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Sources can reveal that Tottenham Hotspur are ready to rival the likes of Chelsea and West Ham United in the race to sign a veteran Barcelona star, who is actively being pushed out in Catalonia.

The LaLiga giants are hoping to offload goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and that means one of the best keepers in the world is potentially up for grabs.

To that end, we put the question to our transfer insider Dean Jones, as to the likelihood of Ter Stegen ending up in the Premier League, with Spurs in the mix.

In terms of Tottenham’s interest in signing a new No.1, that has stemmed from Guglielmo Vicario’s struggles this season. The Italy international has made a number of high-profile errors of late, leading to speculation he could be replaced in the new year.

But speaking about the experienced Germany star, Jones said: “It’s not going to be straight forward, as his high wages are going to prove to be an obstacle as well as his desire to move.

“He returned to the Barcelona side this week for his first game in a long time, yet there is no longer-term plan for him at the club.

“As one of the highest-paid players in the squad, it’s not ideal to just have him on the bench, but there does not seem to be much intent from him to move.

“I’m told Barca have been hoping that an English side might show interest – even on loan – to cover some of the financial hit.

“Indeed, the Premier League has the most spending power, so it’s seen as one of the most likely destinations he could consider. But at the moment there are no concrete signs of a move.

“Barcelona attempted to offload Ter Stegen during the summer and brought in Joan Garcia, and the hope has been that he shows a renewed willingness to move in order to secure regular playing time ahead of the World Cup.

“In England, the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and West Ham are viewed as potential destinations that could be targeted. Indeed, that follows up on information also gathered by my colleague Fraser Fletcher surrounding Ter Stegen’s future.

“However, at present, I’m told there is no active interest in the 33-year-old Germany international.”

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Latest Barcelona news: Isak signing mooted; shock Greenwood swoop

Stunning claims Alexander Isak could be sold after just one season at Liverpool have been made, with one observer explaining why the form of another Reds attacker could prove decisive and why Barcelona could be a suitor.

Elsewhere, Barca are weighing up a surprise move for former Manchester United star Mason Greenwood, we can confirm, though the Spanish giants will have to navigate something of a storm if they are to push a deal over the line.

West Ham United owner David Sullivan has made it clear that Jarrod Bowen is not for sale in January at ‘any price’, sources have confirmed.

Sullivan has shunned interest in Bowen in previous windows and even last summer, though we understand that there is renewed interest in prising Bowen away from the Hammers next month.

Sullivan previously insisted he would want more than £100million to even consider a sale, but now the West Ham supremo has determined that Bowen is now ‘untouchable.’

Bowen has once again been the pick of the bunch in West Ham’s attack this season and, within the club, they acknowledge just how important he is.

There’s a belief from within that if he were to leave, they could be signing their own Championship membership form as they would almost certainly doom themselves to relegation.

Even with Bowen, West Ham are third from bottom at Christmas, some five points off safety, and requiring more Bowen magic to stave off the drop in the second half of the campaign.

Bowen, for his part, has kept his council. He and his camp are aware of the bubbling interest and are well aware Tottenham have enquired on a regular basis.

Indeed, sources explain Spurs have asked about Bowen in each of the last four transfer windows.

We can also confirm that the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle are long-term admires of Bowen and would have no qualms about bidding for the left-footer if there was a realistic chance of landing him.

But at this point that is just not a possibility, with Sullivan making it clear that Bowen is going nowhere in January.

One player who is set to depart next month, however, is striker Niclas Fullkrug.

The German looks primed to join AC Milan on an initial six-month loan that contains an option to buy. Fullkrug’s full salary will be covered by Milan during the loan period.

Tottenham Hotspur fans launched into Cristian Romero after his red card against Liverpool in a game where Thomas Frank’s side finished with nine men, while Jamie Redknapp likened the club captain’s actions to that of a ‘four-year-old’.

Romero received his marching orders from referee John Brooks for a second bookable offence, lashing out at Ibrahima Konate, following Xavi Simons’ earlier dismissal for a reckless tackle on Virgil van Dijk.

