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Crystal Palace are plotting a bid for Swansea City midfielder Flynn Downes.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Ian Mitchelmore, who writes in WalesOnline that Palace are one of several Premier League clubs interested.

The Eagles are set to battle it out with Southampton and Wolves for his signature.

Swansea were reportedly expecting huge interest in him, as one of their standout performers, and is valued between £11m to £12m.

Imagine him and Doucoure

With the imminent announcement of new signing Cheick Doucoure, it appears that Patrick Vieira is building a new midfield to make up for the absence of former star loanee Conor Gallagher.

This tricky midfielder could be the touch of class to go alongside the midfield powerhouse that has already been tied down.

The £1.8m-rated maestro boasted a 6.83 average SofaScore rating, which is impressive given his age and consistency across 37 games.

Perhaps the 23-year-old could act as a metronome for Palace, given his 92.6 pass success percentage and 0.5 key passes per 90.

This, alongside the 2.26 interceptions and 6.87 progressive carries per 90 of Doucoure, could provide the perfect balance with regards to both offensive and defensive output.

Downes’ performances led Swansea manager Russell Martin to label him “incredible”.

He continued: “He has all the ingredients he needs to play at the very top. He knows how I feel about him and how we feel about him as a coaching staff and what his ceiling can be. I think he can go and play wherever he wants eventually.”

Vieira knows a thing or two about taking part in a near-perfect midfield, and if Downes and Doucoure can strike a connection early on it could help propel Palace, allowing them to build on their impressive 12th-placed finish last term.

Supporters from Selhurst Park can get excited at the prospect of this signing, as their business whilst dipping into the Championship has been impressive in the past.

Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise are two successes, and in Downes, they could have found another who could be the perfect midfield partner for their other prospective new signing.

AND, in other news: “Palace would be…“: Transfer insider drops huge update, supporters will be buzzing.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, speaking on live TV, has now shared an update on Tottenham Hotspur and their chances of signing Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni.

The Lowdown: Spurs set to be busy…

The signing of Yves Bissouma from fellow Premier League club Brighton sealed a third addition of the summer transfer window for manager Antonio Conte, but it is reliably believed that the Italian has his sights on further deals.

According to The Evening Standard, Spurs and club chief Fabio Paratici are now targeting a right wing-back, striker and central defender as priorities before the start of 2022/23.

Bastoni is one target who has been mentioned to potentially bolster the Lilywhites’ defensive options, with Sheth now sharing a live-on-air update on Sky Sports.

The Latest: Sheth shares Bastoni update…

According to the journalist, both Paratici and Conte are still eyeing a move for the 23-year-old, who has been tipped to take the defensive leader mantle for Italy from Azzurri legend Giorgio Chiellini.

However, according to Sheth, the north Londoners may find it harder than ever to seal a deal from Inter.

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He explained (via Football Daily): “Now, we know Tottenham have been interested in Alessandro Bastoni, the Italy international.

“They were in talks with Inter Milan, and I’m sure Antonio Conte, former Inter manager, and Fabio Paratici the sporting director will be well aware of the situation financially Inter find themselves in.

“The fact of the matter is Inter do not want to sell Bastoni, they see him as a central figure in that squad, so at the moment it’s looking a bit better now for Inter.

“They’re increasingly confident they can keep Bastoni at the club, that’s because they’re talking to PSG over the possible sale of another one of their central defenders who Tottenham were interested once upon a time as well, that’s Milan Skriniar.

“If they manage to do that deal, that’s their financial issues until the end of the month sorted, which would mean Bastoni would be able to stay at the club.

“Tottenham are very, very interested. It could be one that is out of Tottenham’s hands here.”

The Verdict: Potential blow for Spurs…

Depending on how the Skriniar deal develops, Sheth’s latest update comes as a potential blow for Spurs and Conte given Bastoni’s quality, pedigree and ability to improve the Lilywhites back line.

