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Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Weston McKennie to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Calciomercato, who claim that the 23-year-old central midfielder is one of Fabio Paratici’s main targets in the upcoming winter market, before going on to state that Juventus are willing to sanction the sale of the central midfielder next month, as long as their asking price of €35m (£30m) is met.

A further report by TuttoJuve even goes as far as to claim that the Tottenham managing director is preparing an offer for the USA international, although this bid is thought to be in the region of €25m (£21m) – someway short of the Serie A side’s valuation of McKennie.

McKennie would transform Conte’s Spurs

Considering the sheer amount of potential McKennie quite clearly possesses, should Paratici be successful in his bid to land the midfielder in January, he would undoubtedly be something of a transformative signing for Antonio Conte’s Spurs side.

Indeed, over his 13 Serie A appearances this season, the £22.5m-rated man has already scored two goals, as well as making an average of 0.9 key passes, 1.1 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, taking 0.9 shots and winning 4.3 duels per game.

These returns have seen the £37k-per-week midfielder average a SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as Juve’s joint 10th-best performer in the top flight of Italian football.

Aside from his impressive metrics, McKennie’s positional versatility would also appear to make him something of a perfect fit for Conte’s brand of football, with the 23-year-old’s former manager, David Wagner, stating of the American:

“In the No.6 or No.8 position, he has the mentality – a real working mentality that you need. He’s brave on the ball as well. He can be one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga.”

As such, it is easy to see why Paratici is so keen to secure a deal for the central midfielder who Tab Ramos dubbed a “relentless worker” this January, as, alongside the likes of Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the middle of the park, McKennie could help transform Spurs into a Champions League side once again.

In other news: Spurs can finally replace Toby with £90k-p/w “beast” who has “always been the leader”

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have shared their views on Queen’s Park Rangers defender and transfer target Rob Dickie after The Athletic shared some news.

David Moyes is in the market for a new centre-back this month as things stand, with injuries to both Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna making it a priority in this transfer window.

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Even though the 58-year-old has explained that this could change depending on the pace of Zouma’s recovery, Moyes has also reiterated that a new defender is currently being targeted.

The likes of Nathan Ake, James Tarkowski and Nathaniel Phillips have already been heavily linked, with claims that West Ham could also target defenders from the Championship. Dickie is said to be one of those, with The Athletic now explaining that West Ham are eyeing up a possible move for the 25-year-old this month as they are ‘credited with interest’.

West Ham fans react…

Taking to Twitter, some West Ham fans shared their views on Dickie as their club become linked with him, with some believing that he certainly has his merits.

Check out a flavour of the online reaction below:

“Decent player in the Championship – wonder how he’d make the step up”

Credit: @tiskyboo

“Be a good one this”

Credit: @BillyBrown2k

“Another day another player, relentless”

Credit: @02sfield

“Decent player.”

Credit: @desouza1994

“Been one of the best centre-backs in the Championship”

Credit: @RobWaldon

“Quality defender”

Credit: @cxjeverex27

In other news: West Ham could now make bid to sign ‘unbelievable’ £31.5 million-valued star for Moyes, find out more here.

West Ham are now plotting a swoop for Wolves star Adama Traore in this January transfer window…

What’s the story?

The Hammers find themselves in a superb position heading into the second-half of the Premier League campaign, being firmly in the mix for a Champions League spot, and also into the Europa League knock-out stages too.

It’s no surprise then that David Moyes appears intent on strengthening his squad this month, and according to Football Insider, the club have made a “concrete” move to sign Traore.

The report adds that the Hammers have registered their interest in the Spain international as they look to beat off competition from London rivals Spurs.

Fans should be excited

In Traore, West Ham can find someone who is incredibly quick, tricky and incredibly difficult to stop when running at players.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp even hailed him as “unplayable” following his performance against the Anfield side previously, and it’s no surprise that former Hammer Rio Ferdinand has even described him as a “machine” and someone who’s “been scaring defenders”.

The £100k-a-week Spaniard’s sheer pace could give West Ham a different dimension to the tricks and skills offered by someone like Bowen.

Having the duo line up on either flank would give the London side a real exciting mix of talents and abilities out wide, and offer opposition defenders completely different threats to deal with.

Given the form West Ham are in at the moment, and the fact they’re now well and truly knocking on the door of a Champions League spot for next season, a swoop for someone like Traore could be the kind of added boost and spark that tilts things their way.

