TEAMtalk

Two pundits have named the signing who could make all the difference for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham this season amid suggestions that Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all made a mistake not pursuing a deal themselves.

Affable Aussie coach Postecoglou will be hoping this season is one to remember for Spurs, who started like a train under his management last season before injuries and suspensions caught up with them over a difficult autumn and winter and ultimately led to Tottenham claiming a fifth-placed finish.

Hopes will burn bright that Spurs can at least go one better this time around and seal a return to the Champions League. Postecoglou, though, has made clear his ambitions to go even better, refusing to rule his side out of the title race at one stage last season and also making clear his aims at ending the club’s long wait to win a trophy.

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To set them on the right path, Spurs have invested shrewdly this summer, bringing in teenager Archie Gray from Leeds in a £40m deal, Timo Werner back to the club on another season’s loan and having already done a deal for Swedish talent Lucas Bergvall prior to the summer’s window opening.

However, their biggest and most prominent signing came last weekend when they moved to secure the signing of striker Dominic Solanke, who has moved to north London in a club-record deal from Bournemouth worth £65m.

That transfer came about after Spurs moved to trigger the 26-year-old’s exit clause and off the back of a brilliant season with the Cherries, where he scored 19 goals in 38 appearances.

That ensured he was the second highest goalscoring Englishman in the Premier League behind only Cole Palmer.

Solanke can prove difference maker for Tottenham

And with Spurs finally settling on a new striker to replace Harry Kane, many believe Solanke can prove the missing ingredient for Tottenham this season.

To that end, Owen Hargreaves, speaking to Premier League Productions, is surprised Tottenham were able to sign the once-capped England striker unchallenged, suggesting the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd could all have benefited from the 85-goal former Chelsea and Liverpool striker in their ranks.

“I love Solanke. I’m amazed that nobody else came in for him,” Hargreaves said when asked about other top Premier League sides and their needs for a new striker.

“I think he’s the perfect centre-forward player. We mention size, speed, he has skill, he knows the Premier League, I think he will only get better and I think he will score more than he did against Bournemouth.

“If he starts well I think he could even compete for the Golden Boot.”

Former Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov also believes Solanke will score a hatful of goals in north London, and asked if he will be the difference maker for Postecoglou this season.

“We will find out, but he scored 19 goals last season in 38 games. It’s a great thing to do. Hopefully he will bring that form into Spurs to help them score goals because they need to be scoring goals, not leaking goals,” Berbatov said.

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“Hopefully they start on the right foot and keep going upwards. Dominic can help them because he is 26, he’s tall, he’s athletic, he scores goals.

“He can shoot the ball, he scores some really good goals for a striker and he can bring that quality up front that Spurs need.”

Tottenham open their season with a trip to face Leicester City on Monday evening (20.00 BST), with Postecoglou confident his new striker will be fit enough to make his debut at the King Power Stadium.

Brighton have agreed personal terms with a Manchester United target and talks are advancing to complete the deal, while a separate Tottenham transfer could quickly take shape if Brighton get their man.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently confirmed Brighton had struck an agreement on personal terms with Fenerbahce left-back, Ferdi Kadioglu.

Taking to X, Romano stated: “Ferdi Kadioglu’s long term deal at Brighton is ready and agreed in details.

“The player has confirmed to Fenerbahce personal terms are in place with Brighton. He wants to play in [the] Premier League and the two clubs are in talks to agree on transfer fee.”

Various reports in Turkey have since reported Man Utd have entered the race for Kadioglu despite Brighton’s move being advanced.

The Red Devils are seeking to sign a new left-back once they’ve wrapped up a move for a long-term partner for Kobbie Mainoo.

PSG’s Manuel Ugarte remains their No 1 target and the latest on that chase suggests a breakthrough is coming.

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Whether Man Utd hold genuine hopes of hijacking Brighton’s deal with Kadioglu isn’t yet clear. The vast bulk of reporting on United’s interest has come from Turkey and not publications in England.

