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Tottenham are trying to hijack Napoli’s high-profile move for Lille striker Victor Osimhen. 

Recent reports have suggested that Osimhen is on his way to Serie A after Lille received a colossal offer from Napoli reportedly worth €81m, which roughly equates to £73m.

Osimhen has established himself as one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers after a successful debut season in Ligue 1, scoring 18 goals overall. He has become the latest forward to make a name for himself with the Mastiffs, following in the footsteps of former Chelsea ace Eden Hazard and Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe.

The Nigerian seemed to be close to completing a move from the Stade Pierre Mauroy, but circumstances have now changed. According to L’Equipe, as relayed by Goal, Spurs are set to launch a last-ditch attempt to try and sign the striker in the summer.

L’Equipe claimed that Mourinho is confident he can steal a march on Napoli and tempt Osimhen to join Tottenham instead. The 21-year-old has previously indicated he wants to move to the Premier League but it is believed his position has shifted after the offer from the Azzurri, as he rejected a bid from Arsenal earlier this year.

While Osimhen would certainly be a dream signing, it is hard to believe this is anything other than wishful thinking. Daniel Levy has made it clear that he will not be splashing the cash this summer, after taking out a £175m loan from the Bank of England to alleviate financial pressure from these uncertain times.

Mourinho is fully aware that his budget has been strictly limited and he will have to rely on swap deals, free agents and bargain deals to improve his squad before the start of next season.

Tottenham desperately need to sign a backup striker to cover for Harry Kane, as the England international missed a large chunk of the season after suffering a hamstring injury.

Lille are demanding at least £70m for the youngster, which is something Spurs simply cannot afford at the moment.

Tottenham fans, should the board sign Victor Osimhen this summer? Let us know down below!

Amidst all the focus on Rangers’ attempts to have the SPFL investigated, it’s easy to forget that the transfer windows looms on the horizon.

And according to recent reports, the Gers have their eyes set on Liverpool midfielder Pedro Chirivella.

As per Duncan Castles’ Transfer Window podcast, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is keen to sign the 22-year-old on a free transfer this summer.

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Reports earlier had suggested that the Spaniard had agreed terms with French outfit Nantes, but it now appears, Rangers have entered the race to sign him at the last moment – and whilst he may not exactly be a high-profile name, he may be exactly what the Ibrox side could do with for next season.

Aside from the obvious fact that Gerrard will know all about Chirivella from his time at Anfield, Rangers will be getting a midfielder who has all the raw materials to become a real general in the engine room.

Liverpool’s former U23s boss Neil Critchley spoke glowingly of the Spaniard’s talents, and it appears he has that innate leadership that can rub off well on others around him.

He said: “For such a young player and a young person, he has unbelievable intelligence and experience of playing the game and he passes that on to everyone around him. He gives everything to the team and for the team. He never thinks of himself and he sacrifices himself all of the time. I am so delighted for him that he is reaping the rewards of all the hard work and effort he puts in.”

As per Whoscored, he has an impressive career average of two tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game, whilst he boasts a fine passing accuracy of 83%. The 22-year-old is adept at breaking up the play and then moving it on with the minimum of fuss, and having someone like that to screen the Rangers back-line and then kick-start quick counter-attacks could prove to be crucial.

And having seen him first-hand at Anfield, Gerrard will surely relish the chance to mould Chirivella into a star at Ibrox, and prove that his former side got it wrong by allowing him to go in the first place. The Rangers boss has already brought in some Liverpool connections in the likes of Ryan Kent and Sheyi Ojo, so the Spaniard could be the next. It has all the makings of a really shrewd deal.

Newcastle United supporters were hit with a fresh twist on their prospective £300m takeover on Thursday evening.The Telegraph revealed a leaked letter from the Premier League’s CEO Richard Masters in which he responds to Hatice Cengiz, who has publicly opposed the Saudi-backed deal since day one. She is the fiance of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi.They claim that the Premier League are “fully considering” calls to stop the takeover from happening. Masters wrote in the letter that he was “extremely sympathetic” to the situation surrounding Cengiz, but refused to meet her following a request.It’s also believed that it is the first time in the PL’s owners and directors test that allegations of murder and human rights abuse have been examined.Magpies fan, actor and popular social media presence Steve Wraith delivered a verdict in response to these claims on Twitter this morning. He played down the report and stated that it would not affect United’s takeover.He said:

Whenever a fresh piece of information breaks surrounding the takeover, many at St James’ Park become worried that their dreams of seeing Mike Ashley gone are in doubt, which is quite understandable considering just how long this process has already taken – it’s been in the hands of the PL for two months.

