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Tottenham Hotspur are looking to secure a deal to bring Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu to the club as they aim to complete their first signing under Nuno Espirito Santo.

What’s the story?

According to well-known journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Spurs have ma the Italian outfit, although negotiations are still ongoing.

He tweeted: “Tottenham are still working on Takehiro Tomiyasu deal. Opening bid around €18m [add ons included] to Bologna still on the table, price tag around €20/25m. Negotiations ongoing. Tomiyasu wants to join Spurs.”

Italian outlet Tuttosport (as reported by Sport Witness), provided an update on the situation following Romano’s tweet, claiming that the north London outfit must raise their offer by €2m to make it a new total of around €20m (£17.1m), in order to meet Bologna’s valuation.

Nuno will surely be buzzing

Espirito Santo will be looking to make some key additions to his first-team squad this summer after the capital club finished a hugely disappointing 2020/21 campaign in seventh position.

Several stars have been linked with a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in recent weeks, but it’s 22-year-old centre-back Tomiyasu who appears to be the closest to signing on the dotted line.

At first glance, the Japan international appears to be an extremely astute purchase, should chairman Daniel Levy get this deal over the line.

He’s comfortable playing at right-back as well as at the heart of the defence, and his versatility will be a very useful asset, given that Espirito Santo showed at Wolves that he often likes to switch between a back four and a back five.

A current teammate of Tomiyasu’s at Bologna, Mitchell Dijks, lauded the youngster back in 2019 saying: “He is very strong, a real Japanese warrior,” after a string of impressive displays.

Since then, the former Sint-Truiden ace has gone from strength to strength. He made 1.5 tackles per league game last term, 1.7 interceptions and 3.3 clearances, placing him in the top three compared to his teammates for each metric.

Therefore, news that Spurs aren’t far away from agreeing on terms for Tomiyasu with his current club will surely leave Espirito Santo buzzing.

He would be a quality first addition to the Portuguese tactician’s reign, and give him a solid base to build from at Tottenham.

And, in other news…Nuno could find his next Jimenez with Spurs swoop for £25m beast who lit up Euro 2020 

Leeds United have reportedly lost interest in signing Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi this summer, with a potential deal now off the table.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Batshuayi move

The Whites will be looking to make inroads in the next transfer window, perhaps focusing on quality over quantity, in order to push on again next season after a brilliant first campaign back in the big time.

One player Leeds have been linked with is Batshuayi, with the Belgian unwanted at Chelsea and spending last season on loan at Crystal Palace.

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The Latest: Fresh update emerges

According to Goal’s Chelsea transfer update, the Whites have ceased their interest in bringing the 27-year-old to Elland Road, with Chelsea demanding £15million for his services.

It looks likely that Marcelo Bielsa will now look elsewhere for attacking reinforcements, in order to provide more competition for Patrick Bamford.

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The Verdict: Right decision by Leeds

Batshuayi has definite pedigree, having scored 22 goals in 34 caps for Belgium, but he also hasn’t performed well at the top level for a sustained period now.

The striker managed just two goals in 18 Premier League appearances for Palace in 2020/21, and he hasn’t reached double figures in a league campaign since 2015/16, when he was at Marseille.

Leeds signing Batshuayi would have represented an expensive gamble, so it makes sense to look at alternative options.

In other news, Leeds United are reportedly eyeing up a move for a relegated Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

Ange Postecoglou may well have his work cut out this summer as his new Celtic side try to bridge the gap between themselves and their biggest rivals.

Though, with the fear of Odsonne Edouard leaving, the Hoops will need to find a new striker in order to do that.

On the chalkboard

Edouard has attracted the interest of English shores and if he does leave Parkhead behind, Celtic will likely struggle for goals.

Albian Ajeti netted just six strikes after arriving from West Ham last summer while Leigh Griffiths only managed seven himself.

The Bhoys have been touted with a number of strikers throughout the summer so far with a move for Charlie Wyke ramping up.

It’s believed talks are underway to sign the striker on a free transfer but could a better option lie in Japan?

Replacing Edouard

Celtic have naturally been linked to a number of Postecoglou’s former employees including Mat Ryan and Aaron Mooy.

However, he’s now being tipped to sign an individual from Yokohama F. Marinos, the team he left in order to come to Glasgow.

Reports suggest that Postecoglou wants to reunite himself with Ado Onaiwu, a man born to Japanese and Nigerian parents.

