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Speaking to Calciomercato.it, Italian reporter Romeo Agresti has shared some interesting news on Tottenham Hotspur target Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Vlahovic move…

As per numerous sources, Tottenham have been interested in signing the Serbia international for quite a long while and links can be traced all the way back to the summer transfer window.

Italian news outlet Fanta Calcio even went as far as to say a Spurs bid had been lodged to sign Vlahovic but it was swiftly rejected, even despite the fact he was personally keen on the idea of an N17 move.

The arrival of new boss Antonio Conte has only heightened reports of Tottenham’s interest, especially taking into account the 52-year-old’s ties to Serie A.

Calciomercato.it recently name dropped Vlahovic as one of several Italian top flight stars being eyed by Spurs’ manager and now Agresti has shared the latest on Fiorentina’s stance.

The Latest: Fiorentina officials have already made a ‘couple of trips’ to England…

According to the reporter, who spoke to Calciomercato.it recently, La Viola chiefs have already travelled to England to ‘explore the local market’ with the Serie A side wanting to offload Vlahovic in January.

“Fiorentina wants to sell it in January to avoid dangerous dynamics,” Agresti explained.

“There have been a couple of trips to England to explore the local market.

“A price has been fixed: 80 million euros. Fiorentina do not want to sit down and talk with Juventus.”

The Verdict: Spurs in pole?

It appears their stance is clear – sell for as big a price as possible but not to one of their direct Serie A rivals.

This could gift Spurs a boost in the race to sign Vlahovic for Conte and managing director Fabio Paratici may well have the upper hand in negotiations due to the striker’s stance over a new deal.

His current contract expires in 2023, meaning La Viola’s position to demand a hefty price tag wains with each passing transfer window.

Despite president Rocco Commisso offering to make Vlahovic the highest-paid Fiorentina player in history, the American billionaire’s advances were swiftly rejected, as he confirmed in an official statement.

It appears Vlahovic is now closer than ever to the exit door and he could be a mega signing for Spurs and Conte if they manage to pull it off.

Bagging ten goals and an assist in 12 appearances across all competitions already this season (Transfermarkt), the 21-year-old is turning many heads in Italy and has been called a ‘really exciting’ player by Serie A expert Conor Clancy.

As Tottenham seek a natural alternative to superstar Harry Kane, we believe they can do no better than Vlahovic.

In other news: ‘Close agreement’…Journalist has also dropped a major Tottenham transfer claim on Twitter, find out more here.

Liverpool are interested in signing Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer in the January transfer window, according to a new report which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Liverpool well-stocked at centre-back

The Reds had a defensive nightmare in the injury department last season, having to make do without Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez for much of the campaign.

Jurgen Klopp is now in a far stronger position at the back, though, with the trio all fit again and Ibrahima Konate coming in from RB Leipzig in the summer. However, it could be that Liverpool are eyeing up another centre-back, if a fresh report is to be believed.

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The Latest: Bremer linked with January move

According to Torino Granata [via Sport Witness], the Reds could look to sign the Torino man in January, with the possibility of negotiations being accelerated in order to potentially secure a January move for a player who Klopp has already been following for more than a year.

Bremer is valued at just €10m (£8.5m) by the Serie A club, even though his current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2023. The 24-year-old is actually rated at £13.5m by Transfermarkt and has started 11 league games this season, registering one goal and one assist.

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The Verdict: Gomez squad place under threat?

This is a surprise claim in many ways, considering that Liverpool now have four established and available centre-backs at their disposal.

It could potentially point towards Gomez moving on at the end of the season, with the Londoner reportedly unhappy at his lack of playing time. Matip is also 30 years of age and rather injury-prone, so Bremer could arguably be considered a long-term replacement for him as well.

The Torino ace has averaged an impressive 3.9 interceptions per game in the league this season, which is more than double Liverpool’s leading player in that regard, Trent Alexander-Arnold with 1.9.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have flocked to a Fabrizio Romano update. Read more here.

Pundit Noel Whelan is a big fan of a potential Newcastle United move to sign Manchester City defender Nathan Ake.

The Lowdown: Ake targeted

It has been reported that Ake is one of a number of players Eddie Howe is targeting from his time with AFC Bournemouth in the January transfer window.