However, it’s majorly encouraging to hear comments like Wraith’s as he is rather confident of the Saudi-backed consortium’s chances of taking control of the club in due course.

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It may be draining and tiresome for some, but a little more patience will be required before this one gets over the line.

AND in other news,ÂMiguel Delaney hints decision date for Newcastle takeover

Manchester City have been totally reformed under Pep Guardiola’s watchful eye and even though Liverpool have seized the initiative in the current Premier League campaign, the Citizens are still a force to be reckoned with in England.

However, with 14 goals conceded in 13 games, their defence remains something Guardiola needs to address if he is to keep up with Jurgen Klopp’s side this season.

One particular area of interest he should be looking into is definitely his left-back situation.

Benjamin Mendy, for all his qualities, turned out to be a far riskier and injury-prone option than Guardiola could have anticipated.

With numerous fitness issues throughout 2018/19 and one already behind him in 2019/20, the 25-year-old Frenchman is not a reliable solution for a team that’s chasing their third Premier League title in a row.

But there is one player that fits the criteria of being a Guardiola full-back through and through: Jose Gaya.

The 24-year-old left-back is currently plying his trade over at Valencia in Spain and even though he still has a long way to go, he is already one of the hottest prospects in that position.

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Recently, he was actually linked to Manchester United but has everything City would need in a full-back.

Guardiola traditionally likes full-backs that can attack – which is visible in both Mendy and Kyle Walker as the Frenchman has averaged one key pass and 1.5 dribbles per game this season, while he provided five assists in his last season at Monaco in Ligue 1.

Walker, meanwhile, already has one goal and two assists to his name in the ongoing campaign – and Gaya would definitely meet that criteria.

After all, he’s been able to net five goals and 22 assists during his stay with Valencia’s senior team and can also boast decent figures, with 0.4 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game this season in La Liga.

Let’s not forget the amazing defensive work that he does with 2.1 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game so far in the league and not to mention that he has been dribbled past just 0.4 times per game.

Of course, he is still young and he could undoubtedly improve under Guardiola.

But even at this stage of his career, he can boast experience in La Liga, Europe and the international stage, as he has won seven caps for Spain’s senior team as well.

Gaya might not be the most hyped name on the market or someone as developed as the likes of Alex Sandro or David Alaba, but with Guardiola’s guidance and his innate talent, he could very well become a perfect solution for Manchester City.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Sheffield Wednesday are already back in Championship action tonight, just a few days after succumbing to a fourth straight game without victory.

The Owls were defeated 2-1 by league leaders West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns, but this evening’s game against Birmingham City gives them a chance to put it all right to get back on track with their promotion aim.

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Garry Monk’s side were only downed by an 88th-minute penalty so there are further encouragements to be had, although, the 40-year-old can improve their chances by making one major call in midfield.

On the Chalkboard

It was quite baffling to see Massimo Luongo excluded against the Baggies on Saturday afternoon as the Australian only came on for the final 20 minutes.

The 27-year-old had been out for the best part of a month through injury, but in the week leading up the match, Monk revealed that he had a fully fit squad to choose from, which makes his omission all that stranger.

Luongo had started to prove to be one of the Owls’ major threats in attack as he notched two goals in three matches, both of which were the winners in 1-0 victories.

His goal involvement had turned out to be crucial, not only because they handed Wednesday three points, but because it means someone other than top goalscorer Steven Fletcher was chipping in, which has long been a problem this season.

Having joined the club in the summer, Luongo had to wait until October to garner his first start before being handed a run in three straight matches – where he recorded four shots at goal, three key passes, and won 12 aerial duels, via WhoScored.

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By comparison, the midfielder that started ahead of him was Kieren Lee, who just isn’t a scratch on the one-time Ballon d’Or nominee – this season, the 31-year-old has only averaged 0.6 key passes, 0.2 shots and 0.3 dribbles per game from 11 appearances.

It is clear to see on that basis, Monk could seriously do with a maestro like Luongo starting in the middle. He has more than enough security to do so defensively with Sam Hutchinson holding down the anchorman role.

In other news, there’s only one choice to replace Liam Palmer over the next few games…

A lot of West Ham fans enjoyed footage posted by the club on Twitter showing a tremendous victory at Upton Park back in May 2007.

The game, played 13 years ago yesterday, saw the Irons beat Bolton 3-1, with two goals coming from Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez, whilst the other came from club legend Mark Noble, as per BBC. Tevez was a great signing for the East London side in the one season he was at the club (2006/07), scoring seven goals and picking up four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

In that campaign, the Irons narrowly avoided the drop as they finished 15th in the Premier League, but were only three points away from Sheffield United in 18th, as per Sportsmole.

