Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Fabio Paratici could be set to utilise his Serie A connections once again, amid reports that the north Londoners are eyeing a summer deal for Inter Milan maestro, Marcelo Brozovic.

What’s the word?

According to InterLive.it, the Lilywhites’ transfer chief – who previously snapped up the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from Italy – appears to be intent on landing the Croatia international at the end of the season, with the 30-year-old having been deemed ‘expendable’ by those at San Siro.

The report suggests that Spurs are the club who have been ‘most interested’ in signing the 83-cap rock in recent times, albeit with La Liga giants Barcelona also said to be in the mix for his signature.

The piece goes on to add that those at N17 are considering two potential approaches for the Zagreb native, with a straight offer of around €25m (£22m) having been mooted, as well as a proposal of around €10m (£9m) plus academy graduate, Japhet Tanganga.

Imagine him and Hojbjerg

The addition of Brozovic – who still has just over three years left to run on his existing deal in Milan – would provide both quality and experience to Antonio Conte’s midfield ranks, with the 5 foot 11 maestro having been a standout figure for the Nerrazzurri over the years.

The former Dinamo Zagreb man has scored 30 goals and provided 37 assists in 303 games for the club to date from his defensive midfield berth, notably playing his part in the side that won the Scudetto under Conte back in 2021.

That glorious campaign saw the “irreplaceable” gem – as previously lauded by ex-Inter star Gianfranco Matteoli – average an impressive 1.6 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game from his 29 league appearances, as per WhoScored, with that an illustration of just what an effective screen he is in front of the backline.

Although he has gone on to feature just 13 times across all fronts this term – making only nine starts – the long-serving warrior still compares favourably to those in his position in Europe, as he ranks in the top 12% for non-penalty goals as a marker that he can also make a difference in the final third if required.

The hope would be that Brozovic would be able to form a menacing midfield partnership with current Tottenham regular, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with the Danish machine also offering a perhaps unsung attacking quality with four goals and three assists from his 21 Premier League appearances this season.

Like the Inter star – who averaged 2.2 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game last season in the Italian top-flight – Hojbjerg is also truly effective due to his ball-winning prowess, as he averages 1.5 tackles and 1.5 interceptions in the league this term.

The two men’s progressive midfield approach is also illustrated by their willingness to make things happen for their respective sides, with the latter man ranking in the top 9% for attempted passes and the top 9% for pass completion, while Brozovic ranks in the top 4% and the top 9%, respectively, in those same two metrics.

That should indicate that the addition of the experienced asset would provide competition as well as also a potential partner for Hojbjerg in the centre of the park, with that a truly mouthwatering prospect for both Conte and Paratici.

Aston Villa have been in excellent form in the Premier League since Unai Emery’s side returned from the break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The Villans have won three of their six matches in the division since coming back to action in December – beating Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, and Southampton, whilst also drawing with Wolves.

One player who returned to the club high on confidence after the winter competition was goalkeeper Emi Martinez as the former Arsenal man came back to Villa Park with a World Cup medal.

The 30-year-old won the tournament with Argentina and played a significant role in his country’s success by saving a penalty in the shootout win over France in the final.

He has also caught the eye with his performances in the Premier League this season as the ‘keeper has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.87 across 19 appearances – placing him fifth in the squad – and kept four cleans sheets in total.

In December, The Sun reported that noises had been coming out from the shot-stopper’s camp about interest from a number of other clubs and Bayern Munich were named as one of the teams who could have made a move for him, although they have since signed Yann Sommer.

Martinez, who journalist Callum Altimas once hailed as a “mad man”, could be a player the club may need to replace in one of the upcoming transfer windows if that interest from the unnamed teams becomes serious and tempts him into wanting to depart from Villa Park.

If the £120k-per-week titan does depart, whether that is this summer or in a future window, then Villa could already have his heir at the club in the form of U21 goalkeeper Oliwier Zych.

