TEAMtalk

Chelsea reportedly sent scouts to watch Illia Zabarnyi in action against Tottenham of late, and continue to be impressed by the Ukraine international.

The Blues have performed well defensively this season. After 14 Premier League games, they have conceded 15 goals, a total only bettered by Liverpool (first in the league) and Arsenal (third).

With that said, it’s believed Chelsea are still ‘unconvinced’ by first-choice pairing Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill.

That’s according to TBRFootball, who state the Blues are making sure they have a ‘clear picture’ of the best available centre-backs in the Premier League.

According to the report, they had scouts in attendance to watch Bournemouth centre-back Zabarnyi play against Tottenham on December 5.

The Cherries beat Chelsea’s rivals 1-0, Zabarnyi part of a shutout for the home side.

It’s reported the Blues are impressed with the centre-back as a result, having regularly watched him prior to that game, too.

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Chelsea have Zabarnyi competition

TEAMtalk is aware that the Blues do indeed have an interest in Zabarnyi.

But Enzo Maresca’s side will have competition of they want to sign him.

His performances have also caught the eye of Tottenham and Premier League champions Manchester City.

That he performed aptly against Spurs, it would not be a surprise if the north London club’s interest in Zabarnyi was stoked.

In any case, we are aware that Bournemouth are reluctant to lose the Ukrainian.

Chelsea round-up: Dewsbury-Hall shown door

Maresca’s signing of his former Leicester star Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is clearly not working out, and the midfielder is now said to be available in January for around £30million.

Though Mykhailo Mudryk is also being tipped to exit, his agent has revealed the winger is only thinking of breaking into Chelsea’s best starting XI.

Meanwhile, the Blues have been given hope of landing long-term target Victor Osimhen, as he “wants to use this season as an opportunity to let the Premier League clubs decide whether to make an offer to Napoli.”

And, Emmanuel Petit feels unless current Arsenal loanee Raheem Sterling drops wage demands once he gets back to Chelsea, he’ll not “ever” be seen at the club again, as he won’t be able to get a move but won’t be picked by Maresca.

The pressure on Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is growing at an exponential rate after two massively below-par performances, with a Premier League manager who rejected Chelsea over the summer now being linked with his position.

After a woeful end to last season, Spurs have had an incredibly inconsistent start to the current campaign and sit 10th in the Premier League table with six wins and six defeats from their 14 games so far.

The awful performance during the midweek loss at Bournemouth led to a confrontation between Postecoglou and the travelling Tottenham support, sparking a debate over whether the Australian is now on borrowed time in north London.

Indeed, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara claims that Daniel Leevy will sack Postecoglou if his old club are still in the same position on even lower at Christmas.

To that end, a report has revealed who Tottenham are considering as Postecoglou’s successor if they decide to sack him in the coming weeks, with Football Transfers stating that the club have shortlisted Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna as a possible replacement.

The report claims that the 38-year-old is the first choice if the Australian is shown the door, having previously been an Under-18s coach at the club.

McKenna rejected the chance to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea over the summer, signing a new contract at Portman Road instead, and his links to Spurs make him a fairly obvious candidate.

The Northern Irishman also masterminded a famous Ipswich win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November as he looks to keep his side in the Premier League after securing successive promotions since taking charge back in December 2021.

O’Hara fears for Postecoglou future

As mentioned earlier, Jamie O’Hara believes Postecoglou could only be a few matches from the sack unless a major improvement is made and they start climbing the table.

“Daniel Levy won’t stand for this. I’m telling you now, he will sack him,” O’Hara told talkSPORT.

“If he thinks he can go this all the way through the season and keep defending like this, keep having set pieces like this, he will get sacked.

“Daniel Levy is all about Champions League football, Europa League minimum. If Spurs are tenth in the table after Christmas, they’ll sack Ange.

“I’m telling you, they’ll sack him. This can’t continue.

“I know everyone loves Ange, you know, in terms of like the attacking football. I can’t, I’m getting bored of watching this.”

Things don’t get any easier for Postecoglou and Tottenham as they prepare to face an in-form Chelsea side in north London on Sunday still missing several first-team stars.

In fairness to the Australian, he has been incredibly unlucky with key players suffering from injuries, with key centre-back duo Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven the obvious standouts, along with keeper Guglielmo Vicario.

