Football League World

Tottenham Hotspur feel that Tyler Dibling would want to join them should they submit a bid for the Southampton starlet, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The hope at St Mary's is that they will be able to reach another summer of nine-figure sales, emulating the last time they were relegated to the Championship, and that's just from their top English commodities.

It had been reported that they valued Dibling, 19, who has been linked with a number of the Premier League's biggest establishments, at £100 million, which, if met, would make up chairman Dragan Solak's sales hopes in one go. It has since been reported, however, by the Daily Echo that the Saints would want something in the region of half of that bank-breaking amount.

Spurs are one of the teams that have shown keen interest in the midfielder. They had a bid worth £35 million rejected by Southampton for Dibling in January, according to Football Insider. They still feel confident in their abilities to sign the prospect, but there are some question marks hanging over the deal.

Tottenham consider £40 million Tyler Dibling move

According to Jacobs, Spurs would be willing to pay around what they did for James Maddison after he was relegated with Leicester City in 2023 (£40 million). And while they do see Dibling's high ceiling, there is a bit of concern over his lack of playing time towards the end of last season which could prevent them from taking the plunge with the teenager.

"Tyler Dibling is the one that I keep hearing too in terms of a versatile attacker," said the journalist on the Last Word on Spurs podcast. "For him on the right side, Southampton have this public grandstanding £100 million number. But that's not my understanding.

"That's pretty much just games, and Tottenham's perspective with Dibling is that they are pretty much leading the race and now determining if they want to bid.

"And by that, I mean that they feel the player wants to join Tottenham, but they've not decided yet whether because of the second half of the season he had in the Premier League where he didn't play as much, they actually want to proceed with a bid.

"But if they do, they feel like the player will say yes. And the perspective of Spurs is, this isn't a £100 million deal. This is closer to the number that was paid for James Madison. So maybe 40, 45 million might be good enough."

Southampton will be under no pressure to let Dibling leave

Apart from Kyle Walker-Peters, who has now been linked with south coast rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, all of Southampton's best assets are tied down to long-term deals. Dibling's contract runs until the summer of 2027, giving the club plenty of bargaining power in any negotiations with Spurs or other Premier League sides who might fancy going after the midfielder this summer.

Pundit Don Goodman has doubted whether Ben Davies will drop down to the Championship with Wrexham, and may consider better offers as the summer transfer window progresses.

The Welsh outfit have made a return to the second tier for the first time in 43 years and have become the first-ever side to register three consecutive promotions from non-league all the way to the Championship.

Preparations will be getting underway for a crucial summer transfer window, which will be a defining period to where the Red Dragons find themselves come the end of the next campaign.

Talk will brew over whether Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney can help deliver a fourth straight promotion to the top-flight with Phil Parkinson at the helm, but the immediate focus has to be steering clear of the dreaded dropzone.

Wrexham’s summer transfer links have already revolved around players with vast amounts of experience at the top levels of English football, with the likes of Patrick Bamford, Tom Cairney and Jamie Vardy previously rumoured with moves to the Racecourse Ground.

Now, Tottenham defender Ben Davies is the latest name to be thrown into the rumour mill, with the Welshman reportedly entering talks with Wrexham.

Pundit Don Goodman weighs up how likely this move could be and whether he will be wearing a Wrexham shirt come the opening day of the 2025-26 term.

Don Goodman casts doubt over Wrexham move for Ben Davies

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman believes Ben Davies could consider a drop-down to the Championship to earn more game time, but believes he will get more attractive opportunities than Wrexham over the course of the transfer window.

Goodman said: “It seems every player that Wrexham are linked with seems to be the wrong side of 30, but at 32-years-old, and with all that experience, I can understand the appeal of Ben Davies.

“He’s a player that’s looked after himself, so he’s still probably got a few years left. Would he want to drop to the Championship? Maybe.

“He's only started 14 Premier League games last season and 12 the season before, so from his personal perspective, he is now at an age where he needs to be playing football week in and week out, and a club like Wrexham would give him that opportunity.

“It may be a case though, that he may get better offers with respect to Wrexham, so we'll wait and see.”

