As per reports from Spain, Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension transfer chief Fabio Paratici, are now eyeing a move for West Ham United defender Ben Johnson.
The Lowdown: Conte eyeing full-back upgrade?
According to reliable sources, Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte, was eager for the club to sign a right wing-back upgrade in January who would be tailored for his back-three formation.
Spurs attempted to sign a makeshift option in former Wolves star Adama Traore for most of the month but to no avail as Barcelona swooped in to hijack the winter move.
This has left Conte with Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty as his options on that side, and while the latter may have played his way into the Italian’s plans after a stunning performance against Leeds, doubts surround his team-mate.
Indeed, there are question marks hanging over Royal’s ability to create in the final third, with Paratici now eyeing an unlikely alternative from one of Spurs’ London rivals.
The Latest: Spurs eye Ben Johnson move…
According to Spanish sources, Tottenham are one of the clubs in a three-way battle to sign West Ham starlet Johnson in the summer, even after the Hammers apparently activated a two-year contract extension option.
Indeed, Paratici and co are allegedly targeting the homegrown ace to add both offensive and defensive quality for Conte’s side.
The Verdict: Great option…
The 22-year-old would come as a very good signing for Conte going by his early promise.
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West Ham manager David Moyes recently called Johnson a ‘really important’ player for his team, while pundit Noel Whelan has recently raved over the ‘exciting’ and ‘very aggressive’ full-back (Football Insider).
However, after the Irons triggered the two-year extension option in his contract, and with a potential reluctance to do business with a positional and geographical rival in Spurs, this move could be a tricky one to pull off for Paratici.
In other news: ‘Worrying’…Insider shares what ‘in the know’ source is now ‘reporting’ at Tottenham, find out more here.
Everton have made an offer to Franck Kessie ahead of the expiry of his AC Milan contract but the player is unconvinced, according to Spanish publication Sport (via Sport Witness).
The lowdown
Kessie has reportedly turned down the offer of an extension at the San Siro and made clear his intention to depart in the summer.
He’s currently able to negotiate with foreign clubs with a view to potentially joining on a free transfer.
Landing Kessie on a Bosman deal would be impressive business given that the player is rated at £43.2million by Transfermarkt.
Stefano Pioli has used the Ivorian first and foremost as a defensive midfielder, but he can also operate as a box-to-box number eight.
The latest
Everton have reportedly proposed pre-contract terms to Kessie, though he isn’t thought to be particularly keen.
The player was hopeful that teams towards the top of the Premier League would come in for him, but no such offers have materialised yet.
Instead, he’s increasingly open to the idea of joining FC Barcelona, who have ‘intensified’ their efforts to sign him in recent weeks.
The verdict
It’s no surprise that Everton are interested in Kessie, regarded as a near-complete midfielder by former Milan star Antonio Cassano.
Cassano says that Kessie ‘scores, he assists, he doesn’t lose the ball, he’s intelligent’ and claimed that he can be ‘devastating’.
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The problem is that it may just be a bit too ambitious. The Toffees, let’s not forget, are fighting to avoid relegation, whereas Milan are in the midst of a Serie A title race and Barcelona are a club of similarly immense stature who will hope to be competing in next season’s Champions League.
If Lampard can lure the 25 year-old to Merseyside though, he could form a monstrous midfield partnership with Abdoulaye Doucouré.
In other news, Everton could sell this academy product if the right offer arrives.
Crystal Palace are thought to be one of the sides leading the race for Birmingham City midfielder Jordan James, TEAMtalk report.
The Lowdown: James profiled
James is 17 years of age and recently penned a professional contract at St. Andrew’s through to 2024.
The youngster has been a regular for The Blues since signing that deal, making 17 Championship appearances this season.
He is primarily a central midfielder but has actually turned out in defensive and attacking midfield roles, while also playing on either flank, showing impressive versatility at such a young age [Transfermarkt].
Lee Bowyer has described James as a player with plenty of energy who ‘ticks a lot of boxes’, and it seems as if his displays in the second tier have caught the eye at Selhurst Park.
The Latest: Palace links
TEAMtalk journalist Michael Holland shared a story on Wednesday afternoon regarding Jones.
They led with a title suggesting that Palace, Everton and Wolves are leading the way in the race to sign the midfielder, whereas Brighton, Southampton and West Ham were also name-checked with an interest.
The Verdict: Shrewd move?
Palace have already acquired the services of young striker Luke Plange from Derby County in 2022, and it seems as if they now have their eye on James.
The Eagles agreed to loan Plange back to Derby for the second half of the season, and a similar agreement with Birmingham in the summer could be appealing.
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You’d expect Palace view James as a long-term project at just 17 years of age, so a permanent view and loaning the player back to the Midlands could be worth considering for the highly-rated midfielder.