However, his stubbornness to continue trying to play out from the back with inferior players has led to multiple mistakes that could have cost Tottenham far more than the 15 goals they have conceded in the league this season.

Latest Tottenham news: Spurs learn centre-back target asking price / Inter midfielder wanted

Tottenham have been told how much it will cost to sign rising Lens star Abdukodir Khusanov amid competition for his services from Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, it has been claimed.

Tottenham need defensive reinforcements as they usually struggle when starting centre-backs Van de Ven and Romero are out injured, as showcased in Thursday’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth. Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies are Ange Postecoglou’s backup options, though the latter is now 31 years old and may soon need to be replaced.

Khusanov is the latest centre-half to emerge on Tottenham’s radar. According to new reports, Tottenham are ‘monitoring’ the 20-year-old’s exciting development and have scouted him on several occasions this year, with his asking price now emerging.

Meanwhile, Spurs are ready to bid €35m for a goalscoring midfielder and Inter Milan’s surprise stance on a January sale has been revealed by a report.

Tottenham have found Serie A fertile ground for signing new players in recent years. Indeed, Guglielmo Vicario, Radu Dragusin, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski were all bought from Italian clubs.

And according to a fresh update from SpazioInter.it, Spurs have once again fixed their gaze on Serie A.

It’s claimed the north London outfit are ‘ready to offer 35 million euros’ for an Inter star.

Ange Postecoglou has been told that Tottenham’s form is not good enough and he could be sacked as manager before new year unless major improvements are made to their current form with one pundit branding a popular tactic of theirs as “painful”.

Pressure is building on the Aussie following Thursday night’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth that leaves Spurs 10th in the Premier League and now six points adrift of the top four places. As a result, Tottenham now have just one win in their last six games in a run of form that includes four defeats, including miserable losses to the Cherries and Ipswich Town.

The 59-year-old quickly endeared himself to Tottenham fans last season with his entertaining football which had them top of the Premier League after 10 games. But having since failed to recapture those heights consistently, Postecoglou now finds himself coming under increased scrutiny and he was subject to a chorus of boos from the travelling Spurs supporters after the final whistle at the Vitality Stadium.

Now former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara believes Postecoglou could only be a few matches from the sack unless a major improvement is made and they start climbing the table.

“Daniel Levy won’t stand for this. I’m telling you now, he will sack him,” O’Hara told talkSPORT.

“If he thinks he can go this all the way through the season and keep defending like this, keep having set pieces like this, he will get sacked.

“Daniel Levy is all about Champions League football, Europa League minimum. If Spurs are tenth in the table after Christmas, they’ll sack Ange.

“I’m telling you, they’ll sack him. This can’t continue.

“I know everyone loves Ange, you know, in terms of like the attacking football. I can’t, I’m getting bored of watching this.”

O’Hara is ‘bored’ by ‘painful’ Tottenham amid Postecoglou sack talk

Sources have told TEAMtalk that Tottenham would be unlikely to do anything about the managerial situation midway through the season and any judgement of his reign would be reserved until the season’s end.

Postecoglou has made clear his ambitions to win a trophy for a club that last lifted silverware back in 2008, though we’ve been told in no uncertain terms that it is his league placing for which he is judged by and with Levy making clear that his target is a position in the top four.

O’Hara though is fed up with talking about the club’s inconsistencies and feels the axe could fall if Levy feels their top-four chances are slipping away.

“I’m going to be honest, I’m getting tired of talking about Tottenham.

“I don’t know what to say. You know, at the end of the day, I come in here and I can talk about Spurs all day long and you clip stuff up and it does my head in.

“I’m tired of being a Spurs fan. It’s hard work. One minute you’re up, then you’re down, then you’re up, then you’re down.

“And you know what? It’s just, it’s painful. We are painful to watch because you know there’s a big performance in there because we’ve seen it.

“Aston Villa. Man City. You go away from home, then you get beat by Bournemouth.”

O’Hara also thinks Spurs should stop playing the ball around at the back and claims he is pained by the tactic.

“It should be banned! “The straight ball playing out from the back should be banned in football. It is never on. Spurs do it every game.

“We are painful to watch.”

