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Backing big transfer news out of Tottenham Hotspur, Alasdair Gold has shared some news on Twitter involving Juventus forward Dejan Kulusevski.

The Lowdown: Spurs ‘hit the panic button’…

After missing out on two targets in less than a week with both winger Adama Traore and forward Luis Diaz now looking off the table, Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici are set for a pivotal last few days of the winter window.

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There has even been talk from sources of Spurs hitting the ‘panic button’ in north London with a ‘massive’ last hurdle approaching and ‘fears’ that manager Antonio Conte could walk (Telegraph reporter Matt Law).

Tottenham look set to be busy behind-the-scenes as they attempt to orchestrate both incomings an outgoings before Monday’s deadline, with midfielders Tanguy Ndombele and Dele Alli also still unable to seal moves away despite a willingness to let them leave.

Sharing more news out of N17, backing a claim from The Athletic and journalist David Ornstein, football.london correspondent Gold has dropped his own update on Twitter.

The Latest: Gold shares Kulusevski news…

As relayed by the reliable reporter, Tottenham and Paratici have now entered last minute talks for Sweden international Kulusevski.

Spurs’ managing director apparently has ‘high hopes’ for the 21-year-old personally as he turns to potentially signing the former Parma star as a Diaz alternative.

“Fabio Paratici is in talks for another name on his list in Dejan Kulusevski after the Diaz disappointment,” Gold explained on Twitter.

“He has high hopes for the versatile 21-year-old Swede even if he’s not the statement signing the Colombian was.”

The Verdict: Boom or bust?

The Scandinavian rising star will be a name familiar to most Spurs supporters given their club have long been linked with a move.

TUTTOmercatoWEB even claimed before the new year that both Paratici and Conte see Juve’s attacker as a ‘gem’ who possesses huge potential – thereby prompting the Italian duo to add Kulusevski to their list of transfer targets.

Gold reiterates that Spurs are looking to secure a loan deal with the option to make his move permanent, and if Juve green-light those conditions, Kulusevski could actually come as a shrewd purchase.

Over his best Serie A season for ex-club Parma in 2019/2020, the winger averaged a brilliant 2.2 key passes per 90 – a number exceeding that of any Spurs player in the Premier League this campaign (WhoScored).

He’s also highly versatile, able to play on the wing, further forward or even as an advanced playmaker – plugging many holes in Conte’s side.

Lauded as an ‘athletic phenomenon’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kulusevski comes with bags of potential and it could be very interesting to see how he fares in England if Tottenham can seal an agreement.

In other news: Spurs now also preparing marquee eleventh hour bid to sign ‘special’ forward for Conte, find out more here.

According to a report by Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has come to light involving Inter Milan star Milan Skriniar.

The Lowdown: Skriniar to Spurs saga…

Back in the summer of 2020, Inter’s colossal centre-back was a serious target for then-manager Jose Mourinho and chairman Daniel Levy – with club chief Steve Hitchen even flying out to Italy for negotiations at one point (Alasdair Gold).

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However, it was reported that both Spurs and the Nerazzurri couldn’t agree on a price tag for the player with talks eventually grinding to a halt and the deal collapsing (Fabrizio Romano).

There have been murmurs of Tottenham reigniting their interest since last year but none of which have come to fruition, yet it appears the Lilywhites could now return to the charge.

The Latest: Conte eyeing Skriniar…

As per CDS, via Sport Witness, new Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has now personally put the Slovakia international on his ‘wish list’ for a transfer.

Skriniar was a mainstay under the Italian last season as his Inter side ended Juventus’ stranglehold over the Italian top flight with a Serie A title win.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Despite the great form of Eric Dier, not to mention the summer signing of 2020/2021 Serie A MVP award-winner Cristian Romero, we believe another star central defender would seriously back Conte’s chances of success at N17.

They don’t come more accomplished than Skriniar, either, with only Dier averaging more league clearances per 90 this season than Skriniar out of Tottenham’s current defensive crop (WhoScored).

The Champions League defender has also drawn admiration from Spurs legend Graham Roberts, with the 62-year-old calling Skriniar an ‘absolute banker of a signing’ for the club (This is Futbol).

Also called ‘incredible’ by his former teammate Adam Zilak, signing Skriniar for Conte would certainly be a great move.

In other news: £135,000-per-week man now eyeing move to Spurs after Conte contacted him! Find out more here.

Celtic’s talks with Tottenham over a permanent move for Cameron Carter-Vickers are thought to be progressing well, according to The Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers starring at Parkhead

The Hoops secured the services of the American defender in the final hours of the summer transfer window, adding an option-to-buy clause to the season-long loan arrangement.