Kadioglu transfer to spark Tottenham sale

In any case, what is clear is Brighton hope to secure a club-to-club agreement with Fenerbahce in the coming days. The Turkish giant value Kadioglu in the €35m-€40m range.

Assuming Kadioglu does leave Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, a connected Tottenham move could quickly take shape.

Multiple reports in Turkey state Mourinho has installed Spurs left-back Sergio Reguilon as his preferred option to replace Kadioglu

Reguilon is in the final year of his Tottenham contract and is surplus to requirements in north London.

Barcelona have shown interest and have made enquiries into the conditions of a deal. Reguilon’s former club Sevilla are hovering too.

However, Mourinho is reportedly determined to bring Reguilon to Turkey and the promise of being a guaranteed starter in a team that regularly challenges for the Super Lig title could appeal.

Tottenham are reportedly planning a £20m move for an in-demand midfielder who once snubbed the chance to join north London rivals Arsenal.

After a fifth-place finish last time out in the Premier League, Tottenham are making some exciting signings ahead of the new campaign.

Leeds United’s academy jewel Archie Gray joined for a fee that could rise to £40m, Spurs splashed out £65m on Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke, and winger Wilson Odobert swapped Burnley for Ange Postecoglou’s side for a fee in the region of £25m.

Coupled with recruiting midfielders Lucas Bergvall from Djurgarden and Yang Min-Hyeok from Gangwon FC respectively; Spurs seem to be shaping up nicely for 2024/25.

On the flip side, they have seen a number of players leave permanently, such as Emerson Royal, Ivan Perisic, Tanguy Ndombele, Joe Rodon, and Eric Dier, or on loan – such as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Bryan Gil.

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While many of these were on the fringes, some were still options to come off the bench. And if they want to progress up the league table this term, more quality additions may be needed.

On Thursday, manager Postecoglou said on the possibility of more deals: “Look, I think while it’s open there’s always kind of a little bit uncertainty about because there are so many moving parts to it, you know, it’s not just, there’s outgoings and incomings.

“As opposed to last year where there was a lot more moving parts, you’re working within a sort of smaller spectrum of uncertainty, certainly for me, anyway, that I can plan for the season knowing that the bulk of the work’s been done.

“Whatever we get from here on in is not going to disrupt us too much, both incoming and outgoing. So from that perspective, I think I said after the weekend I still expect there will be activity, but I think the uncertainty factor is a lot less than last year.”

Tottenham eye Juventus star

And according to Football Insider, Spurs are plotting to sign Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli this summer, although several other Premier League clubs are understood to be tracking him, too.

The report adds Postecoglou wants another central midfielder before the transfer window shuts on August 30 and the 26-year-old, who can play as an eight or a six, is on the club’s target list.

The Old Lady would reportedly be willing to sell the Italy international for £20m – but the fact that he has four years left on his contract puts the Serie A team in a strong negotiating position.

If Tottenham were to sign Locatelli, who made 40 appearances for Juventus last season, it may be hard to take for some Arsenal fans. That’s because the 6ft 1in player turned down the Gunners for Juventus back in 2021, according to Sassuolo director Giovanni Carnevali.

Locatelli joined the Italian giants for a fee in the region of £30m, initially on a two-year loan with an obligation to buy. But it could have been very different if he decided to go to the Emirates instead.

Carnevali said earlier this year: “The economic side of a transfer is important, but not decisive. For example, Locatelli absolutely wanted to go to Juventus, we satisfied him even though we gave up the financial aspect because there was interest from another club, Arsenal.”

Locatelli’s brother, Mattia, added: “I still remember the negotiation (that took him to Juventus). For him it was very long. There was also Arsenal, but he wanted Juventus. The clubs kept meeting, but without reaching an agreement. Every day I looked at Gazzetta dello Sport to check (what was happening).”

Fast forward to the present and Arsenal’s loss may be Tottenham’s gain.

Roma are preparing for life without star man Paulo Dybala and have identified Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Giovani Lo Celso as a potential replacement, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal.