A recruitment source has also told Football Insider that Manchester City would accept a £10m loss on the central defender in the winter in order to try and push through a deal – they spent £40m on him in August 2020 (BBC).

Nonetheless, if a transfer fee can be agreed between the two clubs, it looks as if the St. James’ Park faithful could get their man given his lack of playing time with the Champions.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, 46-year-old former Leeds United and Coventry City striker Whelan has backed Ake’s potential move to the North East:

“I think that signing ticks all the boxes for Newcastle.

“Eddie Howe had him at Bournemouth, and was excellent for him there, that makes it a no-brainer. He progressed so well under him.

“He’s in his prime at 26, that is when you get the best football out of yourself.

“They need to bolster that defence, it’s been so leaky for almost three seasons now.

“They need to get him through the door at Newcastle as soon as possible if he is made available by Man City in January.

“He would be an amazing signing and the start of those jigsaw pieces coming together.”

The Verdict: Sign

Of course, Ake is a player that Howe knows very well, as the Netherlands international played in 121 games in total over all competitions under him, scoring 11 goals and making a further six assists (Transfermarkt).

Thus, Howe knows how to get the best out of him, and given that he has been playing for the reigning Premier League champions under Pep Guardiola, he would certainly elevate the quality and mindset in the squad.

That would be especially evident in his ability to play out from the back, as he has averaged more passes and a higher pass success than Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez and Jamaal Lascelles in the top flight so far this season (WhoScored).

He has fought relegation battles before with Howe at the Cherries too, and so would be a smart addition with his experience alongside the gaffer when the going gets tough.

In other news, find out which NUFC target may cost more than £40m here!

David Moyes has a major call to make as his West Ham side return to Premier League action this afternoon.

The Irons head to the Midlands to face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, where they will be looking to keep their place inside the top four, and they should still by in high spirits after their 3-2 win over Liverpool before the international break.

However, central defensive colossus and regular starter Angelo Ogbonna picked up a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury during the game, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

Moyes must now decide who replaces him in the starting lineup to play alongside summer signing Kurt Zouma.

In reality, it’s a two-horse race between Craig Dawson and Issa Diop, and it’s the latter who could strike up the most formidable partnership with the Champions League winner in the absence of the Italian stallion.

Diop and Zouma are, of course, both French and they have already played together this term.

The pair were rock-solid in Croatia as the Hammers kickstarted their Europa League quest with an impressive 2-0 victory against Prva HNL champions Dinamo Zagreb, the very team who knocked Tottenham Hotspur out of the competition last season.

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Both were graded amongst Moyes’ best performers that night, earning a 7.0 rating by SofaScore, and it is a partnership that must continue with Ogbonna on the sidelines.

Diop has looked in great nick whenever trusted this season – largely in Europe and the domestic cups. One example of this was seen against Manchester United, against whom he has an incredible record.

The 24-year-old titan nullified the threat on offer from Anthony Martial when the teams met in the Carabao Cup two months ago, recording a match-high seven clearances and making several crucial blocks. His performance was so good that Irons assistant manager Stuart Pearce dubbed him a “colossus”.

It comes just a few years after a similarly commanding display against Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils, when the former Old Trafford boss lauded the Frenchman as a “monster” to reporters after the game.

Valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, it is Diop who could cause Wolves a big fright on Saturday afternoon.

Whether Bruno Lage starts Hwang Hee-chan or Raul Jimenez – or even both – the Hammers’ one-time club-record signing is the man who can stop their threat at Molineux.

AND in other news, Forget Kral: Newman can seal West Ham’s dream Noble heir in £25.2m-rated “phenomenon”…

West Ham United return to Premier League action this afternoon as they head north to face Manchester City at the Eithad Stadium.

Irons boss David Moyes rested the bulk of his first-team squad for their Europa League victory over Rapid Wien in midweek, so he has an interesting dilemma heading into kick-off as his side were defeated by Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, ending a seven-game unbeaten run.

The Scot will be in confident spirits considering that the Hammers beat the Citizens in the Carabao Cup last month and also remain in fourth place heading into today’s clash.

