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Tottenham Hotspur are now the favourites to land Sam Johnstone this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to ever-reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, who delivered an exciting transfer claim surrounding the out-of-contract West Brom goalkeeper after Spurs’ 5-1 whitewash of Newcastle United at the weekend.

‘The Italian likes a free transfer and football.london understands that Spurs are currently the favourites to tie up a deal to bring 29-year-old West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to the club in July when his contract ends with the Midlands side,’ he wrote.

‘Johnstone is one of a select group of goalkeepers Tottenham are looking at to provide back-up to Hugo Lloris next season, which suggests that Pierluigi Gollini’s loan from Atalanta will not be made permanent.’

Paratici bargain

Just as the Lilywhites correspondent suggests, the Italian sporting director loves a freebie and Johnstone would be another masterclass heading into next season.

Some of his bargain additions include Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba and Kingsley Coman, none of whom commanded a transfer fee upon arrival at Juventus.

He could look to repeat this masterstroke with the addition of the 29-year-old England international, who can provide healthy competition for club captain, Lloris, if not replace him considering he’ll be 36 halfway through the 2022/23 campaign.

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Valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt and thought to be on wages around £32.5k-per-week, the 6 foot 4 glovesman has maintained his place as the Baggies’ no.1 under Steve Bruce in the Championship, where he has kept 14 clean sheets from 34 appearances.

His form for the struggling Midlands side in the Premier League saw him named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2020 as the third-choice option behind Jordan Pickford and Aaron Ramsdale.

No shot-stopper in the Premier League faced more shots on target (168) than Johnstone last season, nor did any option make as many saves either (116) – his average of four saves per 90 far exceeded that of Lloris (2.77), as per FBRef.

Once described as a “diamond” to work with by Bruce, from their time together at Aston Villa, Johnstone would be an astute signing for Spurs to make heading into next season.

Without having to pay a penny, there can’t be many upset by this prospect. It could well be another one of Paratici’s top-class bargains.

AND in other news, “He is close”: Spurs handed big Conte boost amid report on £18m-rated “future captain”…

Eddie Howe has now dropped a fresh Newcastle United injury update on Ryan Fraser.

The Lowdown: Hobbled off

Fraser unfortunately had to hobble off in the 13th minute of the North East club’s 1-0 win at home to Wolves in the Premier League on Friday night, and was subsequently replaced by Miguel Almiron.

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They do not have many wingers in the squad as it is, and so losing Fraser for a prolonged period of time will certainly bring difficulty.

The Latest: Hamstring

As relayed by Magpies journalist Miles Starforth, Eddie Howe now thinks that Fraser has suffered a hamstring injury, and described it as a ‘huge blow’ for his side:

“It looks like a hamstring issue.

“I don’t know how serious it is, but it was enough to bring him off the pitch, which is a huge blow with the form he’s been in.”

The Verdict: Not ideal

Even though the St. James’ Park faithful won the game, losing Fraser to injury was certainly not ideal.

The Scotland international has been a mainstay in the team that seem to have turned their fortunes around by pulling away from relegation, and has contributed two goals and three assists in the top flight (Transfermarkt).

Thus, with the lack of options out wide, Howe will now be hoping that Fraser can recover as soon as possible, so that he can help them guarantee their Premier League status for next season.

It will now be an anxious wait for the Toon Army over how long the injury will keep him out for.

In other news, find out who NUFC’s three worst performers were against Wolves here!

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According to Calciomercato, Rome rivals Lazio and Roma are both keen on signing Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes, who is currently on loan with Everton.

It is thought that a deal taking the 25-year-old to Italy won’t be done until the summer, but interest from those Serie A giants could make it very hard for the Toffees to make Gomes’ switch to Goodison Park a permanent one, as the The Guardian have reported is Marco Silva’s desire.

In case Silva doesn’t get his wish though, the Portuguese coach ought to already be putting a plan in place for life without Gomes.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Place faith in Tom Davies

Davies is yet to really cement himself as a regular starter on Merseyside, but to have amassed almost 70 career appearances for the club by the age of 20 is impressive. Clearly, the England under-21 international is a player with huge potential.

He is still somewhat raw, and needs to improve his end product, but if Silva is bold and invests his faith in Davies as the heir to Gomes’ place in the side, then he could be handsomely rewarded for it when the Everton academy product flourishes.

Drop Sigurdsson deeper

Sigurdsson is certainly at his best in the No. 10 position, but as he approaches 30, his experience could perhaps be put to better use in a deeper role. 

Gomes is currently tasked with operating as Everton’s deep-lying playmaker, initiating and orchestrating attacking moves from the heart of the pitch. Sigurdsson has the technical ability, composure and creativity to pull this off. However, defensive deficiencies could hold him back.