At 23, he already has a wealth of Serie A and Champions League experience and a trophy haul which includes Euro 2020 with his country. He could also help Spurs in playing the ball out from the back, his 89.6% passing success rate in the Italian top flight last season bettering any of Conte’s centre-backs in the Premier League.

Called a ‘defensive genius’ by Serie A football expert Conor Clancy, his reputation is glowing, leaving little wonder as to why Nerazzurri chairman Steven Zhang reportedly won’t let him go for anything less than €70m (£60m).

Indeed, Tottenham may have to start moving for other defensive targets.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in signing River Plate midfielder Enzo Fernandez this summer, according to Jornal de Noticias.

The lowdown: Rising star

A product of the youth system at the Buenos Aires club, Fernandez has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence in his homeland and is already an established member of the senior team.

Despite his tender years, the 21-year-old has already flourished in Argentina, having amassed 80 first-team outings across spells for his parent club and on loan at Defensa, directly contributing to 23 goals in the process.

Recently linked with a move to Manchester United, it now appears as though a switch to the Black Country could be on the cards for the cultured midfield ace…

The latest: Wolves ‘very close’ to Fernandez

As per Jornal de Noticias, Wolves are believed to be ‘very close’ to signing Fernandez this summer.

It’s claimed that Benfica and AC Milan are also in contention but it’s the Old Gold who have now emerged as the frontrunners for the Argentina under-20 starlet.

The report suggests that Wolves have sent a representative to South America to tie up a deal for the youngster, who was dubbed an ‘orchestrator’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, as Bruno Lage prepares for life after wantaway midfielder Ruben Neves at Molineux.

The verdict: Superb business

Completing a swoop for Fernandez this summer would be a sensational piece of business from Wolves’ ownership group Fosun and Jeff Shi, particularly in the face of competition from some European giants.

The specialist playmaker has scored nine times and provided six assists in 24 appearances across all competitions so far this season. In the current Libertadores Cup campaign, he has earned an astonishing 7.77 Sofascore rating whilst winning five duels, completing one dribble and hitting the target with 1.8 of his shots per match.

Valued at £13.5m and under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), signing Fernandez for the mooted £17m release clause would be a wholly worthwhile outlay for Wolves and would see Lage supplement the squad at Molineux with a seemingly ready-made Neves successor.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is a fan of Christian Pulisic ahead of a potential move for the American this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Pulisic in and out at Chelsea

Darwin Nunez is coming in as a big-money attacking signing at Anfield, with the Uruguayan replacing the seemingly exit-bound Sadio Mane ahead of next season.

Another player with whom Liverpool have been linked recently is Pulisic, with the 23-year-old finding himself as a squad player rather than a key figure at Chelsea.

The USA international only started 13 games in the Premier League last season, and while his current deal doesn’t expire until 2024, the Blues might be open to selling him this summer.

The Latest: Liverpool backed to make Pulisic move

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Klopp is a big admirer of Pulisic and suggested that a move to Anfield could come to fruition for the American playmaker.

The transfer insider stated:

“This is the move that was mooted before he went to Chelsea, everybody was expecting him to land at Liverpool with Jurgen Klopp. He is a big admirer of his, understands his game.

“I think personally, it would be a great move for Pulisic at this point, because he’s definitely frustrated with the way things are going at Chelsea.”

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The Verdict: Is he needed?

Pulisic is undoubtedly an excellent player who still has great potential – he has a respectable 44 goal contributions in 115 Chelsea appearances, while Pat Nevin has said that he can become ‘world-class’ – so there is clear logic in Liverpool possibly looking to sign him.

That being said, it is questionable as to whether or not the Reds need him after Nunez’s arrival, considering the scale of attacking talent at Klopp’s disposal.

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Pulisic could again be consigned to a squad role at Anfield, as is the case at Chelsea, and the wages he would likely demand (he is currently on £150,000 per week) would suggest that Liverpool are better off looking at a more economical squad option.

In other news, Liverpool have also been backed to sign a player in one area this summer. Read more here

Leeds United are bracing themselves for the departure of Kalvin Phillips during the summer transfer window, according to The Athletic. 

