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As per a report by 90min, an interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim has dropped with the Lilywhites now eyeing Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele.

The Lowdown: Paratici, time to get working?

After Spurs humbling 1-0 defeat away to Vitesse in the Europa Conference League, managing director Fabio Paratici has been urged to get working on the signings of alternative attacking options.

As well as being short of natural centre-forwards bar Dane Scarlett and Harry Kane, the club’s wide options are also a point of contention.

Injuries have already occurred to the likes of Son Heung-min and Steven Bergwijn while Lucas Moura could be slowly reaching the twilight phase of his career.

As the January transfer window slowly approaches, news has emerged on what Spurs ‘may be willing’ to offer Dembele.

The Latest: Spurs ‘may be willing’ to offer Dembele wage increase…

As Tottenham eye the Barcelona forward, along with several other clubs, his current side are working to try and tie him down with a contract extension.

His current deal expires in 2022 and agreeing fresh terms is proving difficult for Barca, especially considering their financial situation and the fact Dembele wants a pay rise on his current wage in excess of £200,000-per-week.

This is where Paratici and Spurs come in, with the 90min report claiming they could be one of several interested sides now ‘willing to offer the money he wants’.

The Verdict: Worth the gamble?

Despite being called ‘frightening’ by Lionel Messi himself, offering the Frenchman over £200,000-per-week could be a very risky move by Paratici.

Dembele’s injury record speaks for itself and could be a real bone of contention to any Spurs move regardless of his ability, not to mention multiple incidents of behavioural issues affecting his career in Catalonia.

In other news: Matter of time: Yet another Spurs player eyeing N17 exit, he’s already said yes…find out more here.

Wolves’ woes in front of goal have continued on from Nuno Santo’s reign, as just five teams in the Premier League have failed to score more than Bruno Lage’s side, with Leeds as far down as 16th having put the ball in the back of the net more times this campaign.

Strikers Raul Jimenez and Hwang-Hee Chan have netted a disappointing total of 11 goals between them, while £36m signing Fabio Silva has managed just one goal all season – which came for the U23s team in the Premier League 2.

They could have wasted even more money last summer though, as they targeted Sheffield United striker Oliver McBurnie in a potential £15m deal, according to The Sun.

The Telegraph also reported on transfer deadline day back in August that the club attempted to complete a deal near the closure of the window, but they had just run out of time – which perhaps was a blessing in disguise.

Having made just six starts in the Championship and appearing a further 19 times from the bench, he has failed to score all campaign and has set up just two goals, in what has been a very unsuccessful season for the £6.3m-rated Scotland international.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that pundit Tam McManus described the attacker as “desperate” for his efforts in the final third.

After having a number of run-ins with the law in recent years, he has also become somewhat of a controversial figure in football, and fans and pundits have regularly criticised his attitude on and off the pitch.

Former Blades striker Carl Asaba is just one of the people who have leapt to his defence recently though, saying in an interview with The Star: “I watch McBurnie arrive at the ground, he’s smiling and happy, he warms up not looking like a man who is tense, or desperate to find a goal as I used to.

“He’s happy and jokey when a substitute and wishes his team mates good luck before kick off.

“He gets onto the pitch and he retains possession, ambles into the box when I’m screaming from commentary box that he needs to break his neck to get across the near post or that he should have taken a shot as you don’t shoot you don’t score.”

With that being said, McBurnie clearly wasn’t the answer for Wolves if he is struggling for goals in the Championship – and the West Midlands club don’t need another forward to ‘retain possession’ or be ‘happy and jokey’ with teammates.

Instead, they need a proven goal-getter who can fire them into European qualification, and the 17-time Scotland international, who hasn’t yet scored for his national side either, isn’t that man.

In other news: Insider drops big Wolves claim involving Ruben Neves, it’ll devastate supporters

Many Manchester City fans have been enraged on social media, following a report from Fabrizio Romano stating that Sporting CP left-back Nuno Mendes is close to signing for PSG after the Sky Blues refused to pay €40 million (£34.3 million) for his services.

Playing a major role in Sporting’s league triumph last term, the 19-year-old registered three goal contributions in 35 appearances; one goal and two assists [Transfermarkt].

