TEAMtalk

The future of Conor Gallagher at Chelsea has been in question for several months as negotiations over a new contract for the midfielder drag on.

As we have consistently reported, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou views him as a top target and discussions have already been held over a potential transfer.

Gallagher’s deal at Stamford Bridge is set to expire in 2025 and while he wants to sign an extension, he is yet to reach an agreement on salary terms with the Blues.

The England international has been informed that if he does not reduce his demands he will have to be sold this summer, which is why Tottenham have been confident of a deal for some time.

However, according to the Evening Standard, they now ‘fear’ missing out as Gallagher views the European Championships as his opportunity to impress Spurs’ decision-makers.

Enzo Maresca views him as a key player – as did previous Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino – but the decision on his future will ultimately be down to the board.

Tottenham, meanwhile, have their eye on other midfielders in case they’re unable to secure a deal for Gallagher, who currently has a £50m price tag on his head.

Atletico Madrid keen on Conor Gallagher

Amid the uncertainty surrounding Gallagher football.London claim that Atletico Madrid have now informed Chelsea of their interest in the midfielder.

Their report claims the 24-year-old was a topic of conversation between the two clubs as they discussed the future of young striker Samu Omorodion, who remains a target for the Blues.

Atletico have ‘made their interest in Gallagher clear’ and perhaps a part-exchange deal involving Omorodion could be on the cards.

Diego Simeone is planning to axe several players this summer in a major squad rebuild at the Metropolitano and reportedly wants Gallagher to be brought in.

He was one of Chelsea’s standout performers in a disappointing 2023/24, scoring seven goals and making nine assists in 50 appearances in all competitions.

Other players such as Ian Maatsen, Armando Broja and Omari Hutchison could be sold by Chelsea this summer as they look to generate some cash from player sales.

Offloading academy graduates like Gallagher represents pure profit on the account books and is therefore beneficial in terms of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

It will be interesting to see how the midfielder performs at the Euros and whether he can convince Chelsea to offer him a new big-money contract.

Tottenham are reportedly keeping a watch on Albania midfielder and Inter Milan star Kristjan Asllani at Euro 2024 – with a swap deal for a recent recruit potentially accelerating a possible transfer.

The midfielder began his career at Empoli in Serie B in 2020/21, before enjoying a breakout season the following campaign in Serie A.

That brought the Albania international, who featured in both his country’s opening Euro 2024 matches – to the attention of Inter, who paid just over £10m two years ago to bring him to the San Siro.

While he has racked up 60 appearances for the Nerazzurri, just 16 of those have been in the starting XI – with the 22-year-old regularly coming off the bench for cameo displays.

Last summer, Asllani was linked with a loan move to Sassuolo and Fiorentina but he chose to stay and fight for his place in the team – something that, ultimately has not borne much fruit.

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Last September, he said: “Of course, a loan move away was a possibility. But after speaking with the club I decided to stay at Inter. That was always my big dream.”

With Turkey international Hakan Calhanoglu continuing to keep him out of the starting line-up, Asllani, whose contract runs until 2027, has once again been linked with an Inter exit.

Tottenham linked with Inter youngster

According to InterLive.it, Spurs have identified the young midfielder, who has also been linked with Aston Villa, but he will cost between £30m-£33m to lure him away from the Serie A champions.

The report adds that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy could offer 2024 recruit and Romania international defender Radu Dragusin in exchange for Asllani, who was reportedly previously wanted by former Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi in the summer of 2023.

However, it is unlikely the 22-year-old would leave Spurs just six months or so after arriving from Genoa for £21.5m.

Plus, manager Ange Postecoglou appears to see him as part of his long-term plans – despite him playing second fiddle to first-choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Moreover, Dragusin’s agent, Florin Manea, insists his player made the right choice in joining Spurs.

He told Romanian outlet TV Play: “With Drăgușin we always made the right choices. His childhood dream was to play in the Premier League, last summer Bayern offered him twice as much but he chose Tottenham. He thinks about his career, he is a very intelligent footballer.”