Tottenham were 2-0 down at the time, with Romero receiving his first yellow for complaining about what looked like a clear foul on him by Hugo Ekitike for the visitors’ second.

There was a fightback after Richarlison netted late on, but despite relentless pressure, Frank’s men could not find a leveller as they now sit 13th in the table after recording just one win in their last eight Premier League outings – with the pressure ramping up on the Danish manager.

However, after the game, Tottenham fans were more focused on Romero’s actions than Frank’s future, as they let rip at their skipper.

Commenting on Reddit, fans stated: “The man is a moron” when referring to Romero’s second yellow that led to his red, while another wrote “crazy that this guy is the captain”.

There was more anger towards the Argentine, with another supporter commenting: “Only reason he’s captain is he’d leave otherwise, I’m so sure.”

Another stated: “Name a footballer with fewer brain cells”.

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Redknapp, Neville tear into ‘ridiculous’ Romero

Whilst former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp conceded it was indeed a foul on Romero for Ekitike’s goal, he also slammed Romero for his behaviour for picking up his second yellow of the match.

He said: “What Romero did was what Romero does. It was just ridiculous to get involved right in front of the referee, and just kick out at someone. It’s just so stupid. If my four-year-old did that I’d go ‘what are you doing?’ Ridiculous.”

Speaking on commentary during the dramatic contest, Gary Neville added: “Has he done something on the ground with Konate? He’s not right, him, is he?

“He just literally – he cost his team a goal with the first goal, they’re just about to get back in it, or have a chance of getting back in it; he does that. I mean, what is he doing? What is he doing?

“Forget the fact that it’s madness because he’s already on a yellow card, his team have got a chance to get a goal back. Who’s he shouting at? Get in the dressing room.

“Absolute madness from him, it really is. He’s left the referee nowhere to go.”

Reviewing the replay, he added: “There’s the little kick, right in front of the referee. He’s only two or three yards from him. Stupidity.”

Romero will now be suspended for Spurs’ upcoming fixture at Crystal Palace and sits just two bookings away from a further two-match suspension.

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More Tottenham news: Semenyo blow; Johnson exit speeds up

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has delivered a significant setback to Tottenham’s pursuit, explicitly stating his preference for a move to northern England over London, as Manchester United push to bring him to Old Trafford.

Elsewhere, TEAMtalk sources can reveal that Spurs are actually lining up a move for a sensational alternative to Antoine Semenyo.

Arne Slot admits he has a bad ‘gut feeling’ about Alexander Isak’s injury after Liverpool’s battling 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, while goalkeeper Alisson was in a much more positive frame of mind when it comes to how long the Swedish striker could be sidelined.

The home side were reduced to 10 men in the first half with Xavi Simons’ red card and Liverpool had to wait until the 56th minute to open the scoring through substitute Isak, although it came at a potentially massive loss.

After meeting Florian Wirtz’s pass, Liverpool frontman Isak was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge from Micky van de Ven as he finished empathically past Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Isak received treatment on the pitch and was then replaced by Jeremie Frimpong, before Liverpool went on to double their lead through Hugo Ekitike before Richarlison’s goal in the 83rd minute set up a nervy finish for Slot’s side.

“I don’t have any news on him,” Slot said of Isak after Liverpool’s win. “But if a player scores and then gets injured and doesn’t come back on the pitch, and also doesn’t try to come back, which Conor Bradley for example did but I had to take him out as well because he couldn’t go on, but if a player doesn’t try to come back that’s usually not a good thing.

“But I cannot say anything more than that, that is just gut feeling, nothing medical.”

Asked if Isak had his own feeling about his injury, Slot replied: “Haven’t spoken to him about that yet.

“It’s a good thing he scored, a good goal, assisted by Florian Wirtz, I said last week players are getting better, the team is getting better, again, wasn’t perfect today, especially in the last 10 minutes but in the meantime we pick up points and I see the team developing in a way I’d like to see.”

In his post-match interview, Alisson was at least more upbeat on Isak’s injury.

