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Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has dropped an exciting transfer claim this week…

What’s the word?

The ever-reliable football.london reporter gave an insight into Spurs’ likely transfer plans during a recent Q&A session with supporters this week. He revealed that Spurs’ top priority is a new centre-back, whilst interest in long-time target Marcel Sabitzer remains.

Speaking about the Austrian, Gold said: “Still a player that Spurs have liked a lot for a long time but he’ll be in high demand when he returns from the Euros, particularly with his contract situation. Much depends on the new head coach, whether Paratici also likes him and whether there is the money in place from sales.

“Spurs’ priority is a centre-back but Sabitzer has certainly got admirers at the club.”

Exciting times ahead?

Amid all the uncertainty and chaos in their managerial search, this latest suggestion should come as hugely encouraging news, as once that new coach walks through the front door, Spurs mean business.

Individual mistakes and a lack of cohesion in the backline was perhaps their biggest issue under Jose Mourinho during the 2020/21 season. In some ways, you can see why the sacked Portuguese utilised as many as 16 different combinations at the back.

Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez have been slammed as the worst pairing in the Premier League by ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara, whilst Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher believes that Serge Aurier is one of the “biggest liabilities” in the top-flight, so much so that he would put people off management.

Hugo Lloris has endured some blunders and Sergio Reguilon’s form tailed off massively after injury. Therefore, if Spurs are truly eyeing a new centre-back, then this is very exciting to hear from Gold.

The links to Sabitzer seem just as exciting, as the north Londoners have lacked a creative goal threat from midfield ever since Christian Eriksen departed for Inter Milan.

“I think he’d bring a lot to Tottenham. He’s very similar to Christian Eriksen, he’s that sort of player that Spurs have been missing in midfield,” claimed Bundesliga expert Daniel Pinder during an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

It’s hard to ignore the talents of a player who has provided 25 goals and 18 assists since the start of the 2019/20 season. In that same time, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso have combined for just 27 goal contributions between them.

All in all, Gold’s recent claim should have many supporters around north London buzzing.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Heung-min Son claim…

Georginio Wijnaldum could leave a huge hole in Liverpool’s midfield after leaving as a free agent this summer, but former Red Paul Stewart believes that Youri Tielemans would be a great addition to Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Tielemans has been a steady and consistent member of Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City side since he joined on loan from Monaco in 2019, but this season has seen him impose himself on games a lot more as he registered the most shot-creating actions at Leicester with 109, but also made the second most tackles with 77, only behind Wilfred Ndidi.

This proves that he is now comfortably an all-round midfielder and one of the best in the Premier League, which means it comes as no surprise to see clubs like Liverpool interested in the Belgian.

The 24-year old is likely going to be at the centre of many transfer rumours this summer so Liverpool may face stern competition from Manchester City, that’s according to Stewart, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“It would be a great signing for Liverpool if they won the race for him, but I can see him going to Manchester City. For me, he is one of the standout midfielders in the Premier League.”

A lot of people who weren’t aware of how good Tielemams was certainly found out in the FA Cup final with his outstanding winning goal and Man of the Match performance for the Foxes.

If Liverpool are looking for a proven Premier League midfielder that mirrors what Wijnaldum did for the club, they could do much worse than try and tempt Tielemans away from Leicester.

Bruno Lage has a big task on his hands this summer in order to revive Wolves after a mediocre campaign.

The trouble is that the Old Gold could lose a number of their most important players during the course of the window.

On the chalkboard

Ruben Neves and Adama Traore aren’t the only figures being linked with the exit door at Molineux.

Indeed, Joao Moutinho could also depart Wolves in the coming months. That’s because the Portuguese veteran has been touted with a move back to his former club, Porto.

This comes after Tim Spiers suggested earlier last season that 2020/21 could have been Moutinho’s final campaign as a regular in the starting XI.

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Steve Bull issued similar words when speaking exclusively to Football FanCast this week. The Wolves legend said: “I think he’s done now, I think Joao’s had his time here now and he’s done absolutely brilliantly for the club and there’s a lot of speculation and rumours that he’s going back to Porto.”

The midfielder is now 34 and although he still oozes class with his passing, it could be time for Lage to find a younger alternative.

The solution

One man who could arrive in the Midlands this summer is Tottenham’s Harry Winks.

That’s according to Football Insider pundit Danny Mills who revealed the midfielder could be house-hunting ahead of a potential move.

He commented: “He needs to get playing. I see him going to Wolves and Aston Villa. He was seen playing golf at The Belfry.  Let’s assume he was househunting. I can confirm he was there.”