Tottenham may be on the look out for a new midfielder, especially after they terminated the contract of £53.8m flop Tanguy Ndombele; while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could also leave the north London club due to a lack of game time.

Overall, there may be too many moving pieces for this deal to happen but stranger things have happened in the transfer window.

Following news Tottenham have cut one of their most expensive signings of all time loose, reports claim three clubs in the same country – two of which are in Europe next season – are vying for the player’s signature.

A sweeping squad clear-out is on the agenda at Tottenham this summer, with the club primed to move more players on than they bring through the door.

Sticking solely to first-team players, Spurs announced earlier this month that four high profile stars would leave when their contracts expired on June 30.

Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga, Ivan Perisic and Ryan Sessegnon were the quartet in question. Dier and Perisic spent the last six months loaned to Bayern Munich and Hajduk Split respectively and both will join those clubs outright at the end of the month.

However, news of a fifth free agent exit broke last week when Tottenham announced they’ve terminated the contract of Tanguy Ndombele by mutual consent. That decision will come into effect on June 30.

Ndombele became Tottenham’s record buy when arriving from Lyon in a deal worth £55.45m in 2019. Richarlison’s £50m plus £10m in add-ons arrival from Everton could see the Brazilian take the mantle if the add-ons are paid.

Ndombele failed to get out of second gear in north London and varying managers could not harness the attacking midfielder’s potential.

Several loans exits to mainland Europe laid in wait, though despite inserting options to buy into their agreements, none of Lyon, Napoli or Galatasaray chose to sign the player outright.

The maverick Frenchman was therefore due to return to Spurs this summer, though the club elected to terminate his deal despite the contract having one year left to run.

Three powerful French clubs circling for Tanguy Ndombele

You might expect the list of suitors for Ndombele to be sparsely populated, especially considering his well-documented fitness issues in Turkey.

Indeed, the 27-year-old was infamously involved in a bust-up with Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk after ordering a late-night burger to the team hotel.

But according to French journalist Fabrice Hawkins, a trio of Ligue 1 clubs are ready to swoop.

Taking to X, Hawkins revealed: “Nice and Lille are interested in Tanguy Ndombele who will be free at the end of the month.

“In Marseille, [they] are also thinking about recruiting the [player]. Marseille leaders could take action in the event of the departure of [Jordan] Veretout or [Geoffrey] Kondogbia.”

In the event all three clubs were to put offers to Ndombele, Lille may well be the player’s preferred destination.

Nice also have European football on offer, though it’s the Europa League. Marseille finished eighth in France’s top flight last term and as such, are not in Europe next season.

Leicester City are closing on the appointment of Steve Cooper after it was explained why they have decided to opt for the Welshman over Graham Potter, while his first signing for the Foxes will reportedly be a £12m Tottenham man also wanted by Leeds.

The Foxes are seeking a new manager after promotion-winning boss Enzo Maresca hot-footed it out of the King Power Stadium after just one season, having been lured to London to manage Chelsea as a successor for Mauricio Pochettino. And having been linked with a number of potential candidates, Leicester shortlisted their wishlist down to just three names earlier this month.

Indeed, while Carlos Corberan and Graham Potter were both considered, the West Brom boss was overlooked owing to the compensation payment it would have required to get him out of The Hawthorns.

And with money tight at Leicester – the club are facing up to the sale of some top stars to keep themselves in light with Profit and Sustainability Rules – the club deemed it more shrewd to focus on candidates currently out of work.

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Having held extensive talks with Potter over the last few days, the former Chelsea and Brighton manager had appeared destined to take the job, with the 49-year-old having decided to take the plunge with the Foxes and despite what appears an extremely difficult looking job.

However, TEAMtalk has been told that the Foxes hierarchy have now altered their stance and have instead opted to go for former Nottingham Forest boss, Cooper.