Latest Tottenham news: Spurs eye Wolves ace; Lens star’s price tag emerges

Tottenham, meanwhile, have learned what fee it would take for the club to prise Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov in January amid competition for his services from Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille.

Spurs’ defensive resources have been stretched in recent weeks with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero. Now it’s claimed that Postecoglou is eyeing the impressive 20-year-old as a long-term replacement for the club’s longest-serving player.

Elsewhere, reports in Italy claim Spurs are ‘ready to offer’ big money to land an Inter Milan ace.

Midfielder Davide Frattesi is the player in question, and Inter boss Simone Inzaghi is understood to be a big fan of his.

But ‘budgetary needs’ may force the Italian giants to sell and this would play into Spurs’ hands.

And finally, Postecoglou is reported to have stepped up his interest in signing Wolves forward Matheus Cunha amid claims they are set to hold talks with his agents over a potential move.

Per an ambitious report, Spurs have set their sights on the Brazilian and believe the high-earning Wolves player could be the man to kickstart their season and signal a march up the table with proactive talks beginning over his potential signing.

Spurs have gone backwards over last 12 months

Spurs are a pretty concerning seven points worse off than they were at the same time last season.

Whereas in the 2023/24 season they were currently nestled nicely in fifth, just two points adrift of the top four, they are currently 10th, some six points adrift of that target.

But it’s the inconsistencies that are doing him so far. Tottenham have shown what they are capable of by winning handsomely at both Manchester United and Manchester City, but also then suffered losses at home to Ipswich and away at Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.

He’ll need to get it sorted as it’s easy to see why the screw is being turned and questions are now being asked about his reign.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told how much it will cost to sign rising Lens star Abdukodir Khusanov amid competition for his services from Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, it has been claimed.

Tottenham need defensive reinforcements as they usually struggle when starting centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are out injured, as showcased in Thursday’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth. Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies are Ange Postecoglou’s backup options, though the latter is now 31 years old and may soon need to be replaced.

Khusanov is the latest centre-half to emerge on Tottenham’s radar. According to new reports, Tottenham are ‘monitoring’ the 20-year-old’s exciting development and have scouted him on several occasions this year.

The report, which comes from CaughtOffside, states that Khusanov’s solid performances in Ligue 1 – despite his tender age – have alerted a host of top clubs to his potential.

Spurs are at the front of the queue to snap him up, though they will face competition from Premier League rivals Newcastle and Marseille.

The report has also revealed Khusanov’s price tag. Lens want €15-20million (up to £16.6m / $21.2m) before selling the right-footed defender in January.

Spurs need to move quickly to land Khusanov as Lens have been tipped to increase their asking price if the Uzbekistan international enjoys even better form during the second half of the campaign.

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Tottenham eye left-field signing

Spurs’ interest in Khusanov was first revealed in October. Chelsea were also backed to enter talks for him, though they are now targeting different players.

It also emerged that Lens players have been describing him as a ‘monster’ as the 6ft 1in starlet does not seem to be scared of any challenge.

On November 28, French reports stated that Spurs are battling PSG to land Khusanov. PSG view him as a possible successor for club captain Marquinhos, who is now 30 years old.

At that point, Khusanov was rated at just €5m (£4.1m / $5.3m). However, his value has quadrupled as more and more sides declare their interest.

Tottenham transfers: Inter raid advances; flop’s La Liga exit

Meanwhile, reports in Italy claim Spurs are ‘ready to offer’ €35m to snare an Inter Milan ace.

Midfielder Davide Frattesi is the player in question, and Inter boss Simone Inzaghi is understood to be a big fan of his.

But ‘budgetary needs’ may force the Italian giants to sell and this would play into Spurs’ hands.

While Frattesi might arrive in North London in 2025, left-back Sergio Reguilon is gunning to leave.

Reguilon has been cast aside by Postecoglou, while his Spurs contract expires in June.

The Spanish media state Getafe are ready to hold negotiations over the prospective signing of Reguilon in January.

Tottenham are ready to bid €35m for a goal-scoring midfielder and Inter Milan’s surprise stance on a January sale has been revealed by a report.

Tottenham have found Serie A fertile ground for signing new players in recent years. Indeed, Guglielmo Vicario, Radu Dragusin, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski were all bought from Italian clubs.