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He earned his Japan debut last week and then in just his second appearance for his country, bagged a hat-trick against Kyrgyzstan in a 5-1 win.

During that match, Onaiwu managed eight shots, two key passes and was fouled on three occasions, proving how dangerous he can be in the final third.

The striker appears to be a natural-born finisher, scoring ten goals in 16 matches under Postecoglou for the Marinos this term. In total, he’s found the back of the net 21 times in his career with the club.

Without the Australian, it’s unlikely he’d have that record. Speaking about the 55-year-old after he left for Celtic, Onaiwu hailed his influence: “I always knew if I kept playing well and scoring goals for Yokohama, I would get a chance with my national team. And I owe this to my manager Ange Postecoglou who has left the club this week.”

The 25-year-old added: “I have enjoyed an excellent relationship with him, and he has been a huge influence in my career. I don’t mind admitting that when he first came to the club, I was confused with his training because it was of such high intensity. But because of that, he improved my game immeasurably.”

Onaiwu’s numbers this term suggest he’s a solid all-around forward. Like Edouard, he’s capable of bringing others into play, registering 0.9 key passes per match.

He is physical enough to win 1.4 aerial duels per game, meaning he shouldn’t be overawed playing in the Premiership.

Though, the most vital stat of all is that he’s scored a goal every 95 minutes in the J-League this season. For that alone, Celtic have to be interested in his services.

He knows Postecoglou’s high intense style of football and the manager knows how to get the best from him.

AND in other news, Alan Nixon drops exciting Celtic transfer claim, Hoops fans should be buzzing…

West Bromwich Albion winger Matheus Pereira deserves a move back to the Premier League this summer.

What’s been said?

That’s according to Kevin Phillips, who stated his belief in a recent interview with Football Insider that the £11.7m-rated forward would be an ideal signing for Leeds United this summer.

The 25-year-old has been reported to be a target of Marcelo Bielsa’s side in the upcoming transfer window, along with the likes of West Ham and Aston Villa, with West Brom thought to be demanding a fee of around €25m (£21.5m) in order to part with the Brazilian.

Phillips told Football Insider: “I think it would suit their style. Leeds are an exciting, free-flowing team, you can express yourself in that side.

“We’ve seen that with players like Raphinha and Jack Harrison this year, that they can just go and play with freedom, but you have to be prepared to work your socks off and that’s something Pereira would have to take to another level.

“But it’s no surprise that a player like that, of that mould and ilk, is being linked with Leeds.”

Fans will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Pereira was for West Brom this season, the prospect of the winger moving onto pastures new this summer is sure to leave Baggies fans gutted.

Indeed, over his 33 Premier League appearances this term, the £39,000-per-week maestro scored 11 goals, registered six assists and created 11 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of two shots and making 1.8 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the man Emile Heskey dubbed an “exciting” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.18, ranking him as the club’s best performer in the top tier of English football by a considerable distance.

As such, if Leeds – or any other club for that matter – were to go on and sign the forward this summer, it would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to the West Brom faithful, as the Baggies’ chances of securing an immediate return to the Premier League next season would appear to be significantly reduced with the loss of their star playmaker.

In other news: Chris Wilder’s West Brom transfer target emerges, he’ll surely have Albion fans buzzing

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa must surely be buzzing after director of football Victor Orta delivered an exciting update from Thorp Arch on the club’s transfer plans for this summer.

What’s the story?

With the Premier League campaign now over, the Whites can focus squarely on strengthening Bielsa’s squad ahead of the new season throughout the summer, and Orta has indicated that he is keen on getting the club’s transfer business done early.

Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, he said: “It’s a strange market, I think obviously I want all the new players to start pre-season. I still have a long month of June and obviously I hope that the month of June we can finish the job.

“We can put our effort but it is not always just our side. Perhaps from our side, it is all done but there are a lot of people involved and it is out of our control.”

Fans will be buzzing

Whether Orta can get all of Leeds’ transfers done and through the door is unknown, but his comments about wanting to tie everything up quickly must be music to the ears of Bielsa and the club’s fans.

As the director himself says, having those new players in to start pre-season could be crucial in ensuring that they can hit the ground running at Elland Road come August, and it will be of major benefit to Bielsa to have them ready for the start of the 2021/22 Premier League.

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The Leeds manager places unique demands on his players, so having those new signings in through the door to get acclimatised to his methods could be crucial.

