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Chelsea transfer target Jonathan David could be one step closer to a move to Stamford Bridge this summer after admitting that he "loves" the Premier League side.

The 24-year-old striker joined LOSC Lille back in 2020 for around €27million, and has continually been a talisman for the French side ever since. The Canadian scored 26 times and set a further nine up in the 2023/24 campaign, helping secure his side a fourth place finish in Ligue 1 - and his thirst for goals hasn't went unnoticed by Premier League clubs.

Reports suggest that Chelsea could be looking to make a move for the star striker - giving Nicolas Jackson competition for his place in the first team. And David has previously admitted that he is fond of the west London club too - telling former Belgium international Marc Degryse: "I love all teams in the Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, but also Southampton, Crystal Palace, Everton… I like nice teams."

He also appeared to rule a move out to Liverpool, though, adding: "I’m just not a big fan of Liverpool," albeit the Reds may not be looking to bolster their forward presence with Darwin Nunez, Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo in flying form. Chelsea will be in stiff competition to secure the services of David this summer however - with Manchester United, Spurs and West Ham all interested in securing his signature – however, the latter two London rivals of Chelsea were not named by David when he was speaking of clubs he admired.

Spurs are still looking to replace England captain Harry Kane with a complete striker, as Timo Werner and Richarlison hardly turned heads last season. And while Son Heung-min scored 17 and assisted 10, his best position remains on the left wing.

Manchester United are in dire need of an attacker going into the 2024/25 season, and David could be hopeful of joining the Red Devils this summer, previously telling Degryse "I believe you," when told that "Manchester United is something for you," by the former PSV man. While Rasmus Hojlund scored 16 for United last season, Erik ten Hag may be looking for someone a little more proven to drive them from a lacklustre eighth-place finish.

Meanwhile, West Ham may be making enquiries into David's signature, with Michail Antonio and Danny Ings approaching their final seasons. The Mirror reports that entering the last year of his deal, David may be available on the cheap this summer. Lille would rather sell than lose him on a free in 2025.

He is likely to be let go for a price between £17million and £21million, despite a market value of around £51million if his contract was longer.

David continues to bolster his value at the current Copa America tournament for his native Canada - scoring in the side's 1-0 win over Peru on Tuesday. The crucial strike takes David's total goal tally for country up to 27 in 51 appearances, with Premier League managers sure to watch the tournament as it progresses to scout the youngster further before making an offer.

Tottenham's interest in Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey is being driven by technical director Johan Lange but Unai Emery's side are unlikely to sell the player, football.london understands.

Lange joined Spurs last November following more than three years at Villa during which time he saw the development of the talented young midfielder, who turned 23 last month, as he played 122 matches for the West Midlands side. Ramsey did have a nightmare last season though with injury as he first broke the metatarsal in his left foot during the European U21 Championships last summer, then reaggravated it in October before a persistent toe injury in March ended his campaign prematurely.

Those injury woes restricted the midfielder to 21 appearances with one goal and two assists, following a sparkling season the last time out which brought eight assists and six goals in 38 matches, including one at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with six goals the previous season when only 20. Lange is a big fan of Ramsey and Tottenham made enquiries in January, soon after the Dane's arrival at the club, about the availability of the player.

With Lange and his team's data-led approach, the case would have been made for the versatile Ramsey's ability to fit into Ange Postecoglou's system either as one of the number eights in the midfield or if required on the left wing, where he sometimes operates for Villa.

football.london understands that Spurs' interest in Ramsey, who has three years left on his contract at Villa Park, has not dulled at all despite his injury-hit season and the north London club have enquired again about his availability this month with Villa, although suggestions of a formal offer being made at this point have been played down on various sides.

Tottenham would have probed to see whether Ramsey's fragmented campaign loosened Villa's desire to keep him in the face of a tempting offer, particularly with their previous need to get back within the profit and sustainability rules which the sale of Douglas Luiz to Juventus is now expected to remedy.