It’s exactly why Hammers fans will surely be excited with a swoop for the dynamic Wolves star.

Meanwhile, West Ham must ruthlessly axe this star…

As per El Nacional, a major Liverpool transfer update has surfaced as Fenway Sports Group weigh a bid for Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos – with his stance also detailed.

The Lowdown: Liverpool eye midfield additions…

As previously reported, the Reds and manager Jurgen Klopp have seemingly set the club’s sights on bolstering midfield options in 2022.

Indeed, the likes of Denis Zakaria, who could leave for Borussia Monchengladbach for free at the end of 2021/2022, is on Liverpool’s radar while Borussia Dortmund ace Jude Bellingham is also appreciated at Anfield.

However, it appears the Bundesliga isn’t Klopp’s only port of call as El Nacional share news on midfielder Kroos and his links to the club.

The Latest: FSG weigh £25m bid…

As per El Nacional, despite Kroos being happy at the Bernabeu, Real president Florentino Perez apparently has ‘no plans to meet’ with the player over a contract extension as his current deal looks set to expire in 2023.

This coming summer, as a result, will be the Galacticos’ ‘last chance’ to sell for a profit as things stand as the German star also knows he’ll have ‘interesting offers’.

As such, Kroos himself ‘only anticipates’ one destination in the Premier League and ‘specifically’ Liverpool – where he would ‘also be delighted’ to work under Klopp.

Liverpool’s interest, meanwhile, is thought to be ‘very serious’ – so much so they ‘would be willing’ to pay around €30 million (£25m) to secure his services.

The Verdict: Big claim…

The 32-year-old being open to a Merseyside move to work under Klopp, whilst the club also ponder a £25m offer, certainly comes as a big claim.

Given his age, you would think Kroos’ potential signing may come as quick fix when compared to the likes of Bellingham and Zakaria who, comparatively, come with much longer shelf lives.

However, given his statistics, there is little arguing the World Cup winner would add serious quality to Klopp’s midfield.

According to WhoScored, the £210,000-per-week star has averaged far more key passes (2.4) and shots at goal per 90 (2.4) domestically than any of Liverpool’s current central midfield players.

As well as this, Kroos has completed 94.9% of his passes to teammates in that time – far eclipsing that of any Reds man with more than one league start (WhoScored).

If Liverpool can secure a move later this year, it would certainly back Klopp with some serious quality and depth in the middle of the park.

In other news: Offer ready: Liverpool wish to seal signing of ‘exceptional player’ as soon as possible, find out more here.

Aston Villa are thought to be very keen on Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil, according to reliable reporter Alan Nixon, as relayed by The 72.

The Lowdown: Neil profiled

Neil is 20 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in a defensive or attacking midfield role.

He actually shares the same agent as Steven Gerrard and signed new terms with the Black Cats through to 2025 back in October.

The left-footed midfielder has contributed to 11 goals in 32 appearances so far this season, and his displays have seemingly caught the eye of Aston Villa.

The Latest: Villa interest

According to Nixon in The Sun on Sunday (16.01.21, pg. 60), as relayed by The 72, Villa are ‘ready to fight’ when it comes to the race for Neil’s services.

Villa scouts have reportedly been raving about the Sunderland gem, with Gerrard also keen on a move for what the club views as a long-term project.

The Verdict: Smart move

Sunderland manager Lee Johnson has said that Neil is ‘a little bit like a young Paul Gascoigne’, so it seems to be a smart move by Johan Lange and co to bring in the 20-year-old.

Villa have already bolstered their senior ranks this month by bringing in Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne, while they have also added to their academy squad with the signing of Kerr Smith.

It’s clear to see that the club are thinking of the bigger picture, so making Neil a Villa player this month could be an excellent move. Should a move go through, you’d expect that Villa would be open to loaning him back to the Stadium of Light for him to continue playing regular senior football, so it could be a rumour worth monitoring over the rest of the month.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Yessss’ – Lots of Aston Villa fans react as ‘crazy’ exit news emerges

West Ham United are now battling Southampton to sign Chelsea loanee Armando Broja according to reports.

What’s the story?

The Hammers have yet to make any marquee additions in this January transfer window, and David Moyes will be keen to ensure that his side can get some business done before the deadline next week.