The Welshman has been out of work since December when he departed the City Ground. However, the 44-year-old’s stock remains high, having guided the Tricky Trees into the Premier League from the lower reaches of the Championship, and then ensuring their safety in their first year back, during what proved a hugely-successful 27-month stint at the helm.

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TEAMtalk understands the east Midlands side now hope to finalise his appointment by Friday and want Cooper installed in time to have a say in their summer transfer plans, as well as being in place for by the time the players return for pre-season training.

Cooper will be tasked with one simple job upon taking charge at the King Power: keeping Leicester in the Premier League.

That, however, will be no easy task given the financial ties that bound them, together with the FFP rules they are currently trying to obide by and amid claims they could yet face a points deduction for a breach of those rules.

Indeed, we can reveal Cooper has been chosen for his proven record in a Premier League dogfight, having steered Forest to safety in their first year back among the elite since 1999. Potter’s initial hesitancy at taking the job did also not help his cause.

And while Cooper departed the City Ground with just a 38.89% win record, his efforts in making their home ground something of a fortress, together with the unity he built up at the club, made him the ideal candidate.

To that end, it has been decided that Cooper is the man best suited to lead Leicester in what many at the club anticipate to be a hugely-difficult season and one in which they will start as one of the favourites for relegation.

Cooper wants Tottenham man as first Foxes signing

According to reports, Cooper and the Leicester board – driven by sporting director Martyn Glover – have already identified Tottenham defender Joe Rodon as their first summer signing.

The Wales defender enjoyed a brilliant season on loan with Leeds in the season just gone, proving a rock at the heart of their defence in his 50 appearances under Daniel Farke.

Despite Rodon’s best efforts, he could not help Leeds secure promotion back to the Premier League, with the Whites finishing third on 90 points – the highest-total not to secure automatic promotion since Sunderland in 1997/98.

Leeds also suffered play-off final heartache with Southampton edging them out 1-0 at Wembley, consigning the West Yorkshire side to another year of Championship football.

Nonetheless, they do still hope to make Rodon’s signing permanent this summer, with TEAMtalk aware the player himself remains open to a potential stay.

However, Leeds’ presence in the second tier means they will likely miss out on Rodon, with Ipswich and Southampton among those to have been linked.

Now the Foxes are also ready to make their move, with Spurs unlikely to stand in his way if a £10m – £12m deal is agreed.

Tottenham expert Alasdair Gold has confirmed Rodon will now likely pick between the three Premier League new-boys.

“All three promoted clubs are interested in him: Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton. Leicester, as we said earlier, don’t have a manager at this moment in time, however, their recruitment team really like him, and if it was [Graham] Potter to come in, Potter worked with him at Swansea before, so I would imagine he would be pretty happy with that as a potential purchase as well,” he on Gold and Guest Tottenham podcast.

And while Leicester have now decided to go with Cooper instead, the newly-installed manager is understood to be keen to secure the signing of his countryman in what could prove his first piece of business at the King Power.

Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is willing to leave the North London outfit but only wants to sign for a club with big trophy ambitions.

Hojbjerg’s agent has made it clear that his client is willing to talk to clubs over a move away from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but will require the interested party to have a realistic shot at winning important trophies.

Seemingly ruling out a move to Saudi Arabia or the MLS, Hojbjerg’s representative has hinted that the Dane will be staying in one of Europe’s top leagues.

Hojbjerg has attracted interest from Atletico Madrid and clubs in the Serie A as well.

The Dane has also been the subject of a reputed bid from Turkish side Fenerbahce but their offer is well below what Tottenham are looking to get for the experienced international.

Fabrizio Romano revealed on X, that Hojbjerg’s agent, Luca Puccinelli said: “A player like him will surely be part of a club with great ambition or project because he is not just a strong player, but with a character made to fight for important things every year.

Jose Mourinho, the coach who brought Hojbjerg in to Tottenham in the first place, taking over as the head coach of Fenerbahce has sparked a number of outlets to suggest that the Turkish club have made him their top target.