He now looks set to head to Paris over Manchester after being in discussions with both clubs – Pep Guardiola’s side could certainly do with a natural left-back given that Oleksandr Zinchenko is more of a auxiliary option.

Speaking to his enormous Twitter audience, Romano signified that Paris St-Germain had agreed terms with the French giants over the Citizens, stating: “Nuno Mendes is really close to join Paris Saint-Germain, personal terms agreed with Portuguese left back. Manchester City will not pay €40m. PSG working to complete the deal”.

In light of this news, no wonder loads of Manchester City diehards took to social media to vent their frustration at the decision not to pursue a deal.

Manchester City FC fans react:

Replying to popular Manchester City fan outlet City Xtra on Twitter, here is what some fans had to say about the update:

“This club can’t do nothing”

Credit: @martha2144″yeah this is pathetic, what is the board doing AGAIN”Credit: @SxrgioSZN

“Was gonna 130 million for kane but now can’t offer 34 million clubs turning into a embarrassing club”

Credit: @cookiemcr21″It’s actually very frustrating now, we clearly need a LB and we’ll probably go for one next summer. So why can’t we afford £35m now”Credit: @MCFCAJ10″‘No intention’ fc”Credit: @mcfc_king”Just need this window to end… this club ruined the summer”Credit: @alexquintani11aIn other news, a journalist has questioned one summer signing Manchester City have made. Find out more here.

A journalist has now dropped some enticing insight into the upcoming Newcastle United takeover case.

The Lowdown: CAT case

The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) case between Mike Ashley and the Premier League over the stalled takeover deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium is set to take place next Wednesday 10:30 am.

This is separate from the arbitration hearing, which should now commence next year after further delays.

The Latest: Case insight

Journalist Simon Zekaria has now given some insight into the CAT case, claiming that both the St. James’ Park faithful and the English top flight have issues to do with confidentiality:

“I have learnt that the Premier League and NUFC are deep in confidentiality issues. Even for next week’s hearing, which has a narrow legal focus, there is lot that they don’t want to be revealed.”

The Verdict: Enticing

It is certainly set up to be an enticing case, as both sides will feel as if they have strong arguments to suggest why the proposed takeover stalled and the direction in where it is heading.

The North East club seem to feel that the Premier League are the ones keeping information to themselves, as they released statement on their official website back in July citing the need for ‘transparency and fairness in football governance’, and also called for the arbitration proceedings to be made public, suggesting that they have nothing to hide.

Nonetheless, the results of the forthcoming case should give a clearer picture over the takeover’s direction, and the Toon Army will be hoping that it is a positive one for the Tyneside outfit heading into arbitration in 2022.

In other news, find out which former Magpie is in line to become their next U23’s boss here!

A number of Liverpool supporters are excited after it emerged that the Reds are expected to wear their new Nike away kit away to Manchester United.

Jurgen Klopp’s men face one of their biggest games of the season this weekend, making to trip to Old Trafford for a fierce clash with United.

Liverpool are in superb form at the moment, thumping Watford last Saturday and winning away to Atletico Madrid in midweek, but this will be a stern test even despite their hosts’ questionable form.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under huge pressure and United don’t look on the Reds’ level currently, but they have the attacking quality to win matches in an instant.

According to This Is Anfield [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], Liverpool will wear their new Nike away strip for the first time on Sunday, giving fans a chance to see it on the biggest stage of all.

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Liverpool fans react to kit claim

These Reds supporters reacted to the news on Twitter, with many seeing this is a ‘good omen’.

“Finally”

Credit: @stackz1shot

“We winning 6-0”

Credit: @lulusityy

“Finally. I hope this kit be our good omen”

Credit: @Hananliverpool

“Looks great”

Credit: @sean99o82

“I’m wearing mine all day then”

Credit: @TheOrigin__96

“Such a beauty”

Credit: @quindelamore

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at one piece of news ahead of the United clash. Read more here.

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has told Football FanCast that Tottenham’s priority before the transfer window closes is bringing in another centre-back and striker.

Nuno Espirito Santo has already added goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini and defender Cristian Romero from Atalanta to his squad, whilst promising young winger Bryan Gil joined from Sevilla, with Erik Lamela going the other way.

However, Tottenham’s struggles to offload the likes of Serge Aurier, Davinson Sanchez and Moussa Sissoko has affected their spending in the window.