The 18-year-old colossus, who stands at 6 foot 3, has already played 16 times for the 21s after racking up 20 appearances – keeping five clean sheets – for the U18s.

This season, the teenager has kept two clean sheets and conceded just two goals in three Premier League 2 outings and has earned himself a place in Poland’s U19 set-up.

Zych had already been called up at U14, U15, U16, and U18 level by his country prior to the current campaign but is now the number-one choice for the 19s – starting and captaining Poland in a clash with the Czech Republic on Wednesday.

Martinez is reportedly viewed as one of the leaders in the Villa squad and has donned the armband at times this season and this suggests that the club would lose one of the big voices on the pitch and in the dressing room with his departure.

Therefore, Zych being the captain of his country’s youth side is a big plus in his favour as it indicates that the gem has the potential to take on the leadership responsibilities that the current first-team number one has.

That, along with the 18-year-old’s form for the youth side this campaign and his experience with the youth sides, is why the Polish stopper could be the long-term heir to Martinez’s position if Emery can unearth his talent in the years to come.

Rangers boss Michael Beale can persuade star man Ryan Kent to sign a contract extension with the club amid Premier League interest fading away, according to Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Kent’s contract

One of the main talking points off the pitch at Ibrox is the future of winger Kent who sees his contract tick into the final few months alongside ten other first-team players (Transfermarkt).

The 26-year-old has bagged 33 goals and 55 assists in his 208 games for the Gers following his £7.5m move to the SPFL from Liverpool back in 2019.

Kent has retained his importance throughout the years and remains part of Beale’s key plans with him starting all 11 of his manager’s games in charge at Ibrox so far.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed that interest in him as a free agent has wavered from Premier League sides recently and his relationship and form under Beale could be enough to tempt him into an extension with Rangers, Jones said:

“A while back, we were talking about Premier League interest in Ryan Kent, but that’s not really there at the moment.

“It has cooled off so, if things go well between the manager and the player here, I think he might be able to talk him into staying.”

The Verdict: Time to sign?

Amid Jones’ comments that a move to the top-flight south of the border are likely off the table at the moment, Kent would seemingly be very happy to remain in Glasgow given their form under Beale and another shot at the Champions League set to come next season.

With a move to current Championship side Burnley, touted by Football Insider, who are set to be playing Premier League football next campaign given their seven point gap at the top and 17 point advantage over third in the automatic promotion place, a Prem move might not be off the table but a switch to one harbouring European aspirations like Rangers could be.

The reports of a move to Vincent Kompany’s side left former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson completely baffled with him seeing the move as a step down, should the former Liverpool man see the interest of sides such as Burnley in the same vain, you could well expect to see him don the Light Blues shirt again next season.

Journalist Charles Watts has reported that Arsenal are unlikely to benefit this season in the title race despite the current allegations against Manchester City.

What’s the word?

It was reported at the start of this week that Pep Guardiola’s side have been charged by the Premier League with 100 breaches of the financial rules following a four-year investigation.

Of course, with Mikel Arteta men pushing to win the league – currently sitting five points and one place above City in the table – the Manchester outfit are Arsenal’s biggest rivals at the moment.

With that in mind, some fans may well have been hoping to a potential points deduction could be on the cards; as we have seen Juventus suffer in Serie A this season.

For instance, Piers Morgan sent a Tweet saying: “Outrageous. Immediate points deduction!”

However, while speaking about it all on YouTube, Watts poured water on any such rumours and explained that any immediate action is unlikely to happen this season.

He said: “I’ve seen on social media all Arsenal fans are like, ‘oh, docked points. Docked points, definitely’.

