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According to a report by Football Insider, Brentford have joined Leicester City and Hoffenheim in the race to sign promising Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Elliot Thorpe this summer, with the 20-year-old apparently ‘set to quit’ the Lilywhites.

Indeed, as per this source, the youngster will leave north London when his contract expires at the end of next month, and there has been no shortage of interest from rival clubs.

The Foxes and Hoffenheim were previously touted with interest, but now Brentford are trying to muscle in on the action, with all three clubs in contention to snap up the starlet for nothing. He has apparently rejected the offer of a new contract at Tottenham and is eager to join a club where he can be guaranteed chances in the first team, as per Football Insider.

As it now looks likely that Spurs could now lose Thorpe this summer, with all the signs seemingly pointing in that direction, many Lilywhites supporters have been left concerned to say the least.

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Scoring two goals in 18 Premier League 2 appearances for Tottenham’s under-23s over 2020/21, he can be deployed in a wide array of positions throughout midfield (Transfermarkt). Indeed, he can play out wide as a winger, further forward through the middle, as a traditional central midfielder and even as a deep-lying anchor (Transfermarkt).

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder that so many Spurs supporters are worried by this claim – check out a flavour of their verdicts below.

Spurs fans worried by Thorpe claim

“He’s going on a free isn’t he? Sad news.”

Credit: @AdamJaye

“No no no no no”

Credit: @tobeytheginger

“No please swear he’s actually decent”

Credit: @xthfcisaac

“Can’t let him leave”

Credit: @_thfcjack

“If he’s good enough for Leicester then why are we letting him go?”

Credit: @thfc_josh_

“Don’t sell him”

Credit: @xoxoclassyhaha

“No one touch him”

Credit: @BidoShalaby2

“Stay please”

Credit: @tanguythings

In other news: Alasdair Gold says Spurs could swoop for this ‘incredible’ colossus, find out more here.

Rangers legend Ally McCoist expected Giovanni van Bronckhorst to give Cedric Itten a chance against Motherwell on Saturday. 

The lowdown

Rangers exercised their recall option to bring Itten back from his loan at Bundesliga outfit Greuther Furth in January.

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He made consecutive starts against Livingston and Ross County at the end of January, but then missed out on nine straight matchday squads, with his only game time coming in the Scottish League Cup against Annan Athletic.

Ahead of the Gers’ trip to Fir Park, though, striker Kemar Roofe joined long-term absentee Alfredo Morelos on the injury list.

That seemed to present an opportunity for Itten, but Van Bronckhorst instead opted to field Fashion Sakala up front.

Itten did feature for the first time since the winter, but only for the final four minutes as a substitute.

The latest

Rangers’ all-time leading goalscorer McCoist, speaking live in commentary for Sky Sports, says it may be a damning reflection that Itten didn’t start even with the injuries Rangers had.

“Interesting, I heard the boys talking before the game,” he said, via Ibrox News.

“Obviously no Roofe, no Morelos, however would it not have been an opportunity for Cedric Itten? Or is he so far down the pecking order [that he didn’t get a chance]?”

The verdict

It’s clear now that Van Bronckhorst simply doesn’t rate Itten all that highly.

It was pretty telling that the Dutchman didn’t even include him in his squad for the Europa League knockout stages.

Itten was called ‘magnificent’ by former boss Steven Gerrard but regrettably, his record for Rangers – just seven goals in 48 appearances – doesn’t live up to that billing.

It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see Rangers look to shift the £2.7million-rated, £14,000-per-week frontman from their wage bill come the summer.

In other news, one Rangers player was rated just 4/10. 

The future of Celtic winger Karamoko Dembele has been a topic of discussion over the last six months.

There were reports earlier this year that he was set for a move abroad in the summer, with French duo Lille and Nantes just two clubs thought to be tracking the 18-year-old.

When Dembele signed professional terms with Celtic back in 2018, the club confirmed that his deal ran until at least 2021.

Transfermarkt previously had Dembele’s contract down to expire this summer as well, but in a report from the Daily Record, it now appears as if that was incorrect.

Mark Wilson was giving his views on the versatile teenager, with the Daily Record claiming in the introduction that the youngster has ‘just over a year remaining on his current deal’ – possibly nine vital words in regards to his future.

Transfermarkt have since altered Dembele’s profile, with his deal now in place until 2022 according to the website.

Transfer Tavern take

It may only be another 12 months on his deal, but to us, this snippet of information could be crucial for the Hoops. Should any prospective suitors want to land Dembele this summer, they would now have to pay Celtic a fee for his services.