Reports coming out of Turkey suggest that the former Tottenham boss wants the Dane to be his first signing at Fenerbahce and that contacts have already been made regarding a deal for the player.

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Tottenham willing to sell Hojbjerg this summer

Tottenham are believed to have set the asking price for Hojbjerg at £12.6m but the Turkish club came in with an offer rumoured to be less than half of that figure.

Hojbjerg joined Spurs in 2020 from Southampton with the Saints shrewdly adding a performance clause to the deal that would see Tottenham pay them bonus fees whenever they achieve Champions League qualification.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is thought to have given the go-ahead for Hojbjerg to leave Tottenham this summer following a season where he made 28 starts in the Premier league and 36 appearances in league football in total.

Postecoglou wants to re-energize his midfield and team in general and doesn’t believe there is a place for Hojbjerg in those plans.

Real Madrid are still very much in the mix to sign Cristian Romero this summer but transfer insider Fabrizio Romano appears to have completely destroyed their hopes of a deal.

Reports from Spain recently emerged stating Real’s firm interest in the Argentina World Cup winner and it’s stated that one factor this summer will be key to them following up their interest with a concrete offer for Romero.

Carlo Ancelotti is known to want a world-class centre-back on board this summer, with Nacho Fernandez tipped to move on and injury issues to David Alaba and Eder Militao this past season.

Highly-rated Lille teenager Leny Yoro was known to be on their radar, but interest from Liverpool, Manchester United and PSG appears to have ended their interest.

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With Yoro seemingly out of the picture, Romero is now at the top of Real’s list of defensive targets after the Spanish giants were impressed with his performances in the Premier League last season.

But, just to make sure, Real will be watching the 26-year-old very closely during the Copa America to conform their thoughts about his ability to lead the back line at the Bernabeu.

Romano puts Real in their place over Romero

Tottenham stalwart Romero will not come, however, and Romano appears to have dashed Real’s hopes completely with his latest comments on the proposed transfer.

He said on Playback: “Cuti Romero to Real Madrid – guys, many clubs appreciate Cuti Romero, but Cuti Romero is Tottenham. Tottenham have no intention at all to let Cuti Romero leave.

“Cuti Romero is a key player for Tottenham. If we want to talk about interest in Cuti Romero, we could spend three days. But I can guarantee to you that Cuti Romero is absolutely a crucial player for Tottenham and Tottenham have no intention to entertain any discussion.”

Romero currently remains under contract in north London until 2027 and, judging by Romano’s comments, looks highly unlikely to be joining Kylian Mbappe in Madrid this summer.

Tottenham, meanwhile, continue to be linked with bringing in another centre-back as Ange Postecoglou looks to bolster a position that was hit hard by injuries and suspensions last season.

Bologna star Riccardo Calafiori remains the favourite to sign and join the impressive trio of Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin in north London.

And while Tottenham fans have not had many opportunities to look at Dragusin since his January switch from Genoa, they would surely have been impressed by his brilliant performance in Romania’s outstanding win over Ukraine in their Euro 2024 opener.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has given the club the go-ahead to push through a move for Eberechi Eze, with talks on the move scheduled for this week and how much they can expect to pay Crystal Palace also coming to light.

The north London side made rapid progress in the first season under the popular Aussie’s control and a change in style and formation helped Tottenham to a fifth-placed finish and a major improvement on their struggles the season prior when they had finished down in eighth. Postecoglou also made himself something of a media darling too – and a hugely-popular figure among Spurs fans – with his no-nonsense demeanour and straight-talking approach.

However, the 58-year-old knows that lip service will only get you so far and that football is very much a results business. To that end, Postecoglou – who had previously refused to rule out Tottenham from any Premier League title race conversations after a breathtaking start to his reign – will have been hugely disappointed the club could not go on to claim a top-four finish and bring Champions League football back to N17.

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As it went, a spate of injuries and suspensions over the winter effectively killed off Tottenham’s chances and the club are well aware they need to add more quality across the park if they are to go at least one better next time around.