One dilemma on his mind could be in defence, particularly in the absence of Angelo Ogbonna, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, per The Athletic.

Moyes’ men looked a little suspect up at Molineux, with veteran Craig Dawson partnering summer signing Kurt Zouma without the Italian colossus, but perhaps interestingly, the 31-year-old kept his place in a largely-rotated XI in Austria.

It’s the first time since September that he has started back-to-back matches in the space of a week, so it could well be a massive risk to then play him for the third time in seven days, particularly against the defending champions.

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Not only that, the former Watford and West Brom centre-back could get exposed by the sheer quality on offer at Pep Guardiola’s disposal – the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Gabriel Jesus could all feast if he starts today.

After the loss at Molineux, the Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser was particularly scathing about Dawson’s performance. ‘Struggled at the back a little in stepping in for Angelo Ogbonna and was poor on the ball,’ he wrote.

Meanwhile, club legend Tony Gale slammed the 6 foot 2 centre-back for a “silly foul” and claimed he was “panicking” in making such a rash decision.

The £52k-per-week colossus cannot afford to be in that kind of form against a side of City’s calibre.

In the past, Dawson has also been described as “very, very shaky” by The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas, in quotes relayed by This is Futbol.

You only have to look at what the Premier League holders did to Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris Saint-Germain, who have Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, to see the sort of damage they can inflict on their day.

If Dawson plays like he did against Wolves, then City could well run riot. As such, Moyes must make the ruthless call to axe him from his starting XI this afternoon.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Zouma: Rob Newman could seal West Ham bargain with £9m-rated “real force”…

Crystal Palace have got competition in their pursuit of Lille defender Sven Botman after Newcastle entered the race for a potential January transfer.

The Eagles were linked with a move for the 21-year-old in the summer before eventually opting to sign Marc Guehi from Chelsea in a £21m move and Joachim Andersen from Lyon in a £15.75m deal to strengthen their back line.

Botman ended up staying at Lille despite lots of interest and has continued to impress this season, ranking as their third-best defender this season according to WhoScored ratings.

Despite making just ten appearances in Ligue 1 so far owing to a groin injury, his form has been good enough to keep interested parties sniffing around and David Ornstein claims that Newcastle have made him a priority target for the winter transfer window. While Transfermarkt currently value him at £25.2m, it’s possible Lille would ask for considerably more to lose him mid-season.

Crystal Palace’s decision to opt for different targets this season has failed to really justify itself yet. Guehi has been relatively impressive considering his age and lack of top-flight experience, scoring twice so far. He’s also managed an average of 1.1 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per game under Patrick Vieira.

Andersen is yet to find the net for his new club and defensively has done relatively well too, averaging 0.9 tackles 1.5 interceptions and 2.9 clearances per game for the Eagles. But with Vieira keen to build a team comfortable in possession an important stat to look at is their pass success, something Guehi edges Andersen in with a percentage of 87.3% compared to 83.7%.

So where would Botman fit in? Likely right alongside Guehi in an ideal world. In an underperforming Lille side he has averaged 0.9 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and a huge 4.6 clearances per game for the current reigning French champions. That all-important passing stat is what’s impressive though, with the currently uncapped Dutchman successfully completing 85.8% of his passes.

Aerially he is dominant too, winning 2.5 aerial duels a match compared with Guehi’s 1.3 and Andersen’s 1.2 in the Premier League. With his top-flight experience in the Champions League and abilities that dovetail well with the England U21 captain, it could prove to be a formidable partnership for Vieira and for the future of Crystal Palace.

Having been described as a “leader” in the past, it would give Vieira options defensively and with his system, potentially moving to a back three on occasion but ultimately it would just be smart business to bring in another promising and talented footballer to a young and gifted squad.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace must use Eze instead of spending on £6m playmaker.

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side head into Thursday evening’s Europa League clash against Real Betis knowing that they can finish no higher or lower than their current third-place standing in Group G – something that renders the result of the match rather unimportant.

However, with the games coming thick and fast as we enter the Christmas period of the football calendar, the visit of Betis could actually prove to be an invaluable fixture for the 56-year-old manager, as it will provide the Bhoys boss with a perfect opportunity to field a number of his peripheral squad members, affording them some much needed first-team minutes.

