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Tottenham Hotspur talks to sign Atalanta star Ruslan Malinovskyi ‘can soon begin’, but reports claim there’s one transfer twist.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Malinovskyi move…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte and sporting director Fabio Paratici are allegedly eager to sign the Ukraine international with there being some belief that the player has already green-lit a potential move.

However, while Malinovskyi is apparently open to signing for the club, the Lilywhites face competition from Ligue 1 giants Marseille who are also said to hold a real interest.

September 1 looms, and with just under a fortnight of the window remaining, the north Londoners may have to begin making progress in their attempts to sign the 29-year-old.

The Latest: Tottenham talks ‘can soon begin’…

According to reports out of Italy, there has been an interesting update on the links to Malinovskyi.

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TUTTOmercatoWEB claim Tottenham talks ‘can soon begin’ to sign the midfielder, but with one twist.

Indeed, it is now believed that out-of-favour Spurs defender Sergio Reguilon could be inserted into the deal with a player-exchange possible.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Reguilon doesn’t have a future at N17 with Conte apparently having no place for the Spaniard.

Taking this into account, a win-win scenario could be allowing the left-back to join Atalanta in a swap deal for Malinovskyi – especially considering the latter man’s quality.

Often a threat in the final third, the forward finished last campaign as one of the Serie A side’s most threatening players – ranking in their top five when it comes to attempts at goal, key passes made and successful dribbles per 90 (WhoScored).

On top of this, he scored six goals and added four assists domestically with reporters highlighting his fantastic technique at times.

Indeed, journalist Josh Bunting of The Islington Gazzette raved over his ‘stunning left-foot’ after he buried a neat finish against Juventus in February.

Clearly a big game player on his day, Malinovskyi could be a real asset in north London.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a big blow ahead of their Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend…

What’s the latest?

As revealed by ever-reliable football.london journalist Alasdair Gold, Spurs are set to be without starting centre-back and fan-favourite Cristian Romero, who could be set to miss the next four weeks with a muscular injury.

“Understand Cristian Romero is set to be out for a few weeks with a muscle injury,” he tweeted alongside an article.

In that piece, the reporter goes on to explain that the Argentina international picked up an issue during their 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend and that could now rule him out of games in the Champions League and potentially their top-flight clash with champions Manchester City.

Big blow for Conte

Romero has played in every minute of competitive action for the Lilywhites this campaign and has emerged as one of Conte’s best defensive options ever since his arrival in the dugout last November.

Only Rodrigo Bentancur (four per game) has won more tackles than the former Atalanta centre-back (3.5 per game), whilst he tops the charts for passing accuracy (85.5%) when it comes to the Italian’s central defensive options, as per WhoScored.

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The 23-year-old’s form last campaign saw Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher deem him to be the “signing of the season,” which only goes to show how much of an impact he has made in England already, especially when there were other appealing transfers such as Luis Diaz to Liverpool and Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United.

“There’s something special about him,” the ex-Liverpool centre-back told Monday Night Football at the time. “He reminds me of [Ricardo] Carvalho,” he added.

Elsewhere, the aggressive 6 foot 1 titan has been dubbed an “animal” who is “perfect for the Premier League” by former teammate Pierluigi Gollini, who told Standard Sport:

“I think he’s really impressive “on the man”, When he’s man-marking one-v-one, he’s a beast, an animal. The guy is very very strong,” the goalkeeper claimed. “I like him because he’s a very tough guy on the pitch, he’s a guy who never backs down, he always puts his foot, his face, where he needs to.”

Therefore, on the above evidence, Romero’s absence will come as a hugely gutting blow to the manager, who has trusted him to play 21 times since he took the helm.

Conte is likely to have to turn to Davinson Sanchez, who has previously been dubbed a “liability” by pundit Kenny Cunningham, and that’s a worrying sign heading into the weekend.

AND in other news, Levy could sign another £15m “Rolls-Royce” at Spurs as journalist drops transfer claim…

Celtic are reportedly battling it out with their Old Firm foes to land Queen’s Park starlet Cameron Bruce, although the Premiership champions face competition from clubs south of the border.

What’s the word?

According to The Scottish Sun, the Hoops have seen bids rejected for the promising 16-year-old, with a handful of Premier League sides also said to be keeping a close eye on the left-back.

Also in the hunt for the youngster are Celtic’s crosstown arch-rivals Rangers, who have had a bid of their own knocked back by Queen’s Park.

The report suggests that his current club have ‘no intention’ of parting ways with the exciting talent any time soon, with the Championship outfit having only handed him a two-year professional contract in May.

The Glasgow-born full-back has been with the Spiders since joining the youth setup at under-9 level, eventually going on to make his senior debut off the bench in March.