In other news: Huge Palace transfer news emerges as Parish lines up £15m bid for ‘special’ player.
Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has claimed that he will sell the club when he no longer feels he is the best man to take it forward.
The Lowdown: Radrizzani oversees successful period
The 47-year-old became co-owner of the Whites back in January 2017, purchasing 50% of the club, before taking sole charge at Elland Road in May of that year.
Radrizzani has overseen a memorable period in Leeds’ recent history, appointing Marcelo Bielsa as manager, who in turn inspired their return to the Premier League.
He has since relieved the Argentine of his duties and brought in Jesse Marsch, in a decision that has not gone down overly well among the supporters.
[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]
The Latest: Owner hints at future sale
Responding to a post on Twitter on Friday, Radrizzani gave an honest assessment of the way he sees the future and also revealed he put up £100m of his own money to get the club promoted:
“100 mil precisely, lot of work and time sacrificed to my family. I always try and work hard for the best of the club. The moment I realise I won’t be able to deliver I will let someone else to do a better job.”
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The Verdict: Will leave a legacy
Like any football club owner, Radrizzani is always going to have some fans who criticise his tenure, but there is no denying that he has been a success at Elland Road.
As mentioned, he has helped guide the Whites back into the top-flight of English football after nearly 20 years away, though some supporters will of course point to the lack of backing for Bielsa this past January.
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There will come a point when the need for change arises – it may even happen if Leeds get relegated this season – and it appears as though Radrizzani will do what is right for both himself and the club.
In other news, a key update has emerged regarding Raphinha’s Leeds future. Read more here.
Aston Villa have been one of the most proactive clubs in the Premier League when it comes to signing new players over the past few years.
However, not every transfer deal which gets mentioned with the Villans ends up coming to fruition.
One example of this which will now be seen as a lucky escape for the club is when they were linked with a move for Milot Rashica before he joined Norwich City from Werder Bremen in a deal worth a reported £9.4m last summer.
Since joining the Norfolk club, the Kosovan – who was praised for taking a “massive leap” in terms of his progression on the pitch by his former boss Florian Kohfeldt – has made 23 appearances for the Canaries in the league but has only scored one goal and provided two assists along the way.
In addition to his lack of consistent goal contributions, the attacker – who is currently picking up £34k-p/w according to Salary Sport, has earned himself an overall performance rating of just 6.48/10, making him the ninth-highest rated player in Norwich’s squad according to WhoScored.
Back in December 2019, Transfermarkt had the winger’s market value listed at £31.5m, the highest it has been throughout his career so far. It now stands at just £7.2m, showing a massive decrease of 77% in little over two years.
With reports suggesting that the Norwich dud actually rejected a move to Villa due to concerns about their ability to remain in the Premier League, it seems this may have come back to bite him as the Canaries are currently rock bottom of the table with just 17 points from 29 league games.
Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that the Villans and Johan Lange had a lucky escape by not fully pursuing Rashica’s signature when they were linked with him. Based on what he’s done for Norwich this season, it’s hard to see what the 25-year-old would have had to offer at Villa Park if he had made the move there instead.
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Also, with January recruit Philippe Coutinho scoring four goals and providing three assists in just nine league games since his arrival, it’s hard to think that anyone at the Midlands club will since have had too many thoughts about the former Werder Bremen ace, who could well be spending the next campaign in the Championship.
In other news: Lange could seal his next Coutinho as Villa eye up “relentless” £22.5m-rated “machine”
A major update has emerged on Rangers and their attempts to retain Ryan Kent at Ibrox this summer…
What’s the talk?
Football Insider has revealed via a Gers source that they have prepared a lucrative contract offer for the attacker after internal talks to discuss his situation.
The source claims that the club wants to tie him down to a new deal, with Ross Wilson now set to make his move to secure Kent’s future.
They are willing to cash in on the winger if he refuses to put pen to paper as his contract runs out in 2023, with this attempt to extend his current terms their last chance to avoid a sale.
Delight
This update will surely leave the Ibrox faithful bouncing as they will surely want to see Kent playing for the Light Blues for many more years to come.
He is an integral member of Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad as he has been in excellent form across multiple competitions this season. The forward has caught the eye in the Premiership and in Europe as he has consistently delivered in the final third.
Kent has produced three goals and 13 assists in 30 appearances in the Scottish top-flight and the Europa League combined. This shows that he has been sublime with the ball at his feet for Rangers as he has been a menace to opposing defences with his skill and creativity.
Whilst he may not have as many goals as he, or the fans, would like, his assist numbers are extremely impressive. He has shown that he can regularly provide his teammates with the ammunition they need to score and this means that he is crucial to the club because of his own performances and what his play means for the likes of James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos – who profit from his chance creation.