Dembele, who has made six senior appearances for Celtic, may now end up staying at the club beyond the summer. If he does, it gives the Hoops more time to potentially agree new terms with the in-demand teenager.

In other news: Odsonne Edouard transfer saga takes another twist that Dominic McKay could love, find out more here. 

Aston Villa are facing competition from fellow Premier League side Arsenal in the race to sign Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have linked Dean Smith’s side with a move for the £50k-per-week forward in this summer transfer window.

According to The Daily Mirror, Villa are ready to spend £40m to bring Abraham to Villa Park, with the 23-year-old striker being told he is free to leave Chelsea as he doesn’t feature in Thomas Tuchel’s long-term plans at Stamford Bridge.

But now, The Sun have claimed that the Blues are ready to let Abraham join Arsenal on a season-long loan deal with an obligation to buy at the end of it.

Smith’s game-changer

Speaking during BT Sport coverage of Chelsea’s Champions League win over Lille, former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand raved about Abraham’s centre-forward play, saying (via Goal):

“His hold-up play, coming to the ball, bringing others into play. There were some balls that came into him that were Didier Drogba-esque. I think he’s developing nicely, he’s scoring goals, he’s scoring different types of goals and I think he’s a threat.”

In his first spell at Villa Park – when he spent a season on loan in the Championship – the England international netted 26 goals in 40 games, as well as providing three assists too.

And, speaking after a particularly goal-scoring display against Swansea, Smith himself said:

“Tammy is a handful and he knows better than me that he should have been walking away with the match ball tonight. But he scored the winning goal, he’s a hell of a talent. Tammy put in a hell of a shift up front on his own and proved he is a fine player.”

Also described as “unbelievable” and “phenomenal” throughout his career, Abraham could provide some much-needed competition for Ollie Watkins up top, and would take the goal-scoring burden off the former Brentford man.

Watkins played an incredible 37 of Villa’s 38 Premier League games last season, and that level of endurance and luck with staying away from significant injuries would be another tall order heading into the new campaign.

Bringing in another quality striker Abraham could prove to be a game-changer for Smith as the Villa boss would know that he’s got someone who he can trust at the Premier League level to lead the line, either as a substitute or right from the off.

The fact Watkins barely missed a minute of football last season is a testament to his fitness, but also a damning indictment on the lack of cover behind him.

Smith could desperately do with someone the calibre of the £34m-rated Abraham, and it’s exactly why Villa need to fend off interest from Arsenal to land him.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has dropped an Aston Villa transfer update…

Some Everton fans have been left buzzing over the news that Seamus Coleman has been given a new deal.

As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, the Republic of Ireland international has signed a new one-year deal that will keep him at the Merseyside club until the end of June 2023.

Coleman is currently the club captain and so it is very important to keep him in and around the dressing room, especially given that it is Rafa Benitez’s first season in charge.

The right-back is still very much first choice in his position, having played in no fewer than 31 games in total over all competitions in the 2020/21 season despite finding himself injured for spells of it (Transfermarkt).

Thus, while the Toffees have not signed anyone at right-back, it is important that they keep Coleman happy, fit and firing.

Everton fans on Coleman deal

These Blues buzzed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that they were ‘made up’, while another described it as ‘brilliant news’:

“Brilliant news”

Credit: @FitzyJill

“Deserved, been fantastic and loyal to the club. World-class attitude toward the game”

Credit: @Huyton_PSG_U14s

“Made up”

Credit: @_lauraaj96

“Great news”

Credit: @beckylmc13

“LET’S GOOOOOOO”

Credit: @otrochris

“Yerrrsssss”

Credit: @Samjc289

In other news, find out which £45m-rated colossus EFC are battling to sign here!

Southampton fell to a 2-0 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday night, although Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side were perhaps unfortunate not to take a point, as they missed some guilt-edged chances before Thiago’s late goal gave the scoreline a more comfortable look for the hosts.

Although they ended up leaving with nothing, there were some promising performances on show from Southampton’s starting eleven, with Nathan Redmond, in particular, impressing on the left-hand side.

The former Norwich City man, who joined Southampton for £10m back in 2016, has enjoyed a resurgence of form over the past couple of months, having seriously struggled to impress in the first half of the campaign.

He looked dangerous at Anfield as he regularly ran at Liverpool’s defence and caused them problems, which is when he is at his best.