And according to a fresh update from SpazioInter.it, Spurs have once again fixed their gaze on Serie A.

It’s claimed Tottenham are ‘ready to offer 35 million euros’ to secure the signing of Inter Milan midfielder, Davide Frattesi.

The 25-year-old joined Inter from Sassuolo for a season-long loan last year. The deal contained an obligation to buy worth €29m that was activated ahead of the current campaign.

Manager Simone Inzaghi is said to ‘highly value’ Frattesi, though his protestations might not prevent Inter’s hierarchy from sanctioning a sale.

Inter are reportedly not in the healthiest place financially and ‘budgetary needs could push the management to seriously evaluate an offer of this magnitude.’

That isn’t likely to go down well with Inzaghi whose side are in a title race in Serie A and remain unbeaten in the Champions League group phase without conceding a goal.

Nonetheless, the club’s overarching needs will come first and if Tottenham do launch a bid, it may well succeed.

Why Frattesi starts for Italy but not Inter

Frattesi operates primarily as an attack-minded central midfielder and has been a regular scorer of goals throughout his career.

The Italian notched seven goals in Serie A for Sassuolo during the 2022/23 campaign. That was followed up by a return of six league goals in his loan season at Inter. Frattesi has scored three more for Inter in Serie A this time around and that’s despite starting just five out of a possible 13 league matches.

Inzaghi can call upon a cluster of high calibre players for the three positions in his midfield. Aside from Frattesi, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Piotr Zielinski and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are also on the books.

As such, Frattesi has actually emerged as more of a guaranteed starter for Italy when compared to his playing time at club level over the last few years.

Since making his senior debut in 2022, Frattesi has made 25 appearances for Italy, scoring eight goals along the way.

A prior report from InterLive in November – that also detailed Tottenham’s interest – claimed Frattesi was growing unhappy at not being an automatic pick at Inter.

His apparent dissatisfaction combined with a hefty Tottenham bid and Inter’s willingness to cash in could prove the perfect storm for Spurs in January.

Latest Tottenham news – Reguilon, Son, Romero

In other news, reports in Spain claim Getafe are ready to rescue Sergio Reguilon from his never-ending nightmare at Tottenham.

Reguilon – who hasn’t played a match for Spurs since the 2021/22 season – is not in Postecoglou’s plans and could secure a return to LaLiga in January by joining Getafe.

Elsewhere, GiveMeSport remarkably claim Man Utd and Ruben Amorim view Son Heung-min as a viable transfer target.

However, the chances of United securing a deal look slim at best, not least because Tottenham have already set about extending Son’s contract.

Finally, talkSPORT reported: ‘Tottenham risk losing defender Cristian Romero if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season.’

The Argentine is on Real Madrid’s radar and the suggestion is Romero could push to leave Spurs if they fail to qualify for Europe’s premier competition once again.

Real Madrid have four alternative right-back targets to Trent Alexander-Arnold in case they fail to sign the Liverpool star, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal.

Alexander-Arnold’s contract with Liverpool is set to expire at the end of the season and Real Madrid have made him their top transfer target for 2025.

As things stand, the England full-back will be able to open pre-contract talks with foreign clubs ahead of a potential free transfer next summer – something Liverpool are desperate to avoid.

However, as we reported on Tuesday, the Reds are still confident Alexander-Arnold will sign an extension before January, with the club willing to offer him a significant pay rise.

Madrid’s recruitment chiefs are set to meet with Carlo Ancelotti in the coming days to discuss the next steps in regards to Alexander-Arnold. Nothing has been decided yet, but they have drawn up a shortlist of right-back targets in anticipation of missing out on the 26-year-old.

Sources have informed TEAMtalk that Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong is being eyed by the LaLiga giants. Ironically, he’s one of the players Liverpool could sign if they lose Alexander-Arnold.

Frimpong, 23, is one of the best attacking full-backs in Europe. He’s under contract with Leverkusen until 2028 and is happy with the Bundesliga club. However, it’s thought he would find it difficult to turn down the likes of Real Madrid or Liverpool if they come calling.