“I think he will be okay,” Alisson told Stadium Astro.

“Happy for him for scoring the goal but, of course, we don’t want him to be injured.

“Hopefully it’s just a knock, nothing too serious because he can help our team so much with his quality.”

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Slot happy to avoid Elland Road repeat

Meanwhile, Slot admitted to being relieved at getting over the line in north London, especially given how much nine-man Tottenham were pushing for an unlikely equaliser late in the match.

The victory came just a fortnight after the Reds threw away 2-0 and 3-2 leads at Elland Road against Leeds, who grabbed a dramatic 96th-minute equaliser.

And, when speaking on having the same feeling as Elland Road, Slot added: “It was eleven v eleven there but we had nine minutes added again there.

“I think here that was completely fine with the injury treatments, VAR, so I can’t complain at all about he nine minutes. They were close. They came close a few times.

“It’s unbelievable if you play against nine men that I would not be surprised if for the nine minutes they had the ball for eight and half. That is not what you expect and maybe that tells you where we are in this season.

“We need a few more wins to get a bit more comfortable with setbacks. The thing that keeps in your mind is the last ten minutes but there was a lot more to like in the first 80-90 minutes.”

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More Liverpool news: Dream Van Dijk successor; striker chase

Liverpool have been given hope that a deal for a player seen as a dream successor for Virgil van Dijk could be on next summer after sources revealed the player is ready to alter his stance over a potential exit from his current club.

Elsewhere, the Reds are poised to go head-to-head with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund over the signing of one of European football’s most in-form strikers this season.

Crystal Palace are increasingly optimistic about securing a deal for Tottenham Hotspur winger Brennan Johnson when the January transfer window opens, with sources indicating that personal terms are unlikely to be an obstacle, as a former player claims the deal is already ‘done.’

The 24-year-old Wales international, who joined Spurs from Nottingham Forest in a £47.5m (€55m, $64m) deal in 2023, has found regular first-team football hard to come by under new manager Thomas Frank.

Despite being Tottenham’s top scorer last term with 18 goals across all competitions – including the decisive strike in the Europa League final victory over Manchester United – Johnson has started just six Premier League games in 2025/26.

Tottenham are understood to be open to sanctioning his departure, either permanently or on loan, as Frank looks to reshape his attacking options and bring in reinforcements.

The north London club could recoup a significant portion of their initial investment. Sources suggest a fee in the region of £30m-£40m might suffice, depending on the structure of any agreement.

For Palace, managed by Oliver Glasner, Johnson represents an ideal addition to bolster their wide attacking ranks. The Eagles have enjoyed a strong campaign, pushing for European spots and competing in the Conference League, but Glasner has identified the need for more pace and versatility up front.

Staying in London is seen as an attractive factor for Johnson, who is receptive to the move and eager for consistent minutes ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which Wales could still qualify for via the play-offs.

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Palace eye statement Johnson signing amid ‘done deal’ claims

Since Johnson signed for Tottenham, he has gone through periods of excellent form, as we saw last season, but he has struggled to replicate that this term.

The versatile winger has scored just two goals in 14 Premier League appearances so far, and finds himself behind Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons in the pecking order.

He played just 10 minutes against Nottingham Forest last time out in the league and was an unused substitute vs Brentford in the game previous.

It will be interesting to see whether Johnson gets any minutes when Spurs face Liverpool this afternoon.

Sources close to the negotiations claim Palace are keen to act swiftly in January to integrate the dynamic forward quickly, potentially giving them an edge over other interested Premier League sides monitoring the situation.

If completed, Johnson’s arrival at Selhurst Park could prove a statement signing for Palace, adding proven Premier League quality to their ambitious project under Glasner.

With all parties aligned, this transfer appears to have real momentum heading into the new year.

And according to former Palace and Spurs striker Chris Armstrong, the deal is already ‘done’. If everything is already finalised, as Armstrong claims, that would be a shrewd bit of business from the high-flying Eagles.