With that in mind, TEAMtalk understands that Postecoglou is hoping to make up to four signings this summer to enhance their prospects, with a left-sided centre-half, another midfielder who can operate either as No 8 or a No 10, as well as a prolific striker among those on his wishlist.

Tottenham transfers: Meeting to be held over Eze deal

Spurs have already dipped their toes into the transfer market this summer by agreeing to extend Timo Werner’s loan from RB Leipzig for another season.

They are also making progress on the new striker front too, though an opening offer for Brentford’s Ivan Toney has seemingly fallen short. An improved offer, though, could get the deal over the line, while Tuesday’s Euro Paper Talk also suggests a second striker signing from Italy is also on Spurs’ radar.

However, the next transfer over the line for Tottenham may well prove the biggest in their entire history with the north London side racing towards a deal to bring in Eze from London rivals Crystal Palace.

The 25-year-old playmaker enjoyed a stellar end to the season, scoring eight goals and laying on three assists to earn a place in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad for Euro 2024.

And while he did not see any action in England’s opening win over Serbia, his chances will surely come as the Three Lions look to navigate their way through three testing group games in a nine-day period.

Prising Eze away from Palace, though, will come at quite the price with the Eagles star having a costly exit clause fixed into his deal at Selhurst Park.

However, it’s understood that Postecoglou has now given Spurs the green light to trigger that deal, which will total £68m – a new club-record for Tottenham and comfortably breaking the existing high of £54m paid to Lyon for Tanguy Ndombele.

That move will see Palace pocket a guaranteed £60m, with a further £8m made up in bonuses, believed to be related to his next side’s appearances in the Champions League.

Could Eze replace James Maddison at Tottenham?

Per Football Transfers, an initial meeting over the prospective switch is due to take place later this week with his agency CAA Stellar due to sit down for talks with officials from Spurs.

There, the two parties will thrash out personal terms and the length of deal that Spurs will offer to bring in the player from their London rivals.

Indeed, Palace are battling to keep up to four of their star names this summer with our transfer correspondent Fraser Gillan revealing how clauses in the deals for Eze and Olise, together with growing interest in Adam Wharton and Marc Guehi, leave the Eagles facing an uncomfortable summer.

As for Spurs, the capture of Eze would undoubtedly strengthen their squad, though there remains some doubts over what role the 25-year-old will be asked to fill.

Ironically, the man he effectively replaced in the England squad, James Maddison, could also find his position at Spurs also under threat by the arrival of Eze at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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To that end, former Spurs scout Bryan King reckons the signing of Eze may well spell bad news for the four-goal Tottenham man.

“Eze would be an exciting signing, he is a very good player,” King told Tottenham News.

“But he reminds me a lot of Maddison. Does this therefore suggest that Maddison’s time with Tottenham could be up?”

“Maddison started off very brightly but then he disappointed himself and the club in the second half of the season.

“His attitude went downhill and he seemed to get involved in things on and off the field which were unnecessary.”

Over the season, Maddison had 13-goal involvements (nine goals, four assists) from 30 appearances – one every 2.3 games.

Eze, by contrast, finished with 17-goal involvements (11 goals, six assists) from 31 appearances – one every 1.8 matches.

Manchester United have identified a new striker and defender signing in a combined €100m double deal, a Liverpool star has ‘everything in place’ to join Barcelona, while Tottenham are looking at deals to sign two strikers.

MAN UTD TARGET LIGUE 1 STRIKER WITH €60M DEFENDER TO FOLLOW

Manchester United have drawn up a shortlist of four targets this summer to strengthen two positions, with the Red Devils set to make a firm approach for a new striker and a new defender before the end of this month, as per the latest reports.

United need an injection of quality in their squad this summer with Sir Jim Ratcliffe desperate to revive their fortunes after an indifferent 2023/24 campaign that saw the club finish in the all-time low of eighth in the Premier League, but then finish the season on a high with victory in the FA Cup.