Tevez’s goals throughout the season and the win against Bolton proved vital to the club staying in the division that year and the footage gave the West Ham faithful fond memories of an eventful season in England’s top flight.

Here is what some Hammers fans had to say following the club’s tweet:

West Ham fans, was Tevez one of the best strikers to play for the club? Comment below with your views!

Dwight Gayle’s future remains unclear but his lack of opportunities this season suggest Newcastle wouldn’t be against moving him on in January if the deal was right.

West Brom, where the striker enjoyed a successful year-long loan spell last term, could be ready to make an approach for him, with another loan move on the cards to make up for the lack of success from summer recruits Charlie Austin and Kenneth Zohore.

So far this year Bruce has relied heavily upon Joelinton, with both Andy Carroll and Yoshinori Muto both being used sparingly, which suggests they too aren’t fancied much by their manager.

With Gayle in a similar scenario, and likely frustrated at only playing five minutes this term, he may well be willing to move on.

His lack of involvement is somewhat of a surprise since he struck 24 times in all competitions last year, and since the team lack someone of his poaching instinct it may be best if they retained his services.

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Our Football FanCast writers discussed whether the club should hang onto him for the rest of the season, here’s what they had to say.

Lewis Blain

“Steve Bruce would be making a catastrophic error by allowing Dwight Gayle to leave and not giving him a chance this season.

“The tricky little striker may have had his injury troubles, but once he gets past those he should be raring to go. He’s able to provide the sort of threat that no other forward can provide.

“In the last three seasons Gayle has netted 53 goals, which is good going considering he started no more than 34 games in any one campaign. In the last campaign he managed 2.4 shots per game while he was fouled on average 1.5 times a match – not one Magpies player betters the first figure while it is only Miguel Almiron out wide that is felled more often.

“If Bruce thinks he is a good manager, then he should look to get the best out of Gayle instead of selling him on.”

Danny Lewis

“Newcastle should be ensuring they keep Gayle rather than loaning him out. He scored plenty last season and considering they aren’t exactly free-scoring, it is only a matter of time until he gets a bit more action.

“Steve Bruce has tried to sign Gayle various times throughout his managerial career, so it would be a waste to loan the striker out when the boss finally has him at his disposal.

“Gayle has been unlucky with the calf problem that has plagued his season, as he even had to have a period of complete rest. With that in mind, it is natural that he is being eased back into things very slowly. Bruce will just need to hope that having him back in the team is worth the wait.”

Charles Jones

“Dwight Gayle should be given a chance before he’s allowed to leave on loan.

“Newcastle have struggled for goals their strikers as they’ve largely relied on goals from their midfield and defence to get them over the line – as shown by the fact Ciaran Clark and Jonjo Shelvey are the side’s joint-top goalscorers.

“Gayle knows where the net is, he scored 23 goals in the Championship, one in the play-offs last season, and even though the Premier League is a higher standard the art of goalscoring doesn’t really change all that much between the divisions.

“The Magpies would be foolish to ignore a player as talented as Gayle.”

Kealan Hughes

“This is a tricky one, as Gayle would provide something different to the Newcastle attack but at the same time he doesn’t fit in with the style Bruce has implemented, as he is not suited to holding the ball up and bringing others into play.

“While he could act as an impact sub when Newcastle are chasing games, Bruce may think that he can let him go in order to free up funds to bring in an additional striker.

“If fit, the striker at least deserves chances between now and January. That could make or break his Magpies career, but since Bruce has admitted he’s admired Gayle in the past, then it’s possible he’ll persuade his manager against letting him go.”

According to Claret & Hugh, Michail Antonio could return to first-team training with West Ham United over the next few days.

And it would be fair to say that the news has gone down very well with the club’s fans.

Antonio has been on the sidelines since picking up a hamstring injury – which required surgery – during the EFL Cup second-round clash with Newport County at the end of August.

In total, the Englishman has missed the club’s last nine matches in all competitions, including eight in the Premier League.

According to Claret & Hugh, the 5 ft 11 ace is expected to be available for selection after the international break as he closes in on a return to training with the Hammers.

Ever wondered how modern day skills would cope with the world’s oldest football? Find out in the video below…

West Ham are currently on a six-match winless run in all competitions and suffered a disappointing 3-2 home defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday.

However, the news that Antonio could soon be available has been extremely well received by the club’s supporters, as shown by the tweets below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Liverpool seem more “mature” and will win the Premier League this season, former Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has told Sky Sports.

What did he say?

The Reds are flying high so far this term in the league. They currently top the table by eight points from Leicester City and Chelsea, whilst the Citizens are a further point back in fourth.