Real Madrid target Man Utd man, Tottenham star

In addition to Frimpong, TEAMtalk can reveal that Real Madrid consider Manchester United right-back Diogo Dalot as a ‘valid alternative’ to Alexander-Arnold.

He has been linked with a move to the Bernabeu recently and while Real Madrid do appreciate Dalot, we can confirm that there has been no contact made with his agents, yet.

Dalot’s contract with the Red Devils is valid until 2028 and Ruben Amorim is keen to keep the full-back despite Madrid sniffing after him.

Also on the shortlist is Tottenham star Pedro Porro. However, they are aware that Spurs are in a strong negotiating position given he’s under contract until 2028 and will demand a hefty fee for his signature. In all likelihood, he’ll be too expensive to sign next year.

Rayo Vallecano right-back Andrej Ratiu is also an option for Real Madrid. He would be significantly cheaper than Frimpong, Dalot and Porro and is those behind the scenes at Madrid believe he’s of ‘high quality.’

Whoever is brought in by Ancelotti’s side will have to fill the boots of Dani Carvajal, who has been Madrid’s first choice right-back since 2013, up until he picked up a serious knee injury this season.

Real Madrid round-up: Gravenberch wanted / Romero linked again

Meanwhile, recent reports suggest that Real Madrid are considering a surprise move for Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, as well as Alexander-Arnold.

The Dutch centre-mid has been one of the standout performers under Arne Slot this season and is a key reason why the Reds sit top of the Premier League table.

The report claims they have been impressed with Gravenberch’s performances for Liverpool this term and while a move for him will be difficult, they are monitoring his situation.

In other news, Real Madrid continue to keep close tabs on Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero as they eye replacements for aging duo Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba.

Eder Militao is also sidelined with a serious injury, so Ancelotti wants more reinforcements at the back.

Romero is a key player for Tottenham and they will demand a huge fee for his sale. There have been rumours, however, that Romero is very interested in making the switch to the Bernabeu.

A struggling La Liga side is reportedly willing to take a Tottenham outcast off of Ange Postecoglou’s hands by offering him a January transfer exit.

Tottenham have been struggling with injuries and a busy fixture list this season, forcing head coach Postecoglou to play some of his more youthful players on multiple occasions.

Despite admitting he had several “schoolboys” on the bench for Spurs’ 2-2 Europa League draw with Roma last week, one player is finding minutes hard to come by.

Sergio Reguilon signed for Tottenham from Real Madrid in 2020 for a fee worth up to £32m (€38.6m, $40.6m) and despite making a bright start at the north London outfit, the 27-year-old has not played a single game for them since 2022.

Now, Super Deporte claims Getafe are willing to ‘negotiate hard’ with Spurs to sign the out-of-favour left-back in early 2025. The report adds it’s been made clear to Reguilon that if he wants regular football, he needs to go elsewhere.

The Spaniard could head out on loan in January, run down his contract – which expires next summer – or make a permanent exit next month. A contract termination is reportedly also a possibility as Postecoglou has made it clear he is not a key member of his squad.

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Postecoglou hints at Reguilon exit

This season, Destiny Udogie has been the club’s first-choice left-back, while midfielder Archie Gray has also filled in there on occasion.

And despite being without Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in defence, Reguilon is still not getting a look-in.

He was an unused substitute in Spurs’ 1-1 draw with Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday and the Australian hinted Reguilon will be in the squad for Thursday’s trip to Bournemouth, too. But that may be the best he can hope for at present.

On Wednesday, Postecoglou told reporters: “He [Reguilon] is ready. He is training every day so [he is] part of the squad and we’re down in numbers, but there is also a reason why Reggy is in the last year of his contract with us.

“We’ll see how that all transpires but [there is] nothing wrong with his attitude. He is training every day and we literally have schoolboys on the bench, so we’re low down on numbers and he’ll probably be involved again tomorrow (Thursday).”

Son to Man Utd?

New Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has reportedly urged the club to make a surprise move for Tottenham captain Son Heung-min.

The 32-year-old forward is out of contract next summer, although Spurs do have an option to extend his deal by another 12 months, and the South Korean is allegedly seen as a ‘viable option’ for the Red Devils.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid are said to be upping their interest in Tottenham centre-back Romero – despite the Argentine not being at his best this season.