Steel over silk

With Morgan Schneiderlin far from the required quality to be a trusted regular in Everton’s starting XI, Idrissa Gueye is the only reliable defensive midfielder at Silva’s disposal. However, this often leaves the 29-year-old with far too much to do, as he has to offset the limitations in Gomes’ game.

On occasion, this overburdening of Gueye has led to Everton being overrun in midfield. With that in mind, finding a like-for-like replacement for Gomes may not be the wisest move. Instead, Silva ought to leave the attacking responsibility to his forwards, and focus on adding to some extra steel and resilience to his midfield contingent.

A huge Glasgow Rangers injury setback has emerged on Swedish international Filip Helander…

What’s the latest?

Gers head coach Gio van Bronckhorst has confirmed that the centre-back will not play again this season after the issue he sustained last weekend in the Premiership.

The central defender was taken off in the 45th minute with a knock after an awkward landing left him unable to continue.

Van Bronckhorst said: “Filip’s injury is not good, we won’t have him for the remainder of the season.”

He now joins Alfredo Morelos and Ianis Hagi on the treatment table until the start of the 2022/23 campaign, at the earliest.

Ibrox faithful will be infuriated

This devastating update will surely infuriate the Ibrox faithful as it comes as a major blow to van Bronckhorst’s squad heading into the final part of the season.

Whilst he was ineligible to face Braga in the Europa League and his absence will make no difference to their fortunes at Ibrox on Thursday night, it will impact the squad rotation in the cup and the Premiership. The defender had started five domestic matches since the 20th of February and this shows that the head coach has been relying on him as an option on a semi-regular basis.

Helander has been a useful player for the Dutchman to call upon in the Premiership and in the Scottish Cup in order to rest the likes of Leon Balogun and Calvin Bassey. Van Bronckhorst has now been rid of that option and will have to see out the rest of the campaign without one of his experienced defenders.

This could then pile the pressure on the other players in that position and lead to them being overloaded with minutes on the pitch, risking further injuries.

Supporters will also be frustrated because this is the second time this season the centre-back has suffered a major knee injury. He will now end the campaign on six league appearances and that may leave supporters wondering whether or not he is worth keeping hold of.

If Rangers are unable to rely on him being fit for the majority, or even half, of the season then that makes him a liability within the squad. They would be better off cashing in on him and attempting to bring in a more durable player to take his place going forward to prevent this situation from happening again.

AND in other news, From £4.5m to £25m: Wilson had huge Rangers howler over “remarkable” 12-goal gem…

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool outfit may have another Ibrahima Konate in their academy ranks.

The Reds have had a plethora of talent emerge over the last few seasons, with Billy Koumetio looking as though he could be one of the next big prospects.

The 19-year-old has been a regular feature for the Liverpool U23s, starting 88% of their Premier League 2 games this season.

Koumetio, like Konate, progressed through the youth system in their native country France, though the former made the switch to England at U19 level to continue his development before playing senior football.

On the topic of senior football, Koumetio was given the chance to feature for the first team, lining up as a left centre-back in a partnership with Joe Gomez against Leicester City in the EFL Cup back in November.

Ironically, Koumetio was substituted at half-time for Ibrahima Konate, with the switch taking place purely for tactical reasons.

It is easy to see why Klopp backed the youngster against a strong Leicester City side, who were narrowly defeated 8-7 on penalties, after pushing the Anfield side all the way in what was an entertaining 3-3 draw.

Though, it was the £450k-rated starlet’s performance against Atletico Madrid in a U19 UEFA Youth League game that had U23 manager Marc Bridge-Wilkinson waxing lyrical over his talent.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo after the Reds’ 2-0 victory over Fernando Torres’ side, the youth manager said:

“I thought Billy was outstanding. He was shown a yellow card midway through the first half and that was always going to be tricky, but I thought he dealt with it and played a really mature game.”

On the then-18-year-old’s potential, Bridge-Wilkinson added: “He’s doing really well. We know the potential he has got and he really showcased that against Atletico.”

The former Lyon youth prospect has also received plaudits from Klopp himself – when the German was asked about his side’s injury situation last year, he told Sky Sports:

“The injury situation we’ve had has been… pfffff. But it has helped them get more minutes. Rhys Williams? From the moment he trained with us, I could see he was a proper talent. Billy Koumetio? Incredible…”

With Koumetio sharing a similar height, position, nationality and playing style, it is clear to see that Liverpool could have another Konate-type figure within their ranks – something that will surely excite the Liverpool faithful who may well be seeing more of the starlet next season.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals big transfer development, it’s great news for Liverpool

Wolves are reportedly ‘very interested’ in signing Barcelona youngster Riqui Puig, having also been keen on acquiring his signature last summer.