Juan Foyth and Toby Alderweireld have both been moved on, but there appears a general lack of interest in Santo’s squad.

There’s also the ongoing Harry Kane saga, although following Carlos Vinicius’ return to Benfica, Spurs want to bring in another frontman regardless of whether the England captain leaves.

Meanwhile, according to Sky Sports, Tottenham are interested in signing Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma as they look to improve defensively before the window slams shut.

And Bridge told Football FanCast that one player at each end of the pitch is what the hierarchy want:

“My understanding is it’s another defender and a striker they’re focusing on. And I look at the date and the way it’s going for Spurs, and we mentioned the outgoings, they’re struggling.”

A number of West Ham fans have taken to Twitter to slam comments made by David Moyes regarding transfers.

Club insider ExWHUemployee took to social media to share a screenshot of a football.london article, which transcribes comments made by David Moyes.

These comments provide insight into the club’s transfer philosophy, which has been a major talking point throughout the January window. Moyes was quoted saying: “Extra bodies don’t count for anything, it is like a sugar rush but eventually, it wears off. You are better off trying to get the right players and if not, sticking with what you have got.”

These West Hams slam Moyes’ comments

Lots of Hammers fans flocked to ExWHUemployee’s post on Twitter, taking to the comments to express their frustration with the club’s lack of activity during the January transfer window.

Many fans were in disbelief, unable to believe that the club are not chasing numerous additions, despite the squad’s lack of depth with multiple competitions still up for grabs.

The biggest priorities lay in the heart of defence, where Angelo Ogbonna is out for the season, and up front, where there has still been no replacement for Sebastien Haller one year on from his departure.

Here’s what some Hammers had to say:

“Lack of vision to progress to the next level is criminal from this man”

Credit: @whumaan

“Moyes basically said we done a brilliant job losing to Leeds”

Credit: @NathWHU_

“This hasn’t become a problem just in January, we started the season short of a striker, that was in Aug, nearly 6 months ago. We’ve had 6 months to sort this and are down to 2 weeks now, ridiculous! Plus spending 30€m on Vlasic, who we didn’t really need”

Credit: @GILLER07

“It seems strange a year on from Haller the club have no solution. We did well on Lingard loan and those goals and assists helped us close the Euro spot but a 3rd window without perm in flow is poor management. Yes the right character only.”

Credit: @frostefroste

“This is a flat out bad opinion. It assumes that everyone in the world is either brilliant or rubbish, real world has shades of grey. Can we not just get a few ‘pretty good’ people for the squad please – just upgrades on Masuaku Yarmolenko & Diop, they DONT have to be A1 starters.”

Credit: @johnnyhammer5

“We are so frustrating sometimes”

Credit: @Luke96475753

According to a report by Record, via Sport Witness, Tottenham manager Antonio Conte may have been handed a boost as the club pursue Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Tottenham make contact over Nunez…

The Lilywhites are allegedly in contention to sign the Uruguay marksman this summer alongside a plethora of other Premier League clubs.

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Sharing news last week, 90min claimed Tottenham have already made contact with the striker’s entourage alongside the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Manchester United.

It is also believed that West Ham are showing an interest, backing Fabrizio Romano’s previous point that Nunez could be one of the ‘big name’ transfers of the summer window.

However, according to a fresh update, it appears that Conte may now have an ‘advantage’ over Spurs’ competitors.

The Latest: Record share Spurs update…

According to Portuguese news oulet Record, via Sport Witness, Tottenham do indeed have a ‘small advantage’ in the race for Nunez, with teams who are closer to Champions League qualification apparently having a better chance of signing him.

This propels Spurs above the likes of West Ham and Newcastle in the pecking order, but it is claimed that Manchester United are currently head of the queue as it stands.

The Verdict: Boost for Conte?

In a potential boost for Conte, Record’s update also exemplifies the sheer importance of European qualification for Spurs as the 52-year-old looks toward a vital run of fixtures leading to the end of 2021/22.

Tottenham’s finish could gift them either a stronger or weaker footing in the summer transfer market as Fabio Paratici aims to attract the cream of the crop.

Nunez, who has scored an incredible 28 goals in all competitions this season, would certainly boost Conte’s sparse centre-forward options at N17, with Breaking The Lines scout writer Maxi Angelo raving over the ‘incredible talent’.