Ben Davies would be a shrewd addition for Wrexham this summer

Wrexham desperately need players with experience to help them navigate the challenges of a relentless 46-game Championship season, and Ben Davies could be the missing piece to help Wrexham have a resolute defence.

While he may have lost that extra yard of pace, Davies has been an ever-present player in the Premier League and has proven he still has what it takes to play in the top-flight after being a valuable squad player for Ange Postecoglou.

To have a figure of that ilk drop down to the second tier would be a fabulous piece of business, with Davies being able to use his knowhow and excellent ability to read the game to help limit the chances Wrexham concede, which will stand them in great stead of not being sucked into a relegation dogfight.

Whether Wrexham possess the pulling power for someone like the 32-year-old yet remains to be seen, but a return to Wales could be appealing if other moves fail to surface.

Ryan Mason is set to be named as the new manager of West Bromwich Albion, and there is one player with whom he'll already be familiar who he should be making his first target.

West Bromwich Albion seem set to announce Ryan Mason as their new manager.

Albion have been looking for a new permanent manager since sacking Tony Mowbray in April, and the highly-rated Mason has already been reported as being set for talks with the club.

If/when he arrives at the Hawthorns, the new manager will have a lot of work to do. West Brom finished the 2024/25 season in a slightly disappointing ninth place in the Championship, four points from the play-offs, and in a relatively low-scoring division more goals will help to elevate his team.

However, there's one young player who's made a few waves in the EFL this season who he should be looking at very closely indeed.

Jamie Donley proved himself at Leyton Orient in 2024/25

Jamie Donley spent the 2024/25 season on loan from Tottenham with League One side Leyton Orient.

He made national headlines in February over an audacious long-range shot which gave his team the lead against Manchester City in a live, televised FA Cup Fourth Round match.

Donley has already been subject to an international tug-of-love, following his decision to switch international allegiance from England to Northern Ireland earlier this year.

The 20-year-old spent the 2023/24 season in the Spurs first team squad, making three Premier League appearances, but was sent on a season-long loan to Leyton Orient last summer.

He was a key component in Orient's leap into the League One play-offs this past campaign, which ended in heartbreak with defeat to Charlton Athletic at Wembley.

Figures from Sofascore

But, his contribution to an excellent season will not have gone unnoticed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Donley could provide the goals that Mason and Albion need

As a Spurs coach, Ryan Mason will already be plenty aware of Donley's merits and attributes.

He was, after all, appointed the club's head of player development (U-17 to U-23) in August 2020, before moving on to become a first-team coach after impressing Antonio Conte.

Donley's contribution to Orient's 2024/25 season will not have gone unnoticed, and like many teams in the Championship last season, West Bromwich Albion need goals.

They scored 57 in 46 League matches during the 2024/25 season - just 1.24 per match - and Donley's eight goals for the Orient last season was more than anybody bar Josh Maja managed for West Brom.

It's true to say that this young forward is untested at Championship level, but he's played in the Premier League for Spurs and has demonstrated his worth in League One.

Wrexham are willing to offer Spurs defender and Wales legend Ben Davies a glorious finale to his career, Football League World understands.

Rumours are circulating that the veteran defender is wanted by the Red Dragons as they prepare to make their mark in the Championship.

Phil Parkinson's side completed their remarkable third consecutive promotion in as many years this past season, continuing their world-famous rise through English football.

As such, it's expected that promotion will once again be the aim for them in the second tier next term, and they are hoping to make some big splashes in the summer transfer window in order to make that happen.

Wrexham ready to offer Spurs star Ben Davies Hollywood finale to career

Football League World understands the 32-year-old Wales skipper will be afforded the chance to take the final step towards the Premier League with the Hollywood-backed club.

Davies has come to the end of an 11-year stint with the North Londoners, and is seeking a fresh challenge.

Wrexham are not throwing out the blueprint that has seen them towards success - in fact, they are doubling down on it. Parkinson has looked up the leagues to gather the experience necessary to earn promotion.

He’s not going to shy away from using that tactic again, and Davies is one of the names on his wanted list as Wrexham bid to flex their financial muscles in the marketplace.

They have a £25m war-chest this summer, and are able to pay top wages in the Championship to the right people.

