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Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur insider/club source John Wenham has made a claim involving summer signing and new Lilywhites starlet Cristian Romero.

The Lowdown: Spurs snap up MVP…

After Fabio Paratici’s first summer transfer window as managing director, you could certainly make the argument that Romero comes as Spurs’ biggest blockbuster signing.

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One of the most promising centre-back in world football, the Argentina international stood out as Serie A’s most solid presence last year – clinching the 2020/2021 MVP award for best defender.

As a result, Wenham believes that Spurs have another promising world class talent on their hands amid the plethora of youngsters already emerging from Hotspur Way.

The Latest: Wenham makes Romero claim…

Speaking to FI, the club source/insider has explained exactly why he thinks Romero can be ‘massive’ for Spurs and Nuno Espirito Santo.

“There is a really high ceiling there,” he explained.

“Romero needs to be our Roberto Ayala, that top tier Argentinian centre half who wins everything in the air.

“I know his English isn’t great but it is improving based on what I’ve seen on social media. I think he’s going to get even better on and off the pitch as the season goes on.

“Romero was solid yesterday, brilliant, especially up against two forwards I rate very highly. I think it’s the first time Ings hasn’t scored at the new stadium.

“Villa have very good attacking players and Romero kept them quiet. He made very few mistakes.

“I want to see him become a permanent fixture for the next decade, he’s at the right age to do that. He can be massive”.

The Verdict: Exciting times…

Adding Romero to the pool of talent already at Spurs certainly bodes well for the future in north London and, once he gets fully settled after a period of time, he could go on to become one of the Premier League’s best centre-backs.

A Serie A MVP winner already who made far more interceptions per 90 (3.1) than any Lilywhites player last season, it’s safe to say he has a chance to be a Spurs legend if he reaches his potential in north London.

In other news: Levy told to hire ‘world class’ boss over Poch if Nuno gets axed, Spurs players love him! Find out more here.

An update has emerged on Rangers and their plans for centre-back Connor Goldson’s future…

What’s the talk?

According to The Scottish Sun journalist Derek McGregor, the Gers have decided that keeping the defender until the end of the season and losing him on a free would be more valuable than cash in on him this month.

The report claims that his importance to the squad could be crucial to their success this season, which could earn them £30m if they secure a Champions League spot.

English Championship sides West Brom and Nottingham Forest are both keen on landing him on a free transfer when his contract expires and could seal a pre-contract agreement before the end of the window.

It is also claimed that Hearts defender John Souttar has been earmarked as his successor for the 2022/23 season, as Rangers sealed a move to bring him to Ibrox in the summer earlier this month.

Elation

Gio van Bronckhorst will surely be left feeling elated by this news as it is a shrewd transfer ploy that could work out perfectly for the club. It appears as though Ross Wilson has put all the pieces in place to pull off a masterclass in the summer and the Dutchman will be buzzing by it.

The club were heading into a dangerous situation in January with Goldson out of contract at the end of the season as they may have been forced to cash in on the Englishman. This could have led to van Bronckhorst losing a key player midway through the current campaign, which could have then hampered their chances of winning the Premiership and caused them to miss out on the £30m payday.

Instead, they are set to keep hold of him as they have already managed to secure his replacement come July, with Souttar coming in to take his place.

The Hearts man will then have the entire summer to prepare to hit the ground running, rather than having a player come in and attempt to replace Goldson immediately this month.

In the Premiership this season, the current Gers enforcer has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.15. This shows that he has been consistently delivering quality performances and that is why the head coach will be elated by the prospect of him staying to help the team win the Premiership in the second half of the campaign.

AND in other news, Rangers could finally axe “really poor” lightweight by landing £2.8m-rated playmaker…

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted negatively to a rumour claiming the Reds could look to sign Declan Rice next summer.

Gini Wijnaldum left Anfield to join Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the summer, bringing an end to five memorable years at the club.

The Dutchman was such a dependable figure that his absence could leave a gaping void in the middle of the park, especially as Liverpool opted not to replace him.

