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According to a report from Goal, Liverpool are interested in signing Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma as a long-term replacement for Sadio Mane.

The lowdown: Long-standing admiration

The Reds have previously been linked with a move for the 25-year-old and recent performances in Spain have only further cemented the former Bournemouth star’s burgeoning reputation.

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Signed for £21.3million in 2021 (Sky Sports), Danjuma has scored 14 times and registered another four assists in 29 appearances so far for Unai Emery’s side.

Now it would appear that Liverpool’s interest in the Dutchman is only growing, with his goal against Bayern Munich on Tuesday sure to catch the eye.

The latest: Mane successor?

As per Goal, Liverpool, and by extension new transfer guru Julian Ward, are said to be ‘interested’ in signing Danjuma but are ‘unlikely to make a bid’ in the upcoming summer window.

It’s claimed that Liverpool view the six-cap Holland ace as a ‘possible successor’ to Mane – who is fast approaching the final 12 months of a contract on Merseyside.

The report also states that the Reds ‘could sanction’ a bid next year for the winger with a mooted €75million (£63million) release clause.

The verdict: Rising star

After flopping on the south coast – failing to score or assist in 14 Premier League outings and completing 90 minutes just twice in those games – Danjuma has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence in Spain.

Despite struggling in England, he has been impressing in La Liga and in the UEFA Champions League, ranking as his club’s sixth-best player in the top flight and third-best in European action, per Whoscored.

Described as a ‘nightmare for defenders’ by Kevin Phillips, the skilful winger has completed 1.2 successful dribbles per game from 20 league appearances so far this season (Sofascore).

Under contract until 2026 (Transfermarkt), the release clause could represent value for money for a player who possesses the necessary range of attacking assets to replace Mane in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

In other news, Liverpool target reportedly set to leave Bundesliga giants. Find out who it is here.

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As quoted by Football London, West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that Manuel Lanzini is close to a return to action, following a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The Chilean coach said, “this week I think we will have the squad list [on Thursday] and maybe Lanzini and Nasri can be included on the squad list…We will talk [Thursday] with the medical staff and then we will decide.”

Whether or not it is in time to face Fulham at the London Stadium on Friday night, the 26-year-old attacking midfielder is clearly close to a return to field. This will be welcome news to Hammers fans, as the Argentine can certainly have an impact between now and the end of the season.

On the chalkboard

The midfielder was expected to miss out on the entirety of this campaign after he sustained a knee injury during preparations for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. However, he now looks to be on schedule for a return ahead of the initial 15-month diagnosis.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

The team he is coming back into though is very different to the one he left. The Hammers have improved their attacking contingent whilst Lanzini has been sidelined, and summer arrival Felipe Anderson could make it tricky for the 4-cap Argentina international to get back into the team.

Pellegrini will have to find a way to balance his side so that Lanzini and the Brazilian can play alongside each other without leaving the Irons defensively exposed.

Finding the balance

With both Anderson and Lanzini on the pitch, the east London club would boast a great deal of creativity, technical ability and flair. However, neither are the most defensively aware or diligent of players. Despite all their quality, the Irons could find themselves missing the work rate currently brought to the side by the likes of Mark Noble, Robert Snodgrass and Michail Antonio – and there isn’t room for all of them in the starting XI.

Jack Wilshere and Andriy Yarmolenko’s own returns to fitness could intensify this selection headache for the manager. Pellegrini will likely have to make some tough choices in the summer, or else find a way to accommodate all of this attacking midfield talent, to ensure that the Iron’s don’t become a top-heavy, unbalanced outfit.

According to a report from RMC Sport (via Sport Witness), Liverpool are interested in a move for Angers striker Mohamed-Ali Cho.

The lowdown: Rising stock

The 18-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence in France and has previously attracted interest from Leicester City and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Despite not boasting an impressive goal return in domestic football, Cho has netted two goals in three outings for France at under-19 level.

A fresh update has now emerged suggesting that Liverpool could be among the clubs looking at the talented youngster…

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The latest: Premier League giants watching Cho

As per RMC Sport, as translated by Sport Witness, the Anfield club and their Premier League rivals Chelsea are both ‘keeping an eye’ on Cho.

It is claimed that RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid are also interested in the teenager as the Ligue 1 outfit eye a ‘record’ sale exceeding the €25m (£20m) they received from Lyon for Jeff Reine-Adelaide.

Formerly of Paris Saint-Germain and Everton at academy level, leaving the Goodison Park club in 2020, the report states that Cho is ‘one of the most highly-rated youngsters on the market’.

The verdict: Firmino successor?