The latest news will surely have the fans buzzing at potentially seeing Leeds making some big moves in the transfer market by the end of this month. If they can pull it off, it should lead to a very exciting start to the Premier League next season for the Whites .

Meanwhile, Leeds must finally unleash this talented starlet next season…

Former Celtic man Frank McAvennie believes Eddie Howe is back in the running for the vacant Hoops job.

The Lowdown: Howe edging closer to Hoops move?

It’s safe to say that Celtic fans have been on an emotional rollercoaster over the last six weeks when it comes to Howe taking over from Neil Lennon.

It seemed as if the 43-year-old was set to land the job at the beginning of April after verbally agreeing on a move to Parkhead.

He had second thoughts, though, and even reportedly spoke to Crystal Palace about possibly succeeding Roy Hodgson.

It seems as if a move to Scotland is now back on, with a story at the end of April suggesting he was finalising his Parkhead backroom staff.

The Latest: McAvennie’s Howe claim following club statement

Celtic actually released a statement five days ago regarding their search for a new boss, admitting they are ‘doing all they can’ to land the ‘best candidate’.

McAvennie, talking to Football Insider, was asked for his thoughts on the club’s recent statement. The 61-year-old, who remains closely connected to Celtic, appeared to drop an inside claim on Howe.

“You can’t read into that.

“Even if they have someone in mind they have to cover themselves. The whispers I’m hearing up here are that it’s Eddie Howe.

“Even if they have got Howe, they need to keep their options open. They are too big a club to not do that.

“They can’t be left in the lurch if something was to happen whether it be Howe or someone else.

“They have to keep their options open.”

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The Verdict: Howe to be announced at the end of the month?

In our opinion, it looks as if a matter of when and not if Howe will sign with Celtic.

He had been looking at three members of staff on the books of his previous employers, Bournemouth, and their involvement in the Championship playoffs may be a factor in a delay.

Should the Cherries progress to the playoff final at Wembley, that may keep those staff members busy on the south coast until the end of May.

Potentially, a semi-final exit for Bournemouth could work in the Hoops’ favour, as it may then give the club the chance to secure deals for Howe’s wanted staff members.

In other news: Celtic source admits John Kennedy is in the dark over Hoops future, find out more here. 

Spurs face a fight to keep hold of Harry Kane this summer, so Daniel Levy must get his next managerial appointment spot on but emerging reports on one mooted target will come as a major concern…

What’s the word?

According to Il Messaggero (via Forza Roma), Spurs are one of three teams to open talks with departing AS Roma boss Paulo Fonseca, who will be replaced by Jose Mourinho at the end of the current campaign.

The 48-year-old was confirmed to be leaving the Stadio Olympico a few weeks ago, with Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg and Portuguese outfit Benfica also said to be courting his services.

Although it is thought that Fonseca would like to remain in Italy if the opportunity arises.

Bye-bye Kane?

In terms of potential successors to Mourinho in North London, this is as uninspiring as it gets – surely Daniel Levy doesn’t go from one calamity to the next?

It’s quite damning that the Portuguese boss will be replaced by Mourinho after a shocking end to his tenure at Spurs.

After serial success at Shakhtar Donetsk, Fonseca has struggled to make much of an impact in the Italian capital, failing to manage above a fifth-place finish and failing spectacularly in Europe.

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His tactics and playing style drew serious praise from Pep Guardiola, he told reporters:

“Before every game against Shakhtar, I have the same feeling. The first time we face them in the group stage, my [scouting] team went to see them and they came back saying, ‘Wow.’ They were really impressed. In Barcelona all the time it was, ‘Shakhtar, Ukraine, who cares which players play, nobody knows them.’”

But he has failed to adapt with the step-up in quality from the Ukraine top-flight to the Serie A, so you would have to worry about his credentials in leading a Premier League outfit to glory, especially one without silverware since 2008.

That is something that Harry Kane desperately wants to achieve, and according to the Telegraph, he has told Spurs that he wants to leave the club in the summer.

Levy hiring Fonseca will do his chances of keeping his leading talisman no favours whatsoever.

Both Manchester clubs and Chelsea are mooted with interest in the Telegraph report, whilst The Times suggest Barcelona have already made contact.

All four teams are in a better position to achieve his dreams and the arrival of Fonseca won’t suddenly bolster Spurs’ claims.