Dybala’s successful seven-year spell with Juventus came to an end in July 2022 when he left on a free transfer following a contract dispute. The forward subsequently joined Juve’s Serie A rivals Roma in a transfer which received much fanfare.

Dybala has gone on to register 34 goals and 18 assists in 77 games for Roma and establish himself as one of the club’s most important stars.

Indeed, the Argentine notched 16 goals and 10 assists in 39 matches last term, helping Roma reach the Europa League semi-finals, the Coppa Italia quarter-finals and finish sixth in the Italian top flight.

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However, Dybala looks set to leave Roma in the coming days. Saudi club Al-Qadisiyah have agreed to pay €18million (£15.3m) for Dybala and have also finalised a three-year contract with the star worth €45m (£38.3m).

Roma are now scouring the market for playmakers who can succeed from Dybala, and sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk transfer correspondent Fraser Gillan that Tottenham’s Lo Celso is one option they have shortlisted.

Tottenham are very keen to offload the 28-year-old permanently to make room in the squad and also bring in transfer funds, a stance which has alerted Roma to Lo Celso’s availability.

Daniele De Rossi’s side are far from the only ones interested in Lo Celso, however. Lo Celso also has potential suitors in La Liga and Saudi Arabia, while other Serie A clubs are monitoring his situation, too.

Tottenham transfers: Giovani Lo Celso a Roma target

Roma will therefore need to send both Spurs and Lo Celso tempting offers if they are to win this particular transfer race.

Should the Rosario-born ace – who is an Argentine compatriot of Dybala’s – leave for Roma, then he will become the latest unwanted player to depart Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

Spurs have already streamlined their ranks by letting players such as Emerson Royal, Joe Rodon, Tanguy Ndombele, Japhet Tanganga and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg go.

Experienced defender Ben Davies has also been tipped to find a new club, though it was claimed on Wednesday that he would rather stay with Spurs for the final year of his contract.

Tottenham have officially announced the signing of talented Burnley star Wilson Odobert after the 19-year-old completed a medical with the North Londoners on Thursday.

He is set to become Spurs’ fifth signing of the season after Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Dominic Solanke and Min-hyeok Yang in what could prove to be excellent business.

The transfer comes as a major shock Tottenham’s interest in the player was only reported 30 minutes before the announcement, by journalist Sacho Tavolieri.

“We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement for the permanent transfer of Wilson Odobert from Burnley, subject to formalities,” Tottenham posted on their official X page.

Odobert can play as an attacking midfielder or winger and put in some impressive performances in the Premier League last season, despite Burnley suffering relegation.

The teenager scored in the Lancashire side’s Championship opener against Luton Town on Monday night but is now set to complete the surprise move to Tottenham.

Tottenham join race for Piero Hincapie

Odobert will compete with the likes of Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison this season and has the potential to develop into a top quality player.

Tottenham’s business won’t stop there, however, as Postecoglou is reportedly keen to bring in a new centre-back.

Ecuadorian outlet El Comercio claim that Tottenham are set to join the race for Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie.

The 22-year-old played a key role in Leverkusen’s title-winning 2023/24 campaign. He made 43 appearances for the German champions last term, helping his side to 20 clean sheets in the process.

Bayern Munich and Liverpool have also shown an interest in Hincapie, but they will ‘have to fight’ to beat Spurs to his signature.

Hincapie’s deal with Leverkusen is valid until 2027. The report states Xabi Alonso has held talks with the player and ‘asked him to stay.’

It’s suggested that Hincapie is valued at around £65m and whether Spurs are willing to cough up that much still remains to be seen.

Postecoglou already has quality options such as Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin at centre-back.

However, reports have suggested that Romero could leave the North Londoners after this season, so Hincapie could be brought in as a long-term replacement for him.

It will be interesting to see how this story progresses in the coming days and also, whether Odobert is in Tottenham’s squad for their game against Leicester on Monday.