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This means that other players could regress and struggle if Kent leaves because they may not get the same level of service from out wide. There is no guarantee that Rangers would be able to sign a replacement of the requisite quality to take up the Englishman’s spot in the team either.
Therefore, supporters will be delighted to read that the Gers are working hard to ensure that they are now forced to cash in on him in the summer. They will be delighted with the club’s efforts and can rest easy knowing that they are not letting his deal run down and leaving it until the last minute to keep him.
AND in other news, Left for £0: Allen had Rangers howler on “outstanding” 6ft4 gem whose value rose 700%…
Newcastle United have signed numerous players since being promoted back to the Premier League at the end of the 2016/17 season.
However, as tends to be the case with most clubs, not every player who made the move to St James’ Park ended up having a particularly successful time there.
One player who had a spell with the Toon but has ended up finding his feet elsewhere is Mikel Merino. Signed on loan during the 2017 summer transfer window from Borussia Dortmund, the Spaniard then put pen to paper on a permanent deal with the Magpies a few months later.
With 24 league appearances to his name throughout the 2017/18 Premier League campaign, the midfielder earned himself an overall performance rating of 6.85/10, making him the joint-seventh highest rated player in the Newcastle squad according to WhoScored.
Unfortunately for Newcastle, La Liga club Real Sociedad triggered his £10m release clause in the summer of 2018. Since then, the 25-year-old – who is currently picking up £53k-per-week according to Salary Sport – has scored 16 goals and provided 15 assists in 145 appearances for the Spanish club.
Having played in 25 league games this season, the former Toon midfielder has scored three goals, provided two assists and earned an overall performance rating of 7.25/10 from WhoScored. That makes him the highest-rated player at Sociedad and the joint-fifth highest rated player in La Liga, alongside another former Newcastle man in Joselu.
In October 2017, shortly after arriving in England, Transfermarkt had Merino’s market value listed as £6.3m. It now stands at a massive £45m, highlighting a significant increase presumably based on his efforts in Spain.
This also backs up what journalist David Cartlidge had to say about the midfield gem when he tweeted that the 26-year-old’s progress on the pitch since joining Sociedad has been “immense.”
Taking all this into account, it’s safe to suggest that Newcastle had a howler in regards to having a release clause put into Merino’s contract at St James’ Park.
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Given how impressive the midfield maestro has been this season, this will certainly be haunting the Tyneside club, as the Spaniard could have been a standout figure for the team had he stayed.
In other news – Ashley howler: Newcastle will be having nightmares over “ridiculous” £90m-rated “monster”
Following reports that Tottenham Hotspur will listen to offers for Sergio Reguilon, former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson has urged Fabio Paratici not to sell the defender.
The Lowdown: Reguilon under Conte
The left-back has been in and out of Antonio Conte’s starting XI since November. As a result, it was recently revealed that the Italian has given the green light for Paratici to listen to offers for the Spaniard in the summer.
Having joined the Lilywhites for £32m in 2020, Reguilon has nearly maintained his market value, which is currently set at £25.2m by Transfermarkt.
Robinson believes that letting the defender go will be a mistake by Tottenham, as it would be too expensive for the club to replace him with someone of the same quality.
Speaking with Football Insider, the ex-England ‘keeper claimed: “If you are going to let him go, you are going to have to replace like for like.
“[Ryan] Sessegnon is a quality player but he’s young and injury prone. They cannot let Reguilon go without replacing him, no way.
“It would seem senseless to let him go and then try and find somebody who is very similar.
“He is a top player. I do like him. It would be a shame to see him go because he has improved a lot under Conte. He’s brilliant going forward and offers a lot more. It would be slightly naive to sell him I think.”
The Verdict: Bad move?
Going forward, Reguilon’s statistics as a left-back illustrates how much of an attacking threat he adds to Conte’s Tottenham side.
As per FB Ref, he ranks in the 95th percentile for non-penalty expected goals, the 87th percentile for expected assists and the 93rd percentile for non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists.
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Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan has praised Reguilon for a number of his “brilliant” performances, whilst pundit Micah Richards also used the same word to describe him.
With the 25-year-old earning £68,000 per week, it could be difficult for Spurs to secure a new left-back of the same quality for a similar wage packet. Therefore, they should potentially back-track on their decision to make Reguilon available for sale in the summer.
In other news: Pete O’Rourke makes Paulo Dybala to Spurs claim
Not every signing has been a hit, but over the last few years, Chelsea has built a sensational squad.
At the back, the likes of Reece James, Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana would likely start for most teams in the Premier League.
Likewise, Cole Palmer is one of the best attacking players in world football, and Estevao looks like someone who could develop into a world-class superstar.