Winks might not be the most eye-catching of players but like Moutinho, he is a safe pair of hands who can dictate the game from deep and keep things ticking over.

The 25-year-old is capped ten times by England but you sense he needs to move on to pastures new.

He only started on nine occasions in the Premier League last term but a new lease of life could be given to Winks if he moves to Wolves.

After all, with both Neves and Moutinho potentially leaving, he may find a home for himself in the middle of the park.

A measured passer of the ball, Winks completed 86.8% of his passes last term, a tally that falls ever so slightly behind Moutinho’s record of 88.4%.

When discussing the England selection a few years ago, Paul Robinson waxed lyrical about his abilities: “For me, I think Harry Winks is one of the best of the bunch,” he began. “He dominates the game, defensively and offensively he offers you both and his ball retention, the stats speak for themselves,” the ex-goalkeeper remarked.

Moutinho is fabulous at retaining possession and if he does leave, the Old Gold will need someone likeminded to take over.

They will also need somebody to bind together the defence and attack. Fortunately, the £91k-per-week Winks is capable of doing that.

Leon Osman commented previously: “For me Harry Winks is the first name on that team-sheet at the moment. He’s the guy who Italy had in Pirlo, I’m not saying he’s at that level yet, but he links everything up. He’s the guy who links the back and the front up.”

Winks has never really been able to take his game to the next level at Wolves but as those glowing appraisals tell you, there is a lot more to be extracted. Lage could be the man to give him a better platform for regular minutes.

AND in other news, Lage must complete Wolves swoop for “outstanding” 23 y/o colossus, he’s at EURO 2020…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to comments from Jason Leitch that stadia in Scotland could be at full capacity by the start of the 2021/22 season.

The previous campaign was a magnificent one for the Gers as they won the Premiership for the first time in 10 years while also not losing a single game in the league. However, their supporters were unfortunately unable to follow the 55-time Scottish champions live due to the global pandemic.

We are now fast approaching the start of the 2021/22 season, and Leitch, the National Clinical Director of the Scottish Government, has now provided an update on potential crowd numbers at football stadia in Scotland. Surprisingly, he has revealed that grounds in the country could be able to hold full capacity from August 10 (via STV).

The news was shared on Twitter by @STVNews, and it attracted plenty of attention from Gers supporters. These took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the claim, with many unconvinced that a full-capacity return will happen so soon.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the claim from Leitch

“Collect your new laptop and bike upon entry”

Credit: @simonmcq

“Are they bamming people up? Good PR for a couple of days then fans will not be allowed in and they will forget they said it.”

Credit: @scottgraham89

“What planet is the Dentist on? He knows full well this will never happen. Absolutely not a hope in hell. A very dangerous man with a loose tongue”

Credit: @SilverB35036766

“There is zero chance of this happening. Only UEFA officials and rugby fans can go to matches.”

Credit: @Bob27551627

“The word ‘could’ is doing a hell of a heavy lifting in that sentence…”

Credit: @scottberwick

“Let’s be honest. It’s not happening”

Credit: @B4ZZ_B0W5K1

In other news, Rangers are set to ramp up their interest in this 27-year-old.

Speaking to Football Insider, former West Ham United striker Frank McAvennie has made a major claim involving reported club target Junior Firpo.

The Lowdown: West Ham eyeing Firpo…

Over these last few months, consistent reports have emerged linking West Ham with a move for Barcelona defender Firpo.

Firstly, Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo claimed back in April that the Hammers and Inter Milan had looked at the 24-year-old.

Going by far more recent claims, Firpo certainly seems like a player firmly on the West Ham radar.

ExWHUemployee believes that manager David Moyes ‘definitely’ has an interest in the Spaniard while Mundo Deportivo came out just two days ago and said West Ham are ‘one of the best positioned’ to sign him.

The Latest: McAvennie drops major claim involving Firpo…

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-Irons front man McAvennie has shared what he knows on the Firpo situation from his contacts.

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Indeed, after speaking with the player’s agent, he believes Firpo could leave Barcelona for as little as £15 million.

“I know the boy, he’s talented,” McAvennie explained.

“I spoke to his agent a couple of days ago. Barcelona are trying to offload players, they have no money. I’m hearing it will take £15million.

“He’s a good talent. I don’t see why he couldn’t come to West Ham.

“It’s a gamble coming from Europe, they need to adapt. If you’re even in Barcelona’s third team then you’re clearly good.