Tottenham Hotspur have been urged by one of their former players to keep Cristian Romero at all costs, even if a club such as Real Madrid comes in with a major bid for the star.

Romero spent time at Belgrano, Genoa, Juventus and Atalanta before arriving at Tottenham in August 2021. The centre-back joined Tottenham on a season-long loan which then became permanent for £42million a year later.

Overall, Romero has 98 appearances for Tottenham and chipped in with six goals and one assist.

The Argentina international can be rash at times and has a tendency to pick up red cards, though Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou seems to know how to get the best out of him.

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When fit, Romero and Micky van de Ven are Postecoglou’s first-choice pairing in central defence. They are one of the most formidable defensive partnerships in the Premier League, too.

Unfortunately for Spurs, both players have been earmarked as possible Real Madrid players in the future, due to their massive talent.

Indeed, earlier this month it was claimed that Madrid have drawn up an opening €50m (£42.6m) offer for Romero. Separate reports have claimed Spurs want a whopping £150m before agreeing to sell.

Ex-Spurs player Alan Hutton, who played 66 times for the club between January 2008 and August 2011, has now given his verdict on Romero’s situation.

Tottenham latest: Club must keep Cristian Romero

The former right-back has called it an ‘absolute nightmare’ if Spurs were to sell the 26-year-old, while also claiming he is worth £70m or more.

“I think the fee would be huge”, Hutton said in an interview with Football Insider.

“If you think about what Crystal Palace want for Marc Guehi, around £70m, I know he’s young and he’s had a brilliant Euros, I really like him as a player…

“I know Romero can be rash at times, that is what it is, but I think for what he does, his recovery tackles, he just suits Tottenham.

“I think they’d be talking about that same mark (£70m) and if they don’t hit that I don’t think they’ll want to sell.

“He’s such an important player for Tottenham next to Van De Ven, I think they complement each other.

“To lose Romero at this stage of the transfer window going into the first game of the season would be an absolute nightmare for the manager.”

Romero is expected to start when Spurs get their campaign up and running with a trip to Leicester City on Monday night.

Summer signings Dominic Solanke and Archie Gray could both feature, though it remains to be seen how much trust Postecoglou will put in fellow new arrival Lucas Bergvall.

Tottenham could sign another striker after Dominic Solanke, with a potential move for Lille star Jonathan David on the cards, according to reports.

Spurs will hope to break back into the top four this season and having a prolific centre-forward like Solanke could make all the difference for the London side.

The former Liverpool man bagged an impressive 19 goals for Bournemouth in the Premier League last season and he could be the Harry Kane replacement supporters have been crying out for.

But reports suggest that Ange Postecoglou is keen to bring in more competition for Solanke before the transfer window slams shut.

Tottenham have been heavily linked with David for several months and he is ready to leave Lille to pursue a new challenge elsewhere.

The Canadian international has less than a year remaining on his contract and isn’t expected to sign an extension, meaning Lille could cash in on him in the next couple of weeks.

A number of clubs are interested in the forward but Spurs’ long-standing interest in him gives them an advantage in the race.

Tottenham keen on exit-linked Ligue 1 forward

According to Ouste-France, Tottenham are one of the clubs in the race to sign David this summer.

The North Londoners are said to be ‘very interested’ in signing the 24-year-old, but they are ‘running out of time’ and will have to ‘work harder’ to get a deal done.

Lille president Olivier Letang refused to rule out that David could leave in the coming weeks in a recent interview, but there is a chance he could stay too.

“I’m not going to make promises today that I can’t keep, but it’s true that the further we go, the more likely it is that we’ll keep him with us,” he told RMC Sport.

“I said last week that he could leave if, and only if, we were able to replace him.

“The closer we get to the end of the window, the more complicated it is to find a top-quality striker like Jonathan.

“We have the capacity to keep him, because we’re not under pressure from a financial point of view. We’re very happy to have him. He’s very happy to be with us, very happy to be at the club, very happy with what he’s experiencing. I’d say anything is possible.”