Now, according to Goal, it’s been suggested that the London club are thought to be one of a number of clubs who have made their interest known in Broja, amid claims that Southampton are keen to sign him on a permanent basis.

Proving his Premier League quality

The 20-year-old has been in fine form for the Saints since his loan switch from Stamford Bridge, netting seven goals in 21 games across all competitions and proving he belongs at this level.

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 3, it’s no surprise that Broja uses his physicality to his advantage, much like Sebastien Haller was thought to bring when he was at the London Stadium.

As per Sofascore, he wins an impressive 4.9 duels per game, which is only a touch less than what Haller has managed in the Eredivisie with Ajax this season.

Broja also wins a quite similar amount of headers as the Ivorian (2.7 to 3.4), while he’s also slightly more clinical than the former Hammers man – this campaign has seen his goal conversation rate stand at 22% compared to Haller’s 20%.

CIES value him at the €40m (£34m) mark, which is unsurprising given his age and the fact he’s now doing the business in the Premier League, but he appears to be a real threat in this division.

Speaking after the Saints beat Brentford 4-1, Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “He’s a great threat. He didn’t have many poor games this season so today he showed again how dangerous he can be for the opponent and he’s very helpful for our game.”

If the Hammers can somehow manage to land him ahead of Southampton where he’s currently on loan at, it would be a major coup for Moyes’ side.

Meanwhile, West Ham have made their “first offer” for this Ligue 1 striker…

Celtic have seen numerous players leave the Parkhead club for substantial amounts of money over the past few years such as Odsonne Edouard, Kristoffer Ajer, Jeremie Frimpong and Kieran Tierney to name a few.

Also, the club have seen several players leave on free transfers after running their contracts down, namely Oliver Ntcham and Scott Brown from the previous summer window.

In terms of their current players, it seems as though the Hoops could be in danger of losing one figure, in particular, as a free agent this summer which would surely be a massive blow for the club.

According to a recent article from the Daily Record, Celtic’s 19-year-old winger Karamoko Dembele could be in danger of leaving the club at the end of the season when his current contract runs out.

They said: “Out of sight, out of mind? That could be the case for Karamoko Dembele. The highly-rated winger has been expected to enjoy a breakout campaign this season but has been plagued by injuries as he enters the final months of his contract.

“We are in the final run-in and it’s the last chance for Dembele to catch the eye of Ange Postecoglou. However, he has spent most of the season with the B team.

However, the following 11 words seemed to imply that the teenager is doomed: “It could be time up for the forward at Celtic Park.”

As a product of Celtic’s youth system, the winger has only made ten senior appearances for the Hoops, the first of which came back in May 2019.

Praised for being “exceptional at every age group he’s played in” by journalist Alison McConnell, Dembele may not have had the easiest of seasons this time around due to an ankle injury that has kept him out of action for the majority of it.

However, given his young age and the previous experience he has of working his way through the youth ranks at Celtic, the club should definitely try and tie the attacker down to a new contract and keep developing him into a potential regular first-team star for Ange Postecoglou.

After all, this is someone who is one of the most vibrant young graduates the club have ever had; to see him leave for nothing would be an unforgivable sequence of events given the way he’s been talked about since bursting onto the scene.

If the Hoops were to see the young winger leave as a free agent in the summer and then see him really blossom into a senior superstar at another club, the club and Postecoglou would have shot themselves in the foot and very much live to regret not offering him a new deal.

In other news: Celtic now handed major boost ahead of Old Firm clash, Postecoglou surely buzzing…

Ange Postecoglou has dropped an update on the injury sustained by Matt O’Riley in Celtic’s Old Firm victory last weekend.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by The Herald, the 56-year-old manager revealed that, despite being withdrawn just 15 minutes after his introduction in the second half of the 2-1 win over Rangers, the 21-year-old does not appear to have sustained a serious injury.

Speaking about the current condition of the Denmark U21 international, the Hoops boss said: “Matty got a bit of a decent knock. He probably could’ve soldiered on but with the game being as it is and we’ve got a bench now that can make a difference, we thought we would take him off and just protect him.”

Great news for Celtic

Considering just how impressive O’Riley has been for Celtic since his £1.5m move to Parkhead back in January, the news that the midfielder does not look to have sustained a serious injury is certainly great news for the Bhoys.