The current indications are that the Midlands side, who will play Champions League football next season, remain as unlikely to sell Ramsey as they did back in January.

Back then, Emery had said: "Jacob Ramsey is a very important player. He grew up here in the academy. His progression is clear and getting better. I want to keep him here with us. Teams may be involved in the possibility to sign him, because he is a potentially big, big player in Aston Villa and England. I want to keep him here 100%."

Tottenham would want Ramsey also because of his homegrown status, similar to their big interest in Eberechi Eze at Crystal Palace, which is another reason for Villa to want to keep their midfielder due to him being a club-trained player - one of four that needs to be registered within their Champions League squad for the upcoming campaign.

Spurs would have attempted to use Giovani Lo Celso, currently with Argentina at the Copa America, in any possible move for Ramsey. The 28-year-old has an admirer in Emery with the Spaniard having taken the midfielder on loan to Villarreal for the second half of the 2021/22 season and then resigned him again for the following campaign, only to leave for Villa in October 2022.

Lo Celso is expected to depart Tottenham this summer with interest in his services likely to be boosted by his involvement at the Copa America in the USA and he has just a year left on his contract.

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Tottenham's need to sign a striker this summer is clear for all to see. Losing the club's all-time top goalscorer in Harry Kane on the eve of the 2023/24 season, Spurs were just not able to replace the 30-year-old in what remained of the summer transfer window.

That is now a priority for Ange Postecoglou and the club in this summer's transfer market and all connected with Tottenham will be hoping that they get their man sooner rather than later. Richarlison did manage to contribute with 12 goals in all competitions last term as he got an extended run in his preferred striker role but the Brazilian did miss nine games through injury and Son Heung-min operated centrally in his absence.

Although Son did go on to score five more goals across the season than his teammate, the Tottenham captain offers much more to the team playing from the left flank and that's where Postecoglou will want his star man on a consistent basis next campaign. If Tottenham are to kick on from their fifth-place finish and compete towards the top of the Premier League from August onwards, Johan Lange needs to bring a prolific goalscorer to the club.

football.london understands that the Lilywhites have compiled a shortlist of forwards who fit their profile of signing players for the present and long-term and therefore are at the most aged in their mid-twenties or younger. Lille's Jonathan David is someone who is high on their list after a very impressive couple of seasons in France.

In amongst the goals in his two seasons with Belgian side Gent, the Canada international has continued to find the back of the net regularly for Lille. The 2023/24 season proved to be another very fruitful year for the player as he matched his tally from the previous campaign by netting 26 goals in total.

David, who has been linked with a Premier League switch in recent years, now has 84 goals in 183 appearances for Lille, as well as 27 goals in 51 games for Canada. Tottenham are not the only club keen on the Brooklyn-born player, though, as Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham have also been linked with the 24-year-old.

Tipped to seal a move away from Lille for quite some time, this could be the summer where David does indeed move on for a new challenge elsewhere. One of the main reasons for a possible transfer exit finally coming to fruition is due to his current contract status at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

The striker will enter the final year of his Lille contract on Monday and it does present interested clubs with the chance to sign him for a cut-price fee. It has been suggested that David, who is valued at £50.7million by CIES Football Observatory, could be available for as little as £20million this summer.

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That in turn could see David's prospective next club secure quite the transfer bargain ahead of the 2024/25 season. Tottenham themselves did likewise 12 months ago after agreeing on a £40million deal with Leicester City for James Maddison.

Just like David, Maddison was on the verge of entering the final year of his contract and the Foxes' relegation from the Premier League meant that an exit from the King Power Stadium was always a certainty to happen. Had the England international had a couple more years left on his contract then Tottenham may have ended up paying around £60million to get their man.

Whether David is the striker Tottenham do indeed move for in the weeks ahead remains to be seen. The frontman's participation in the current Copa America may delay a possible Lille exit for the time being but he should not be short of suitors due to the amount of goals he has plundered for club and country.