That win at Wembley helped Manchester United secure an important place in the Europa League and while nowhere near as financially rewarding as the Champions League, will still help significantly with the club’s revenue both on matchdays and through UEFA payments.

As a result, Ratcliffe plans to make up to four new signings this summer to strengthen his squad with a centre-half, a midfielder and a new striker all on his wishlist.

However, the British billionaire has made clear his plans not to sign proven world beaters already, but instead sign young, upcoming talent who can go on to reach that level at Old Trafford.

As far as a new striker is concerned, reports in France claim United are set to decide between two targets in the coming days: Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee or Jonathan David of Lille.

Their interest in Zirkzee has been well documented, though that prospective €40m transfer is complicated by his agent Kia Joorabchian’s demands for a €12m payment on top of any fee.

David could join Man Utd for bargain fee

As a result, United could be persuaded more towards David, with the Canada striker likely to leave Lille this summer with his current deal due to expire in 2025.

To that end it’s claimed United believe an offer of €40m (£33.8m) could be enough to land the 24-year-old, who has an impressive 121 career goals from 266 appearances.

They intend to watch David in their opening Copa America match against Argentina this week and if David impresses, an immediate offer could be launched.

David finished the season just gone with an impressive 35 goal involvements (26 goals and nine assists) from 47 appearances. A player who likes to drop deep to help build the attacks, David also finished the season with an 83% pass accuracy and can shoot with either foot.

A player not afraid to take players on, either, he looks the ideal upgrade for the now departed Anthony Martial and a perfect player to provide cover and competition for Rasmus Hojlund.

Better yet, at the sort of fees being quoted, he would fit in perfectly with Ratcliffe’s wishes to avoid spending big on the Mbappes of this world.

At 24, he’s a player who should also only get better.

Man Utd to go for Inacio if Branthwaite bid fails

Ratcliffe has also seemingly decided who to pursue in his hunt to sign a new centre-half this summer.

Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite is the top target, though as TEAMtalk exclusively revealed first, their offer of a paltry £35m (plus £8m in add-ons) has been swiftly rejected by the Toffees.

Ratcliffe does plan an increased offer for Branthwaite worth closer to the £60m mark, but will walk away if the Merseyside side decide to reject what is already deemed to be their final offer.

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Given Everton value the England cap at a minimum £70m, it seems their approach looks destined to fail.

However, Ratcliffe does have a Plan B and reports in Portugal state the Red Devils plan to trigger the €60m (£50.7m) clause in Goncalo Inacio’s contract if their offer for Branthwaite falls short.

Inacio has established himself as one of European football’s leading young defenders, having won the Primeira Liga title twice already under Ruben Amorim.

And with A Bola claiming Sporting need a sale to balance the books, United are ready to make their move for the 22-year-old, who has been capped nine times by Portugal and is part of their Euro 2024 squad.

LEEDS UTD FORCED TO ABANDON ROMA TRANSFER

Leeds United had a deal in place to sign Roma midfielder Edoardo Bove for a fee of €18m to €20m had they secured promotion, but the planned meeting with his agent has now been abandoned following their failure to seal a place in the Premier League. (Il Tempo)

Tottenham have warned Real Madrid they have absolutely zero intentions of listening to any approaches for Cristian Romero this summer after the Argentinian defender was linked with a big-money move to the Bernabeu. (Fabrizio Romano)

Newcastle United have been warned that AC Milan would demand close to €50m (£42.3m) for Fikayo Tomori amid claims Eddie Howe wants to bring the defender back to the Premier League. (various)

Veteran Barcelona star Sergi Roberto is dreaming of a move to the Premier League this summer as the end of his Nou Camp stay nears. Girona, Valencia, Sevilla and Porto have all been linked, but the versatile 32-year-old would prefer to test himself in England next. (Mundo Deportivo)