“He’s a talent and West Ham need talent. If he leaves Barca, he’ll have a point to prove and that’s what you want.”

The Verdict: Bargain?

At £15m, West Ham could land a fairly astute acquisition and really bolster their full-back options.

However, he is also a risky swoop, especially given his severe lack of playing time at the Camp Nou since his move there from Real Betis in the summer of 2019.

He started just three La Liga matches for the Catalans over 2020/2021 but his form for Betis over 2018/2019 suggests he could still be a promising player.

Firpo averaged an impressive 1.3 completed dribbles per 90 in the Spanish top flight that season, even more than 20/21 loan sensation Jesse Lingard managed for West Ham during his spell (WhoScored).

Moyes may want to store that £15m aside to either seal a permanent deal for Lingard or sign a new striker, but swooping for Firpo still shouldn’t be ruled out going by recent developments.

In other news: West Ham fans overjoyed by this ‘excellent news’…find out more here.

Bangladesh Biman secured full points against City Club as they won by 13 runs in a close match held in BNS today

Shahryar Khan11-Apr-2002Bangladesh Biman secured full points against City Club as they won by 13 runs in a close match held in BNS today. Good all round performances from the Pakistanis (Shahed Mahmud of Biman and Hasan Raja from City Club) saw the match in an exciting finish. Mahmud, the right-arm leggie and a very familiar face in BNS, was rightly awarded the man-of-the-match for his contributions in both departments.Faruk Ahmed won the toss and didn’t hesitate to bat first. Though Javed Omar Belim (Not in the best of his form) and Aftab Ahmed fell cheaply within 13 overs, skipper himself and Aminul Islam batted patiently in the following wicket to take the tally to 80. Faruk Ahmed fell prey to Jamal Ahmed’s off spin guile for 42 that had 6 fours in it. Aminul Islam followed him adding only 8 runs on the board, which put Biman in a precarious position.However, Hasanuzzaman and Khaled Mahmud put together an 84-run stand and slowly the gloom in Biman camp began to dissipate. Hasanuzzaman top scored 45 before Hasan Raja did away with him. Khaled Mahmud scored a dazzling 37. But it would have been impossible for Biman to throw a good challenge had Shahed Mahmud not played his quick fire 37 off 22 balls in the next wicket. The diminutive all rounder slammed 2 huge sixes and 3 boundaries on his way, which finally placed the club to a respectable 231 for 8 after 50 overs – though not a very comfortable yet a fighting total at BNS.City Club recovered from the early loss of Shahriar Hossain when their skipper Azam Iqbal put 50 runs in the second wicket with Mohammed Salim and 36 in the next wicket with Hasan Raja, the prodigious batsman from Pakistan. Azam (45) was cut off by Shahed Mahmud in the 28th over and with his dismissal all hopes were laid on Hasan Raja.Hasan was well into the mark as he was chipping in with singles and twos while his partners Tushar Imran (18) and Halim Shah (28) were providing good assistance from the next two partnerships. But a very unfortunate run out of Halim Shah and a rapid tail collapse hampered City’s proceedings.At 195 they lost Hasan Raja, who tried to play Razzak down the wicket only to miss it. Sajjad Kadir had ample time left to clip the bails off before Hasan could make any effort. Hasan made 55 off 79 deliveries with a solitary boundary in his innings and with his departure City’s hopes and chances dropped. Only Tareq Aziz gave the crowd some moments of excitement before he was put away from a direct hit made by Hasanuzzaman in the final over and with that City finished their innings with 218 for 8.Shahed Mahmud, though a bit expensive in his spells, captured 2 vital wickets giving away 53 runs. Anisur Rahman and Abdur Razzak shared 2 wickets each too.

The Border Bears earned themselves a place in the semi-finals of the Standard Bank Cup with a four-wicket win over hosts Boland on Wednesday night. Chasing a modest Boland total of 178 all out, Border hit the winning runs with a full over to spare.Any lingering hopes at neighbouring Western Province that rivals Bolandmight do them a favour were dashed when Border reached 170, guaranteeing theall-important bonus point and further participation in South Africa’s topdomestic one-day competition. Province must now concentrate on their goodstart to the first-class season.Border always looked like a more cohesive outfit, particularly as theyincluded both Mark Boucher and Makhaya Ntini on their return frominternational duty.Boucher in fact dispensed with the gloves and spent the Boland innings fielding at point – where he took two fine catches. Ntini again underlined just how far he has come in the past year with a fine, disciplined performace, returning figures of 2-25 from his nine overs.At one stage it looked as though Boland might struggle to pass 150, butLouis Koen at the top of the order and the recalled Jonathan Trott in themiddle both worked their way dilligently to half-centuries, and with theBoland Park pitch again playing slow, the home side might have fancied theirchances.They would have felt even more confident when the Border top-ordercrumbled spectacularly, Andrew Pringle picking up three wickets as theyslumped to 37 for four and then 78 for five. That was the cue though for asixth wicket partnership of 93 between man-of-the-match Pieter Strydom andWayne Wiblin.When Wiblin skied a catch to midwicket to depart for 46, the game wasall but over as Border needed just eight more runs. Strydom completed thebusiness with the minimum of fuss and finished unbeaten on 70.