If a fee of around £20million is enough to secure the services of David, it may turn out to be money very well spent if he goes on to replicate his Ligue 1 form in the Premier League.

Aston Villa have reportedly rejected a player-plus-cash approach from Tottenham for Jacob Ramsey.

Ramsey, 23, who starred for Villa during the 2022/23 campaign, spent much of last season injured. In fact, the midfielder made just nine starts in the Premier League and played 21 matches across all competitions, scoring one goal and adding two assists.

But Spurs are keeping tabs on Villa's financial situation and have made an offer of £20million, plus Argentina international Giovani Lo Celso, for Ramsey. It has been turned down by Villa, however, who insist they want to keep him at the club going into next season.

It was reported earlier this month that Villa have to sell before the end of June to meet profit and sustainability rules. But it's understood the sale of Tim Iroegbunam to Everton for £9million has kept them above the dotted line. This means that Villa are in no immediate pressure to sell, though Omari Kellyman is set to join Chelsea for £19m and Douglas Luiz is on the verge of moving to Juventus.

As for Tottenham, a move for Ramsey shows that Daniel Levy is keen to strengthen his squad this summer. Spurs finished the season in fifth and will compete in the Europa League next term. Ange Postecoglou is set to demand three new signings to his squad ahead of his second season in charge.

As well as midfield, an area Postecoglou is keen to strengthen is up front. Speaking after the post-season friendly against Newcastle in Australia, Postecoglou made that clear. "Yeah, absolutely. It's no secret. You saw the way we finished the season," said Postecoglou.

"We obviously lost Richy and Timo as well with injuries but we're fairly light in that area. We started last season with Manor [Solomon] and [Ivan] Perisic and we were quite healthy in that front third in terms of numbers, but as the year went on it became pretty evident that we need to bulk up.

"We're in Europe as well next year so we'll have more games and it's definitely an area of the park we'll need to strengthen."

Former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp says fans should not blame Daniel Levy for the club’s inability to finish in the top four last season.

He highlighted the investment Levy has made during his reign at Spurs, stating Ange Postecoglou boasts a squad good enough for the Champions League.

Levy has been widely praised for his financial management of the club, albeit has faced criticism from supporters for increasing matchday and season ticket prices by 10 per cent ahead of next season.

Some also feel as though the chairman’s astute financial mindset is curtailing the team’s sporting ambition, having only qualified for the Champions League in one of the past four seasons.

Levy is meanwhile considering selling a stake to external investors having conducted talks with potential suitors. Some supporters have aired their desire to see the Spurs chief leave the club altogether amid frustration over perceived lack of on-field ambition.

However, former boss Redknapp told football.london (courtesy of Sorare) that the club’s lack of achievement has not been because of Levy given the investment he has made into the club. He believes the 62-year-old will not be leaving the club any time soon.

“No, I can't see it,” said Redknapp, who worked under Levy during his tenure between 2008 and 2012. “I mean, he's built a magnificent stadium there.

"They've got magnificent training facilities, a magnificent stadium, probably as good a football stadium as there is in the world now.

“And he has spent money. Tottenham have spent money, there's been good money on the team. They had players last year that were good enough to finish in the top four. With that squad they should have finished fourth.

“It wasn't a great year. I like the manager, I am a big fan. But it wasn’t a great year last year and you can’t blame Daniel for that.

"They’ve bought players. So I could never slag off Daniel Levy. It’d be easy for me to sit here and slag him off but I couldn’t do it, I found him a good man to work for. He never interfered with me with the team and he backed me as much as he could.”

Redknapp says only Champions League qualification will denote a successful season for Postecoglou next term, although refrained from suggesting his job was on the line if he failed to achieve that for a second successive season.

“No, I wouldn't want to say that it would be unfair to say that, but I don't think Daniel wants to keep managers,” he said.

“They lost [James] Maddison and had an almighty dip of form. Maddison came back from the injury, didn’t really recover the form he had before the injury and they struggled late on really.”