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And the 71-year-old former England boss has said that he believes Jurgen Klopp and Co will be ahead of the rest come the end of the season as well. He said: “It will be their year, for sure.

“Klopp is doing excellent. They’re playing very good football, there’s a good spirit and they always come back even if they are down. I am quite sure that this is the year that Liverpool will win the Premier League and it’s about time.

“They played very well last season. Of course, they won the Champions League but they seem to be even more mature and they believe in what they’re doing.

“They believe that they are the best, even if they are down they come back and they trust what they are doing.”

Fail to succeed

It does look very good for the Merseyside outfit right now. After 30 years without a league title, they are now in pole position. It really is theirs to lose.

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It is interesting to see Eriksson mentioned maturity and belief. This, surely, has come from the previous failures both Klopp and the Reds have endured. The 52-year-old lost six finals in a row, both with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, before winning the Champions League, whilst the Reds lost seven finals in a row before becoming European champions in Madrid last year.

Tasting defeat may hurt in the moment, but in the long run, it can be a good thing. Losing makes the desire to succeed and come out on top even stronger, and when you do win, the will to prevail again is present. When you know how difficult losing is, it is not something you do not want to go through again.

Liverpool can use their past failures to their advantage this term. Last season, they were agonisingly close to winning the Premier League, with the 97 points they picked up being a record for the a second-placed team in England. They were just one point behind City, and even led by seven points at one moment in the campaign. Missing out on the final day will have hurt. They will be desperate to avoid doing so again.

In other news, it has emerged that one Liverpool star turned down PSG and Manchester City before moving to Anfield.

This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.

Walter Zenga was a busy man in the summer of 2016, signing 10 players in one month for Wolves after he became their manager on July 30th (as per BBC).

Among the last batch to arrive just before the August 31st deadline (as per BBC) was midfielder Romain Saiss, who signed from French club Angers for a fee of £3.6m, according to TransferMarkt.

BBC reporter Mike Taylor wasn’t wholly unconvinced by Wolves’ scattergun approach in the market that summer, saying: “How much value they will get for their money will not be clear for some time. If things go well, Wolves could have a midfield full of continental flair, but it will be a challenge to get the best out of those players in the gruelling Championship once the days grow short.”

Zenga’s stay at Molineux was decidedly brief, with the Italian sacked after just three months in charge, but Saiss would have far greater longevity in the Black Country.

He was by no means a fixed presence in Wolves’ line-up in his first season at the club, starting 19 Championship games and coming on in five more, but once Nuno Espirito Santo pitched up at Molineux in the summer of 2017, the fortunes of club and player would accelerate rapidly.

Saiss made 42 league appearances (37 as a starter) in the 2017/18 campaign as Wolves romped to promotion back to the Premier League after a six-year absence, the Moroccan chipping in with four goals and impressing sufficiently to make his country’s World Cup squad, featuring in two games at the tournament in Russia.

In preparation for Wolves’ top-flight return, Nuno brought in a multitude of players that summer, including midfielders Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker. [via TransferMarkt]

The heightened competition for places had an impact on Saiss’ involvement in the team, featuring in just half of their Premier League games last season and starting only 12.

However, he applied himself very diligently whenever he was on the pitch – only three Wolves players won more aerial duels per game last season than the Moroccan’s 3.2, while he was also in the top five for tackles (2.1) and interceptions (1.4) per game. [via WhoScored]

Despite those impressive figures, he appeared to be on his way out of the club at one stage this summer, with Turkish journalist Sercan Dikme tweeting in August (via @sercan_dikme) that representatives from Besiktas were negotiating a potential transfer with Wolves.

The 29-year-old stayed put, though, and is on course to feature more prominently this season, with six Premier League starts and six Europa League starts (between qualifying and group stage) to his name already, as per TransferMarkt.

Saiss has made his mark in the latter competition, scoring the equaliser in last week’s 2-1 win away to Slovan Bratislava, and is one of only four players still at the club from the first half of the 2016/17 season. He has again displayed his aerial ability this term, winning 2.9 headers per game – only Willy Boly has a better average, as per WhoScored.

Zenga may have barely had time to organise his desk at Wolves, let alone build a legacy, but his fleeting era has left behind a lasting presence in Saiss, who has repaid his reported £3.6m transfer fee with eight goals in 110 appearances following Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Newcastle.

The most recent of those helped Wolves to an away win in Europe, something that would have seemed rather far-fetched when he came to a club that finished 14th in the Championship the season before his arrival.

Wolves fans, do you think Saiss has proven to be excellent value at a reported fee of just £3.6m? Have your say by commenting below!