Taylor heir

Such clamour for his signature is a marker of just what a talent the youngster truly is, with those at Parkhead likely to have a real gem on their hands if they can poach him amid such intense rival interest.

While his first-team involvement has been fleeting to date – with the Scotland under-17 international making just two senior outings in total – he has clearly caught the eye with his displays at academy level.

Bruce was lauded by Queen’s Park director of football Marijn Beuker after penning professional terms in May, with the club chief saying: “Cameron is a modern wing back, who possesses a lot of technical skills and game intelligence that not only make him a graceful player, but above all with which he has the potential to grow into an excellent wing-back.”

The young Scotsman would undoubtedly be a player for the future if he were to join Ange Postecoglou’s ranks this summer, although the hope will be that he could be the long-term successor to compatriot and Celtic’s current first-choice left-back Greg Taylor.

The 24-year-old – who signed from Kilmarnock in 2019 – has established himself as the first-choice in his full-back berth at Parkhead, offering a dynamic and relentless attacking threat down the left flank.

In 88 games for the club so far, the £2.25m-rated ace has chipped in with a respectable tally of 16 assists in all competitions, having notably been lauded for his “unbelievable” form in the early weeks of the new season by team-mate Jota.

Also labelled “very, very consistent” by Matt O’Riley, the Scotland international is beginning to really blossom at Celtic Park at present, with the addition of youngster Alexandro Bernabei having potentially spurred him on even further.

Should Bruce join him at the club in the near future, Taylor could well be the man to help guide the youngster as he eventually emerges into the first team, with the teenager seemingly the perfect heir to the 5 foot 9 sensation.

Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby this summer and the Frenchman could prove to be Mikel Arteta’s own version of Mohamed Salah at the Emirates.

It was reported earlier this month that Stan Kroenke had given Arsenal the green light to sign Diaby in a £60m deal, as Arteta looks to bolster his attacking options.

Nicolas Pepe joined Nice on loan earlier this week, which suggests that Arteta is keen to add a winger to his squad before next week’s deadline, and Diaby could be the ideal man.

Last season saw the Frenchman contribute an impressive 13 goals and 12 assists in the Bundesliga for Leverkusen, averaging a superb 7.20 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

No player in Arsenal’s side would contribute to as many goals in the league or average as high a rating in the Premier League last season, which emphasises the quality that Diaby could add to Arteta’s attack.

Freiburg striker Nils Petersen was in awe of the Leverkusen man last season, saying: “He was incredibly dangerous and difficult to stop and he kept on posing problems.”

With that in mind, it will hardly come as a surprise that according to FB Ref, the most similar player to Diaby in terms of style of play is Liverpool star, Mohamed Salah.

The Egyptian winger has established himself as one of the best players in world football during his time at Anfield, contributing 159 goals and 64 assists in 259 appearances for the Reds, winning the Premier League and Champions League with Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Last season saw Salah and Diaby register extremely similar numbers with regards to a number of important attacking metrics. When it came to non-penalty expected goals per shot they were very alike (0.13 vs 0.15), while completed passes into the penalty box (61 each), and dribble success rate (41.0 vs 41.9) was also very similar.

This emphasises that both wingers excel with the ball at the feet, and are equally comfortable scoring chances as they are at creating them.

This is reinforced by WhoScored, which suggests that both Diaby and Salah excel at finishing, playing key passes and playing through balls, which are all key requirements needed as a winger.

Therefore, considering Diaby is just 23 and is already being compared with Salah, it seems like a no-brainer for Arteta to bring him to the Emirates before the transfer deadline, as if he is even half as good as the Liverpool talisman then he will be well worth the £60m price tag.

Leeds United could still sign Cody Gakpo in January after a summer deal ‘collapsed around him’, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown

Fabrizio Romano reported on Transfer Deadline Day that Leeds had reached an agreement on personal terms with Gakpo and indicated a willingness to out-bid Premier League rivals Southampton for his signature.

However, his club PSV Eindhoven ultimately blocked his exit, leaving the Whites looking to the mid-season market for their next opportunity.

Leeds did manage to do one Deadline Day-deal, with Wilfried Gnonto arriving from FC Zurich, but he’s viewed as a long-term project rather than an immediate upgrade on their existing options.

The latest

Jones told Leeds fans to ‘look out for’ Gakpo in the January transfer window because everything has already been ‘set up’ for the deal and Victor Orta and co. had even printed off the paperwork.

“I think Gakpo is the most essential one to look out for.

“The deal was set up, the plane was ready and the paperwork was printed, ready to sign. It just collapsed around him.”

The verdict

Leeds may hope to use the framework of their existing agreement with Gakpo once again in the winter, but there are no guarantees.

