Inside Futbol

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Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are both interested in signing Reims’ young goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen, who has impressed for the Ligue 2 side this season.

The 20-year-old has been an ever-present figure in goal for the French second division team, playing in each of their 33 games and managing 15 clean sheets.

His contributions, though, have not been enough to secure his side automatic promotion to Ligue 1 as they continue to fight to get into the playoffs.

Teams, particularly from England, have taken note of Jaouen’s potential and are plotting moves for him in the upcoming summer transfer window.

According to French sports daily L’Equipe, there is interest from Tottenham and Newcastle, both of whom have requirements in the goalkeeping department.

And, along with Brighton, who are also keen, they have ‘launched a race’ for Jaouen, who is a France Under-21 international.

In London, relegation battlers Tottenham look to be one step away from selling their current number one Guglielmo Vicario to Inter Milan following a second meeting in London with their sporting director Piero Ausilio.

With question marks still over Antonin Kinsky and a need for another goalkeeper even if he stays, they are keen on Jaouen.

Standing at six feet six inches, Jaouen promises to be a physical presence between the sticks, but a move from the Lilywhites will depend on their survival in the Premier League.

Newcastle, on the other hand, are also on the lookout to add an option to their goalkeeping department to provide competition to Nick Pope, with Aaron Ramsdale on loan.

They have Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel on the shortlist but face competition from German giants Bayern Munich.

Despite being under contract at Reims until 2029, the French side do expect to see Jaouen depart in the summer.

The 20-year-old’s current club value him at around €15m to €20m, a fee that is not beyond the reach of his Premier League suitors.

While Tottenham and Newcastle would undoubtedly make for appealing destinations for the goalkeeper, he may view Brighton as the safest first step into the Premier League.

It is unclear if any of the trio view Jaouen as someone who could come in as a number 1 straight away.

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Roma are prepared to erect a wall to keep full-back Wesley Franca amid mounting interest from Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, as they await clarity on Tino Livramento’s future, which could shape both clubs’ next moves in the market.

After more than 130 appearances for Flamengo, the 22-year-old caught Roma’s attention last February, with the Italian side reportedly seeking Everton’s assistance to land their target, but ultimately opted to wait until the summer, when they secured his signature for €30m including bonuses.

Signing a five-year deal, Wesley has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign at the Stadio Olimpico, featuring in 37 matches, scoring five goals and providing two assists, performances that have put him on the radar of several of Europe’s elite.

His displays have attracted interest from Premier League heavyweights, with Tottenham and Newcastle monitoring his progress, alongside Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato.it, the Serie A outfit have no intention of parting ways with him and are prepared to resist any approach unless a huge offer arrives for the Brazil international.

Livramento is another defender firmly on Tottenham’s radar, though the north London side face stiff competition from Manchester City and Arsenal for his signature.

With Kieran Trippier set to depart this summer, Newcastle are eager to retain Livramento, but the prospect of a new challenge could tempt the England international, who has been with the Magpies since 2023.

Club Years Atletico Tubarao 2020 Flamengo 2021-2025 Roma 2025- Wesley Franca’s career history

The club’s decision on the 23-year-old is expected to trigger a domino effect in the transfer market, potentially drawing in the same suitors monitoring Wesley.

Spurs, meanwhile, are short of options in that role, with Pedro Porro their only natural right-back and Djed Spence, primarily a left-back, filling in as cover.

As a result, they hold strong interest in both the six-cap Brazil international and the Premier League-proven Livramento.

However, the Lilywhites must first focus on their relegation battle, sitting just one point above 18th-placed West Ham United with three games remaining.

All will unfold in the summer once clubs gain clarity on their outlook for next season, and it remains to be seen whether Premier League sides firm up their interest in Wesley, who still has four years left on his Roma deal and would command a significant fee if he were to leave the Italian capital.

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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Conor Gallagher did not run a record distance within a Premier League game in Spurs’ win at Aston Villa.