“Brennan Johnson to #CPFC done deal, Good signing for the club, will do well,” Armstrong posted on X.

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Latest Crystal Palace news: Another winger signing OFF, January exit plans

Meanwhile, my colleague, Dean Jones, reported earlier this week that Palace have shown interest in Manchester City winger Oscar Bobb, but he’s now unlikely to head to Selhurst Park.

That’s because the 22-year-old suffered an injury setback in the Carabao Cup this week, just as he was emerging as one of the more intriguing transfer targets for January.

Bobb’s injury blow has made a swoop for Tottenham’s Johnson all the more likely.

In other news, Palace are wary of Glasner’s future at the club and will not allow the squad to be broken up amid the possibility of having to appoint a new manager.

This means any offers for the likes of Jean-Philippe Mateta, Daniel Munoz, and Maxence Lacroix are set to be rebuffed in January.

Aston Villa are open to Jadon Sancho’s exit from the club in January, sources understand, and with manager Unai Emery looking to bring in a £47.5m Tottenham Hotspur star alongside a pre-agreed deal for one of Brazilian football’s brightest prospects.

Sancho joined on a season-long loan from Manchester United – the latest in a series of high-profile loan exits from Old Trafford for the 25-year-old – though is yet to start a Premier League game for the Villains.

And now, with the one-time £73m winger having only racked up 530 minutes of action for Aston Villa across 13 appearances, just five of which have been starts, Villa are now having second thoughts over the player over the second half of the season.

Indeed, with Sancho’s loan stint not quite living up to expectations, Unai Emery, like recently announced with Harvey Elliott, is open to his departure.

Manchester United, for their part, have no intention of bringing Sancho back, and while sources insist there is no recall option, so Villa can’t just cancel the move, if another club were willing to take him, then a move could be greenlighted by all parties.

As a result, those sources can confirm that other clubs have been spoken to by intermediaries as they look for possible options for the 23-times capped England international in the New Year.

Former club Borussia Dortmund are one of those that still hugely admire Sancho, and they could be open to a deal – if the price is right. In addition, we are also told that Ligue 1 side Monaco and ambitious Serie A outfit Como have been approached.

Villa are also in the market for options to bolster their forward line and are understood to have tied up a deal with Gremio for Brazilian teenage Alysson.

Emery’s side are understood to have struck a deal worth an initial £8.7m, plus a further £1.8m in performance-related add-ons for Alysson. Gremio will also claim a 10% cut of any future deal, with the two clubs expected to complete the formalities of the 19-year-old’s transfer early in the January window.

Furthermore, we understand Villa are also looking into a possible move for Tottenham’s Brennan Johnson, though sources understand a move to Crystal Palace looks the most likely move for the Wales winger at this stage. Nonetheles, the arrival of the Brazilian could well see Sancho finding his already limited game time likely depleted further.

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Emery continues to back Sancho publicly

Despite Sancho’s struggles to make an impact at Villa Park since arriving on loan, Emery continues to back the player publicly.

And while Premier League rules prevent Sancho from featuring against parent club United when Villa welcome Ruben Amorim’s side to Villa Park on Sunday, the Villa boss insists that the 25-year-old can still turn his form around and make himself a regular in the side.

“Jadon is still young. He has had an amazing career and is now in a moment where he needs help to recover his best performance,” the Villa boss said. “I have this challenge with him. He has this challenge with me as well. Of course, he is not playing all the minutes I think he has to.

“But in the second part of the season, I believe in him. He is really being demanding himself to try to get his best moment this season with us.

“Of course, on Sunday we are finishing December and then starting January soon. The first match back he will play is against Chelsea.

“He has that challenge with me and himself, and with the club as well. I believe in him and hopefully we can get it.”

Villa have a poor recent record against United, with the Red Devils posting their second-most wins against them than any club, aside from Everton.

Despite that, Emery insists that the only thing that matters on Sunday is the here and now and his players will be told to forget history when they take the field.

Emery stated: “I usually like to share with the players the numbers we have. Our own numbers and also Aston Villa’s numbers, also with the trophies they got in the past.