However, he is reportedly eager to play Champions League football and Los Blancos would be able to deliver that for him, barring a disastrous season.

Manchester United have made a ‘concrete objective’ to sign a certain left-back as Ruben Amorim’s team plot a double Serie A signing in 2025.

The left-back spot has proven to be a cursed position for Man Utd over the past 18 months or so, with Tyrell Malacia only just returning from a serious knee problem that first flared up in June 2023.

And fellow full-back Luke Shaw has made just three substitute appearances for the Red Devils this season after being sidelined since February through injury.

Soon after the England international admitted he was “devastated” a new injury blow has ruled him out for several weeks, United have again been linked with Lecce star Patrick Dorgu.

The left-back/left wing-back had a breakout season for the Serie A team in 2023/24 and it seems the 20-year-old is reaching new heights this term, as United, Tottenham, and Chelsea chase his signature.

Now, Sport Mediaset claims the Red Devils’ ’emissaries’ watched Dorgu in his team’s 1-1 draw with Juventus on Sunday and the Denmark international is a ‘concrete objective’ for Amorim’s team. They face competition from Napoli but they have reportedly ruled out a January move for him.

Previous reports claimed United are prepared to offer €30-35m (£24.8-29m) for the youngster and they also allegedly scouted Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz, 19, in the Lecce game.

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Double transfer unlikely?

The fee that Lecce may be able to command for Dorgu, who has predominantly been utilised as a right-winger for the club this season, is only likely to increase off the back of his impressive displays.

Although he began to make a name for himself as a left-back and a left wing-back, Dorgu has been played on both wings – highlighting his versatility. While Lecce will be able to make a hefty profit on the ex-FC Nordsjaelland academy product, whose current deal runs until 2029, he may not be at the club next season.

That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who claims the Danish Young Player of the Year winner, who has four goals and three assists to his name this campaign, is expected to leave Lecce in 2025.

He added that they Lecce already rejected approaches from Tottenham, Chelsea, and Strasbourg. Whether United will be able to secure his services remains to be seen.

Yildiz, on the other hand, is said to be very happy at Juventus and currently has no plans to leave the Turin-based outfit, reports Sky Germany. The teenager, who has four goals and three assists to his name this season, is also on a contract until 2029.

Son to Man Utd?

A sensational report has claimed that United may make a move for Tottenham captain Son Heung-min, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

The 32-year-old is said to be seen as a ‘viable target’ to bring to Old Trafford in 2025 but Spurs have an option to extend his deal by a further 12 months.

Elsewhere, United may look to sell backup goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, while targeting Sunderland stopper Anthony Patterson as a potential replacement.

Andre Onana is very much first choice at Old Trafford and Bayindir is seemingly growing increasingly frustrated with his lack of first-team action.

Finally, Amorim may be keen on signing Danish midfielder Morten Hjulmand, as the speculation over reuniting with his former Sporting CP players continues on.

IN FOCUS: The rise of Patrick Dorgu

Lecce originally acquired Dorgu from Nordsjaelland in his native country, where he was yet to make his first-team debut.

He spent a year in the Italian side’s academy ranks, but once he was promoted into the Lecce first team, there were no second thoughts as he went on to record 34 appearances between Serie A and the Coppa Italia last season.

The teenager’s potential has long since attracted some clubs of serious stature – with his agent namedropping Liverpool, Manchester City and Barcelona before he had even made his Lecce debut – while he made his senior international debut for Denmark during the September break.

This season, he has split his gametime between playing as a left-back or a right winger, developing his output considerably.

Lecce will hope to benefit from their faith in his potential, with Dorgu a candidate to become their record sale when he leaves (eclipsing Morten Hjulmand after his €19.5m move to Sporting CP in 2023).

For now, he remains under contract until 2029. It seems unlikely he will stay at Lecce for all that time, with a big club almost certainly in his destiny.

Ruben Amorim is reported to have urged Manchester United to target a surprise move to bring Son Heung-min to Old Trafford in 2025 – after it was claimed the Red Devils feel a deal is there to be done and they have a chance of prising the iconic star away from Tottenham in 2025.

The 32-year-old star is widely considered the best South Korean star of all time, having moved to Tottenham for a bargain £22m (€30m, $32.5m) back in summer 2015. Now in his 10th season in north London, Son has played a part in an impressive 254 goals (166 scored, 88 assists) in 422 games for Spurs – giving him a goal contribution every 1.66 games.