Gakpo will be playing in the Europa League with PSV and more significantly, looks poised to feature heavily at the World Cup in Qatar after starting two of the Netherlands’ last three matches.

If he shines on the continental and global stage, his stock will climb even higher, and that may give him the platform to secure Champions League football.

He looks ready to take both competitions by storm, topping both the goal and assist charts in the Eredivisie after a flying start.

The ‘superb’ Gakpo has won some rave reviews from European football expert Alex Barker, who has called the ‘playmaker’ a ‘fun’ and ‘unique’ option, likening him to Kai Havertz, except with more ‘speed and power’.

As such, there’s bound to be significant competition for his signature once the transfer window opens.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has described a pending return from injury for Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo as a “big boost” for Jesse Marsch.

The Lowdown: U21s return

Marsch has been using Pascal Struijk, naturally a centre-back, at left-back in the first six Premier League games of the season.

That’s because Firpo has been sidelined through an injury he picked up in pre-season, however, the club confirmed on Tuesday that the Spaniard is set to feature for the U21s on Friday evening.

Fellow first-team players Liam Cooper, Luke Ayling and Patrick Bamford are also in line to play some part against Southampton.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to The Transfer Tavern after that update, O’Rourke said that having Firpo back after the international break will be a ‘big boost’.

“We haven’t seen Junior Firpo at all due to injury. So yeah, getting these players back fit for after the international break would be a big boost to Jesse Marsch and Leeds.”

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The Verdict: Good news

Leeds’ U21s play three times before Marsch’s first-team take on Aston Villa next month, making it the ideal time to ease Firpo back into action.

It would make sense to build up his match fitness for the U21s, which could result in a place on the bench against Villa.

Firpo’s last appearance was against York City in pre-season back in July, and with Stuart Dallas also still out, having a natural left-back to rival Struijk will be great news going forward.

Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch has previously suggested that summer signing Wilfried Gnonto is “not ready” for first-team action but his fifth senior cap for Italy this week would certainly suggest otherwise.

“No,” the American head coach said in response to one question on whether the 18-year-old would be ‘Premier League ready.’ He added (via LeedsLive): “I didn’t even know that that’s out there. But we know who he is. And with him, it’d be more of a long-term project.”

Since his bargain £3.8m arrival at Elland Road on deadline day, the Italian frontman is yet to register a single minute of game time, though he has featured for the U21s on one occasion.

However, after his cameo in England’s 1-0 defeat to Gli Azzurri, Marsch may well want to change his stance on the former FC Zurich talisman.

Italy boss Roberto Mancini has now called upon the teenager five times, the latest being this 27-minute stint from the bench against the Three Lions, where he certainly caught the eye.

It’s perhaps even fascinating to suggest that a player who has been capped on the international stage at senior level is not ready for the Premier League, yet others who have not done the same feat – Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood spring to mind – are indeed ready.

Gnonto is Italy’s youngest-ever goalscorer, breaking a record held since 1958, so it’s no mean feat to be involved and it certainly suggests that it isn’t down to a mere lack of options in the frontline role for the former Manchester City manager.

The Italian press lauded Leeds’ young forward for his impact, having replaced West Ham United’s Gianluca Scamacca, and it only adds to the glowing endorsements he’s received over the course of his short career to date.

“‘In some ways, like a boy, he’s unpredictable. It is a joy to see him play. In some ways, he is mature like a 25-year-old player. It doesn’t matter who he plays against,” once claimed Zurich’s sporting director Marinko Jurendic (via the Daily Mail).

Meanwhile, Whites’ director of football Victor Orta has dubbed him a “surprise” package and talent scout Jacek Kulig has also described the teen as a “real diamond.”

That unpredictable yet mature nature could be of big use to Marsch after the international break, particularly if any other injury issues arise with Patrick Bamford, who has been restricted to only 13 appearances since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

If Gelhardt and co are ready, then who is the 48-year-old to say that Gnonto is not? Italy’s record-breaker could soon be unleashed after England got a taste of exactly what the 5 foot 5 gem can offer his team.

AND in other news, Orta hit the jackpot on “unbelievable” £15k-p/w Leeds ace whose value has shot up 445%…

Tottenham Hotspur forward Dejan Kulusevski is an injury ‘doubt’ for the Premier League clash vs Arsenal on Saturday, according to journalist Dan Kilpatrick.

The Lowdown: Injury latest

The 22-year-old has been away representing Sweden on international duty for the past fortnight having featured in both of his country’s Nations League fixtures against Serbia and Slovenia.

However, there was cause for concern upon his return to the capital after complaining of tightness in his hamstring, with Antonio Conte remaining very tight-lipped when asked about the situation during his pre-match press conference on Thursday.