“The players can analyse better, sometimes – not the moment we are in now – but how is the history for the team. Those numbers really mean a lot. We are facing Manchester United on Sunday… and it is Manchester United!”

Villa news round-up: Inter star under surveillance; Man City star linked

As for Johnson, Tottenham Hotspur sources believe the club are increasingly tempted to cash in on their winger in the January transfer window amid interest from Villa and two other Premier League sides in the 24-year-old.

Meanwhile, sources have revealed Villa are carefully following a quality Inter Milan star’s return to action over the coming weeks and, once he is back on the pitch, they will then decide on any concrete steps ahead of the next transfer window.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank goes into Saturday’s clash against Liverpool in desperate need of a morale-boosting win after an in-the-know journalist questioned his credentials to take the club forward and amid growing talk he faces the sack, though the Dane is adamant his players remain fully behind him.

The Europa League winners showed how brutal they can be when they decided to axe Ange Postecoglou, who despite leading the club to their first major trophy in 17 years, pulled the plug on his reign after a dismal 16th-place finish in the Premier League. And while Spurs have shown some early promise under his successor Frank, he himself is facing serious heat in the wake of a dismal run of form.

Going into Saturday’s clash against the reigning champions, Tottenham find themselves 11th in the table and six points adrift of a coveted top-four place where they hope to be.

Furthermore, a run of just one win in their last seven Premier League games has seen talk of the sack for Frank rise and he is now one of the favourites to become the next top-flight boss to lose his job.

Defeat to Liverpool on Saturday would mean represent a fifth loss in their last eight games – little wonder he is feeling the heat.

According to Tottenham Hotspur expert Paul O’Keefe, there are serious doubts at the club if Frank is the right man to take the club forward.

“I don’t believe any Spurs fan is particularly happy with the season so far,” O’Keefe told ThisisAnfield.

“The performances have largely been disappointing and lacklustre, so it has been a slog for the fans.”

Asked if Frank is the right man to take the club forward, he added: “Thomas Frank is clearly a pragmatic manager, with systems that rely on efficiency and consistency.

“Spurs are a vortex of chaos, so good luck with that!

“Overall, it’s too early to tell if he is the man to take them forward.”

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Thomas Frank cools sack talk and insists he still has players’ backing

Like any well-run club, Spurs are already keeping potential replacements in mind should the club suffer a further decline in fortunes.

And while any dreams of appointing Jurgen Klopp have been ruled out, despite Lord Alan Sugar’s wishes, our transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher insists the club are keeping their opens open despite sources close to the club insisting Frank retains the board’s backing – for now.

“He still has time,” one insider confided. “The hierarchy believes in his process, but a few more stumbles, and contingency plans will accelerate.”

However, a continued downturn in results could see Spurs move for Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, with the Austrian supremo out of contract at Selhurst Park at the season’s end.

It is also worth noting, however, that The Athletic have this week also declared that discussions held amongst Tottenham’s key decision-makers have yielded one conclusion – the club must stick by Frank.

The report read: ‘Thomas Frank has been given the backing of the Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy following discussions at the top of the club.’

The Dane himself, who currently presides over a 40% win percentage record at the club, is adamant he still has his players’ support.

“No, I think it has been a good buy-in,” Frank told a press conference when asked if his players are behind him.

“You could say that from the beginning of the season we started quite well without being sensational.

“I thought we were very good in some games and good in other games. Like in every season, you have some setbacks and spells where it is maybe not going the right way, but I don’t see anything that they’re not with me or going in the same direction.”

Asked about the support from the board, he continued: “I feel supported. I’ve done that the whole time.

“This is not a quick fix. This will take time. That’s not to say that we’re not going to do everything we can to beat Liverpool.

“I’m very comfortable and confident that I will, how can I say, fix it, but just to make sure it’s not me. When this club comes out on top, there will be a lot of good people working together, aligned at the same time through the years.

“I just know one thing I’m pretty good at – I’m good at analysing things. I know what good looks like and I know where we should get [to], and… I’m 1,000% sure we haven’t seen any club be successful unless they had key people in the right positions for a long time.