Davies is one of those players - however, it remains to be seen whether he feels he has unfinished business in the Premier League.

It would mean dropping down a division to join Wrexham, but with the North Wales club armed and dangerous, a contract of significant length could see them enter the conversation about Davies’s next club.

Signing Ben Davies would surely go down as one of Wrexham's biggest transfer coups of all time

It's not every day that a newly promoted Championship team has the opportunity to sign a player with over 300 Premier League appearances and a Europa League winners' medal to his name - evidently, Wrexham aren't just any newly promoted second tier club.

At 32, Davies has enjoyed a career that has exclusively seen him playing Premier League football, meaning a move to Wrexham would mark the first time in his career he steps foot outside English football's top flight to ply his trade.

As such, there would surely be plenty of Premier League clubs who would welcome his addition to their squad this summer, let alone a Championship one.

The centre-back - who can also operate as a left-back - has also collected over 90 caps for Wales, representing his national side at no less than three major tournaments.

Therefore, there would surely be a natural attraction regarding a move to Wrexham, as it would see him return to his homeland for perhaps the final few years of his career.

His wages could be a sticking point, with Capology's figures - which must be stressed are an estimate - having him earning £80,000-a-week at Spurs.

Charlton Athletic should explore a loan move for Tottenham Hotspur striker Dane Scarlett as Nathan Jones looks to strengthen his attacking options ahead of the Addicks' return to the second-tier.

The 21-year-old striker - who was recalled from his loan spell at Oxford United this past season - could find himself surplus to requirements at Spurs following their qualification for the 2025/2026 Champions League.

Scarlett's situation was quite complex after making his first senior appearance in a 3-0 win over Elfsborg when he went back to Spurs. UEFA regulations prevent players from playing for more than two clubs in the same season - meaning he couldn't be sent back out on loan.

Spurs' boss Ange Postecoglu did say Scarlett has had a couple of disappointing loans and felt the club were better off keeping him in North London for the remainder of 2024/2025, rather than sending him somewhere that would hinder his development further.

This now makes a temporary move to The Valley an attractive proposition for all involved.

How Dane Scarlett would fit in at Charlton Athletic

There is no questioning that the Addick's attacking department has undergone huge changes in recent seasons - the exit of top scorer Alfie May to Birmingham City was a considerable loss at the time.

Nathan Jones responded by bringing in Matt Godden and Gassan Ahadme, whilst also working with academy graduates Miles Leaburn and Tyreece Campbell.

Healthy competition for places does suggest that Scarlett would enter an environment where he would need to earn his opportunities - providing that gaining a competitive edge is necessary for his development.

Furthermore, having experienced poachers around the place like Godden would prove invaluable for Scarlett's growth - offering mentorship while maintaining a nice level of pressure to perform that younger players need to experience.

Nathan Jones could get the best out of Dane Scarlett at Charlton Athletic

Charlton's style of play under Jones appears well-suited to Scarlett's attributes, on the surface of things, as a mobile, energetic striker who can operate well in various attacking phases.

The manager's commitment to developing young talent - evidenced by his work with both Campbell and Leaburn - shows he could be the ideal person to oversee Scarlett's progression.

From Tottenham's perspective, placing Scarlett back in a competitive Championship environment where he could, realistically, expect better playing time would keep their long-term interests content.

Pundit Lee Hendrie has backed Tottenham Hotspur coach Ryan Mason to be a better fit at The Hawthorns over Eric Ramsay, as Albion close in on appointing Tony Mowbray’s successor.

The Baggies have placed the former Spurs midfielder as their number one target, with The Telegraph’s John Percy reporting that the Black Country outfit are set to formally offer him the job this week.

It is yet to be known whether Mason wants to take the job though, with TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook claiming the 33-year-old is still weighing up his options.

Sky Sports have recently reported that the Baggies want to talk to Mason about the vacancy and are set to approach the London club this week to request permission, although it’s unclear what position Spurs will take regarding this.

Meanwhile, Minnesota United boss Eric Ramsay is also in the frame for The Hawthorns hotseat, with Birmingham World reporting that the former Manchester United assistant first-team coach holds admirers in the Black Country for his early work in the MLS.