Spurs travelled to Villa Park on Sunday to face an Aston Villa side still feeling the effects of their midweek Europa League semi-final first-leg defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Just four games into Roberto De Zerbi’s tenure, Spurs arrived buoyed by their first win under the Italian, secured at Molineux against Wolves the previous week.

With momentum on their side, the Lilywhites capitalised, producing a commanding display to beat Unai Emery’s men 2-1, as winter arrival Gallagher opened the scoring with a crisp strike from distance, his first goal for the club.

The former Chelsea captain, who chose Spurs over a move to Villa Park, played the full 90 minutes and delivered a tireless display, driving the press and picking up the man of the match award.

In the aftermath, a statistic gained traction on social media suggesting the 26-year-old had covered a Premier League record 13.34 km during the match, underlining his tireless presence across the pitch.

However, according to journalist Alasdair Gold, that is wide of the mark.

Gallagher’s recorded distance at Villa Park stood at 11.6 km, debunking the claim, with the English midfielder having logged greater distances in a Spurs shirt since his January arrival, notably against Manchester City and West Ham United.

Club played for Chelsea Charlton Athletic Swansea City West Brom Crystal Palace Atletico Madrid Tottenham Hotspur Clubs Conor Gallagher has played for

The highest distance covered in a Premier League match this season remains 13.24 km, set by Bruno Guimaraes during Newcastle United’s clash with Leeds United back in January.

Gallagher’s output against Emery’s side was well short of that benchmark, ranking 391st across the league this season.

De Zerbi has already spoken highly of the 26-year-old, expressing a desire to see him rediscover the levels he previously showed at Chelsea.

Sunday’s victory lifts Tottenham out of the bottom three, moving them a point clear of Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham, who sit on 36 points, handing the Italian’s side renewed momentum ahead of the final three games of the campaign.

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Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool target Marcos Senesi has rejected Serie A giants Juventus, bolstering the Premier League duo’s chances of landing the defender in the summer.

Senesi was signed for Bournemouth in 2022 by manager Scott Parker and the defender moved from the Rotterdam-based Feyenoord on a four-year deal.

The defender was highly sought after prior to his move to Bournemouth, as Spanish giants Real Madrid, and Brighton and Newcastle United in the Premier League were credited with an interest.

Since his move to England, Senesi has established himself as a consistent performer for a Bournemouth side who have crept up the Premier League table steadily.

His passing out from the back in particular has become a key component for Bournemouth, making himself indispensable to the side.

The effectiveness of his line-breaking passes from defence bear evidence in his statistics since Andoni Iraola took over at the club.

He has five assists this season to match his tally from the 2023/24 season, a campaign in which he also scored four goals.

While Senesi endured a disrupted season last time around, his importance has not passed Bournemouth by, with the Cherries said to have made at least three contract offers to keep him at the club.

With no agreement forthcoming and with Senesi free to discuss terms with European clubs from January, the Argentine has been linked with a slew of clubs, with potential suitors also aware of the bargain they will be obtaining.

Fenerbahce were said to be willing to meet a wage demand of €5m per year from Senesi.

Juventus were then said to have joined the race to sign Senesi, with the club quickly upping their own offer to try and convince him to head to Italy.

It then emerged that Juventus’ offer was of a four-year duration, as they offered wages ‘approaching those of Tottenham’.

Liverpool recently were said to have re-entered the race for Senesi, which was viewed as a setback for Juventus.

It has now emerged that Senesi has rebuffed the chance to join Juventus and, according to Italian journalist Mirko Di Natale, ‘says no’ to the Bianconeri.

Senesi has instead indicated a desire to ‘stay in the Premier League’, increasing the chances of both Tottenham and Liverpool signing him.

Senesi will remain one of the most attractive bargains in the market, as long as he does not commit to any particular club.

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Juventus, Roma and RB Leipzig are all keeping a close eye on Tottenham Hotspur star Radu Dragusin as the Lilywhites are expected to sell the centre-back this summer.

Dragusin arrived at Spurs in the winter of 2024 from Italian side Genoa, but has not been able to solidify his place in the starting eleven in his two and a half year stint at the club.