The lowdown

Leeds midfielder Phillips is attracting interest from some of the top sides in the country.

Premier League champions Manchester City have reportedly identified him as their primary target to replace the departing Fernandinho. Runners-up Liverpool, meanwhile, are also said to be eyeing the 26-year-old.

And Manchester United are even supposedly ‘working on a deal’ too, having picked out Phillips as a cheaper alternative to West Ham’s Declan Rice.

The Englishman has two years left to run on his contract at Jesse Marsch’s side, but no significant progress has been made towards an extension.

The latest

Writing in a mailbag piece, journalist Laurie Whitwell shared insight from figures close to Leeds – ‘sources say’ Leeds are increasingly resigned to losing Phillips in the next couple of months.

There is, at least, a ‘strong sense’ that a move to ‘bitter rivals’ Man. United is off the table.

Phillips apparently knows that making the switch could effectively ruin his reputation at Elland Road.

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The verdict

This is worrying for Leeds fans given Phillips’ importance to the side.

Last season may have been heavily disrupted by injury, but he started all but five games when he was fit and available.

Marsch says it was clear from the moment he arrived that Phillips has a positive ‘effect on the group’ because of ‘his personality, his quality [and] what he means to being part of Leeds United’.

And the club’s supporters voted him their second-best player of 2021, only behind Raphinha.

The reality is that Phillips, England’s reigning Player of the Year, may want to be playing European football, rather than battling for survival as he did with Leeds last season.

The challenge for Leeds now is to extract the maximum price tag – they apparently want £60million – and to nail the replacement. Work is already underway, with Marc Roca of Bayern Munich identified as a possible successor.

In other news, read this expert’s reaction to two big Leeds transfer developments.

Alasdair Gold has dropped an exciting update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte.

What’s the latest?

In a recent Q&A on football.london, the journalist suggested that, should the 52-year-old be happy with Spurs’ transfer business this summer, there is a very real chance that the Italian could extend his stay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next season.

Gold also went on to reveal that Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici do possess an option to extend the former Juventus, Inter Milan and Italy manager’s contract in north London for a further year – on the premise that Conte also agrees to remain at the club.

When asked whether the Italian could extend his current deal at Spurs this summer, Gold said: “I wouldn’t rule it out, but one step at a time. Getting him to stay and be happy was an important first step.

“He’s already one of the best-paid managers in the Premier League with his current deal and there is an option, if he and the club both agree, to extend his current contract by another season. Let’s see what happens if he’s happy with the transfer window.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering the quite breathtaking job Conte has already done at Tottenham in such a short space of time, the potential of the 52-year-old remaining at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for what could prove to be another two years is sure to be something that will have Spurs supporters buzzing.

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Indeed, despite taking over a lacklustre Tottenham side sitting ninth in the Premier League standings, the Italian oversaw an incredible turnaround in form, guiding the Lilywhites to 17 wins and five draws over his 28 league fixtures in charge – returns that saw Spurs seal a highly unexpected top-four finish on the final day of the season.

Furthermore, it appears as if the 52-year-old also implemented something of a culture change at Hotspur Way, with it being reported back in December that Conte informed Harry Kane he needed to lose weight – after which, despite having scored just one league goal all season, the England captain subsequently went on a run of 16 goals and eight assists over 28 Premier League fixtures under the Italian.

As such, it is clear to see how much of a positive impact Conte has already had in north London, with the prospect of the coach remaining in the Tottenham dugout for two more years undoubtedly providing Spurs’ chances of success with a substantial boost – something that will certainly delight everyone involved with the club.

AND in other news: “Tottenham want…”: Fabrizio Romano drops transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Tottenham Hotspur are thought to be among the teams interested in Richarlison…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel, who delivered a fresh update on the Brazilian’s status at Everton heading into the summer transfer window.

European heavyweights Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are also mooted by the report as the 25-year-old faces an uncertain future in Merseyside.

Richarlison has two years to run on his current £90k-per-week deal, so the Toffees will be in no rush to sell their star man; and given his importance to Frank Lampard’s side, it remains to be seen if they’d even let him go and for how much.