Finally, Enzo Maresca has some unreal midfield options as well, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández the two standouts, and as if that wasn’t enough, Chelsea may well already have the perfect heir to the pair of them.
How Fernández and Caicedo compare in 2025/26
Fans might disagree about who Chelsea’s most important player is, but one thing most will surely agree on is that Caicedo and Fernández are among the candidates.
However, how are they stacking up against one another so far this season?
Well, starting with some of the basic surface-level barometers, the Argentine has made 24 appearances, most of which have come in central midfield, and he has scored five goals and provided two assists.
The Ecuadorian, on the other hand, has made 21 first-team appearances, almost all of which have come in the six, in which he’s scored four goals and provided one assist.
Given the fact that the former Brighton & Hove Albion gem plays deeper than his teammate, you’d probably have to say he just about edges it when it comes to output.
However, with six yellow cards and one red compared to the former Benfica man’s four yellows, he certainly comes out second best when it comes to temperament.
Okay then, which international superstar comes out looking better when comparing their underlying numbers, then?
Unsurprisingly, the former Seagulls ace comes out ahead in every defensive metric, and the World Cup winner does better in the more attacking ones.
However, metrics like passing accuracy, goal-creating actions and goals per shot, all per 90, just about tip the scales in the Santo Domingo-born monster’s favour.
Caicedo vs Fernández
Statistics per 90
Caicedo
Fernández
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.13
0.57
Progressive Passes
5.80
7.57
Progressive Carries
0.84
1.38
Goals per Shot
0.27
0.10
Passing Accuracy
90.1
82.9
Key Passes
0.50
1.71
Shot-Creating Actions
2.35
3.36
Goal-Creating Actions
0.42
0.26
Tackles
3.11
1.58
Blocks
1.09
1.05
Interceptions
2.69
0.46
Clearances
1.09
0.79
Ball Recoveries
5.88
4.14
All Stats via FBref for the 25/26 PL Season
With all that said, while Caicedo comes out looking the better player, Fernández is still an essential part of the Chelsea team, and now it seems the club might already have a young player who could be moulded to succeed him or his midfield partner.
The incredible gem who could replace Caicedo or Fernández
So then, to even be considered as a potential future replacement for either Caicedo or Fernandez, a player has to be something special.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The good news is, from what those in the know seem to suggest, Mohammad Zongo is just that.
Earlier this month, it was announced that the consortium that owns Chelsea and Strasbourg, BlueCo, had agreed to sign the Burkina Faso youngster.
He is expected to join the French outfit in two years, once he turns 18, and is seen as someone with a future at Stamford Bridge.
With that said, why is he someone who could be the heir to one of the Blues’ two best midfielders?
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Well, firstly, he is a positionally versatile prospect, someone who can play in attack or deeper in midfield, which is likely one of the reasons Chelsea writer Lloyd Canfield said that the youngster “plays like a unique mix of Estevao and Moises Caicedo.”
Moreover, analyst Filipe Sousa has described the teenager phenom as “a complete and energetic box-to-box midfielder who contributes in every phase of the game.”
Sousa adds that the youngster is “technically clean and physically strong”, which helps him to cover space rapidly, win the ball and help start attacks.
With a description such as this, it’s hard not to think of Maresca’s Ecuadorian enforcer.
He isn’t just an engine, though, with U23 scout Antonio Mango calling him a “magic” player for his ability to create chances for his teammates.
Ultimately, there is a long time to go before Chelsea fans see Zongo represent them, but even so, it’s hard not to get excited about the prospect of him being the long-term heir to Caicedo or Fernandez.
Chelsea have a "ridiculous" talent at Cobham who looks like the next James
The teenage sensation could follow in James’ footsteps at Chelsea.
England striker Peter Crouch has hit back at his doubters after defending his record in international football.
The Tottenham striker is expected to be part of Fabio Capello's final 23-man squad for South Africa after scoring 21 goals in 38 international appearances.
Despite his healthy scoring record, Crouch's involvement in international football continues to raise eyebrows among a band of detractors.
They claim the 6ft 7in former Liverpool and Portsmouth striker only scores against lesser nations and has never performed against the top teams.
However, Crouch claims he is ready to silence a few of his doubters and spring a few surprises in South Africa.
He explained:"I think people look at how tall I am and just see me as the kind of player that can only play when the ball is in the air.
"I think my goals record at international level speaks for itself, to be honest.
"You have to back yourself – and I do believe I am good enough to play for England and do well at the World Cup. Why not? I certainly think there is a shock value when I play.
"Perhaps defenders who haven't played against me before will look at me and think that I am only a threat when I'm heading the ball.
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"I'm better than that and maybe defenders will get a surprise at the World Cup when I've got the ball at my feet if I am picked.
"I think my team-mates will tell you that I am much more than an old fashioned targetman who can only play one way."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email