David notched 26 goals and nine assists in 47 appearances last season and could prove to be a valuable addition for Tottenham.

It will be interesting to see if Spurs do launch a concrete offer for David in the coming weeks. Reports suggest he is valued at around £25m.

Ian Wright believes Arsenal have missed a trick by not moving to beat Tottenham to the signing of Dominic Solanke after explaining why he believes the former Bournemouth striker could end up proving one of the best signings of the entire summer transfer window.

Spurs have made giant strides under Ange Postecoglou since the affable Aussie took charge in N17, having steered Tottenham to a fifth-placed finish during his first season at the helm. That was arguably better than many supporters may have expected following the high-profile departure of talismanic striker and their all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane, who joined Bayern Munich in a deal ultimately worth a club-record £100m.

However, Spurs defied that loss by moving Son Heung-min to a more central role, though it soon became apparent that the South Korean’s best position remains on the left-side of the attack.

And while the divisive Richarlison also contributed a little more than he had the previous season, it was always felt his was a position that Tottenham would look to upgrade on this summer, with the Brazilian striker only managing 15 goals in 66 appearances for the club.

Having been linked with a number of options, including the likes of Jonathan David, Santiago Gimenez and Ivan Toney, Postecoglou ultimately settled on Solanke, triggering the £65m clause in his deal to bring the former Chelsea and Liverpool striker to north London.

That said, there are still reports suggesting Postecoglou could look to bring in another front man and create a dazzling new-look front four.

Ian Wright on why Arsenal should have signed Tottenham new boy Solanke

Solanke will be under pressure to hit the ground running, but having scored 21 times in 42 appearances last season, Cole Palmer of Chelsea was the only Englishman to outscore him last season in the top flight of English football, and there will be confidence within both the Tottenham ranks and from the player himself that the move will prove a success.

Former Arsenal hero Wright is also backing Solanke to prove a big hit and feels Arsenal – themselves in the market for a new striker this summer after putting Eddie Nketiah up for sale – have missed a trick by not trying to hijack the once-capped England striker’s move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Solanke has signed a deal with Spurs to 2030 and, in reviewing Arsenal’s summer transfer window, popular pundit Wright told The Overlap:

“I’m really happy with how pre-season has gone and getting in [Riccardo] Calafiori,” Wright began.

“I know there’s something else in the works for Arsenal, they’re going to try and do something and they have to. They need to get 90 plus points.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville then asked Wright if he was shocked by Arsenal’s failure to try and snap up Solanke for themselves.

He added: “You know, I wouldn’t have been too… that wouldn’t have bothered me if they went for Solanke.

“With [Gabriel] Jesus and [Gabriel] Martinelli, they lost their place last season but we can probably get the goals from them if they get back to where we know they can be.

“They’re better than they showed last season.”

Arsenal to give £65m man central role?

Wright, though, is backing Solanke to thrive at Tottenham and feels he may prove one of the ‘signings of the season’.

“Dominic Solanke could be the signing of the season at £65m,” Wright predicted. “I like that move and I like the way he plays. I think, if he doesn’t get injured, then he will score lots of goals for them.”

Solanke, who made his one England appearance in 2017, is Tottenham’s fourth summer signing following Yang Min-hyuk, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray.

“‘It’s a magnificent club, a huge club with ambitions that match mine, so I’m delighted to start and meet all the boys and get started,” he said.

“What excites me most about the club is how ambitious it is. A great manager, great players and I feel like [Spurs] will definitely suit my style of play as well so I can’t wait to get started and do my stuff on the pitch.”

Doubts, meanwhile, have been cast over whether Arsenal will sign a striker for themselves, with one observer claiming the form of Kai Havertz – a £65m signing from Chelsea last summer – could convince Mikel Arteta to hand in a more central role this season.

“I’m pretty sure you will see a couple more signings before the end of the window, but Arsenal changed their mind,” journalist Steve Kay said on KS1 TV.