“And I’ll back myself to be one of those key people to be in that position.”

Latest Tottenham news: Semenyo makes his choice; Monaco sensation wanted

Meanwhile, Spurs are joined by Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool in pursuing Antoine Semenyo.

Now we can reveal two of those suitors are NOT expected to factor into the final reckoning, along with which club have taken the lead for the electric Bournemouth forward.

Whether Spurs land him or not, the club’s joint sporting directors, Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange, are working hard to sign a left-sided attacking star and have also placed a magical Monaco frontman on their list of options should they miss out on the Bournemouth man.

On the subject of Semenyo, sources have confirmed to us that the Ghanaian winger will be leaving the Vitality Stadium in January and, with the Cherries board planning accordingly, we can reveal Bournemouth have a £47.5m Spurs forward as their favoured option to replace him.

Bournemouth sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Antoine Semenyo WILL be leaving the club in January and they are planning accordingly and Tottenham Hotspur’s Brennan Johnson is very much emerging as an option.

The Cherries have now acknowledged that they have spoken with more than one club about what a deal will look like in the winter window.

Semenyo has a release clause worth around £65million, but Bournemouth are willing to talk about payment options when it comes to the Tottenham target.

We are told that the south coast club are looking at a deal as they want the transfer ‘put to bed’ as early as possible, as it allows them to move onto other options.

We understand that Bournemouth are busy working on other options and have a list of around half-a-dozen options they are actively working on to replace Semenyo.

Our sources revealed earlier in the week that Johnson’s situation was of interest to them, and we are told he is a player that has been discussed internally.

But he is not the only option, Ipswich’s Jaden Philogene is another, although Cherries’ transfer chief Tiago Pinto feels they are in a good position to bring in a replacement next month.

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End of the Tottenham line for Johnson

Despite being the club’s top scorer last season and netting the winner in the Europa League final, Johnson is now deemed surplus to requirements in north London.

The Wales international has struggled for regular starts under Thomas Frank, and when he has been handed a rare opportunity, Johnson has not performed well enough to take it.

His place on the right wing now belongs to Mohamed Kudus, while he has never looked at home operating from the left.

There have been some calls from fans to try Johnson through the middle, given his eye for goal, but that’s not the answer either. His all-round game is simply not good enough for a team who want to be Champions League regulars, even if they are struggling domestically at the moment.

Add in the fact that Dejan Kulusevski should return in the new year to provide more competition on the right wing, and Johnson’s future in north London looks doomed.

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Latest Tottenham news: Semenyo chase update; new midfield kingpin

Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool are all pursuing Antoine Semenyo, but we can reveal two of those suitors are NOT expected to factor into the final reckoning, along with which club have taken the lead.

Elsewhere, Tottenham have been named as ‘one of the best-positioned teams’ to sign a top Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder who would deliver an immediate upgrade to Thomas Frank’s weak engine room.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool are all pursuing Antoine Semenyo, but we can reveal two of those suitors are NOT expected to factor into the final reckoning, along with which club have taken the lead.

Semenyo, 25, can be signed for £65m (£60m plus £5m in add-ons) via a release clause that is active in the first portion of the January transfer window.

The ultra-versatile winger is the most in-demand player heading into the new year and the fact he won’t be away at AFCON only serves to strengthen the chances of a move. Semenyo’s Ghana did not qualify.

Man Utd are ready to activate Semenyo’s clause, as are Tottenham who are prepared to make the winger their highest paid player.

However, the decision on who to join will ultimately be made by Semenyo himself, and sources have informed us the race is narrowing down to a head-to-head battle between Liverpool and Man City.

We’ve been able to confirm that Manchester City have spoken to Semenyo in recent days as they step up their interest in the Bournemouth star and look to win the race for his coveted signature.

City want more goals to lighten the load on Erling Haaland and sporting director Hugo Viana has started to make moves as they look to beat Liverpool to his signing.