One such player is undoubtedly Osaze Urhoghide, as, since the 21-year-old’s move to Parkhead this summer, he is yet to play a single minute of first-team football under the Greek-Australian coach.

Ange must unleash Urhoghide

Considering just how much of potential Urhoghide quite clearly possesses, the fact that the former Sheffield Wednesday centre-back is still yet to make his debut for the Bhoys is rather strange.

Upon his arrival in Glasgow, Postecoglou appeared to be extremely excited at the prospect of working with the youngster, stating of Urhoghide: “He can play a couple of positions at the back and, importantly, he’s really keen to learn and develop and I think this will be a great environment for him. He’s a modern defender. He’s good athletically, he’s mobile, he’s quick and he wants to get on the ball.”

Indeed, the £270k-rated man is no stranger to senior football, making 16 Championship appearances last season, over which he helped the Owls keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 1.8 tackles, 2.7 clearances and winning an impressive 5.8 duels per game.

And, considering the number of injuries Postecoglou has had to deal with in defence so far this season, exactly why the manager has ignored the player who Darren Moore dubbed an “immense” talent is a question we struggle to answer. Keeping that in mind, it might make sense if Camerton Carter-Vickers is given the night off, with the talented youngster afforded a rare chance instead.

With nothing at stake aside from pride against Betis on Thursday, the 56-year-old simply must unleash the 21-year-old who Dean Ashton claimed always looks “eager to impress” in the fixture, as he undoubtedly possesses the ability to become an extremely important player within Celtic squad in the second half of the campaign.

In other news: Anthony Joseph drops 7-word transfer update that will delight Celtic fans

It is no secret that West Brom have every intention of taking advantage of the upcoming January transfer window, but there is now one reported target that the Baggies have been speculated to sign who could be off the cards, after Dwight Gayle’s new manager Eddie Howe spoke out about the player this week.

What’s the story?

The Newcastle United striker has been said to have “an important role” at the club according to Howe, which will likely flatten the chances of Valerien Ismael being able to tempt the 32-year-old away from Tyneside.

The Magpies boss spoke to Chronicle Live about Gayle’s future with the club, saying: “What I have seen is someone who can certainly score goals, is a brilliant finisher. So Dwight will have an important role.

“He’s very well respected by the group and a well-liked member of the team. I’m going to enjoy working with him, for sure.”

These kind of numbers are exactly what West Brom are looking to add to their side as they head into the second half of the season, as they have struggled to score and finish their many chances over the last few months in the Championship, leading to a seven-point gap from table toppers Fulham currently.

These comments from Howe come after Albion continue to be heavily linked with securing the signature of the £40k-p/w striker, who proved to be a prolific scorer in the Championship during the 2016/17 season, when he scored 23 goals and claimed four assists in just 34 appearances for Newcastle.

What are WBA’s chances of getting Gayle?

West Brom fans could be gutted to hear that Dwight Gayle may not make a return to the club, as many have taken to social media to discuss the highly-speculated move.

When The Baggies Podcast asked on Twitter if fans would like to see Gayle back at The Hawthorns, the response was unanimously positive. One fan replied; “Yep, don’t even have to think about it! Natural poacher who can’t get a game at Newcastle. Bring him home!!”

However, with Howe’s comments suggesting that he still sees the striker as an integral part of the squad on Tyneside, those Baggies fans wanting Gayle back in the Midlands could be left gutted as their hopes of a reunion appear dashed.

Despite the Magpies manager’s verdict on the 32-year-old, though, there is every chance that Newcastle could sign another striker in the January transfer window, thanks to their mega-money takeover.

Gayle doesn’t get much game-time for the Magpies, as Callum Wilson continues to thrive in the centre-forward role for the club, meaning that the temptation to get regular first team football with West Brom could actually be a way for Ismael to secure the 32-year-old’s signature in January.

Either way, the Baggies must find a reliable striker in the upcoming transfer window if Albion want to catch up with Bournemouth and Fulham to secure automatic promotion back into the Premier League next season.