Possessing a perceived market value of £13.5m and out of contract in 2023 (Transfermarkt), signing the French teenager – who was described as possessing ‘bags of potential’ by Alan Hutton when discussing Tottenham Hotspur’s previous interest – would be a relatively inexpensive deal for the Reds.

As Jurgen Klopp and outgoing sporting director Julian Ward prepare for life after Divock Origi and (potentially long-term) Roberto Firmino, adding a new centre-forward to the squad will be necessitated over the coming transfer windows.

Although a lowly two goals in 49 senior appearances from Cho doesn’t make for excellent reading, the ‘intelligent’ starlet – as hailed by his manager Gerard Baticle – has been a regular feature this season, starting on 18 occasions in Ligue 1. That makes him a viable option to continue the pattern of Liverpool turning lesser-known prospects into eventual stars.

In other news: Liverpool could now sign South American beast for a bargain as price drops by 38%

Leeds United return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon when they take on Southampton at Elland Road.

Jesse Marsch’s side went into the international break off the back of a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Wolves at Molineux, and since then they have been handed some further boosts on the injury front.

While the Whites did confirm that Patrick Bamford would be out for a minimum of six weeks due to injury, they can welcome the likes of Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips back into the fold after the duo remained as unused substitutes against Bruno Lage’s side a fortnight ago.

Marsch will have some big calls to make ahead of the match, and below is a look at how Leeds might line up when Southampton come to town.

In goal, Illan Meslier is likely to be fit for the game at Elland Road despite being forced off midway through the second half against Wolves following a collision with Raul Jimenez which led to the Mexico international’s sending off.

The back-line could see one important change, with club captain Cooper ready and available for Marsch to call upon and shore up a leaky Leeds defence which has already conceded 67 goals this season – the most of any side in the Premier League.

Cooper could come in for Pascal Struijk, with the £25k-a-week ace having struggled of late, perhaps no surprise given that he remains only 22 and is playing in a high-pressure environment like the one in which Leeds find themselves right now.

Another huge call for the Leeds manager to make is in midfield, where Phillips is no doubt pushing to make his first start of the calendar year. If Marsch does opt to go that way, then Mateusz Klich could be the man to drop out, with Adam Forshaw partnering the England international in the engine room and offering a bit more control on the ball.

Further forward, Bamford’s injury is likely to mean the likes of Jack Harrison, Rodrigo and Dan James all keep their places from the game against Wolves, while Raphinha’s recovery from his virus means that he is likely to come straight back in too.

AND in other news – Leeds could unleash Thorp Arch’s breakout star in “fiery” 18 y/o who’s “got an edge”

Tottenham Hotspur are now vying to sign in-form Valencia midfielder Carlos Soler as manager Antonio Conte eyes yet more fresh faces, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte seeks major overhaul…

The Telegraph, sharing some pretty big news this week, lifted the lid on a scheduled Spurs sit down at the end of 2021/2022 between Conte, managing director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy.

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In the report, it is stated that Tottenham’s head coach wants as many as six major signings – including a reserve goalkeeper, right-wing-back, centre-half, two midfielders and a forward.

Conte’s ambition on the pitch is backed even more off it going by this latest update with there being no shortage of targets for his midfield.

Leicester City star Youri Tielemans and Brentford playmaker Christian Eriksen are both on the Lilywhites’ agenda as they aim to maintain their climb up the Premier League (The Times).

The Latest: Spurs competing for Soler…

TUTTOmercatoWEB, sharing yet another midfield man on Conte’s radar, now claim Tottenham are one of the teams competing to sign Valencia’s star man Soler.

The 25-year-old has bagged a brilliant 12 goals and five assists in all competitions this season, attracting interest from both the north Londoners and West Ham.

Valencia’s number 10 could also leave for nothing in 2023 with his contract expiring next year, potentially making his 2022 summer transfer ‘cheaper’.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Soler is still young, a proven final third threat and an alleged ‘highly respected’ figure in the Mestalla Stadium dressing room according to Radio Taronja journalist Alvaro Benzal (via La Liga Lowdown).

Bearing this in mind, the Spaniard comes as a seriously underrated option for Spurs.

According to WhoScored, only Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min have averaged more key passes per 90 in the final third than Soler over 2021/2022 – while Son and Harry Kane stand as just two Spurs players with a greater amount of league goals.

Taking into account his quality, it’s little wonder Valencia slapped a mammoth €150 million (£126m) release clause into his current deal, as the La Liga giants confirmed back in 2019.

Reports out of Spain, via Sport Witness, also back that he would be perfect for Conte – with claims emerging that Soler ‘fits the profile’ Spurs’ head coach wants in north London.

As time runs down on his contract, Paratici could also be in a strong negotiating position, so we advise Spurs to seriously consider a formal approach this summer.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.