He is currently valued at £45m by Transfermarkt and may well represent an opportunity to bolster their transfer budget due to financial constraints.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-news-updates-transfer-rumours-gossip-spurs-thfc-conte-paratici” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Shades of Lautaro Martinez

Antonio Conte’s quest to find another option up top has certainly taken a surprising twist, with the Everton frontman a potential candidate to either provide back-up to Harry Kane or play alongside him.

It could suggest that the Italian may be keen to replicate his successful tactics at Inter Milan, where he secured the Nerazzurri their first Serie A title in over a decade in 2020/21.

At the San Siro, Conte enjoyed a free-scoring duo of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez, two very different profiles of strikers. The former is more of a brute force, a target man, whilst the latter is shorter, quicker and can cause trouble in behind the defensive line.

Kane is a far superior striker to the Chelsea marksman, as he can drop deeper and act as a playmaker with his impressive passing range, so the prospect of a proven attacker like Richarlison playing off him is certainly an intriguing one.

He is also the perfect fit for the 52-year-old Lilywhites boss – as per FBRef, the Brazil international ranks inside the top 1% for blocks (1.71 per 90), top 5% for tackles (1.43 per 90) and top 8% of pressures (21.05 per 90) when compared to his positional peers across Europe’s ‘Big Five’.

This suggests he has an impressive work rate in the final third and will help the side defend from the front, thus retaining possession in dangerous areas, where he or Kane can then wreak havoc.

He bagged ten goals in a struggling Toffees side last season, taking his total for the club to 53 across 152 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

Also lauded as a “complete” player by his former manager Carlo Ancelotti, the 25-year-old could well emerge as Conte’s next Martinez should Spurs follow up their interest with a firm offer.

His versatility to play on either flank would also provide further cover for the likes of Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski, so on the above evidence, Richarlison would indeed be a fine addition to Tottenham’s frontline.

AND in other news, Paratici could unearth the next £100m talent as Spurs now eye “unbelievable” signing…

Everton have had a disappointing season in the Premier League with the side narrowly avoiding a drop into the Championship by just four points, and Frank Lampard will now be tasked with identifying players that can improve the squad ahead of next season.

The Toffees have struggled at both ends of the pitch, but their defensive performances have come under harsh criticism over the campaign, with the side conceding the fifth-most goals in the league and 23 more than they scored.

In fact, Everton centre-back Michael Keane has come under scrutiny for his inconsistency and poor performances in the back-line this season, with Gabby Agbonlahor branding the defender “absolutely dreadful” in an interview with Football Insider.

With that being said, the Toffees now have the best opportunity to go into the market and sign upgrades to improve the defence this summer and one player who has been heavily linked is recently relegated Burnley’s James Tarkowski.

The centre-back is available on a free transfer this summer and could be the second coming of Phil Jagielka if Everton can secure a deal for the player who was hailed “outstanding” by Sean Dyche.

This season, Tarkowski has been the highest-rated player in the entire Burnley squad according to SofaScore, and it’s not hard to see why when you look at his overall performance for the club.

The £17k-per-week defender has scored one goal and contributed two assists, making 1.8 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and an impressive 5.2 clearances on average per game.

He’s also won the large majority of his aerial and ground duels combined (68%) and been successful in completing the majority of his dribbles (71%), proving that he is a solid defender with the capabilities to offer an attacking threat too.

Not only that Tarkowski ranks first for blocked shots, first for pass interceptions, and second for aerial duels out of every player in the Premier League so the signing would be a major coup for Everton whilst saving millions in the process as he is currently out of contract.

A solid and reliable defender who brings an old-fashioned approach to his defending, it’s clear to see why he evokes memories of Jagielka. He wasn’t blessed with the most pace but used his reading and understanding of the game to outmuscle and outwit Premier League strikers.

Therefore, Farhad Moshiri and Frank Lampard must secure a deal for Tarkowski. They cannot pass on the opportunity to sign such an experienced defender that could massively improve their squad and their defensive record next season.