“They had a plan around about January for the summer, the way they wanted to go and the targets they wanted, but all of that changed because of the form of Kai Havertz, what he was doing, the way he was scoring goals and he was doing thinks Mikel Arteta didn’t expect him to do.”

Havertz did indeed enjoy a fine debut season at Emirates Stadium, scoring 14 goals and adding seven assists from 51 appearances in all competitions.

Tottenham are reported to have made contact with the agent of Monaco defender Vanderson, while they could help clear the path for the Brazilian’s signature by allowing another unwanted defender to leave and reunite with former boss Jose Mourinho.

Money remains available for Ange Postecoglou to add more quality and depth to his Tottenham squad over the remainder of the window despite having already spent over £100m on the likes of Archie Gray and Dominic Solanke. And while the forward line remains an area of focus – we understand that Eberechi Eze is still a player Postecoglou would love to get hold of – the Aussie is also open to further additions in defence.

Indeed, having allowed the likes of Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga, Joe Rodon, Ryan Sessegnon and Emerson Royal to depart this summer, Spurs are somewhat light on options to play in the backline and would look slightly vulnerable were another injury and suspension crisis to engulf them in the same way as happened last season.

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As a result, Postecoglou is open to adding more options to his defence if the right players become available.

To that end, reports in Brazil claim Spurs have made contact with the agents of Monaco full-back Vanderson, who is widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in Ligue 1.

Postecoglou has Pedro Porro as his first-choice option there this season, while Gray can also provide cover there, having excelled in the role for Leeds United last season.

However, with Royal this week finalising a £12.8m move to AC Milan, Spurs do have space in their squad to add another quality option.

Tottenham transfers: One in, one out as Mourinho targets reunion

And it seems as though Spurs are now ready to follow up on their long-standing interest in Vanderson, having scouted the £49,000 a week star for the best part of a year.

According to the claims, Monaco are seeking a fee of around €40m (£34.3m) for the 23-year-old, who appeared 20 times in Ligue 1 last season, scoring three times and adding one assist.

The player is said to be aware of Tottenham’s interest and with talks reportedly opening with his camp over a possible deal, the player is waiting to see if a fee can be struck between the two clubs before deciding on whether the move is in his best interests and knowing he would not be a guaranteed starter in north London.

Manchester United also had a long-standing interest in signing the Brazilian, though that has now been shelved following their capture on Tuesday of Morocco international Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich.

However, the next piece of business Tottenham strike could actually be another departure and reports in Spain claim former manager Mourinho is looking to raid N17 for Sergio Reguilon.

The Spanish full-back was brought to north London by Mourinho in a £25m deal from Real Madrid in September 2020.

But despite a promising start, Reguilon never quite lived up to the hype for Tottenham and has been allowed to make several loan moves away – the most high-profile being a move to Manchester United last summer.

Now with Reguilon slipping even further out the picture, Postecoglou has made it clear he is open to the player’s exit and that all offers for his services will be considered.

To that end, AS now reports that Mouirnho wants to reunite with Reguilon for Fenerbahce and is preparing an offer to reunite with the six-times capped Spain international.

With just a year left on his deal, this summer represents their final chance to sell the player, though it is unlikely they will get even close to half their initial investment.

Liverpool are in a strong position to sign an exciting new forward after an offer from another club was pushed back, Tottenham Hotspur are pursuing a 23-year-old Brazilian star, while Wednesday’s Euro Paper Talk includes an update on Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.

LIVERPOOL GET WINGER BOOST

Liverpool are the best-placed club to sign attacker Johan Bakayoko from PSV this summer, according to reports.

Bakayoko is a 21-year-old winger who plays on the right flank and has come through the PSV academy, following spells at Anderlecht and Club Brugge.

Bakayoko has established himself as one of the most exciting wide players in Europe as he possesses blistering pace and excels at dribbling past players before either shooting or getting a cross into the box.