The Lowdown: Puig struggling for minutes

The 22-year-old has never managed to be a key figure at Camp Nou and he has found minutes hard to come by this season under both Ronald Koeman and Xavi.

Puig has only managed one start in La Liga this season, also making nine substitute appearances, and there is no sign of that changing any time soon.

With Wolves looking at possible signings in the January transfer window, the midfielder is reportedly on their radar.

The Latest: Wolves keen on move for Puig

That’s according to Sport [via Sport Witness], who claimed that Wanderers are ‘very interested’ in making a deal happen, having looked at a loan move with an option to buy last summer.

A temporary move is again being considered, although it isn’t specified whether it could happen this month or wait until the summer.

The Verdict: Exciting potential signing

Puig appears to be a hugely talented young player, with his manager Xavi once claiming that the 22-year-old ‘breathes talent’, so he could be an excellent addition to Wolves’ midfield if they can entice him to Molineux.

The young Spaniard has enjoyed an incredible 93.9% pass completion rate in La Liga this season, highlighting how comfortable he is in possession, much like Wolves duo Joao Moutinho (87.4%) and Ruben Neves (83.2%).

He would provide Bruno Lage with an extra midfield option, allowing for greater rotation, and an impressive loan spell could suggest that he is a long-term replacement for the 35-year-old Moutinho in the Black Country.

In other news, Tim Spiers has claimed that Wolves are ‘set to sign’ one player. Find out who it is here.

Everton need to make big changes at the club this summer whether they are relegated or not, and now the club are set to enter talks with Moise Kean and his representatives imminently to determine his future.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian news outlet Corriere Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Juventus and Raiola ‘are working to understand if they can find a way out of the agreement with Everton or alternatively an immediate solution on the market.’

The report further states that conversations between the powers at Goodison Park and the parties in Turin will ‘be resumed at the end of the season.’

Moshiri must axe Kean

In terms of the 22-year-old’s future at Everton, there is no doubt that there is no interest from either the player or club to reinstate his position back in Merseyside, and after a less than spectacular season at Juventus, Farhad Moshiri must do all he can to brutally axe and cut ties with the striker.

Kean is currently tied into a contract with the Merseyside club until June 2023 but with talks opening, there will be hope that the player’s future can be resolved and if the club can make some money on the player it would really benefit the club.

Everton are reportedly looking to recoup financial losses this summer, so selling the youngster on will surely be in the best interests of everyone, with Kean clear that he has no desire to return to Goodison Park.

The £49k-per-week gem who was hailed “dangerous” by Mixu Paatelainen, was underwhelming in his time at Everton scoring just four goals in 39 appearances for the club and this season has continued his mediocre output scoring just six goals in all competitions for Juventus, so with that being said his impact would not be an upgrade on what Everton already have in their squad.

Ultimately, the main focus for the club right now is to secure Premier League safety in the remaining six games of the season, and until their future is determined it will be unlikely that any transfer business is dealt with ahead of that.

AND in other news: Everton now plotting bid for £13.5m-rated “revelation”, he’s miles better than Iwobi

Manchester United are stuck in limbo right now when it comes to their managerial saga.

It’s quite apparent that interim head coach Ralf Rangnick will be leaving his post in the summer and moving upstairs, but who will replace him at Old Trafford is anyone’s guess.

What’s the word?

Mauricio Pochettino is still believed to be among the favourites for the job but the man everyone appears to be talking about right now is Erik ten Hag.

The current Ajax boss has reportedly been interviewed by the club but now their pursuit of the Dutchman seems to be going up a notch.

That’s according to Sky Sports who claim that groundwork is being done in order to smooth over an announcement should everything be negotiated sufficiently.

A report on Wednesday reads: “Sources close to Ten Hag and the Dutch club have suggested that dialogue has taken place over the financial element as well as how to handle a possible announcement – should the process progress that way – in terms of timing and presentation, given Ajax are in a tight title race.”