AND in other news: Everton plot bid to sign “sloppy” £20m dud, another Dele Alli disaster is on the cards…

Everton were unable to see out their disastrous season with a win on the final day at the Emirates and will be thankful that their tight relegation battle didn’t go down to the last day after today’s performance.

Frank Lampard secured safety in the Premier League with the Toffees earlier in the week at Goodison Park against Crystal Palace, so going into today’s game there was no pressure on the side to take all three points from the game in North London against Arsenal.

Everton were completely dominated by the Gunners throughout with only 29% possession, 20 fewer shots on goal and over 400 fewer accurate passes than Mikel Arteta’s side who went out to win to compete with Tottenham Hotspur for the fourth spot but failed at the final hurdle despite their overwhelming 5-1 win.

It was a free for all in terms of scoring goals, Alex Iwobi gifted Arsenal their first opportunity with a handball inside the box leading to Gabriel Martinelli opening up the score-line 27th minute of the game.

After the hosts got their first goal they found their way to kill the game with Eddie Nketiah, Cedric Soares, Gabriel Magalhaes and Martin Odegaard all finding the back of the net to take their victory.

However, one returning player did make his mark on the game with Manchester United loanee Donny van de Beek finding the back of the net in the final moments of the first half, but it wasn’t enough for Everton to bow out with a positive result.

One player who failed to take his opportunity to prove his worth today was Dele Alli, who has already been linked with a move away from the club following a disappointing five months since signing on Deadline Day in a deal believed to be worth £40m.

According to SofaScore, Alli who was dubbed a “waste of space” by Simon Jordan made just six passes, losing 100% of his aerials duels and losing 80% of his ground duels. He also lost the ball every 2.7 touches before being brought back to the bench by the Toffees boss in the 67th minute.

With that being said, Farhad Moshiri must let Alli go this summer and invest in players that can be effective when they are called upon as major improvement is needed next season to ensure Everton doesn’t find themselves in a similar situation they have been in during the current campaign.

AND in other news: Lampard plotting Everton bid for £158k-p/w dynamo, he’d be a “joy to watch”

Manchester United have appointed their new manager Erik ten Hag who will take the reigns at Old Trafford imminently and he could be about to bring some of his players over with him from Ajax.

What’s the latest?

According to Portuguese news outlet UOL (via Sport Witness), the Red Devils are battling with fierce rivals Liverpool to sign Brazilian winger Antony this summer.

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The report suggests that the two Premier League clubs are in ‘dispute’ over the signing as both have made an approach to put the feelers out on whether the player would be open to a move to join them.

It is believed that Antony would favour a move to the English league over La Liga after a further approach was reportedly made by Barcelona.

Ten Hag needs him

Manchester United would surely have an advantage on other clubs interested due to the fact they have recently hired Antony’s former manager, and when you look at the current forward line at Old Trafford it is clear that Ten Hag needs him.

There have been issues with Marcus Rashford this season who has had a complete drop of in form and with reports of the winger considering a move away from his boyhood club in the North West due to a lack of game-time, it could be the perfect opportunity for the club to inject a fresh perspective and a new creative outlet into the attacking positions.

When you compare Rashford to Antony this season, it is clear that the £50m Brazilian would be a huge upgrade on the current Man United winger, scoring four more goals, creating 28 more big chances, with over twice as many shots on target and over 20% better crossing accuracy compared to his position competitor, according to Squawka.

Ten Hag recently claimed Antony was “top-class” when discussing the 22-year-old’s future in an interview (via The United Stand):

” If Antony were to go, it would be a loss for Ajax. He is top class,” the Dutch coach admitted.

With that being said, if Ten Hag can beat the competitors to secure the signing he could be onto something special with a player he knows how to get the best out of already, meaning he can be an instant hit and thrive at Old Trafford alongside Cristiano Ronaldo next season.

AND in other news: “Close sources”: Sky Sports journo “told” big MUFC update that’ll excite Ten Hag