Bakayoko is left-footed and uses this to his advantage by cutting inside to get away from the left-back and charge towards opposition centre-backs. Last term, the Belgian ace registered 14 goals and 14 assists for PSV before representing his country at Euro 2024.

Bakayoko has already notched a goal and assist in two appearances for PSV this season, though he might not be in the Eredivisie by the time the summer transfer window closes.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with the tricky forward, while Nottingham Forest are big admirers of his talent.

According to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Forest recently stepped up their hunt for Bakayoko by launching an opening bid.

However, the offer was knocked back as it did not meet PSV’s demands, which have yet to be publicly revealed.

Liverpool transfer news: Bakayoko pursues title challenge

Even if Forest had struck an agreement for Bakayoko’s services, the 14-cap international would have refused to make the switch.

Tavolieri adds that if he is to leave the Dutch giants, Bakayoko wants to join a truly elite club where he can help challenge for the title.

Forest would not be able to offer Bakayoko this, but Liverpool can. Liverpool may have lost iconic manager Jurgen Klopp, but his replacement Arne Slot still has a fantastic squad which should be able to keep up with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal.

The Echo report that Liverpool are preparing to ramp up their interest in Bakayoko – having tracked him for almost a year – by initiating contact with PSV.

Liverpool chiefs feel they are in a strong position to land Bakayoko due to their huge pull power and the fact Forest have failed with their opening gambit.

Should Liverpool succeed with their bid to sign Bakayoko, then this will prepare them for when current right winger Mo Salah departs.

Salah remains a top target for Saudi Pro League chiefs as he still has not penned a new Liverpool deal, with his current contract due to expire in June 2025.

MAN UTD STAR WANTED IN ITALY

Napoli officials will soon travel to England to hold talks with Man Utd over a surprise move for Scott McTominay. (Corriere dello Sport)

Napoli could make it an impressive double midfield capture as they are also making progress on a deal for Brighton’s Billy Gilmour. (Sky Sport Italia)

Man Utd are hoping to sign both Frenkie de Jong and Raphinha from Barcelona and want to fund the moves by selling Antony and Jadon Sancho. (Sport)

Alphonso Davies will try to ‘do a Kylian Mbappe’ and run down his Bayern Munich contract before joining Real Madrid on a free transfer next summer. (Marca)

Arsenal have been given a deadline of Thursday to agree a deal for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia at the €25m (£21.4m) mark, as after that his release clause will rise to €30m (£25.7m). (Mundo Deportivo)

TOTTENHAM EYE LIGUE 1 ACE

Tottenham are in discussions with Monaco for Brazilian right-back Vanderson. Sources close to the player suggest a ‘breakthrough’ in talks between the two sides is imminent. (UOL)

Bayern ace Kingsley Coman is aiming to join Paris Saint-Germain this summer, despite Arsenal expressing an interest in him. (Sky Germany)

Chelsea have never lost sight of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, even though they were close to landing alternative centre-forward Samu Omorodion from Atletico Madrid. (Fabrizio Romano)

Liverpool will make one last attempt to try and convince Martin Zubimendi to leave Real Sociedad. But the last-ditch talks look set to fail as Zubimendi is poised to sign a new Sociedad contract. (El Diario Vasco)

Inter Milan have registered their interest in rising Barcelona star Mikayil Faye, who could bolster the Italian club’s centre-back options. (Sport)

RIVALS TO BATTLE FOR TOTTENHAM PLAYER

Tottenham left-back Sergio Reguilon is eager to find a new club this summer and has picked up interest from Turkish rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahce. (AS)

Roma are waiting for West Ham United to bid for ex-Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

Juventus have agreed to sign Teun Koopmeiners from Serie A rivals Atalanta for €55m (£47.2m). However, Juve must wait for Atalanta to find a replacement before the deal can go through. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

Sancho has been given the chance to earn almost £300k a week by swapping Man Utd for PSG during the current transfer window. (Foot Mercato)

Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka will be staying put this summer, despite having been linked with a Premier League switch and Man Utd in particular. (MiaSanMia)