According to Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic, Ajax were ‘priced out of a potential deal’ by Tottenham for Steven Bergwijn as Antonio Conte considers him ‘an important member of his squad’.

The Lowdown: Bergwijn’s transfer saga

The Dutch winger was at the centre of a fluctuating transfer saga during the January window. One moment he was seemingly off from N17, the next Conte wanted him to stay.

On 9 January, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claimed that Tottenham had ‘decided to sell’ the 24-year-old amid interest from a number of clubs.

Two days later, the Evening Standard reported that Spurs had rejected an opening £15m bid from Ajax. It was said that Daniel Levy was holding out on the deal as he was looking to recoup as much of the £27m that they paid for the player in 2020 as they could.

However, Bergwijn seemingly threw his Spurs future into the air as he fired in two stoppage-time goals in 80 seconds to snatch Conte’s side three points in a thrilling 3-2 win over Leicester City two weeks ago.

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The Latest: Ajax ‘priced out’ of Bergwijn deal

According to Eccleshare on Twitter, the Dutch champions were priced out of a possible deal for Bergwijn, a player who Conte feels is an integral member of the Tottenham squad.

He outlined: “It’s been a busy day for #THFC departures, but Steven Bergwijn is staying put. Ajax priced out of a potential deal for someone Antonio Conte considers an important member of his squad.”

Eccleshare also revealed for The Athletic that Spurs were not actively looking to offload the attacker, but Ajax’s interest had tested their resolve. This ultimately ended as the Dutch giants could not afford to meet Tottenham’s asking price.

The Verdict: Good choice

Bergwijn has not enjoyed an easy period since he arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but in recent weeks, it seems that the Netherlands international’s fortunes may have changed.

With the 24-year-old having secured Spurs that dramatic win against Leicester and with Alasdair Gold hailing him as a ‘rare bright spot’ in the recent defeat at Chelsea, this begged the question as to whether Conte and Fabio Paratici were silly to consider allowing the player to leave.

Considering the failed pursuit for now-Barcelona winger Adama Traore, Tottenham have made the right call to keep hold of the Dutchman, whose ‘quality’ has been hailed by Conte himself.

In other news: Tottenham: Late Ousmane Dembele attempt fails

Tottenham Hotspur could also sell an ‘important’ player who manager Antonio Conte ‘raves about’, according to journalist Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites exodus?

This upcoming Spurs transfer window looks set to be the most interesting one in quite some time.

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Lilywhites transfer chief Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy, tasked with backing Conte ahead of the 2022/2023 Premier League season, are reportedly going to sit down with the Italian as he eyes six major signings (The Telegraph).

However, amid their financial complications off the pitch, with club debt mounting to around £706 million, it is imperative that the club offload surplus players to balance the books and bolster Conte’s transfer kitty.

Their homegrown quota also presents a complication with reliable journalist Matt Law recently claiming that, if Spurs want to sign an overseas forward this summer, one of Steven Bergwijn or Lucas Moura may have to be offloaded.

The Latest: Gold backs possible Bergwijn exit…

Writing for football.london in the last 24 hours, another credible source in Tottenham correspondent Gold has now backed that Bergwijn could also leave north London amid consistent exit links surrounding other players.

This is despite the fact Conte ‘raves about’ his Dutch winger, even calling him an ‘important’ player, with Gold adding that Bergwijn is unlikely to want to stay for 22/23 amid his lack of minutes.

The Verdict: Stick or twist?

The Netherlands international has proven to be a useful option for Conte over this campaign.

His added time brace to clinch a dramatic 3-2 win at Leicester City in late January is evidence of the player’s impact and quality when given an opportunity, and could even be the moment that secures Champions League football come the end of the campaign.

Bergwijn’s versatility as an attacking outlet from the wide positions and further forward is another incentive for Spurs to keep hold of the former PSV Eindhoven star.

Despite his quality, though, a mooted move back to the Eredivisie with footballing giants Ajax could be too enticing to ignore – and if the 24-year-old pushes for a move – Spurs may well need to consider a sale depending on their possible offer.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst enjoyed a strong first transfer window in charge of the club as he brought a number of players in throughout the month.

John Souttar signed a pre-contract to join from Hearts in the summer, whilst Amad Diallo, James Sands, Mateusz Zukowski and Aaron Ramsey call came in to bolster the squad immediately.

The Dutch head coach may now be planning ahead of his first summer window in charge of the club, with players set to leave and arrive at Ibrox.

One player who is out of contract at the end of this season is central midfielder Steven Davis, whose deal runs out at the end of May.

Save millions

The veteran midfielder has played 334 games for the Gers throughout his career and will leave a sizeable hole in the squad that will need to be filled.