And having been appointed as club captain following the departure of Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris in summer 2023, Son‘s importance to Spurs – both in terms of his on-field contributions and of the global and commercial appeal he brings – cannot be underestimated.

But with the 32-year-old’s deal in N17 is due to expire next summer meaning the player is eligible to negotiate a pre-contract move overseas from January 1 – just 28 days from now.

However, a surprise report from Givemesport claims that new United boss Amorim sees Son as a ‘viable target’ to bring to Old Trafford next year themselves, with there being ‘plenty of chat around Old Trafford’ that an approach could be made to lure him to the north-west at the end of the current season.

Amorim is looking to help restore Manchester United back to their former glories and, while they have made some quick progress under his management, the club plans to strengthen in a number of key areas across the summer window.

Operating in a 3-4-2-1 formation, Son could be seen as a possible option to play as one of the two No.10’s behind the frontman, forming a potentially devasting partnership with Bruno Fernandes or Marcus Rashford.

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Tottenham have ace up their sleeve to block ambitious Man Utd move for Son

While talks over a new deal for Son at Spurs are yet to see an agreement reached, they do still have a one-year option in his deal that can at the very least ensure the 131-times capped South Korea international remains with the club until summer 2026.

And according to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham have already started the process of activating that option, with the trusted reporter providing an update on his situation on his YouTube channel last month.

“I have something to say about Heung-min Son, a top player of Tottenham Hotspur,” Romano said. “It’s important to say that, according to my information, Tottenham are prepared to take the option to extend the contract of Son.

“So if you check on Son, on all the websites, for example, Transfermarkt, you can see that his contract is expiring in the summer of 2025.

“But Tottenham have an option, have a clause in the contract to extend the deal for one more season, 2025/26, and they are in the process, from what I’m hearing, of extending this contract for one more year.

“This is the idea, this is the plan, the process has already started and so the expectation is for Son to have a longer contract at Tottenham.”

However, reports last month also stated that a sensational parting of ways could be on the cards with the player informing the club that he has no intention of signing a deal for longer than that and the player is seeking one final career challenge away from Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Whether that would force his sale this summer, or whether United would move to pay a fee for him, remains to be seen.

Our transfer correspondent Fraser Gillan has looked into the rumour about United potentially moving for the 32-year-old and at this stage has not been told anything that backs up such speculation.

Man Utd target Feyenoord midfielder; Spurs have Cristian Romero fear

Reports on Wednesday morning claimed Amorim is very much focused on strengthening his attacking midfield in 2025 and has reportedly instructed United bosses to secure a deal for Arne Slot’s former Feyenoord favourite Antonio Milambo.

Per Florian Plettenberg, the 19-year-old ‘fits perfectly’ into the profile of player Man Utd want to sign in the INEOS era.

Elsewhere, reports in Italy claim Man Utd are considering a surprise swoop for Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret.

Finally, TEAMtalk understands Amorim has approved the potential signing of Bayern Munich left-back, Alphonso Davies, though several hurdles need to be crossed before a deal can be nudged over the line.

Over at Tottenham, a fresh report claims Postecoglou is in growing danger of losing Cristian Romero to Real Madrid amid what has been described as growing concerns the club aren’t capable of matching the Argentinian’s ambitions.

Son down the years: a true Tottenham icon

August 2015 – Son signs for Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen for £22m, eclipsing the record of the most expensive Asian player of all time.

September 2015 – Scores his first two goals for Tottenham in a Europa League match.

September 2016 – Equals his Premier League goal tally from the season before in 25 fewer appearances.

October 2016 – Becomes the first Asian player to win the Premier League Player of the Month award.

March 2017 – Scores his first Tottenham hat-trick in an FA Cup win.

May 2017 – Becomes the only player that season to win the Premier League Player of the Month accolade twice.

November 2017 – Becomes the highest-scoring Asian player in Premier League history.

January 2018 – Matches a club record that had lasted 14 years of scoring in five consecutive home games for Spurs.

June 2018 – Receives the first of four Tottenham goal of the season awards.