The Latest: Kulusevski fitness update

Taking to Twitter, Kilpatrick revealed that Kulusevski will need to be assessed ahead of this weekend’s game after undergoing a medical scan. He wrote:

“Dejan Kulusevski had a scan yesterday after returning from internationals with a suspected muscle problem, and now thought to be a derby doubt.”

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The Verdict: Blow for Conte

Whilst Conte has Richarlison available to play alongside Harry Kane and Son-Heung Min as a replacement, Kulusevski potentially missing out will come as a huge blow to the Spurs boss.

The ‘phenomenon’, as dubbed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has made an instant impact since his arrival in January, providing 11 assists and scoring six goals in just 29 appearances (Transfermarkt).

You’d expect that Kulusevski may not be risked for the north London derby given how recently the injury has taken place and Spurs’ busy schedule, though the Italian will be hoping that his star isn’t facing too long on the sidelines so that he’s back at his disposal as soon as possible.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has claimed that Everton will likely get an offer for Jordan Pickford fairly soon.

The Lowdown: Pickford interest

As per The Telegraph, Manchester United are thought to be considering a move for the goalkeeper, as they are weighing up whether to extend David de Gea’s deal, given that he is entering the final year of his contract.

Tottenham Hotspur also enquired about Pickford’s availability in the summer transfer window, so the Goodison Park club could face a battle to keep hold of him.

The Latest: Offer expected

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has claimed that Everton will likely receive an offer for Pickford ‘pretty soon’ and that the goalkeeper will ‘have to consider’ moving to a team higher up the Premier League table.

The transfer insider said: “It’s a tough one because I genuinely don’t think there are many clubs he would want to leave Everton for. But if they continue at the bottom end of the Premier League, he’s going to have to consider it.

“We saw, when they were at risk of relegation last season, Tottenham were being linked with him. I just don’t think he can stay at Everton for that much longer if they continue to struggle and a genuine offer lands.

“Is he the type of goalkeeper that ten Hag ideally wants? We will have to wait and see. But I do think we’re entering a time when Everton probably will get an offer pretty soon.”

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The Verdict: Keep at all costs

Pickford is a player that Frank Lampard’s side simply need to keep at all costs.

The England international has received a lot of praise for some of his performances so far this season, and the fact that the Toffees have conceded the fewest goals in the top flight (seven) is a testament to how well he has played.

However, if big clubs like United and Spurs – who can both offer him European football – come calling, then it may be hard for Pickford to turn them down, so Everton should only sell if their valuation is met.

Glasgow Rangers appointed Giovanni van Bronckhorst as their manager in November of 2021 and the Dutch head coach has enjoyed a successful time at Ibrox so far.

The Light Blues chief, who spent time at the club during his playing days, led the club to a Europa League final and won the SFA Cup last season, whilst he also secured Champions League group stage football – something Steven Gerrard was never able to achieve – this term.

Not all appointments have worked out for the Gers over the years, though, and one man who found life in Scotland difficult to adjust to in the hot seat was Frenchman Paul Le Guen.

He had won the Ligue 1 title with Lyon in each of his last three seasons in management prior to arriving at Rangers in 2006 and only lasted 23 Premiership matches – winning 11 and losing six – before leaving his post.

His results on the pitch left plenty to be desired and one of his first transfer decisions at Ibrox also turned out to be a huge mistake as he allowed Ross McCormack to leave for nothing.

The then-youngster joined Motherwell on a free transfer after scoring three goals in 13 first-team appearances for the club prior to that summer.

Le Guen seemingly decided that he was not good enough for the senior squad at the time and McCormack has since gone on to enjoy an excellent career.

After joining Motherwell, the Scottish attacker moved to Wales to join Cardiff and scored 30 goals in 88 appearances for the Bluebirds before signing for Leeds United, where he racked up 58 goals and 31 assists in 157 outings.

His form at Elland Road earned him an £11m transfer to Fulham and he was phenomenal for them as he scored 44 goals and provided 22 assists in 100 matches.

He was then at the centre of a tug of war in the summer of 2016 as Norwich and Aston Villa, who had both been relegated from the Premier League, battled it out for his signature. The Villans ended up landing him in a deal worth up to £14m after the Canaries had offered an initial £11m.

This means that he went from leaving Rangers for nothing to being worth a sizeable sum in a short amount of time, having bagged an impressive 132 goals for Fulham, Leeds, and Cardiff combined.

Therefore, Le Guen had a disaster by allowing McCormack to leave as the club missed out on a prolific scorer and creator who went on to accumulate a hefty amount of money in transfer fees throughout his career.

Light Blues fans may look back and wonder what could have been had the attacker been shown an ounce of faith by the French manager and given a chance to impress in the Premiership.

Instead, they had to watch on as he racked up huge profits and goal tallies for his respective clubs in England and Wales.