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Since then, the 24-year-old has missed just one Premiership fixture, making 23 appearances in green and white. He has been the best performing centre-back at Parkhead, as per WhoScored, with Ange Postecoglou keen to make his move permanent before the summer.

The Latest: Talks progressing well

The Daily Record’s Robbie Copeland shared a story on Saturday lunchtime, with updates on both Carter-Vickers and rumoured target Zinedine Ferhat.

When it came to the Tottenham loanee, the journalist said that ‘noises coming out of the club suggest talks are progressing well’ regarding Celtic’s chances of striking a permanent deal.

The Verdict: Biggest signing of Postecoglou era?

Should a permanent move for Carter-Vickers prove to be Celtic’s next piece of January business, then it would be the most expensive addition under Postecoglou so far and therefore a major sign of intent from the club.

There is thought to be no wriggle room with Spurs when it comes to the £6m clause for the centre-back, meaning that it would surpass the £4.86m they spent on Kyogo Furuhashi last summer.

It’s good to see that the Hoops are willing to back Postecoglou, and who knows, a record fee under the 56-year-old could yet be broken for a second time this month with a possible £6.5m deal for another loanee in Jota.

In other news: Celtic now after ‘energetic’ international with January business not slowing up; Ange ‘well aware’ of target

Tottenham Hotspur cannot train ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Brighton and Hove Albion, putting the game in serious doubt…

What’s the word?

That’s according to ever-reliable football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who revealed late on Wednesday evening that the club had further positive cases at Hotspur Way, resulting in a complete shutdown of the training ground.

It means Antonio Conte’s already-depleted squad cannot face Stade Rennes in their final Europa Conference League group game this evening and now, it appears as if postponing Sunday’s encounter at the Amex Stadium will be a mere formality at this stage.

Big blow

Spurs have been hit by a flurry of positive cases in recent days and the number keeps increasing as each day passes by.

The Italian head coach revealed in his pre-game press conference that eight players and five members of staff were absent and that another player had tested positive by the end of training, as relayed by football.london.

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“I think this is a serious problem, and it’s a pity because during the press conference I’d like to talk about football and the next game and not about Covid,” he told reporters.

“But the situation is serious. Every day we are having positives. Today one player and one member of staff. I think the worst is we don’t know and we continue to have contact with people that the day before weren’t negative. For sure this is not a good situation. We have a training session to prepare for the game against Rennes, but it’s very difficult.”

Not only do the north London outfit have the Burnley postponement to fit in but they will now have to slot a rearranged encounter with Rennes in before December 31st, which may be tricky with the Ligue 1 outfit due on winter break by Christmas day, and then there is likely to be another game to manoeuvre with this weekend’s clash against the Seagulls likely to be called off in due course.

This deals Conte another blow as his tenure in N17 has been ever so stop-start since taking over a month ago, having also had to contend with numerous injuries and the international break, too.

It also means that Spurs will have a substantial backlog of fixtures heading into 2022 and that could harm their chances of breaking into the top six, let alone the top four, and that’s got to be troubling news for the Lilywhites faithful, who will now not get to witness their team in the near future.

AND in other news, Spurs may have just signed their next Danny Rose…

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s plans to sign Arsenal loanee Konstantinos Mavropanos.

What’s the talk?

According to German outlet Sport Bild, via West Ham Zone, the Magpies are eyeing up a deal to sign the centre-back, currently on loan at Stuttgart, to bolster their squad.

The report claims that the Hammers are also keen on him, with the Bundesliga side expected to sign him permanently before demanding £21.3m from interested parties.

Get it done

PIF must splash out the £21.3m that Stuttgart want in order to bring him to Newcastle, whether that happens in January or in the summer. The form he is producing in the Bundesliga suggests that he could be a terrific signing for Eddie Howe’s team and strengthen an area of the side which is in dire need of additional help.

Defending has been a significant weak point for the Magpies this season and the signing of a new centre-back could help to alleviate that issue, which Howe would surely love. Newcastle have conceded the most goals in the Premier League (34) and are currently 19th in the table, with goal difference the only statistic preventing them from being below Norwich.

Mavropanos has been outstanding at centre-back for Stuttgart. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.41 in the Bundesliga, starting 13 games in the league. The 24-year-old is averaging 4.1 tackles and interceptions, along with an impressive six clearances, per game, showing that he has the quality to make consistent and crucial interventions at the back.

Borussia Monchengladbach chief Pellegrino Matarazzo previously hailed him as a gladiator and called him a ‘tough dog’. He said: “He’s our gladiator! He’s a monster in terms of physique. And when he makes a mistake, he hums around some Greek swear words. I like that. He’s just a tough dog.”