“Which I can understand. But, you know, who knows how long it will [take]. All the lawyers are going to get involved, City with their legions of lawyers that they have.“This is just a start, the fact that it’s been a charge, it’s going to rumble on in courts and everything for a while. I can’t imagine we’re going to have a resolution this season. It might run on until next season. We’ll have to wait and see.“But I mean, the allegations are massive, you know, really. Really, they’re basically saying that Manchester City have been cooking their books for years.”Delayed impactSeeing as City have said they were “surprised” by the charges and are supported by a “body of irrefutable evidence”, it’s safe to assume these accusations will be denied.As a result, just as Watts points out, this one will likely go to court and will take plenty of time before anything tangible happens to the Manchester club that could directly help out Arsenal.However, all this off-pitch uncertainty could unsettle the Man City players. And seeing as they lost to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday – failing to take advantage of the Gunners’ defeat at Everton – it’s certainly been a fortunate 24 hours for Arteta and co.

Journalist Beren Cross has reported that the “leading candidates” to get the Leeds United manager’s job are all currently in work.

What’s the word?

At the start of this week, following a loss that leaves the club on the edge of the relegation zone, the Whites opted to sack American head coach Jesse Marsch.

Being mid-way through the Premier League season and with the club in threat of going back down to the Championship, Leeds won’t want to delay too long before hiring a new manager.

However, even if chairman Andrea Radrizzani believes the issue will be sorted soon, it sounds as though it won’t be an easy task to hire a new manager as the club will have to convince any candidates to leave their current job first.

While speaking on a LeedsLive video stream, Cross explained his understanding of the situation, saying: “We’ve learned that the leading candidates – so, interviews are already underway, interviews began last night [Monday], they continue today – all of the leading candidates are in work.

“So it will require some negotiation with existing employers to get those managers out of their clubs if they want the job. So we’ll see how that plays out. That, of course, will complicate matters with a third party being involved.”

Difficult task

Of course, when you want to tempt a manager into trading one side for another, it can cost more money to buy them out of their contract. On top of that, it can be difficult to convince individuals to leave a project they are already working on.

For example, West Brom boss Carlos Corberan was linked with the job but has since rejected the Whites in favour of signing a new contract with the Baggies.

Interestingly enough, this update from Cross does suggest that touted names such as Marcelo Bielsa, Ralph Hasenhuttl, and Mauricio Pochettino are all seemingly out of the running as they are currently unattached.

It’ll certainly be interesting to see how the next few hours and days play out as the club seek out a Marsch replacement.

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Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale has a number of significant decisions to make heading into the summer transfer window as a collection of players are set to be out of contract.

The Gers have a host of first-team squad members whose deals expire at the end of the season and the Light Blues boss, working alongside Ross Wilson, needs to decide who he does, and does not, want to keep.

One player who could be worthy of an extension is Scotland international midfielder Ryan Jack, who has been heavily involved so far this season.

The 30-year-old has played 17 times, starting 11 of those matches, in the Premiership this term and has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.88 in that time.

Jack, who started nine games in the run to the Europa League final in 2021/22, has been a reliable performer for Beale in the middle of the park and it could be worth handing him an extra couple of years, given that he only turns 31 this year.

However, Beale must also start to think about what life may look like at Ibrox after the Scottish battler departs and that is where B Team gem Bailey Rice comes into play.

The Light Blues head coach could find the long-term successor to Jack by developing the young academy talent to a point where he can take the experienced technician’s place in a few seasons’ time.

Extending the current first-team star’s contract for another two or three campaigns would allow the club to work with Rice to ensure that the youngster is fully ready to make the step up to first-team football.

The 16-year-old, who was dubbed a “prospect” by journalist Mark Hendry, joined the club from Motherwell in January of last year and has been a regular for the youth side this season.

Despite only turning 16 in October of 2022, the enforcer has played 14 matches for the B team, alongside some players who are three or four years older than him, and six times for the U19s.

The midfielder, who has scored two goals and provided one assist in 13 Lowland League outings, is seemingly showing maturity and quality beyond his years to be regularly selected for the B Team at his age, which is a promising sign for the future.