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Granted, the emergence of Harvey Elliott has helped improve Jurgen Klopp’s options, but a new midfielder coming in could have been a shrewd move.

Liverpool will now wait until next summer, and according to 90min [via Anfield Edition on Twitter], the Reds see Rice as a potential option to bring in, having excelled for West Ham and England in recent times.

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Liverpool fans react to Rice claim

Despite this, these Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react to the news, saying they don’t want the 22-year-old to come in.

“No chance we sign an English player from a premier league club. The English tax would be mad. Rather Bellingham/Gravenberch”

Credit: @Sarrvish

“Just go for Gravenberch”

Credit: @msuhail_17

“Pathetic story!”

Credit: @BrooksFruit

“We don’t need him with English tax. Sign Nicolo Barella and Federico Chiesa”

Credit: @iamSaikatIslam

“No thanks he’s bang average and would cost a bomb because he’s English”

Credit: @azler85

“Not happening either way, but I’d rather Bellingham than him”

Credit: @6timesladd

In other news, some Liverpool fans are bemused by what happened to one Reds player on international duty. Read more here.

Michael Ball insists that Harry Kane will end up at Manchester City before the end of the transfer window.

The Tottenham Hotspur striker has been at the centre of a transfer saga throughout the summer.

City are reported to be heavily interested in a deal to bring him to the Etihad Stadium and noted transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has claimed that a new bid worth €150m (£127.3m) is being prepared by the Premier League champions.

The Times, by comparison, has reported that there is no direct dialogue between the two clubs over a deal to sign Kane this summer, and that he may well end up remaining at Spurs for another season.

Still, Ball believes that a deal will get done, with City having the money required to sign him, even after signing Jack Grealish for a British-record £100m.

Kane was left out of the Spurs squad to face City on Sunday but Nuno Espirito Santo’s side managed to win the game 1-0, thanks to a goal from Son Heung-Min.

Asked if he expected Kane to join City, Ball told Football FanCast: “I think so.

“To be honest, in the summer, I didn’t think they’d be able to afford Jack and Kane this summer but with Pep coming out strongly about the deal for Jack Grealish, probably means that they have got the money in the pot to bring Harry Kane to the football club.”

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Reports in Italy claim Tottenham are keen to land Juventus ace Douglas Costa this summer, but would the Brazilian international be a good fit?

What’s the story?

Well, according to Calciomercato, Tottenham want to sign Costa this summer, and a stunning swap deal could be on the cards.

The report claims that if Spurs do make an approach, Juventus sporting director Fabio Paritici will attempt to lure Christian Eriksen in as part of the deal.

The Danish international has yet to pen a new long-term deal in North London, and his contract expires in the summer of 2020.

CheekySport’s Joel claims Spurs badly need to invest in January after not having “the balls” to beat Arsenal. Check out his uncensored opinion in the video below…

A huge mistake?

There’s no question that Costa is an electric player that would enjoy playing in the Premier League.

The 28 year-old already has five Ukrainian Premier League titles, two Bundesliga titles and one triumph in Serie A, and has proved himself at the Champions League level with both Juventus and Bayern Munich.

He is absolutely incredible with the ball at his feet, able to change pace at a moment’s notice and burst past defenders, and his crossing and shooting is far superior to most wingers of his calibre.

However, his levels have dropped off considerably this season, finding the net just once and adding two assists.

What is even more concerning from a Tottenham perspective is his controversial behaviour, as the 31-cap Brazilian served a four-game ban earlier this campaign for spitting directly into an opponent’s mouth.

Able to function on either wing, his versatility will definitely appeal to Mauricio Pochettino, but his work rate is questionable to say the least and losing Eriksen in an attempt to land the fiery winger would be betraying the very thing Pochettino has worked so hard to build.

The gaffer expects all his players to buy completely into the team philosophy, and Costa is the wrong man to target for a side that prides itself on grit, commitment and teamwork.

Many Aston Villa fans have been left fuming after the club’s official Twitter channel posted the highlights of Sunday’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur just a few hours after the match.