It appears the West Brom vacancy is narrowed down to these two candidates, with the hierarchy keen to wrap up an appointment before pre-season begins.

With West Brom seemingly closing in on a new manager, Lee Hendrie has discussed who he would prefer to see on the touchline at The Hawthorns this term.

Lee Hendrie prefers Ryan Mason to take the West Brom job

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, pundit Lee Hendrie has backed Ryan Mason for the West Brom job, believing he has now got enough knowledge from his coaching stint at Tottenham to make a name for himself as a manager.

Hendrie said: “West Brom are down to Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay. I look at this and if I personally had to pick, I would go for Ryan Mason.

“He’s had enough time around the game where he’s learnt a lot, and he’s run the ship at times at Spurs, so with fresh, young ideas and knowing the Championship well means he would be a better fit if I’m being honest out of the two.

“I think Mason would be a good appointment for them, and they have to give him the stability and drive to bring in players of his own caliber, and he will probably attract players going into the Championship as well.”

West Brom, Ryan Mason appointment will be a gamble

There’s no doubt the appointment of Ryan Mason to The Hawthorns is a gamble, with the 33-year-old possessing no previous experience of managing in the Championship and taking on his first full-time role in English football.

The appointment could either be a disaster or a masterstroke, and it’s dependent on how quickly Mason can adapt to being the leading figure at a football club and getting used to the relentless nature of the Championship.

With consistently high expectations at The Hawthorns, it’s set to be a season of struggle or success, but Mason will have an excellent opportunity of proving his credentials and bringing about a long-awaited promotion back to the Premier League in B71.

Back in August 2009, soon to be 35-year-old Sol Campbell signed a five-year contract with League Two side Notts County – he lasted less than two months of that five-year deal at Meadow Lane.

Then former England international Campbell had played Premier League football as recently as the previous season with Portsmouth and he was a key part of the Pompey side that had won the 2008 FA Cup just 15 months or so before his move down to the fourth-tier of English football.

A storied footballer, Campbell earned 73 England caps and was a part of the Three Lions’ squads at UEFA EURO 1996, the 1998 FIFA World Cup, UEFA EURO 2000, the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2004 – only playing his last game for his country less than two years before his move to the Magpies.

Within three days of his debut for the club, Campbell had departed Meadow Lane in what was a chaotic and frankly bizarre period for the club – but Campbell bailing out would not come as a surprise to Tottenham Hotspur supporters.

The bizarre Notts County situation

In the summer of 2009, there was a high profile takeover of the club by Munto Finance, who had said they wanted to take the club into the Premier League and former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson was appointed as Director of Football.

County had already brought in many players for the new season before the takeover but then added strikers Luke Rogers and Lee Hughes in the week after the takeover was completed before the arrivals of Campbell as well as Kyle Hawley, Ade Akinbiyi, Kasper Schmeichel, Johnnie Jackson and Matt Ritchie among others – whilst also being linked with players such as Roberto Carlos.

Campbell had begun to suspect that the money involved in the takeover of the club was not real and defender Mike Edwards had said that Campbell had begun to warn teammates of that.

Two days after a 2-1 loss to Morecambe, the Football League confirmed that they were indeed investigating the legitimacy of the takeover and that it had not yet been approved, demanding to be made aware of the identity of the new owners – which remained a mystery.

A day later, Campbell walked out on the club and terminated his contract, saying in his 2014 autobiography, that he “was being a mug” in believing the club’s owners were ambitious billionaires with intentions of making the Premier League.

The Football League did approve the takeover, despite not knowing the identity of the owners, a month later, and a month after that, Eriksson held talks with Roberto Mancini about becoming the new manager.

Eriksson, though, had reportedly himself grown suspicious and concerned about the finances of the club so warned Mancini and told him to wait with Eriksson’s former Manchester City and Mexico assistant coach Hans Backe taking charge instead.

It eventually became clear that the club had been acquired by convicted fraudster Russell King, who had attempted to enlist the club as a fake mining company on the stock exchange but he fled when the scheme collapsed and it left the club in financial turmoil.