Indeed, over his 11 Premiership appearances this season, the £405k-rated dynamo has been in fantastic form, scoring one goal, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots and making 2.6 key passes – the third-most in the league – per game.

These returns have seen the 21-year-old who Kieran Devlin claimed has been “8/10” in every game he’s played for Celtic average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.34, ranking him as the seventh-best player in the top flight of Scottish football.

As such, while it is true that the return of David Turnbull and the presence of Tom Rogic and Reo Hatate in the middle of the park means the loss of O’Riley would not exactly have been a disaster, Postecoglou’s claim that the youngster does not appear to have sustained any long-lasting damage is nevertheless fantastic news for the club – as the former MK Dons starlet has already proven that he is one of the most exciting young talents in the Hoops squad.

AND in other news: Ange could unearth Celtic’s next Hendry in 18 y/o prodigy who’s “making real strides”

It looks almost certain that Connor Goldson will leave Rangers and return to England, The Daily Record’s Gavin Berry writes. 

The lowdown

Goldson’s £27,000-per-week contract is due to expire in just seven weeks’ time.

Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson insisted around two months ago that the club were ‘not resigned to losing’ the centre-back.

Robertson said that sporting director Ross Wilson engages in ‘regular conversations’ with soon-to-be-out-of-contract players, but it appears that those talks have not proven to be fruitful.

Goldson has made 213 appearances for the Gers since joining from Brighton in 2018, scoring 20 goals and helping them win their first Scottish Premiership title since 2011.

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The latest

Berry reported on Monday morning that, barring a ‘dramatic’ turnaround, Goldson will ‘almost certainly’ be moving south of the border.

He’s refused to commit to extending his contract and has allegedly looked distracted at times this season.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst and sporting director Ross Wilson are set to embark on a ‘major Ibrox squad rebuild’, and Goldson won’t be part of the future plans.

The verdict

The Scottish Daily Express claimed that Goldson would be open to extending his stay if they qualified for the Champions League.

But after a 2-1 home defeat against title rivals Celtic, they’ve fallen six points off the pace, potentially handing the Hoops both the crown and UCL qualification. Rangers, then, may have spurned a chance to keep Goldson.

They can still qualify by winning the Europa League, but teams like RB Leipzig, Atalanta and Barcelona could all stand in their way, even if they overturn the 1-0 deficit against Braga.

In other news, this Sky Sports man says the future of another ‘incredible’ hero hangs in the balance.

James Milner could still be playing for Liverpool in 2024, Frank McAvennie has told Football Insider.

The lowdown: Klopp confirms talks

Milner, 36, joined Liverpool in 2015 on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City – his £140,000-per-week contract is due to expire at the end of the 2021/22 season

But manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed in February that ‘the club is in talks’ with the midfielder over a potential renewal.

He’s played 283 matches for the club, scoring 26 goals and providing 44 assists, and helped them win the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League and the 2019/20 Premier League.

Milner ranks fourth on the all-time PL appearance list (584), 69 short of leader Gareth Barry.

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The latest: McAvennie reacts

McAvennie hailed the attitude of the ‘remarkable’ veteran and believes Klopp will appreciate him both on and off the pitch. He thinks Milner could remain part of the squad until he’s 38.

“It’s great to see Milner playing, oh my god he’s older than me,” the 62-year-old joked to FI.

“He still has it as well. Long may it continue because you are so long retired.

“I don’t blame him for keeping going but to be his age and getting games for this Liverpool side is remarkable.

“He puts such a shift in every time he plays even if he isn’t starting every week.

“That’s the personality Klopp really likes. I imagine Milner is a big influence behind the scenes.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if he was still there in a couple of years. Maybe he has one more contract in him.”

The verdict: Good decision?

McAvennie certainly has a point about Milner’s work-rate. Data from FBRef shows that the Englishman ranks in the 90th percentile or better among midfielders in the top five leagues when it comes to tackles, blocks and clearances.

However, while he was selected in the second leg of Liverpool’s Champions League quarterfinal against Benfica in midweek, he hasn’t started a PL match since the 2-2 draw with Chelsea back on 2 January.

Klopp appears more inclined to bring him off the substitutes’ bench late on in a bid to close out matches.

So the question is not only whether Liverpool offer him a deal, it’s also whether Milner will accept limited involvement, when he could theoretically have the chance to play more regularly elsewhere.

In other news, Liverpool have another Primeira Liga target after Diaz.