Howe will surely love for Newcastle to sign Mavropanos, as his statistics in Germany and these quotes from Matarazzo suggest that he is a strong centre-back who could come in and improve the club’s defensive record. The Magpies are conceding too many goals and the Greek beast has shown that he is capable of performing consistently at a top level this season.

Therefore, PIF must ensure that they are able to seal a deal to sign the Arsenal man to give the ex-Bournemouth coach the best possible chance of keeping the Geordies in the Premier League.

AND in other news, NUFC could find new Ben Arfa in “incredible talent” who plays like “it’s a kick-about”…

A number of Liverpool fans are unhappy with Jurgen Klopp’s injury update on Joe Gomez, with some even calling for the centre-back to be sold.

The 24-year-old has suffered cruel luck with injuries in recent years, with persistent serious problems halting his progress.

Gomez’s 2020/21 was effectively ruined by a knee injury picked up on England international duty last autumn and he hasn’t been able to force his way back into Klopp’s plans since.

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The defender has been limited to just 13 minutes of Premier League action so far this season and is currently sidelined through injury once again, seemingly behind Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate even when fully fit.

Klopp has now provided an update on the Englishman [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], saying he doesn’t expect him to be available for at least another “few weeks.”

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Liverpool fans unhappy with Gomez latest

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react to the news, with some admitting they would consider selling Gomez, such has been the extent of his persistent fitness difficulties…

“Injuries is one of the reasons if we got a decent bid for Gomez next summer I’d strongly consider it”

Credit: @Corballyred

“In short Gomez won’t be available until Christmas…why beat around the bush Jurgen come straight to the point and say the actual time period he will be out for”

Credit: @stevieg0008

“Liverpool should just sell Gomez like what Southampton did with Ings, just take the money and invest on a new player”

Credit: @mhdra18

“Too injury prone”

Credit: @Sr4Max

“Is Gomez ever fit!”

Credit: @JanParker10

“What’s wrong with Gomez?”

Credit: @LFCTopLuca

In other news, some Liverpool fans have erupted over another injury update. Read more here.

Crystal Palace put in a magnificent performance to secure a 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League on Monday evening.

The Eagles fought back from 1-0 down to take the lead through two thunderous strikes from Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard after dispossessing the home side deep in their own half on both occasions.

However, an injury-time effort from substitute Alexandre Lacazette snatch an undeserved point for the Gunners, meaning Palace have now drawn three consecutive games.

It was a frustrating end to an evening full of promise for Patrick Vieira’s charges, and the French tactician will certainly have taken a lot of positives away from his trip to the Emirates Stadium.

One main encouraging aspect was Benteke bagging his first goal of the season, but it was arguably summer signing Edouard who shone the brightest in north London.

As per SofaScore, the 23-year-old was awarded a match rating of 7.1 out of ten for his eye-catching efforts, the joint second-highest total received by any Palace player.

During his 82 minutes on the pitch, Edouard made a whopping three key passes to his teammates as he continued to cause Arsenal’s defence all kinds of problems, won seven duels and achieved a passing accuracy of 88%.

The former Celtic ace was asked to play out of position by Vieira due to Wilfried Zaha’s enforced absence through injury, but that didn’t stop him from having a huge impact upon proceedings.

His powerful strike in the 73rd-minute was his third Premier League goal of the campaign, and it seemed as though it was going to secure a memorable victory for the capital club until the dying embers of the game.

Edouard will be hoping he can put in another eye-catching performance against Newcastle United next time out and help Palace secure just their second win of the season.

And, in other news…100% dribble success: Palace monster who won 80% duels stole the show v Arsenal 

Liverpool have a great opportunity to put their recent 2-2 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League behind them and keep their 100% win rate in the Champions League this season going with the visit of Atletico Madrid on Wednesday evening.

On the chalkboard

One Reds player that had a fairly short cameo appearance in the draw against Brighton that we feel should be in the starting XI to face Diego Simeone’s side is winger Diogo Jota, who spent two years as an Atletico player earlier in his career.

Jota’s previous start for Liverpool in their 5-0 win over Manchester United saw him score a goal, provide an assist and earn himself an impressive overall match rating of 8.5/10 according to SofaScore.

Since joining the Merseyside club back in September 2020 from fellow Premier League club Wolves in a deal worth a reported fee of £41m, the winger has managed to certainly prove himself as a good piece of transfer business from FSG having registered 17 goals and three assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.

With that kind of record in mind, it’s hardly a surprise he’s been dubbed “incredible” by former West Ham man Adrian San Miguel.

So far this season, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £40.5m according to Transfermarkt, has made 12 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions in which he has managed to net four times and provide two assists along the way, proving how highly thought of he is in Merseyside.