His spell has been hit by injury, however even when fit the Romanian has been down the pecking order.

The 24-year-old centre-back has only made nine appearances in the Premier League this term, despite the club appointing three different managers this season.

The Romanian international’s contract runs until June 2030, but in January he drew interest from Italy, with several sides assessing the possibility of signing him.

There is expected to be further interest in the summer window and it was suggested last month that Tottenham could lower his asking price to help a move happen.

Now Dragusin’s ‘future seems increasingly distant from London’, according to Italian outlet TuttoJuve.

In Italy, Juventus and Roma are the ‘most notable’ clubs interested and they are keeping a close watch on Dragusin’s situation.

Interested club League Juventus Serie A Roma Serie A RB Leipzig Bundesliga Keeping an eye on Radu Dragusin

Dragusin could have an option in Germany too, with RB Leipzig also having the centre-back in their sights.

The defender was wanted in Germany before he signed for Tottenham and notably snubbed interest from Bayern Munich in favour of heading to north London.

Spurs are currently in a relegation battle with Nottingham Forest and West Ham United, but they moved out of the bottom three following a 2-1 win over Aston Villa.

With only three games remaining, manager Roberto De Zerbi will want to secure Premier League safety for his side, and an ex-Spurs boss feels the Italian head coach could become a “hero” if he avoids the drop.

Spurs could see an overhaul at the heart of defence next season, with defensive duo Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero potential departures in the summer.

De Zerbi will also want to make his mark when it comes to reshaping the squad.

It is unclear where Dragusin will play next season, but with Spurs willing to move on from him and several clubs interested in his signature, it seems likely his time with the Lilywhites may not extend into next season.

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Former Leeds United forward Jermaine Beckford has urged the Whites to take at least a point, or all three, against Tottenham Hotspur, a result that could dent Spurs’ season amid the relegation fight.

Leeds secured a vital victory over Burnley on Friday night under the lights at Elland Road, running out 3-1 winners to move onto 43 points with three games remaining in the Premier League.

The weekend then saw West Ham United suffer a heavy 3-0 defeat to Brentford, while Tottenham produced a dominant 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park.

The results triggered a shift in the standings, with the Hammers slipping into the drop zone, leaving a seven-point gap to Daniel Farke’s side, who still have to face the relegation battlers before the campaign concludes.

Leeds can still play a decisive role in the survival race, with a visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 11th May, followed by a home meeting with Brighton, before closing out the campaign at the London Stadium.

On Friday night, before confirmation of their rivals’ results, Beckford outlined Leeds’ immediate priorities, highlighting the clash with the Lilywhites as a fixture that could shape both sides’ seasons.

He indicated that taking points from that encounter would not only dent Tottenham’s ambitions but also maintain momentum heading into the final two matches, urging Leeds to ‘ruin’ Spurs’ campaign.

Result Competition Leeds United 1-2 Tottenham Premier League Leeds United 1-4 Tottenham Premier League Tottenham 4-3 Leeds United Premier League Last three Leeds United-Tottenham meetings

The former Jamaica international also stressed that a single point would all but secure Leeds’ status, adding that their current tally should be enough to keep them in the Premier League.

Beckford said on LUTV (11:53): “Yes, look, first and foremost, we’ve got to deal with Spurs.

“They’re up first.

“Get a point or three points against Spurs.

“It ruins their season because I can’t see them picking up too many points, and then we’ve got West Ham at the end of the season, which will be intriguing away at their place.

“But the exciting part is, if we are able to pick up a point, we’re guaranteed.

“We are safe, we’re staying in the Premier League, but we are guaranteed to be in the Premier League.”

Since Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment, Tottenham have taken seven points from a possible 12, though the Italian boss remains wary of the threat posed by Farke’s side, acknowledging their strong run in form.

Farke will not want Leeds to let up, even if they are all but sure of survival, as he will know the higher up the Premier League table they can finish the more attractive prospect they will make for potential signings.