Ray Trew completed a takeover later in the season to save the club from bankruptcy and, with Steve Cotterill now in the managerial dugout, County somehow achieved automatic promotion to League One as fourth-tier champions, amid all of the gloom and chaos, with Hughes scoring 30 goals in the league campaign.

Campbell’s habit of a change of heart

Having come through the academy first at West Ham United but then at Tottenham Hotspur, Campbell was worshipped at White Hart Lane as one of the club’s best ever centre-backs, making 315 appearances for the Lilywhites before the end of his contract in the summer of 2001.

Campbell had said in a post-match interview towards the end of the season that he would indeed remain at Tottenham and that he wasn’t leaving the club, even though he had yet to agree terms on a new deal.

However, with no leaks to the press as they arrived for a press conference which was expected to be Arsene Wenger unveiling the signing of Richard Wright, out stepped Campbell, who had decided to join Spurs’ arch-rivals Arsenal.

The lack of rumour or speculation that he would or could possibly move to the Gunners left north London and the footballing world in shock – so Campbell producing a spectacular u-turn, as he did with Notts County, will probably not have surprised many Spurs fans.

In terms of County, whilst they gained promotion, his own concerns about the ownership were proven to be right and, in terms of Arsenal, he did go on to become an ‘invicible’ in the 2003/04 Premier League season as well as winning the 2001/02 league title, three FA Cups and the Community Shield, also scoring the opening goal in the 2006 UEFA Champions League final defeat to Barcelona at Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

Campbell could well make the argument that on both occasions he was right to do what he chose to do in the end but, on both occasions, he had gone back on his word in dramatic fashion.

Tottenham Hotspur coach Ryan Mason is weighing up whether to leave the UEFA Europa League winners and become the new manager at West Brom.

This is according to Alex Crook of talkSPORT, who reports that the 33-year-old is making a decision as to whether or not he leaves his current role - which he has held for the past seven years since his early retirement - in favour of his first permanent managerial job.

The Baggies have been without a manager since April 21, when Tony Mowbray was sacked after losing 3-1 against relegation-battling Derby County at The Hawthorns.

Mason has twice been the interim manager at Tottenham Hotspur, and famously took charge of the club's EFL Cup final against Manchester City in 2021 in just his second ever game in the dugout.

Ryan Mason is in pole position to become West Brom manager

It was reported by Football Insider on Saturday that West Brom had started opening talks with Ryan Mason to become their new head coach.

Now, 24 hours later, the Tottenham coach is reportedly "weighing up whether to leave Tottenham to become the new West Brom manager," per a report from Alex Crook.

The 33-year-old is currently a member of Ange Postecoglou's first-team coaching staff and has been a face in the dugout since his forced retirement in 2018. During that time, he worked for four different managers.

West Brom are aiming to make a swift return to a top-six position in the Championship following a disappointing end to the 2024/25 season, which saw them win just two of their final ten games en route to a ninth-placed finish.

They'll be hoping that the former Spurs and Hull City midfielder will want to end his lengthy stay in North London for a new start in the West Midlands.

Ryan Mason's interim manager record amid West Brom interest

Ryan Mason has had some experience leading training sessions and being the main tactical head on a gameday, however, having been made interim head coach at Tottenham twice after the dismissals of José Mourinho in 2021 and Cristian Stellini in 2023.

His 2021 stint saw him become the youngest ever manager in the Premier League at just 29 years old, winning his first match against Southampton. His second game didn't end in a similar vein, as his Spurs side lost the EFL Cup final to Manchester City.

Over both his periods as interim and acting manager, Tottenham won six, drew one and lost six of his 13 games in charge. An average win percentage, but one that West Brom decision makers likely won't be looking too much into, given his interim status.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leyton Orient are keen on keeping Josh Keeley at the club following his heroic performances while on loan at the club from Tottenham Hotspur.

According to Alan Nixon, the O’s are keen on finding a solution to keep the goalkeeper in the side next season, regardless of what division they’ll be in.

The 20-year-old played a key role in their run to the play-off final, including saving a penalty in their semi-final shootout triumph over Stockport County.

Keeley’s performances this season have also earned him a call-up to the Ireland national team ahead of this summer’s June friendlies.