July 2018 – Earns a long-term contract extension with Tottenham.

October 2018 – Reaches the landmark of 150 appearances for Tottenham and celebrates by scoring a brace, and soon after scores his 50th goal for the club.

April 2019 – Scores the first competitive goal at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

May 2019 – Named Tottenham’s player of the season for the first time.

November 2019 – Scores the first goal of the Jose Mourinho era at Tottenham.

February 2020 – Hits the landmark of 50 Premier League goals.

July 2020 – Picks up the Tottenham player of the season award for the second year in a row.

September 2020 – Scores four goals in a single game for Spurs, all assisted by Harry Kane.

November 2020 – Named the Premier League Player of the Month for the third time in his career.

December 2020 – Wins the Puskas Award for a goal he scored 12 months earlier.

January 2021 – Reaches the milestone of scoring 100 goals for Tottenham.

July 2021 – Extends his Tottenham contract until 2025.

November 2021 – Scores Tottenham’s first goal under Antonio Conte, the third permanent manager in a row for which this was the case.

April 2022 – Enters the top 10 of Tottenham’s all-time scorers after firing in a hat-trick.

May 2022 – Finishes the season as the joint-top scorer in the Premier League along with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, and is named as Tottenham’s player of the season.

April 2023 – Becomes a member of the Premier League’s 100 Club.

August 2023 – Chosen as the new Tottenham captain by Ange Postecoglou.

September 2023 – Scores a North London Derby brace to bring up 150 goals in Tottenham colours, and eventually earns the Premier League Player of the Month award.

December 2023 – Becomes Tottenham’s top assist provider in the Premier League era.

May 2024 – Finishes his first season as Tottenham captain as their top scorer, for the first time when considering all competitions.

Real Madrid could poach a critical Tottenham star amid growing concerns the club aren’t capable of matching his ambition, though Spurs have taken action to prevent an exit, according to reports.

It’s been another season of frustration so far for Tottenham, with the last three results summing up the club’s inability to take the next step.

Spurs pulled off the result of the season so far when demolishing Manchester City 4-0. However, they were then held to a 2-2 draw by Roma in the Europa League before dropping points in the 1-1 stalemate with Fulham last Sunday.

Tottenham have already tasted defeat on five occasions in the Premier League this season. While they’re only three points off of fourth spot, they’ll need to show far greater consistency if they’re to secure Champions League qualification.

And according to a fresh update from talkSPORT, UCL football is quickly becoming a must for centre-back Cristian Romero.

They claim: ‘Tottenham risk losing defender Cristian Romero if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season.’

Real Madrid are ‘known admirers’ of the centre-back and hope to sign at least three new defenders in 2025. Additions are being sought at right-back, left-back and centre-half.

talkSPORT concluded Romero is ‘keen to test himself against Europe’s elite’ in the Champions League. Failure to qualify could result in the 26-year-old pushing to leave.

Tottenham take action to prevent Cristian Romero exit

Romero’s ambition of playing regularly in the Champions League is understandable.

He’s featured in just one UCL campaign (2022/23 season) since joining Spurs. Tottenham finished top of their group thanks to a last-minute victory over Marseille on matchday six, though bowed out of the competition to AC Milan in the first knockout round.

Romero – when fully fit again – will be key to Tottenham’s attempts to return to that competition for next season.

However, according to TBR Football, Tottenham have already taken steps towards preventing what would unquestionably be a damaging exit.

They reported Spurs have approached Romero’s camp with a view to officially opening talks over a contract extension.

Whether Romero will be open to hearing what they have to say could depend on how likely UCL qualification is looking.

Ironically, many Spurs fans will point to Romero’s dip in form this season as one reason why they don’t currently reside in the top four positions.

Latest Tottenham news – Toney, Fagioli

In other news, remarkable reports out of Spain claim Ivan Toney could yet sign for Tottenham or Chelsea less than six months after joining Al-Ahli.

The two London clubs are understood to have retained their interest in the striker who is already weighing up a quick-fire return to England.

Elsewhere, TuttoJuve have revealed Tottenham hold interest in signing Juventus midfielder, Nicolo Fagioli.

Spurs’ good relations with Juventus could reportedly stand the club in good stead. Indeed, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski were both bought from Juve in recent years.