Great news for Man UnitedAlthough this doesn’t officially confirm whether ten Hag is on his way to the Theatre of Dreams, it does hint that the Ajax manager is considerably high up on their list of managerial targets.If they are already discussing the intricate details as listed above then it can only bode well for their pursuit of the 52-year-old.But why is it good news that they’re targeting him? Well, he’s one of the brightest coaches in the game right now, completing some quite wonderful achievements over the last few years.Possessing a clear winning mentality, ten Hag knows what it takes to win a major trophy, securing the Eredivisie title twice and taking home the nation’s domestic cup competition on two occasions too.Furthermore, he ranked fourth in a list of the best managers in world football for 2019, further demonstrating his enormous potential at the elite level.However, it is in the Champions League where he has arguably caught the eye the most, steering Ajax to the semi-finals in 2018/19 as serious underdogs.They almost made it to the final as well, but for Lucas Moura’s goal in the dying embers of the second leg.Also capable of taking talent to the next level, namely the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Dusan Tadic, Donny van de Beek and Matthijs de Ligt, everything would appear to bode well for a potential move to Man United.AND in other news, “Man Utd will sign..” – Romano drops huge transfer update, supporters surely buzzing…

Antonio Conte was left embarrassed on his return to Stamford Bridge as his Tottenham Hotspur side suffered yet another defeat to his former club.

And struggling defender Japhet Tanganga played a big part in their downfall.

The Italian head coach was forced into naming a very interesting starting XI and a change to his usual formation too, as Spurs lined up in a 4-4-2, with the 22-year-old academy product at right-back.

It’s fair to say that his England U21 teammate Callum Hudson-Odoi had his number from minute one. By the time Tanganga was booked in just the 37th minute, he was a walking liability.

Right after the break, the Blues opened the scoring through Hakim Ziyech, who curled a tremendous finesse shot past a helpless Hugo Lloris and that was all down to the work of Hudson-Odoi after he beat the Spurs disaster all ends up.

He really should have done better, as alluded to by the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick in his post-match ratings column and on Twitter, where he graded Tanganga amongst Spurs’ worst performers.

‘A weak link, particularly after he was booked. Too easily beaten by Callum Hudson-Odoi in [the] build-up to Ziyech’s goal,’ he wrote, whilst he tweeted: “He’s been the weak link for Spurs & walking a tightrope since his booking.”

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The Lilywhites really struggled to find a way back into the game after the young defender’s mistake, his third in as many games against the Champions of Europe.

As per SofaScore, he was also rated poorly (5.8) as the only player to manage below a 6.3 rating. It was that bad that Statman Dave described the outing as a “horror show” on social media.

Indeed, he won just two of his eight duels (25%) against Hudson-Odoi and co, whilst his 19 touches of the ball were comfortably the fewest of any starter for either team, including Lloris between the sticks (34) and the man who replaced him in the 57th minute, Oliver Skipp (28).

Elsewhere, he was dribbled past three times and he committed three fouls. It’s no wonder Conte hooked him to save further embarrassment as he was merely one more blunder away from being given his marching orders.

Spurs will be lucky if AC Milan are still keen to sign him after that display.

Tanganga endured an absolute nightmare at Stamford Bridge on Sunday night, if the Italians are still lingering around for his signature, then Fabio Paratici must take it and run.

AND in other news, “Tottenham will”: Sky Sports man drops “exciting” transfer claim, Conte surely buzzing…

Celtic pundit Frank McAvennie has been reacting to the news of Jota’s loan move becoming permanent, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: £5m fee

The Hoops have already brought in four players so far this month and appear to be closing in on MK Dons midfielder Matt O’Riley.

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Michael Nicholson is also hoping to make Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers’ temporary stays in Glasgow permanent, with Football Insider believing on Friday that a full-time switch is edging closer for the former.

A source informed the site that a figure will be over £5m due to a loan fee already being paid, with Jota returning from injury against Hibernian on Monday evening.

The Latest: McAvennie’s comments

McAvennie was talking to Football Insider regarding the news on Jota.

He hailed it as a ‘massive boost’ and labelled the winger as a ‘superstar’.

“The loudest cheer on Monday night was Jota coming on.

“It was incredible, he’s a superstar up here now. He needs to be announced as ours as soon as possible.

“I can’t see it not happening. He loves it up here and it doesn’t sound like anyone else is in for him.

“The noise from the crowd told the club what we all think of him staying.

“I hope and expect that’s wrapped up before the end of the window because that would be another massive boost for everyone here.”

The Verdict: Statement

Jota has been a revelation since joining the Hoops over the summer, contributing to 14 goals in 19 games.

His Transfermarkt valuation has increased from £3.15m to £4.95m as a result of his impressive displays in Scotland, and you’d expect that to only increase further as he is still just 22 years of age.

On that basis, a fee of around £5m on top of the loan fee they paid Benfica back in the summer could be a great piece of business in the long run, even if it does make Jota one of the club’s most expensive signings ever, above even Kyogo Furuhashi.

McAvennie is excited at the prospect of a full-time move going through, and it seems as if it could be just a matter of time until he gets his wish.

In other news: ‘Wolves are…’ – Journalist makes big claim with Celtic gem now wanted at Molineux.