Josh Keeley deal is vital for Leyton Orient

When asked about Keeley potentially coming back next season, FLW’s Leyton Orient fan pundit Alex Rose claimed it would be the best bit of business they could do all summer.

He praised the goalkeeper as possibly the best shot-stopper in League One this year, and believes that he has all the tools to become a top goalkeeper.

“That will probably be the best bit of business that we could do this summer, regardless of what league we’re in next season,” Rose told Football League World.

“The last three years we’ve had different goalkeepers, and we haven’t had any continuity among the backline.

“Josh has come in around October, November time and has been absolutely amazing.

“I think he’s kept 17 or 18 clean sheets, he’s won three penalty shootouts, he even scored a goal and he’s only 20-years-old.

“He’s Just had his first senior call-up [for Ireland], and that would be the best bit of business that we could do.

“He’s arguably the best shot-stopper in the league, got brilliant distribution, seems a great character.

“He does need to develop, I think physically he needs to get a bit bigger but that will come with age.

“For a 20-year-old goalkeeper, he’s been absolutely fantastic.

“That would probably be the best bit of business that we could do this summer, hopefully it’s on a permanent, but if it’s another year loan then he’s basically been our player for two years and I’d be very happy with that.”

Leyton Orient will play Charlton Athletic at Wembley Stadium on 25 May for a place in the Championship next season.

Keeley deal would be great business for Leyton Orient

While it remains unclear whether a permanent deal for Keeley is feasible, especially if the club remains in League One, another loan move would still be great business.

The youngster has proven a valuable addition to the team, playing a key role in their run to the play-off final.

It’s no surprise that Richie Wellens would be keen to keep him in the squad, as he is someone that has the potential to keep improving.

Leyton Orient are keen to retain the services of on-loan goalkeeper Joshua Keeley, but whether they're able to may depend on how they get on in their League One play-off final against Charlton Athletic.

Play-off finalists Leyton Orient are hoping to retain the services of goalkeeper Joshua Keeley next season, though whether they'll be able to do so may be out of their hands.

The stopper was the hero of their League One play-off semi-final against Stockport County, saving a penalty from Jack Diamond in the shootout which booked them a place at Wembley for an all-London final against Charlton Athletic.

Orient want to keep Keeley, but this may depend on their play-off final result

Journalist Alan Nixon this morning revealed that Orient would like to keep Keeley with them for next season, but warns that this may come to depend on whether they get promoted or not.

According to Nixon, Orient may need to gain promotion in next Sunday's play-off final against Charlton in order to re-sign Keeley, who could be ready for Championship football next term.

Such a situation demonstrates the inherent risk of lower division clubs taking on key players on loan from bigger clubs; if they're successful, they're less likely to stay for the following season.

Josh Keeley has been a class act for Leyton Orient this season

Such have been the quality of Joshua Keeley's performances for Orient this season that whether they can keep hold of him for another season may come down to whether they can offer him Championship football next season themselves.

Keeley signed for Spurs in July 2022 from the Irish club St Patrick's Athletic and was loaned out to National League club Barnet in the January 2024 transfer window. He impressed enough that, when he returned, he was sent out on a season-long loan to Leyton Orient in League One, a level two divisions higher than that at which he'd playing with the Bees. He also earned himself a new three-year contract with Spurs.

His 2024/25 season at Orient has been excellent, with his team grabbing the final play-off place after ending their season with a run of five straight wins from their last five games. He kept 16 clean sheets for them and conceded less than a goal a game, and they're now just one match from a return to the second tier for the first time since 1982.

Such performances will only provoke interest in Josh Keeley from Championship clubs

A solid and consistent goalkeeper is a crucial component for any team looking to have a successful season, and the success of Keeley's loan spell at Brisbane Road will alert some at a higher level to his potential availability for next season.

Should Leyton Orient beat Charlton in the League One play-off final, there would be a solid case for him to stay with the club. Continuity would be better for both the player and Orient, and with another Spurs loanee, Jamie Donley, also having been a success at Orient this season, there is already a close link between Spurs and the East Londoners.

But should they lose this match, the equation starts to look somewhat different. The player himself will want to test himself at this higher level, and Spurs themselves will likely want it as well, so that they can assess whether he's worth retaining on their books in the long-term.