As per SofaScore, the English winger would earn an impressive 7.6/10 match rating for his display, which was comfortably the best of any Southampton player who featured in the game.

Redmond would complete 37/45 of his passes at Anfield, which was significantly more than Theo Walcott on the opposite flank, who managed just 10, and it was also far more than the 22.7 passes he has averaged per game in the Premier League so far this season.

The 27-year-old was also successful in all three of his dribble attempts against the Premier League champions and created a huge chance for Nathan Tella, who unfortunately headed straight at Alisson in the Liverpool goal.

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He was certainly Southampton’s main attacking threat throughout the game, managing one shot on target and three off target during the game, and was arguably unfortunate to be on the losing side.

Therefore, you could argue that he was let down by Saints striker Che Adams, who missed two glorious opportunities in the game, most notably when Alisson gifted him the ball but he could only shoot straight at the Brazilian ‘keeper when under no pressure.

Redmond deserved something from the game but his striker’s inability to put away two great chances cost both him, and the entire Saints’ side.

Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach was also complimentary of Redmond after his display, writing:

“He’s at his very best when he runs at people and he did that over and over again early on, with a fair amount of success. He was unlucky not to get an assist just before the break when he crossed perfectly onto Tella’s head – but his nod was saved.”

You could definitely argue that Redmond is close to being back to his “very best” after some impressive displays in recent months but unfortunately for the winger, his promising performance was not enough to earn Southampton a share of the points at Anfield.

And, in other news… Southampton dealt devastating transfer setback to “exciting” £9m-rated gem, Ralph surely fuming

A number of Liverpool supporters are fuming after James Pearce claimed Neco Williams won’t be replaced this summer, if he leaves the Reds.

Jurgen Klopp’s side managed to salvage their 2020/21 season, finishing third in the Premier League, despite so much going wrong throughout the campaign.

The hope is that it was nothing more than a blip, however, with Liverpool going into next season as title challengers again.

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Klopp could need more depth at his disposal this time around in order to compete with Manchester City, but one player who could leave Anfield is Williams.

Writing in The Athletic, Pearce claimed that the Welshman could move on this summer in search of regular first-team football if a £10million bid arrives.

He also states that a replacement right-back wouldn’t be signed, however, with Joe Gomez and youngster Conor Bradley seen as options there.

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Liverpool fans angry at James Pearce’s update

That aspect of Pearce’s update has not gone down well with some Liverpool fans, who took to Twitter to voice their disapproval at the claim.

“Gomez at RB again. Here we go again”

Credit: @PrafulSai

“We aren’t making it out of top 4 battles”

Credit: @LfcOkx

“In other words, hey Trent. Get ready for another season of sweatshop labour. And don’t dare think your hamstrings will last into any summer tournament/tour next year”

Credit: @SantiWest100

“And we expect to compete against City, our owners are jokes yeno”

Credit: @LF_1906

“No chance we challenge for silverware again under FSG”

Credit: @_lewistweets

“What’s the point of selling your backup RB if your not gonna sign another backup RB?”

Credit: @_PrimeTAA

In other news, a current England international has been tipped to join Liverpool – find out who it is here.

Liverpool scouts were in attendance at the Estadio da Luz on Wednesday night to witness Darwin Nunez scoring twice as Benfica thrashed Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League.

The Lowdown: Young, talented goalscorer

The 22-year-old Uruguayan came through the Penarol academy before moving to Almeria in 2019. In his only season in LaLiga2, he scored 16 goals in 30 league appearances as they were defeated 3-1 on aggregate by Girona in the promotion play-offs.

He became Benfica’s most expensive signing in 2020 for £21.6m and has continued his brilliant form with 20 goals in 51 appearances for the Lisbon club.

His performance against Barcelona would have had scouts licking their lips, with the Uruguay international raising his price tag after his Champions League exploits.

The Latest: 35 clubs had scouts in Portugal

The Independent’s senior football correspondent Melissa Reddy confirmed on her Twitter profile that Liverpool scouts were joined by compatriots from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund at Estadio da Luz.

As per This Is Anfield, as many as 35 clubs had scouts in attendance to witness Benfica compounding a miserable start to the season for crisis-stricken Barcelona.

Nunez, who is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, scored twice and Rafa Silva also netted in a convincing win for Jorge Jesus’ side to put them second in their Champions League group.

The Verdict: He could be what the Reds need

At only 22, Nunez is destined for great things. Given the extensive list of clubs who sent scouts to watch him play, he looks set to be at one of the best teams in Europe sooner or later. His current boss Jesus has said that he ‘will be a world-class player’ and the Uruguayan is going about proving his manager right.