We are told by sources close to the deal that City and Liverpool are the clubs Semenyo is considering – but it is City who are making real strides to land him so far.

We can confirm that Man Utd have spoken to him also, whilst Spurs would like the player but Tottenham in particular are seen as the least likely option at this point according to the same sources.

Liverpool had success when going up against City in the summer when they beat Pep Guardiola’s side to Florian Wirtz and the two clubs are now battling for another attacker.

We can confirm that City have also made it known to Bournemouth that they have held talks with Semenyo, whilst The Cherries are also aware of the interest from Liverpool.

Their former sporting director, Richard Hughes, brought Semenyo to the Vitality Stadium and knows the player well. Hughes is now pulling the strings as sporting director at Anfield.

Bournemouth, for their part, realise Semenyo is leaving and given they’re powerless to prevent an exit, they are working hard on potential replacements.

As we exclusively revealed earlier this week, Tottenham’s Brennan Johnson is an option for Andoni Iraola’s side.

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Latest Liverpool & Man City news – Salah / Guardiola

In other news, initial talks between Liverpool and Mohamed Salah’s camp have yielded one early conclusion – the Egyptian will NOT accept being a squad player.

That poses a problem for Liverpool, not least because the 33-year-old’s attacking output this season has dropped, and does not justify being given a free pass on the defensive side of the game.

Further talks between the two parties will be held, with issues still to be resolved.

Elsewhere, David Ornstein has confirmed Man City are accelerating plans to replace Pep Guardiola next summer.

TEAMtalk sources can reveal that Tottenham Hotspur are lining up a move for a sensational alternative to Antoine Semenyo, should they fail to win the growing race to sign the Bournemouth winger in the January transfer window, with a bargain price tag also on the cards.

Spurs have had a glaring need in the left-wing spot throughout the first half of the campaign, with not one player stepping up to fill the huge void left by Son Heung-min’s departure over the summer.

The likes of Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson, Mathys Tel and Xavi Simons have all filled the role under Thomas Frank, while Randal Kolo Muani is the latest to try his luck there.

However, we can reveal that Maghnes Akliouche remains on Tottenham‘s transfer shortlist, in case they miss out on much-sought-after Cherries forward Semenyo.

The Monaco attacker has one game left to play of 2025 and Spurs have been tracking him across the entire calendar year.

Akliouche, 23, even played against them this season in a goalless Champions League fixture and it is understood club scouts have continued to recommend him as a signing.

Akliouche would be cheaper than Semenyo – with an expectation he would cost around £40million (€45.6m / $53.4m) to prise away from the Ligue 1 outfit.

Paris Saint-Germain have also been impressed with him and are interested in taking their interest to the next level, and Spurs are aware of the competition.

It comes at a time when they will have to fight off Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool to win the race for top target Semenyo.

Clinching that deal would be quite a feat and, while it remains the priority, they have had to continue to work on other targets in the background at a time when they are very keen to add more attacking edge to the side.

The only issue with bringing in Akliouche. who is renowned for “magic skills”, is that he predominently plays on the right side of the forward line, which is Mohamed Kudus’ position.

That’s not to say that he cannot feature on the left, but it’s not his best position and one that he would have to adapt to – which is not ideal for a Tottenham side that need better balance in their forward line.

DEEP DIVE: How Antoine Semenyo would fit in as Liverpool, Man Utd, City and Tottenham plot different roles

More Tottenham news: Stunning Bayern swoop; Johnson exit

Tottenham have been named as ‘one of the best-positioned teams’ to sign a top Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder who would deliver an immediate upgrade to Thomas Frank’s weak engine room.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa will weigh up whether to compete with Crystal Palace if Brennan Johnson becomes available in 2026, as TEAMtalk sources deliver the latest news on the future of the Tottenham Hotspur star, who has largely fallen out of favour with Thomas Frank.

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing for a potentially transformative January transfer window, with sources telling TEAMtalk that head coach Thomas Frank is prioritising an upgrade in the goalkeeper department amid growing concerns over current number one Guglielmo Vicario.