In addition to this, the winger, who has been described as “instrumental” for the Reds last season by journalist James Pearce, has managed to rack up an average of 2.2 shots per game and 1.6 key passes per game in the Premier League so far this season.

That makes him a very dangerous attacking outlet for Liverpool, which is why we think he could be a real nuisance for Atletico and their defensive players. It wouldn’t be too farfetched to say that he could potentially come back to haunt his old club if he ends up scoring against them.

Looking ahead to the match at Anfield on Wednesday, with Luis Suarez in contention to face his former club for Atletico, we feel that if Jota starts, he has the talent and ability to take the limelight off the Uruguayan striker who managed to score 82 goals in 133 appearances for the Reds and secure another win for Liverpool based on the attacking prowess he’s shown on the pitch this season.

In other news: Klopp could already own £54m-rated machine’s heir with “excellent” 18 y/o LFC prodigy – opinion

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Michael Bridge of Sky Sports has made a transfer claim involving Tottenham and AC Milan star Franck Kessie.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing Kessie move…

As reported by numerous sources, Spurs are one of the clubs in contention to sign one of Milan’s prize assets as his contract at the San Siro steadily winds down.

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The Ivory Coast star could leave at the end of 2021/2022 for free as it stands with the Italian giants still yet to agree a contract extension, putting many clubs on high alert.

One of them is Tottenham, with reports even recently suggesting that it is far more advanced than simply interest.

La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Get Italian Football News) claimed that the Lilywhites were in very advanced talks to sign Kessie while reporter Rudy Galetti even stated that a Spurs agreement was ‘close’ (Twitter).

While not exactly backing those audacious updates, Sky reporter Bridge believes Spurs’ interest isn’t going anywhere.

The Latest: Bridge makes Kessie to Spurs claim…

Speaking to GMS, sharing what he’s heard from Italy, the journalist relays that Antonio Conte has apparently given the ‘thumbs up’ for his new club to swoop for Kessie – green lighting a move.

He explained:

“The talk of Kessie at AC Milan is not going away. There’s talk in Italy that Spurs really want him and Conte’s given the thumbs up.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Given his new deal situation, managing director Fabio Paratici and Conte could secure a real bargain for Tottenham by signing him on a pre-contract in January.

Valued at a sky-high £49.5 million by Transfermarkt, Spurs could bypass that fee entirely and snap up a proven Serie A star who has attracted all sorts of praise.

European football specialist Nicky Bandini lavished Kessie as ‘extraordinary’ on ESPN, for example, while the player’s manager, Stefano Pioli, called Kessie ‘sumptuous’.

An all-round midfield star, the African racked up an impressive 13 goals and four assists in 36 Italian top flight starts last season despite being a natural defensive midfield player (WhoScored).

Meanwhile, this campaign, he’s averaged a higher pass accuracy (92.2%) than any of Tottenham’s midfielders – indicating he would add real class and composure in the middle of the park under Conte.

Taking all this into account, we quite simply urge Spurs to get a deal done.

In other news: Spurs agreement to sign £200,000-per-week star possible as Paratici makes exciting plea to club chiefs, find out more here.

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted negatively to the news that Jon Moss will take charge of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Watford.

The Reds return to action this weekend following the latest international break. Jurgen Klopp’s men make the trip to Vicarage Road to take on a Hornets side who once again have a new manager, with former Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri now in charge.

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It has been confirmed [via Anfield Watch on Twitter] that Moss will referee the contest as Liverpool look to avoid any officiating controversy, hopefully picking up a convincing win at the same time.

This is the first Reds game he has refereed this season, but they did at least win all three that he took charge of in the league in 2020/21, away to Crystal Palace, West Ham and Sheffield United.

Liverpool actually have an excellent record under Moss, winning their last nine matches when he has been in charge (including a 3-0 win at Vicarage Road in 2018), but he did give two penalties (one of which was very contentious) against the Reds when they drew 2-2 against Tottenham in the 2017/18 season.

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Liverpool fans unhappy with Moss’ appointment

Despite this record, these Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react negatively to Moss’ appointment for Saturday.

“And that is how you ruin a game before a ball is kicked”

Credit: @Liam706

“Arrrrggghhh. This guy is horrific”

Credit: @HauntedLFC

“Can’t wait…”

Credit: @CaolanHay

“Terrible ref, absolutely terrible. The current worst”

Credit: @antmacca88

“L incoming”

Credit: @addersftbl

“Not this guy”

Credit: @lfcarif_

In other news, some Liverpool fans are desperate for the Reds to sign a huge talent. Find out who it is here.