Aston Villa are still trying to finalise a swap deal with Douglas Luiz in a move that will see Samuel Iling-Junior and Weston McKennie move the other way. The delay in reaching a full agreement has been put down to the American’s wage demands over a move to Villa Park. (Calciomercato)

The agent of Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has confirmed his client is willing to leave Spurs but only wants to sign for a club with big trophy ambitions. (Fabrizio Romano)

Bayern Munich are ready to join the hunt to sign Liverpool and Newcastle target Federico Chiesa, with Juventus willing to sell the Italy winger for around €50m to help fund a move for a new attacking arrival of their own. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

Al Nassr are to launch a big move to convince Liverpool to sell Virgil van Dijk this summer with the Dutchman’s deal, due to expire in a year’s time, giving the Reds plenty to ponder. (TEAMtalk exclusive)

LIVERPOOL TRANSFERS: BARCELONA ON TRACK TO SIGN LUIS DIAZ

Liverpool winger Luis Diaz has ‘everything lined up’ to complete a move to Barcelona this summer with talks over a move to the Nou Camp set to take place in the next few weeks, as per new reports in Colombia. (various)

Juventus are keen to sign Jadon Sancho on a season-long loan with an option to buy with Manchester United valuing the winger at around the €50m (£42.3m) mark. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

Atletico Madrid are ready to make a firm move for England midfielder Conor Gallagher, amid claims Chelsea are ready to cash in on their academy star for a fee of around €50m (£42.3m). (Marca)

Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal are ready to launch a mega-money offer to AC Milan for star forward Rafael Leao, with the Portuguese star’s buyout clause currently set at €175m. (Tuttomercato)

West Ham are pushing to sign unwanted Barcelona forward Ferran Torres, though the former Manchester City man would prefer to remain at the Nou Camp. (Mundo Deportivo)

Departing Borussia Dortmund veteran, Mats Hummels, is set to open talks over a surprise move to LaLiga with Real Mallorca. (AS)

Barcelona have ruled out the sale of Manchester United target Vitor Roque – but are open to a potential loan exit for the Brazilian teenager, with Juventus also on his trail. (Mundo Deportivo)

Tottenham are pushing to sign Juventus’ agreement to sign Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori with the Italy man likely to leave for a fee of around €35m (£29m). (Corriere dello Sport)

TOTTENHAM TO TRIGGER BRILLIANT DOUBLE STRIKER DEAL

Tottenham are weighing up a move for Tammy Abraham after learning Roma are willing to sell the former Chelsea striker for just €30m (£25.3m) this summer. Spurs are also keen on Ivan Toney and Santiago Gimenez and could look to bring in two strikers if they can offload Richarlison for big money. (Corriere della Sera)

AC Milan have made a ‘concrete move’ to sign West Ham left-back Emerson Palmieri, raising speculation that Theo Hernandez could be sold to Real Madrid this summer. (Sky Italia)

Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin insists he is happy at the Bernabeu but has not closed the door on a move away amid claims Arsenal are on the Ukrainian’s trail. (various)

Fenerbahce are ready to make a concrete bid to sign Victor Lindelof from Manchester United this summer with the 29-year-old’s deal due to expire at Old Trafford next summer. (Sky Germany)

Leeds United are in talks with Real Betis over the permanent transfer of loan midfielder Marc Roca. Under terms of agreement – and following the Whites’ failure to win promotion – he is eligible to join on loan again, but Betis are keen to make his stay permanent. (Marca)

Inter Milan officials are set to meet Genoa to finalise a deal to sign Spanish goalkeeper Josep Martinez. (Fabrizio Romano)

Real Madrid striker Alvaro Rodriguez accepts his time at the Bernabeu will end this summer, though any deal to take him away will include a 50% sell-on clause and a buy-back option for Los Blancos over the 19-year-old prospect. (AS)

Ange Postecoglou has made no secret that he wants to sign a new centre-back and Bologna star Riccardo Calafiori is reportedly top of his shortlist.

The talented 22-year-old enjoyed a fantastic 2023/24 campaign in which he helped Bologna secure qualification for the Champions League for the first time in 60 years.

