’ for JWP, Smith-Rowe and Bissouma have been laughable. Significantly undervalued talent with bids that were never in a million years going to be accepted”

Credit: @military_villan

“Bidding 25m for Bissouma was kind of wild tbh”

Credit: @obeball_

“Lange are you ok? 25m you know”

Credit: @WazeUTV

“£25m, they were never gonna accept that”

Credit: @DaleAC93

“£25m is embarrassing”

Credit: @villavisionben

In other news, another midfield target has emerged for Villa

Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has dropped a major update on Philippe Coutinho’s Villa Park future.

The Lowdown: Coutinho’s loan spell

Coutinho was Steven Gerrard’s first signing as Villa boss back in January, with the playmaker penning a loan deal until the end of the season from Barcelona.

Villa managed to negotiate an option to make a move permanent in the summer, which is thought to be in the region of £33.4m.

The 29-year-old has made 13 appearances in a Villa shirt, contributing to seven goals while playing on both wings and as an attacking midfielder.

The Latest: Preece’s reveal

Preece dropped a Birmingham Live Q&A in a story on Thursday morning, discussing a variety of Villa topics.

One of those was on Coutinho, with a fan asking Preece how likely a permanent deal was. This is what he had to say in reply, sharing a positive update.

“Coutinho deal is, I’m told, likely to go through. Just a case of dotting Is and crossing Ts.”

The Verdict: A relief

Coutinho has impressed since making the move to the Midlands, which has resulted in interest from the likes of Newcastle United, Tottenham Arsenal and West Ham.

Villa may have been slightly worried over a permanent move despite having an option to buy at the end of the season due to the growing interest.

Therefore, Preece’s update is a relief heading into Gerrard’s first full season, and the Villa boss will more than likely be delighted, as he confirmed he wanted to make a move permanent last month.

In other news: Gerrard now happy for ace to leave Villa Park; he’s ‘central to a lot of the problems’. 

Newcastle United have seen numerous players join the club before being sold for significant sums of money over the past few years, such as Yohan Cabaye, Moussa Sissoko, Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic among others.

One player who departed from St. James’ Park in recent years in what can now be seen as a great piece of business from the club during Mike Ashley’s much-maligned tenure at the Toon is Ayoze Perez.

Signed in 2014 from Tenerife for £1.5m, the Spaniard went on to make 195 appearances for the Magpies across all competitions, with 48 goals and 17 assists to his name before joining fellow Premier League side Leicester City in 2019 for £30m, highlighting the massive profit the Toon made on him.

Since making the move to the King Power Stadium, the 28-year-old has made 92 appearances for the Foxes across all competitions, scoring 12 goals and providing nine assists along the way.

In December 2019, just a few months after leaving Newcastle, Transfermarkt had Perez’s market value listed as £27m, the highest it has been throughout his career. It now stands at just £13.5m, which is 55% lower than the £30m transfer fee the Magpies recouped for him when Leicester came calling.

With just eight appearances under his belt in the current Premier League campaign, the attacker – who is currently picking up £83k-per-week according to Salary Sport – has more red cards than goals, having failed to find the net at all.

In addition to his lack of goals, his overall performances for Brendan Rodgers’ side have been rather disappointing. WhoScored list him as Leicester’s second-lowest rated player (excluding those who haven’t started a league game), with an underwhelming rating of 6.24/10, which would also place him among some of Newcastle’s lowest-rated players for this campaign.

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that Newcastle and Ashley pulled an absolute blinder in selling the Spaniard when they did for the amount of money they got for him.

Even though the Magpies have been involved in a relegation scrap for most of the season before reviving their fortunes over the past few weeks, it seems unlikely that many Toon fans will have been missing Perez in the meantime.

In other news: NUFC dealt setback on “sensational” £180k-p/w ace, supporters will be gutted

Ollie Webber is departing Crystal Palace and joining Portsmouth, The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam reports. 

The lowdown

Webber will be the seventh player allowed to leave Palace’s under-23s this winter.

Attacking midfielder Jacob Montes, defensive midfield duo Jake Giddings and James Taylor and centre-back Jake O’Brien have all sealed loan moves.

Goalkeeper Serine Sanneh and CB Jay Rich-Baghuelou, meanwhile, have departed the club permanently.

Webber, who’s also a keeper, has been with Palace since 2016, when he was recruited from Glentoran in his homeland of Northern Ireland.

The latest

“[I’m] told,” Woosnam tweeted on Friday evening, “that Palace under-23 goalkeeper Ollie Webber is joining Portsmouth permanently.”

It’s as yet unclear how much money Palace will receive from Pompey.

The verdict

Webber does look to be a promising talent. He’s featured three times for Northern Ireland at Under-21 level, starting a pair of European Championship qualifiers against Russia and Spain as recently as last autumn.

He’s played 20 times in total for Palace’s Under-23s, keeping five clean sheets but conceding 35 times.

However, only one of those appearances has come this season, with Woosnam noting that the ‘impressive’ Joe Whitworth has been keeping him out of the side.

If he can’t hold down the no. 1 spot at that level, then you’d have to doubt whether he has the credentials to be a Palace first-teamer in the long term.

A permanent move to the Football League could be the best thing for him.

In other news, fans react to links with a big name midfielder.

Celtic have a handful of SPFL games left to play this season as they aim to secure the league title in their first campaign under the management of Ange Postecoglou.

Their next match sees them take on Ross County away from home this afternoon after they were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Rangers last weekend.

Moving into this important period of the season, it seems as though the Hoops will have to make do without one of their key figures for the time being.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his latest press conference ahead of today’s showdown, Postecoglou revealed that full-back Josip Juranovic will be out of action for “a couple of weeks” after he picked up an injury during last weekend’s semi-final defeat.

With that in mind, it seems as though the Hoops will be without the Croatian for their next Old Firm clash against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side as well as today’s match against County.

Awful news for Postecoglou

Celtic signed the defender back in the previous summer transfer window from Legia Warsaw in a deal worth a reported fee of £2.5m.

Since then, the right-back has made 35 appearances across all competitions for the Parkhead club.

In those appearances, the 26-year-old has scored five goals and provided two assists, showing how useful he can be in an attacking sense.

From a defensive point of view, the summer recruit has been a solid addition to Celtic’s squad having made more tackles (28) than any other Hoops player as well as the third-highest number of interceptions (22) behind Carl Starfelt (37) and Cameron Carter-Vickers (36).

Taking all of this into account, while he may only be out of action for a couple of weeks, this will still be a big blow for the team and bad news for the manager to be without him for that period of time given how close they are to the title.

Moving forward, with Anthony Ralston replacing Juranovic at Hampden Park last weekend, it seems likely that the 56-year-old Hoops boss will be relying on him to fill in for the Croatian while he’s out.

Therefore, today’s game against County will be a good way for the Scotsman to show he has what it takes to do a job for the team once again.

In other news: Sold for £2m, now worth £540k: Celtic struck gold on £17k-p/w dud who “had issues”