Villa’s came crashing down from the high of their back-to-back wins over Everton and Manchester United as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Spurs, who had lost their previous three league games.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg scored his first league goal of the season just before the half-hour mark to put Nuno Espirito Santo’s side ahead. Ollie Watkins later equalised with his first goal since scoring against Spurs in May with just over 20 minutes remaining.

However, Spurs reacted in perfect fashion and won the game through a Matt Targett own goal after Heung-min Son’s low cross resulted in the left-back accidentally turning the ball into his own net.

Following the match, the club’s official Twitter channel posted the highlights of the game, which did not go down well with many Villa supporters given the result.

Villa fans fuming with club tweet

These Villa fans duly took to Twitter to vent their fury over the club’s posting of the match highlights when the result was still quite raw:

“read the room”

Credit: @avbilly

“why have you done this”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“Not now. Still SEETHIN”

Credit: @ThatAnt__

“Just post the Watkins goal, that’s literally it.”

Credit: @tom_avfc1

“Still time to delete”

Credit: @DG_Avfc_2

“No need for this”

Credit: @AVN1874

In other news, some Villa fans have slammed this player’s performance against Tottenham. Find out more here.

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte will have a plethora of players back available for Sunday’s game against Liverpool after respective spells on the sidelines.

What’s the latest?

The Lilywhites haven’t played in two weeks after their Europa Conference League clash against Rennes was postponed following a viral outbreak at the north London club, before Premier League matches against Brighton and Leicester also postponed.

However, the likes of Son Heung-min, Emerson Royal, Oliver Skipp and Lucas Moura could all be available after testing positive for the virus. As per Sky Sports, several of the nine players who reported positive tests are expected to be involved for the visit of the Reds this weekend.

Moreover, Spurs could also be able to welcome back Sergio Reguilon after the Spaniard suffered an injury in the win over Norwich at the beginning of December.

On the left-back, Conte said: “Sergio until today trained apart but he’s ready to have the training session with us tomorrow. The player is comfortable to be back in training with us. I hope that tomorrow he’s totally recovered but today Sergio was happy. His feeling was good.”

Tottenham could also have midfielder Giovani Lo Celso back. The Argentine hasn’t played since the goalless draw at Everton in early November after sustaining a knee injury but is reportedly back fit.

Spurs fans will be buzzing

After two weeks without their team playing following the viral outbreak at N17, Tottenham fans will surely be delighted at the prospect of watching Spurs play once again, especially with many key players set to return to the fold.

Facing title contenders Liverpool will arguably be Antonio Conte’s toughest test yet since taking charge of the north London club, although the Lilywhites had won three league games in a row before seeing the last three fixtures postponed.

It will be a tall order to get a result against Jurgen Klopp’s side, who sit second in the league and have won their last eight matches in all competitions.

However, after having a refreshed squad and a much cleaner bill of health than was the case a few weeks ago, Antonio Conte should certainly be more encouraged regarding his team’s chances of ending Liverpool’s enviable winning run.

In other news: Conte can find his new Gary Cahill for Tottenham in “sensational” £19.8m-rated colossus

Glasgow Rangers have been hit with a European concern ahead of the 2022/23 campaign…    

What’s the talk?

The Glasgow Times have dropped an update explaining what Villarreal’s progress in the Champions League could mean for teams in Scotland.

If the Spanish outfit go on to win the European title this season then it is would mean that Gers would need to go through the qualification stages in 2022/23 – if they were to win the Premiership title.

As it stands, the winners of the Scottish top-flight will immediately qualify for the group stages of the Champions League next season. This would result in a major £40m bonus for competing in the competition, but that is now under threat.

Their automatic qualification will be taken away if a team wins the tournament this year whilst failing to finish in the top four of their domestic league. Villarreal are on their way to doing this as they are in the semi-finals whilst currently sitting seventh in LaLiga.

Gio van Bronckhorst will be sweating…

This update will leave the Gers head coach sweating buckets as it gives him another Champions League concern to worry about.