Harry Redknapp was speaking to football.london courtesy of Sorare.

Tottenham legend Darren Anderton has admitted Harry Kane in Tottenham's team under Ange Postecoglou would be "incredible" as he stated that Spurs are a goalscorer away from challenging at the top of the Premier League table.

Speaking exclusively with football.london in conjunction with William Hill, Anderton opened up on Postecoglou's first season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as well as looking at what Spurs needed to do in the summer transfer window.

Anderton spent 12 years at Tottenham, between 1992 and 2004, establishing himself as a firm fans' favourite during that time. He was part of an impressive front five under Ossie Ardiles that played almost all-out attack during the 1990s, something he has seen a lilttle bit of under Ange Postecoglou in his first season in charge at the club.

He said: "Towards the end of the season I was a little bit frustrated, but the fixtures didn't help, it highlighted that we're not quite at that [top] level yet and the fact we started the season so well, the expectancy became too much, it was probably too high, people were talking about challenging for the league.

"He's come in done a great job, put smiles on faces again, because the previous four or five years have been pretty tough, we had a couple of managers who are winners, but the football was not fun to watch and we didn't win. It's ok to play a certain style and you're winning, but if you're not entertaining or winning, something's not quite right.

"Spurs fans want to see a certain style of football, they want the team to be successful, but watching Spurs this year has certainly been more enjoyable.

"Now we've got to go on next season and be even better, be defensively better I would say, some games reminded me of Ossie back in our day which was entertaining and great to watch, but not conducive to a challenge for the top four!"

And to get back into the top four and even challenge for the Premier League title, Spurs need a goalscorer. Son Heung-min was often utilised in the centre-forward role in 2023/24, with Richarlison - bought in for £60million in 2022 - enduring an injury-hit season.

The Brazilian did manage a goal every 145 minutes of football he played this season, with a goal involvement every 109 minutes. But Anderton does not think he is the right man for the job moving forward.

He added: "I think we need a goalscorer at the very highest level, which you can't find. I wish Harry was still there to play within that team, the goals he scored under [Jose] Mourinho and [Antonio Conte] was incredible, put him in a team that plays that entertaining, attacking football and he would have been unbelievable.

"Richarlison has had lots of opportunities, but I don't see him being that 25-goals-a-season man. And maybe another centre-back. I think the squad is strong, but you've got to keep improving. I don't think there's anything that really stands out but that goalscorer, that, unfortunately, Harry Kane type player."

Tottenham legend Darren Anderton has admitted Harry Kane in Tottenham's team under Ange Postecoglou would be "incredible" as he stated that Spurs are a goalscorer away from challenging at the top of the Premier League table.

Speaking exclusively with football.london in conjunction with William Hill, Anderton opened up on Postecoglou's first season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as well as looking at what Spurs needed to do in the summer transfer window.

Anderton spent 12 years at Tottenham, between 1992 and 2004, establishing himself as a firm fans' favourite during that time. He was part of an impressive front five under Ossie Ardiles that played almost all-out attack during the 1990s, something he has seen a lilttle bit of under Ange Postecoglou in his first season in charge at the club.

He said: "Towards the end of the season I was a little bit frustrated, but the fixtures didn't help, it highlighted that we're not quite at that [top] level yet and the fact we started the season so well, the expectancy became too much, it was probably too high, people were talking about challenging for the league.

"He's come in done a great job, put smiles on faces again, because the previous four or five years have been pretty tough, we had a couple of managers who are winners, but the football was not fun to watch and we didn't win. It's ok to play a certain style and you're winning, but if you're not entertaining or winning, something's not quite right.

"Spurs fans want to see a certain style of football, they want the team to be successful, but watching Spurs this year has certainly been more enjoyable.

"Now we've got to go on next season and be even better, be defensively better I would say, some games reminded me of Ossie back in our day which was entertaining and great to watch, but not conducive to a challenge for the top four!"