Calafiori made 30 league appearances for the Italian club, scoring two goals, making five assists and helping his team to 15 clean sheets in the process.

The youngster’s excellent performances have seen him rewarded with a spot in Italy’s Euro 2024 squad and he played the full 90 minutes of their 2-1 win over Albania on Saturday.

This has only increased the interest in Calafiori’s signature and according to TuttoJuve, Tottenham have ‘made contact with Bologna’ over a deal for the defender in ‘recent hours.’

Postecoglou reportedly views Calafiori as the perfect player to compete with the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin.

However, amid rival interest from Serie A giants Juventus, winning the race for Calafiori will be far from easy for Spurs.

Tottenham plan to hijack Juventus ‘agreement’

The report claims that Juventus already have an ‘agreement’ in place with Calafiori, who would prefer to stay in the Serie A next season.

Although, the defender has admitted that his ‘dream’ is to play in the Premier League one day.

“I have two images; going back to Italy, perhaps in Rome, or my dream would be to play in the Premier League,” Calafiori said in a recent interview.

Bologna’s manager from this season Thiago Motta has just joined Juventus and he wants to take the centre-back with him to the Allianz Stadium.

Spurs, however, are doing all they can to derail Motta’s move for his former player and are reportedly willing to ‘outbid’ Juventus – so the decision may ultimately be down to Bologna.

It’s stated that Calafiori is currently valued at £29m but his price tag could ‘skyrocket’ if he has a good Euro campaign, which is why both Tottenham and Juve are keen to get a deal done as soon as possible.

Calafiori is under contract until 2027 though and Bologna are in no rush to sell, so they may wait until the end of the tournament before considering offers.

They also want to have the strongest squad possible for 2024/25 and will not part ways with the centre-back easily.

It will be interesting to see how Calafiori performs for Italy in the coming weeks and how high Spurs are willing to go with their offer.

Former Tottenham scout Bryan King thinks that if the club manages to sign Eberechi Eze, it could spell the end for James Maddison.

Tottenham’s interest in Eze has been well documented and while the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea have also been linked, Spurs do stand a good chance of landing the England international.

The Crystal Palace star has a £60m release clause in his contract and given the form he showcased in 2023/24, that sort of price could be a snip.

The 25-year-old scored 11 goals and provided four assists in just 27 league appearances last season, averaging a goal contribution every 137.6 minutes.

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Former Tottenham defender Alan Hutton certainly thinks that Spurs would be getting decent value for money with Eze as he’s backed Daniel Levy to splash the cash.

“I think he could go and be a shining star so £60million is right. You look at some of the prices that are getting banded around now for players that aren’t as good, so I can understand that,” Hutton said.

“If he’s going to be available for that price, I think Levy will spend it.”

Eze tipped to take Maddison’s spot

Eze has already managed to leapfrog Maddison in the England pecking order and King thinks that the same could happen at Spurs next season.

“Eze would be an exciting signing, he is a very good player,” King told Tottenham News.

“But he reminds me a lot of Maddison. Does this therefore suggest that Maddison’s time with Tottenham could be up?”

“Maddison started off very brightly but then he disappointed himself and the club in the second half of the season.

“His attitude went downhill and he seemed to get involved in things on and off the field which were unnecessary.”

There can be no denying that Maddison’s form tailed off in the second half of the season. Following an ankle injury he sustained in November, he then struggled to get himself back to his best form.

As a result of his form dipping towards the end of the campaign, the Tottenham star was cut from Gareth Southgate’s final England Euro 2024 squad.

While Eze and Maddison do share some similarities, there’s no reason why both of them can’t play in the same system next season at Tottenham.

Both Maddion and Eze are arguably at their best when playing in the number 10 role, although Eze is also comfortable playing off either flank.

Regardless of whether or not Tottenham do land a deal for Eze, it does seem unlikely that Spurs would sell Maddison after splashing £40m on him last summer.