The 48-year-old has also been described as an “exceptional” and “talented manager” who “plays stylish football” by Portuguese journalist Alex Goncalves, but it’s hard to imagine him having much of a success in North London, let alone in England.

An appointment like this would undoubtedly push Kane closer to he exit door, so Levy must avoid hiring Fonseca this summer.

AND in other news, Levy could secure Spurs their own Ramos by signing “formidable” £31.5m-rated “leader”…

Manchester City take on PSG away from home in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday night, with Pep Guardiola’s side looking to secure a positive result ahead of the return leg at the Etihad next week.

The Citizens have never reached the Champions League final so will be looking to make history over the next couple of weeks, although they face a tough test against Mauricio Pochettino’s side, who were edged out against Bayern Munich in last year’s final.

Guardiola’s side are fresh from winning their fourth consecutive Carabao Cup final at the weekend, where the Spanish manager selected a strong team, which suggests that a few changes are likely ahead of the trip to Les Parc de Princes.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line his side up on Wednesday evening, with three changes from the side that started the 1-0 win against Spurs…

Although he managed a clean sheet in the final, Zack Steffen will sit this one out to allow first-choice Ederson to reclaim his place in goal.

Despite John Stones being available after missing the final through suspension, we feel that Guardiola will stick with the same back four for this one, as Aymeric Laporte deserves to keep his place after scoring the winner, whilst Stones’ last performance against Aston Villa was less than impressive.

There is one change in midfield, as Rodri comes in for Fernandinho after being rested for the final, and he features alongside the magnificent Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan.

Finally, there is one change in attack, as Raheem Sterling is replaced by Bernardo Silva, with the “exceptional” former AS Monaco man playing as a false nine, with Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez supporting him from the wings.

And, in other news… Guardiola must ruthlessly axe “remarkable” Man City star or risk dire Lyon repeat

A number of Aston Villa supporters have been sharing their delight on social media at Jack Grealish’s expected return.

Dean Smith’s side take on Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton at Villa Park on Thursday, looking to complete the double on the Toffees following the 2-1 win at Goodison Park at the beginning of the month.

Grealish has missed the club’s last 12 games with a shin problem, but according to The Athletic’s Villa correspondent Gregg Evans, the 25-year-old is expected to return to the matchday squad.

The club captain, who has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City during his time on the side line, is in line for his first appearance in three months.

Villa fans react

Evans shared the news on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon, and it didn’t take long for plenty of Villa and Everton fans to react to the update.

This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one describing it as ‘absolutely belting news’.

“My heart can’t handle this disappointment anymore I’ll believe it when I see the team sheet”Credit: @KCCOvilla88″Yesss”Credit: @jackavfc1″Mother of Pearl! This is absolutely belting news on a Tuesday.”Credit: @wesvillacfc”YESSSSSSSS”Credit: @AVFCFaithful_”fantastic news hopefully he’s like a lion getting ready to be unleashed”Credit: @HerlihyTimmy”Finally he is back”Credit: @avilla19820

In other news: Villa make contact for in-demand defender, find out more here. 

Ibrox legend Alex McLeish has predicted that Glasgow Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack may not be fully fit until the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

McLeish makes worrying Jack claim

The 29-year-old has struggled with injuries throughout the campaign. He was ruled out of nine Premiership matches earlier this season with a knee issue, and he has missed the last three with a calf problem (Transfermarkt).

Speaking to Ibrox News, McLeish has suggested that Jack may not be ready before the next campaign. He said:

“It seems to be an ongoing saga for Ryan over this season.

“In terms of injuries and one particular problem, maybe it is calf or hamstring. He is certainly a player who has progressed under Steven Gerrard.

“As have all the midfielders, I’m not saying they miss Ryan, in certain games they do, but they do have tremendous cover.

“For Ryan’s peace of mind, I think it will be great if he could clear up all of these ongoing injury issues, and maybe that can happen for next season.”

Blow for Gerrard

While Jack has been in and out of the treatment term this season, he has still been an important player for the 55-time Scottish champions. He has played without the 29-year-old in the side.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time he has struggled with injury. As McLeish says, it is a recurring theme with Jack ever since he made the move to Ibrox from Aberdeen. However, when he is fit, he is a force to be reckoned with – Gerrard will be hoping he can get back to his best before July, at least.

In other news, this Rangers man slams both UEFA and FIFA.