THERE are two changes to the West Indies XI for the third Cable & Wireless One-Day International against South Africa at the Queen’s Park Stadium in Grenada tomorrow

Derrick Nicholas04-May-2001THERE are two changes to the West Indies XI for the third Cable & Wireless One-Day International against South Africa at the Queen’s Park Stadium in Grenada tomorrow.Ricardo Powell returns to the line-up and Wavell Hinds will play his first One-Day International of this series. Opener, Leon Garrick, and bowler, Nixon McLean, have been omitted.The full West Indies XI is: Carl Hooper (captain), Chris Gayle, WavellHinds, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ricardo Powell, Brian Lara, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Mervyn Dillon and Cameron Cuffy.EMERGENCY FIELDERS: Leon Garrick, Nixon McLean and Kerry Jeremy

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that he cannot imagine Jack Grealish leaving his old side for Tottenham.

The north London club could lose their star man Harry Kane in the summer and may need to undergo a rebuild.

Tottenham are known admirers of Grealish, having a bid of £25m turned down for the player a few years ago, and will have the funds to make another move for him, along with a striker, if they can get the £150m+ they are said to want for Kane.

Hendrie, however, believes the above is a non-starter given the current state Spurs are in.

Asked whether a Kane-less Tottenham reigniting their interest in Grealish as part of a rebuild could be a possibility, the ex-Villa player said to TT:

“If Kane left, why would he even contemplate going to a football club that’s selling their big players? Really and truly, you may as well stay where you are. I just think it’d be a no-brainer just to stay at the football club that he’s at.

“You’re taking big players out of the equation and possibly losing even more big players at your football club because you’re losing your prized asset, so definitely not for me.”

With Manchester City currently in the frame to sign Grealish when the transfer window opens, ultimately, it does look like Tottenham have missed their chance to bring the attacking midfielder to north London.

Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to a statement from the club following the outcome of their appeal of the bans given to the Covid 5.

In February, Calvin Bassey, Bongani Zungu, Nathan Patterson, Dapo Mebude and Brian Kinnear all broke health regulations to attend a house gathering. In the aftermath, they were each given six-game bans by the Scottish FA, which were appealed by the Gers (Sky Sports). As such, Patterson was able to face Celtic in the Scottish Cup as he awaited the outcome.

In the end, though, the original punishments have been upheld. Following this decision, the Gers decided to share a statement (rangers.co.uk) revealing their disappointment at the ruling – they clearly felt the sanctions were harsh and perhaps not consistent with bans given to others who had committed similar breaches.

The statement was shared on the club’s official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the 55-time Scottish champions’ supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the matter.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say below

“Missed this earlier. Absolute joke the way the SFA manage disciplinary cases. 4 games for sitting in a flat in the block of flats they lived in,but nothing for international flights and pints by the pool? Glad we are good on the pitch, as they will do anything they can to stop us”

Credit: @StephenLouch

“What a timid response! Our players have had unprecedented punishments whilst others have gone unpunished. Fight back Rangers, it’s what’s required and what the majority of those selflessly funding the club require. No more doormat FC, please!”

Credit: @7_rossw

“Do what they do then and start pressurising spfl over dubai where by their own admission rules were broke. By taking the high ground and staying quiet they will only make mugs of us and continue to constantly have differing rules between one club and another.”

Credit: @doonhamer89

“Just incredible! How many bans did the Aberdeen players get? Or the Celtic players? Anyone? This is outrageous!”

Credit: @steviebronco1

“Shouldn’t be dealt with differently but 100% agree that they have nobody to blame but themselves. We don’t take our standards from other clubs, we set them”

Credit: @WalterW31347418

“To be fair they should have known better than break the rules what did they expect to happen. Learn from it lads”

Credit: @Stephengazzard

In other news, there is an update on Alfredo Morelos’ future at Ibrox.