Firstly, he is nearing the end of an exciting – for the neutrals – Premiership title battle as the Light Blues are attempting to catch up with Celtic in the table. They are six points behind their rivals as it stands and will not be giving up on their attempts to lift the trophy for the second season in a row.

Whilst it may seem unlikely due to the current gap between the two teams, all Rangers can do is continue to win games in the league and hope that the Hoops drop points along the way. If they can claw it back and secure a stunning title win then that would put them in a fantastic position to qualify for the Champions League, but that is now in danger.

Van Bronckhorst will now have to keep a close eye on results in the competition and root for Liverpool in the semi-finals against Villarreal. He will be desperate, as will Ange Postecoglou, for the Spanish side to fail in their efforts to win the tournament as it would dampen Rangers’ chances of hitting the £40m jackpot later this year.

Although they will still have the opportunity to access that cash fund if they make their way through the qualification phase, the Dutch head coach would surely prefer to go straight into the group stage instead of enduring the stress of play-off football.

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

Leeds United could have a future star in their youth ranks and his surname could well be familiar to some of the older members of the Elland Road faithful.

Sebastien Carole featured for the Whites in a two-year spell back in 2006 and 2008 before foraging a career in England’s non-league pyramid but his son, Keenan, is setting alight Thorp Arch at just 17.

Earlier in the year, footage of the teenager scoring a sublime solo goal had fans hugely excited over his potential and some were very eager to see him involved more often, and since then, he’s featured twice for the U23 squad.

Meanwhile, predominantly playing as a left-back or a left-winger, Carole has contributed towards nine goals across 33 appearances for the U18s, via Transfermarkt, so he’s certainly catching the eye.

His form for the Whites’ academy setup has caught the eye of a few in and around the game.

“One to watch and a star in the making at Leeds United – Keenan Carole – son of former Leeds attacker Seb Carole,” claimed journalist Pete O’Rourke to social media in November 2020.

Whilst BBC reporter Adam Pope highlighted his pace and acceleration as one encouraging attribute following a starring role from the bench against Tranmere U21s back in September.

“Lots of positives all over the park including the sub Keenan Carole injecting real pace down the left side,” he tweeted.

There are several exciting talents emerging at the Yorkshire giants, including Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood and Charlie Cresswell, so perhaps the 17-year-old gem could be the next to attract the eye of Marcelo Bielsa.

Given the struggles of Jack Harrison and Dan James this season, the Argentine manager could do little wrong in handing players like Carole an opportunity in the cups in 2022.

If he’s good enough, the young winger could save Andrea Radrizzani several millions in the transfer market. Of course, it’s still early days but the signs are hugely, hugely encouraging.

AND in other news, Bielsa must brutally axe “explosive” £16.2m-rated lightweight, he’s holding Leeds back…

Ruben Neves ‘ran the show’ in Wolves’ incredible 1-0 victory away to Manchester United on Monday night, according to journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Unforgettable Wolves win

Bruno Lages’ side picked up their best win of the Premier League season so far at Old Trafford, as well as their first triumph there in more than 40 years.

Wolves were exceptional throughout the game, outplaying United for the vast chunk of proceedings and eventually taking home all three points after Joao Moutinho’s late winner.

The victory has taken Wanderers back up to eighth in the table, as confidence continues to grow regarding a European finish this season.

The Latest: Neves hailed by Spiers

Taking to Twitter after the game, Spiers paid special attention to the outstanding Neves, delivering a simple seven-word verdict on the midfielder’s display.

The journalist gushed: “Neves ran the show. What a night.”

The Verdict: Magnificent performance

Spiers is quite right to laud a special performance by Neves, with the Portuguese midfielder arguably the best player on the pitch against a team he has been linked with joining.

He completed a team-high 55 passes (with an 81% success rate) and played seven accurate long balls, as per figures from Sofascore, not to mention chipping in defensively by winning two duels and making one interception and one clearance.

The calmness that Neves showed in the middle of the park alongside Moutinho allowed Wolves to dominate the contest. The 24-year-old proved to be the man for the big occasion last night.

In other news, Spiers has also hinted at one player leaving Wolves. Find out who it is here.