Premier League champions Manchester City were also interested in signing the gem last year, which shows how highly his performances in Motherwell’s youth set-up were rated, and Rice has also been capped 15 times by Scotland at youth level.

His accomplishments and the transfer interest he garnered before the age of 17 suggest that the gem, who has vowed to “keep improving”, has immense potential and could be a future star of the Gers first team if he can continue to develop and grow as a player.

Therefore, Rice could be the long-term successor to Jack in the middle of the park and extending the latter’s contract to coincide with when the B Team star will be nearing his 20s could be a smart move by the club.

Leeds United correspondent Joe Donnohue has labelled an injury to Rodrigo as a ‘big blow for Jesse Marsch’.

The Lowdown: Top scorer

Rodrigo was enjoying his best season in front of goal at Elland Road since arriving back in 2020, scoring 12 goals in 22 games in all competitions.

The 31-year-old has scored eight more goals than any other Whites player but is now set for a two-month spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury.

Leeds confirmed on Thursday that the forward has undergone surgery on the problem, and Donnohue has given his thoughts on the news.

The Latest: ‘Big blow’

YEP reporter Donnohue took to Twitter to relay the news on Rodrigo, who he described as being in ‘excellent form this season’.

He said that it is a ‘big blow for Jesse Marsch and Leeds to lose their top scorer’, adding that it is time for Patrick Bamford and Georginio Rutter to step up.

The Verdict: Avoidable?

Marsch actually decided to bring Rodrigo on against Accrington Stanley with Leeds three goals to the good with just over 20 minutes remaining, so you could argue that he wasn’t needed and Marsch could have brought on either Sonny Perkins or Mateo Joseph instead.

However, the Leeds man made his decision and will now have to live with the consequences, but as Donnohue mentions, there are alternative options in attack.

Bamford has built up minutes in recent weeks, whereas Rutter arrived on a club-record fee, so both players may need to contribute over the coming months as the Whites look to avoid relegation once again.

Everton are in desperate need to strengthen their forward line following the departure of Anthony Gordon and now a new update has emerged on a potential Deadline Day transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to Tutto Mercato Web’s chief editor Marco Conterio, Everton have made an offer this afternoon to sign Udinese striker Beto.

Conterio tweeted: “EFC made a €25M (£22m) proposal for Beto Betuncal (it’s 22+3) to get the striker now. Let’s see what will happen then.”

He’s a DCL cloneSean Dyche has been given a mission almost impossible to strengthen his squad in such a limited amount of time after being only confirmed as the new Everton manager yesterday.As a result, the powerbrokers at Goodison Park must give the manager all the resources available to improve the incredibly weakened attacking threat in the team over the remaining hours of the transfer window.Following Richarlison’s exit in the summer and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s constant injury issues over the last 18 months it is no secret that the forward line has struggled this season – with the Toffees now 19th in the Premier League table after collecting just 15 points so far with as many goals tallied up too.Furthermore, Gordon’s disruptive move to Newcastle United this week has now added to Everton’s problems, so the signing of Beto could be exactly what the manager needs to get off to a good start at Goodison Park when he takes in charge in his first home game against the league leaders Arsenal at the weekend.Over 20 Serie A appearances so far this season, the 25-year-old striker – who was dubbed “intelligent” by Josh Bunting – has scored seven goals, registered one assist and created one big chance, as well as averaging 1.6 shots on goal and 4.1 duels won per game.In fact, Dyche could land a Calvert-Lewin clone with the signing of Beto as the monstrous 6 foot 4 striker uses his stature in a similar way to bully defenders in order to get into dangerous positions to score with both strikers ranking in the top 18% of their positional peers across the top five European leagues for aerial duels won.Beto also ranks in the top 20% of his positional peers for clearances, touches and dribbles completed, proving that he could be a hugely valuable asset to the manager over the second half of the season, adding quality depth to the position with his similarities to the Everton striker.With that being said, the signing of Beto would be a major coup for Dyche in his pursuit to turn the season around at Goodison Park and if Beto can keep up his scoring consistency it will surely assist with the challenge to earn crucial points to climb out of trouble sooner rather than later.