And to get back into the top four and even challenge for the Premier League title, Spurs need a goalscorer. Son Heung-min was often utilised in the centre-forward role in 2023/24, with Richarlison - bought in for £60million in 2022 - enduring an injury-hit season.

The Brazilian did manage a goal every 145 minutes of football he played this season, with a goal involvement every 109 minutes. But Anderton does not think he is the right man for the job moving forward.

He added: "I think we need a goalscorer at the very highest level, which you can't find. I wish Harry was still there to play within that team, the goals he scored under [Jose] Mourinho and [Antonio Conte] was incredible, put him in a team that plays that entertaining, attacking football and he would have been unbelievable.

"Richarlison has had lots of opportunities, but I don't see him being that 25-goals-a-season man. And maybe another centre-back. I think the squad is strong, but you've got to keep improving. I don't think there's anything that really stands out but that goalscorer, that, unfortunately, Harry Kane type player."

Jonathan David ensured that he was in the headlines on Tuesday evening as he helped Canada claim a historic win in the Copa America. Not only was it their maiden victory in the competition and Jesse Marsch's first as boss, it was their first win over a South American opponent in 24 years.

In a vital game for Canada following their 2-0 defeat in their Group A opener against Argentina last week, Lille striker David struck the crucial goal in the 74th minute of the contest. It was a fine finish from the Tottenham-linked striker as the Reds mounted a swift counter and the frontman confidently found the net with a low shot from just inside the area that bounced in off the post.

Very much a man in demand this summer with Spurs, Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham all mentioned in regards to a move for the 24-year-old, a few more goals in the Copa America may well set the wheels in motion for a Lille exit. football.london reported on Monday that Tottenham have compiled a shortlist of forwards who fit their profile of signing players for the present and long-term and therefore are at the most aged in their mid-twenties or younger.

David is one of the names that features high on the list, with the club having followed the attacker for quite some time. It's perhaps no surprise to see why Spurs are keeping tabs on the Brooklyn-born player after plundering goals for fun in Ligue 1. After making his mark with Gent in Belgium prior to his Lille switch, David has continued to find the net on a regular basis for the French side.

The Canada international, for the second season on the trot, finished the campaign with 26 goals in all competitions for Lille, with 19 of those coming in the league. Tipped to seal a move away from Lille to one of Europe's top teams in each of the past few summers, David still remains at Stade Pierre-Mauroy for the time being but it may not be too long before he is snapped up.

What makes him an even more attractive proposition this summer is the fact that he could be available for a cut-price fee due to his contract status. Next week will mark the beginning of the final year of his Lille contract and it has been suggested that he could be available for as little as £20million.

Given Tottenham's need to add to their frontline options ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, David could prove to be a very wise investment if he can go on to replicate his Ligue 1 numbers in the Premier League. Before his future is decided one way or another ahead of the summer transfer deadline, the striker will be intent on guiding Canada through to the knockout phase of the Copa America.

Chile are Canada's final opponents in Group A, with La Roja so far only having one point in the bag from their first two games in the competition. If Marsch's side are to create even more history by going to the latter stages of the Copa America, David is going to be a pivotal figure in their plans.

In terms of his numbers against Peru, David scored with his only shot on goal, he made seven passes into the final third as he looked to link up with his teammates, completed 21 of his 27 passes and chipped in defensively with seven defensive actions. The Canada ace perhaps should have had another goal to his name in the dying embers of the game but he unfortunately miskicked the ball when found unmarked eight yards from goal.

Speaking after the game to TSN Sports, he said: "It means a lot. It means that we have everything to fight for in the last game to make it out of the group stage.

"It was a difficult game, even at 10 against 11 it was very difficult. It means that even through adversity, we can battle and get results. Obviously, there’s still things to improve and we know that, but the most important thing today was to show ourselves that we can win a game."

Now with 27 goals in 51 games for Canada after his latest strike, David will be hoping to add a few more goals to his name in such an important summer in his young career. Once his time in the Copa America comes to an end, his next official match may well be in the Premier League given the current interest in his services.