Valued at around €80m (£67m), Benfica are willing to sell for much less than his €150m (£125.2m) release clause, but a move would still require significant investment on Tottenham’s part.

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

Rangers have enjoyed a sublime start to life with Giovanni van Bronckhorst in Glasgow after two wins from two since his official arrival at Ibrox.

The Gers have beaten Sparta Prague, in the Europa League group stage, and Livingston, in the Premiership, and are now looking to make it three wins in a row.

They face up against Hibernian, who they recently lost to in the semi-final of the League Cup, in the league as they look to build on their 3-1 win at the weekend.

How many changes will he make to the team? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three alterations to the side, with John Lundstram, Fashion Sakala and Scott Wright coming in.

With a busy festive schedule set to hit the Gers in the coming weeks, van Bronckhorst may need to make changes to his side based on more than just individual performances from week to week. He may need to offer minutes to players to keep them fresh and rest others to avoid burnout.

The first change we are predicting is John Lundstram coming in for Glen Kamara, with the back four and goalkeeper staying the same. Per SofaScore, the Finland international was dribbled past twice and lost six of his 11 duels against Livingston, which could open the door for the ex-Sheffield United man to step in and have his chance to shine.

FFC published an article explaining why Ryan Kent should be axed from the team, after back-to-back disappointing displays under the Dutchman’s reign. Sakala replaced him off the bench against Livingston and scored the third goal for the Gers with a composed header, which could see the £8.3k-per-week Zambian start on the left of the attacking four tonight with the ex-Liverpool man cut from the XI.

Finally, Wright could start out wide on the right ahead of Ianis Hagi. With a busy schedule coming up, van Bronckhorst could keep the Romanian winger fully fit by resting him for this clash, whilst also offering Wright an opportunity to come in and show that he is deserving of more minutes in the coming weeks and months for the Gers.

The 24-year-old has one goal and an average of 1.3 chances created per game despite only starting three games in the Premiership this term. This suggests that the potential is there for him to be a threat in the final third, but he needs to go and show that he can do it on a consistent basis – starting with Hibs.

AND in other news, GVB must brutally axe £18k-p/w Rangers “wizard” vs Hibernian, he’s been a passenger…

Celtic find themselves in a solid position in terms of their hopes for securing the SPFL title.

In his first season in charge of the Hoops, Ange Postecoglou has taken Celtic to the top of the league table with 33 games played.

With a six-point gap over their Old Firm rivals Rangers in second place, the Bhoys have won 26 games, drawn four and lost three throughout the season.

However, one player that hasn’t contributed that much to Celtic’s campaign is midfielder Ismaila Soro.

With 19 appearances to his name across all competitions, the 23-year-old has only started six of them, highlighting just how far down the pecking order he is.

Even when the £10.5k-per-week midfielder has been able to get on the pitch, he hasn’t been particularly impressive, earning himself a rather uninspiring overall rating of 6.46/10 from WhoScored for his league performances.

This makes him the third-lowest rated player to start at least one league game for the Bhoys this season.

Having been linked with a transfer move away from the Parkhead club during the previous January transfer window, the upcoming summer window could now be the right time for the Hoops to move him on.

Should this finally happen, one figure that Celtic have been mentioned with that could be an ideal replacement for Soro is Coventry City midfielder, Gustavo Hamer.

Back in March, it was reported that the Bhoys are interested in signing the midfielder, who has found the back of the net three times this season and provided 10 assists this season prior to Coventry’s match against AFC Bournemouth.

Described as being like a “terrier” on the pitch that has “a lot of technique and skill on the ball” by Dutch football expert Michael Bell, Hamer has shown that technique by racking up a total of 162 crosses in the Championship this season.

Having also made a total of 42 tackles and the second-highest number of interceptions out of anyone in Coventry’s squad, the 24-year-old could be an ideal all-round replacement for Soro.

Labelled as an “unbelievable” player by Marko Marosi, Hamer is reportedly valued at £5m by his current club, which, in our view, is a fee that the Hoops should definitely consider coughing up to sign the midfield machine this summer, especially if they manage to get rid of Soro.

In other news: Big blow: Insider drops major behind-the-scenes Celtic claim, Ange will be fuming