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford failed to be at his best as he suffered another frustrating night in the Whites midweek 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.

The Lowdown: Derby draw

Just days after Jesse Marsch was sacked from the Elland Road hotseat, his former side earned a draw against opponents who headed into the clash on the back of 13 straight home wins (BBC).

Italian star Wilfried Gnonto opened the scoring for the Whites inside 60 seconds to stun Manchester United, before Raphael Varane deflected Crysencio Summerville’s cross into his own net just after the restart.

The Red Devils battled back through goals from Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho goals to salvage a draw, which was the very least managerless Leeds deserved in the hotly contested Premier League encounter.

The Latest: Cross’ ratings

LeedsLive’s Beren Cross delivered his player ratings after the game, which included a man-of-the-match 9/10 for Max Wober together with 8/10 ratings for fellow defenders Luke Ayling and Robin Koch alongside goalscorer Gnonto.

However, considering the result and the Whites’ performance, it was his lowly rating for Bamford that caught the eye, with the Englishman receiving the lowest rating of all the starters at 6/10.

He wrote: “Put himself about, but still not the game for him to shine. Ball did not stick to him and he had a hard time battling with the centre-backs.”

The Verdict: Still not at it

Taking back his role as the focal point for Leeds following the injury to Rodrigo, which sees the Spaniard out for two months (via Leeds United), Bamford was once again a shadow of his former self.

Despite picking up the assist for Gnonto’s opener in the opening minute – albeit a simple lay-off before the 19-year-old flashed home at David de Gea’s near post from 20 yards – that was as good of an involvement that the 29-year-old achieved all game.

Leeds’ No 9 failed to register a single shot in his 63 minutes on the field (via Sofascore) before he was replaced by the fresh legs of Georginio Rutter.

He lost possession a woeful 14 times from just 30 touches, leaving a pass accuracy of just 53% from a measly 10 completed passes – attempting fewer than goalkeeper Illan Meslier in both departments.

It was far from vintage from Bamford, but with Rutter’s involvement proving even less fruitful with just one accurate pass in 27 minutes, the Englishman may well keep his place.

Fabrizio Romano has shared a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update involving Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie.

The Lowdown: Spurs target centre-back…

The north Londoners are reliably believed to be targeting a central defender heading into the summer window.

Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi and Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni are rumoured to be on the agenda as Antonio Conte’s side look to sign two new centre-halves.

The Premier League top-four chasers have conceded more goals than any side in the top ten, making the need for reinforcements all the more prevalent.

The Latest: Romano shares Hincapie to Spurs claim…

Leverkusen defender Hincapie has also been linked with a move to N17 with Romano, a reliable transfer source, now backing claims that Tottenham are eyeing a move this summer.

He explained:

“Understand there’s no release clause included in Piero Hincapié new contract with Bayer Leverkusen.

“Many clubs remain keen on signing the Ecuadorian CB in the summer including Tottenham — but Bayer Leverkusen will decide the price, no buy out clause.”

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The Verdict: Great option…

After signing a new deal, Hincapie will almost certainly be a more expensive option.

The Ecuador international has been a revelation in Germany for Leverkusen, earning praise for his sky high potential even if he is still a bit ‘raw’.

Bundesliga expert Kevin Hatchard claims that Hincapie is a ‘tremendous’ central defender, albeit a work in progress, and we believe Spurs could secure a real gem with his signing.

He starred for Ecuador at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar last year, averaging their joint-highest rate of tackles per 90 and second highest rate of clearances over three tournament starts (WhoScored).

Hincapie’s brother, according to the player himself, has also told the centre-back that he is ‘a lot like’ Spurs defender Cristian Romero.

There are certainly incentives to make a move given Leverkusen were swift to move for the player at first glance after spotting huge potential.