With both Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane having their critics in recent months, a new breath of fresh air in attack may be exactly what Liverpool need if they are to reclaim the Premier League title.

Aside from the mercurial Mohamed Salah, a consistent goalscorer is something the Reds have perhaps lacked in previous seasons, with Firmino often deployed in a deeper-lying false nine role. The potential signing of Nunez could add that clinical touch if Liverpool were to follow up on what is sure to be a glowing scout report.

In other news, Liverpool fans have been reacting to this contract news. Find out more here.

Flocking to Twitter, a number of Manchester City fans have raved over a fresh transfer claim involving Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.

It is no secret that City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain set his sights on signing a centre-forward in the summer transfer window, coming up short in reported attempts to bag Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo. Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland was also linked with the Premier League champions earlier in the year and that seemingly remains the case.

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After the departure of club legend and Premier League icon Sergio Aguero, Pep Guardiola’s side are left with just one natural senior striking option in Gabriel Jesus, although the Brazilian has often been deployed out wide this season.

Makeshift options like Ferran Torres and Raheem Sterling are at Guardiola’s disposal as well as promising youngsters like Liam Delap, or he may even revert to the false nine system which brought City so much joy last season. However, that hasn’t stopped City, and by extension Begiristain, from looking at future options.

As reported by La Nazione (via Sport Witness), the agents of Vlahovic have a ‘super offer’ from City in their hands said to include a €6m (£5.09m) salary per season for the player. It is said that this offer is tempting and that City are now the favourites for his signature ahead of ‘second line’ Atletico Madrid.

Flocking to his claim, many Sky Blues supporters have erupted in excitement – check out some of the best reactions from Twitter below.

Man City fans flock to Vlahovic claim…

“LET’S GOOOO”

Credit: @Kushagra9320

“Finally getting a striker”

Credit: @Nathan3ii

“OH MY”

Credit: @mcfckacper

“This is my top target for City. Harry Kane is a waste of our negotiating energy. Haaland’s agent will make next summer miserable. Go get a target. Wrap it up before preseason, let’s play football.”

Credit: @skramerwrites

“Get it done”

Credit: @Remysenpaii

“yes please”

Credit: @MCFCYoungboy

“Praying”

Credit: @BernardoTouch

“Sign him and Haaland, c’mon”

Credit: @Daniiiily

In other news: ‘Yessss’, ‘Actually crazy’, ‘Genuinely insane’…these Man City fans go wild as ‘huge’ news drops, find out more here.

Rangers have been linked with a move for Alhassan Yusuf recently and he could be the ideal man to replace Glen Kamara in Steven Gerrard’s squad at Ibrox this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Score Nigeria, Rangers have contacted IFK Goteborg about potentially signing the 20-year-old midfielder, who has impressed during his time playing in the Allsvenskan, winning the young player of the year for his performances in the 2018/19 season.

During his time with the Swedish side, Yusuf has made 76 appearances, contributing two goals and nine assists and he usually features as a defensive-midfielder, suggesting that he would be deployed in a similar position to Kamara should he arrive at Ibrox this summer.

Would Yusuf be a good signing for Rangers?

The Nigerian midfielder is currently valued at £1.35m by Transfermarkt and his contract with Goteborg is set to expire in November next year, which suggests that they would be willing to cash in on him this summer for a relatively low fee, rather than risk losing him for nothing in 2022.

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Chief scout at Goteborg, Olle Sultan, was full of praise for Yusuf in his first season at the club, saying:

“I have believed in him very much all the time. He has learned on the way to becoming less naive. The touch is very nice and he is always so oriented and has such control on the ball. The press game is good and he is aggressive. When he eventually gets a little more power, he will be a good ball winner as well. In addition, he is a great guy who flows into the group nicely.

“A ball winner and game genius in one. There’s a bit to learn, that’s it, but he can really be great.”

Yusuf certainly seems to have a lot of potential and from how Sultan describes him, he could be the ideal man to replace Kamara at Ibrox this summer, should the Finland international complete a move to the Premier League.

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After some impressive performances for Rangers and Finland in recent seasons, it seems as if the 25-year-old could depart this summer, and the Gers will need someone with aggression and energy in defensive midfield to step up as his replacement, and given time, Yusuf could prove to be that man.

And, in other news… Reliable journalist drops Rangers transfer update that’ll delight Gers fans