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Sergio Raimundo has now achieved his Premier League goal after becoming one of Ange Postecoglou's assistant coaches at Tottenham. Always set to be a key summer for the Spurs boss in regards to his backroom team following Chris Davies' departure from his senior assistant coach position to take on the Birmingham City hotseat, Tuesday evening saw confirmation arrive of two new appointments at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Raimundo's arrival at the club coincides with Nick Montgomery also making the move to north London. The Lisbon-born coach has been Montgomery's trusted assistant at Central Coast Mariners and Hibernian in recent years, duly forming a very close bond and striking an excellent working relationship.

After starting out in Benfica's academy before later working in Senegal, Brazil, Canada and Austria, the 39-year-old, who speaks six different languages, first crossed paths with Montgomery while undertaking a UEFA A licence coaching course in Belfast. Working together in Central Coast Mariners' academy before stepping up to the first team, the duo headed to Hibs last September but their time at Easter Road came to an end in May.

The pair wouldn't be out of work for too long, with Postecoglou bringing them to Tottenham as part of his new-look coaching setup. Raimundo's move to the Premier League has seen him achieve his ambition of working in England's top flight in the process.

"My goal is to be a world-class assistant coach," Raimundo told AAP (via FTBL). "I want to be an assistant in the Premier League and I know Nick will be a manager in the Premier League one day."

So what exactly can Postecoglou and the Tottenham team expect from the Portuguese coach?

"I knew Sergio had been at Benfica, he was an expert in player development and I knew I wanted to be a coach who developed players," Montgomery explained to AAP. "When you do the group sessions you could see how advanced he was as a coach, he'd been coaching for a lot longer than most people.

"With his marine background - my dad was in the army - I could see the discipline and I think that's worked in terms of our personalities."

He added: "It's a pretty special relationship and you need a balance when things are going well or not. We disagree sometimes but I know that by the end of the day he is 100 per cent loyal to me and we stick together no matter what."

Postecoglou and Tottenham will now benefit from that loyalty going forward as Raimundo and Montgomery look to play integral roles in a very successful Spurs backroom team.

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Ange Postecoglou is looking to strengthen his Tottenham Hotspur squad in the summer transfer window. Spurs had an incredible start to the 2023/24 campaign, unbeaten in their first ten games with talk of challenging for the title in Postecoglou's first season.

However, the Lilywhites tailed away somewhat with injuries hitting them hard and eventually finished fifth. The 2024/25 campaign will be an interesting one, with Spurs not having the squad depth of other sides this season.

Postecoglou wants to sign a frontman, with reinforcements in defence and midfield a priority too. A number of players are also likely to leave the club, in what could be a major overhaul at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

When it comes to the forward line, one player who has been linked with a move to Spurs has been Ebere Eze. Palace look set to lose Michael Olise this summer, having agreed a deal with Bayern Munich for the Frenchman.

The Eagles would be reluctant to lose both him and Eze this summer, given their importance to Oliver Glasner's side, particularly in the second half of the season. But they may not have a choice if someone like Tottenham stump up the fee.

Eze is understood to have a release clause in the region of £60million and if Spurs put the money on the table, Palace would not have a choice but to let Eze speak with Postecoglou over a move to north London.

football.london understands that the Australian is a huge admirer of Eze and there is one particular advantage the Lilywhites may have when it comes to signing Eze over any other club - his agent.

football.london reporter Alasdair Gold said: "Eze is definitely one of Spurs' priority targets this summer and Postecoglou is a big admirer. They love him and the fact that he's represented by Base, the agency who represent Postecoglou, Son [Heung-min], [James] Maddison, [Pedro] Porro, [Pape Matar] Sarr and many more staff and players at the club will help matters.

"Ultimately with the talk of a release clause it'll be down to Spurs to put the money down that's required, but you would think any real movement is likely to come once his Euros involvement is over."