Instead of dipping into the transfer market to spend millions on a replacement, van Bronckhorst could unleash academy youngster Alex Lowry and offer him the chance to become a regular in the side.

He made his debut against Stirling Albion in the cup this term and managed to score his first senior goal after coming off the bench for the injured Ianis Hagi.

Ex-Gers enforcer Craig Moore heaped praise on the youngster earlier this season, saying: “He looks so comfortable on the ball and really confident on it.

“He’s not demanding it all the time but that will come with experience but when he has that ball, he looks totally at ease.

“He has the ability to go left and right, and I know that Fashion Sakala got man of the match, but I actually thought that Lowry was the best player on the field.”

His goalscoring debut offered a glimpse of what the beast is capable of and Moore’s comments highlight how impressive he was throughout the match. This shows that he is able to deal with the pressure of playing in a first-team environment as he did not shy away from getting on the ball and trying to make things happen.

At the age of 18, he also has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve as a player. This means that he could be slowly integrated into the team as Davis’ replacement next season, saving Ross Wilson millions in needing to bring a fresh face in to take his spot.

AND in other news, Wilson has endured a big Ibrox howler over dud who’s cost Rangers £1m per league goal…

As per Football Insider, West Ham United and manager David Moyes have set their sights on an old target as news emerges on Rangers defender Calvin Bassey.

The Lowdown: 2020 Bassey bid rejected…

The former Leicester City ace has previously been a wanted man at the London Stadium as this report reveals that the Irons and GSB actually had an offer rejected to sign the player.

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Indeed, according to Football Insider, the versatile full-back was at the centre of West Ham interest around two years ago in ‘early’ 2020 as he ran down his contract at the King Power Stadium.

However, the Hammers’ bid to sign Bassey was apparently turned down as he instead opted to put pen to paper on a four-year deal north of the border at Rangers.

Going on to become a regular at Ibrox, it appears Moyes and West Ham are now back in as FI share an update.

The Latest: West Ham set sights on Bassey…

Indeed, according to their ‘West Ham source’, the east Londoners have ‘set sights’ on Bassey following their 2020 attempt and are keeping tabs on his situation at the Gers.

As Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman allegedly look to sign a left-footed defender this summer, the Nigerian has emerged onto their radar.

The Verdict: Good candidate?

Given West Ham’s alleged desire to sign a central defender and left full-back, with the club also eyeing Fulham duo Tosin Adarabioyo and Antonee Robinson for this reason (Alex Crook), Bassey could actually fill both roles single-handedly.

The 22-year-old is able to play in both positions and has done well out wide for Rangers this season, averaging the joint-fourth most successful crosses per 90 (0.7) out of their entire squad in the SPFL (WhoScored).

Bassey has also been lavished with praise for his pace, as his former coach, Leicester City Under-23s manager Steve Beaglehole, describes him as an ‘explosive’ player who’s ‘as quick as anything’ (The Athletic).

He’s certainly someone worth considering for Moyes, especially going by his young age and potential to get even better.

In other news: Insider: West Ham move for ‘world class’ international now ‘more than likely’…find out more here.

Bournemouth have reportedly made an approach to sign Leeds United right-back Cody Drameh this summer.

The Lowdown: Drameh at Cardiff

The Leeds youngster decided to head out on loan during the January window, joining Championship side Cardiff City until the end of the season.

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Drameh has become a regular for The Bluebirds, making 18 consecutive starts following his move to Wales.

The 20-year-old, who’s positioning was labelled as ‘awful’ by Ian Wright against Arsenal back in December, now appears to be catching the eye elsewhere following his spell in the second tier.

The Latest: Bournemouth approach

According to Wales Online, Bournemouth have made an approach over a move for Drameh, outlining how much they’d be willing to offer when it comes to wages.

The report adds that Leeds look likely to assess the full-back in pre-season, with Drameh open to the idea of another exit if he isn’t guaranteed minutes under Jesse Marsch.

The Verdict: Tricky…

Drameh will be entering the final two years of his contract in the summer, and it looks as if Andrea Radrizzani, the 49ers group, Victor Orta and Marsch will have another difficult call to make on the youngster over the coming months.

We have already seen that Drameh is willing to force his way out of Elland Road, and another temporary deal away could suit all involved.

Bournemouth could well be a destination, and it looks as if they are going to earn promotion back to the Premier League. Therefore, if regular minutes can be guaranteed, then the south coast could be the perfect place for Drameh ahead of a potential breakthrough into the Leeds side in 2023/24.

In other news: Sky Sports now share big news on Leeds star’s Elland Road future; ‘dealing’ already happening.