In other news: Valerien Ismael drops transfer window hints

It’s safe to say that Leeds United are in a bit of a crisis period at the moment with the number of injured players they have and the fact that the team have lost their three previous league games, conceding 14 goals in the process.

With the January transfer window opening in a matter of days, this could give Leeds a good opportunity to do some business and add some players to their squad that could either fill in for some of their injured players or strengthen the team in general.

In terms of which players Leeds could target to sign next month, the Yorkshire club could look to reignite their interest in one figure that they were chasing during the previous summer transfer window – Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien.

Taking into account how Leeds have Kalvin Phillips and Jamie Shackleton out injured, this has left them somewhat light in midfield and could therefore push the club to do what they couldn’t in the summer and bring O’Brien to Elland Road.

After reportedly making two bids for the 23-year-old in the summer which were ultimately rejected by Huddersfield, O’Brien put pen to paper on a new deal, keeping him at the club until 2025, which could make it harder for Leeds to sign him in January or at least mean they would have to offer a lot more money than they offered in the summer.

Labelled as a “powerful” player with a “great engine” in him by former Huddersfield defender Calum Woods, who played with O’Brien at Bradford City, he could be a magnificent capture.

He has played the full 90 minutes in 20 of the 21 Championship games he’s played in and donned the captain’s armband on four occasions, showing just how much of an engine he has that Woods spoke about and how important he is to the team.

In those league appearances, O’Brien has managed to rack up an average of 2.9 tackles per game in the league, higher than any other Huddersfield player, which is also higher than any Leeds player has managed to get this season, including Phillips, demonstrating how useful he could be for Bielsa’s side to help them stop conceding so many goals.

Looking ahead to January, Leeds should definitely explore the possibility of signing O’Brien again to see if Huddersfield would budge on potentially letting him go to see if he can fix their current issues and help them get out of a potential relegation battle.

In other news: Leeds United rocked by yet another injury issue that’ll surely have fans fuming – opinion

Bruno Lage has been a revelation as the manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He arrived at Molineux as an unknown quantity in English football, much like Nuno Santo when he first came to Wolves.

However, he’s taken no time settling in during his time in the Premier League.

The Portuguese coach overcome a number of problems with his squad, mainly injuries, to lift Wolves to 8th place in the top-flight as they chase after European football.

It now feels like the Old Gold are fully established at this level now but there are a few things they still need to do in order to take themselves to the next level.

One of which is making the squad larger and improving in a number of areas.

Wolves are blessed with plenty of attacking quality but still lack depth in the defensive third, even if they have conceded the third-fewest number of goals (14) in the division this term.

It’s a remarkable record when you consider that they’ve missed Willy Boly for a large portion of the campaign while new signing Yerson Mosquera, and full-backs Jonny and Marcal have all been out injured too.

There is still uncertainty over Nelson Semedo’s long-term future as Wolves’ best option on the right-hand side of defence.

The £84k-per-week defender was blasted a “liability” by Tim Spiers last term and is still suspect defensively. He is always capable of offering a threat going forward but Wolves could perhaps do with a more all-rounded figure in that area of the pitch.

That’s why signing Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier would be a good idea. The England international is someone that Wolves view as a potential signing and according to 90min, they and many other Premier League clubs are asking to be kept up to date with his availability.

If he does sign, then it could finally give Lage the excuse to brutally axe his sometimes calamitous right-back.

Spiers added last season: “So, his [Semedo’s] stats are okay, but his concentration levels don’t look great to me and we were warned about this when Wolves signed him.”

Trippier, on the other hand, is an extremely consistent figure and would give the Old Gold a greater sense of reliability in that position.

He is capped 35 times by England and is held in incredibly high esteem by Gareth Southgate who has previously described the Atletico star as a “warrior.”

Southgate also commented: “People are still seeing the lad that was at Spurs a couple of years ago and not the defensive animal that has grown at Atlético Madrid, trusted by one of the best and most successful coaches in the world.

“He gets his distances right on cover, he’s good one-v-one to stop crosses and his talking is really good.”

Potentially costing £25m this winter, it won’t be a cheap deal but it’s one that Wolves must do in order to establish themselves further and boost their hopes of European football.

After all, if he’s good enough for Simeone, he’s surely good enough for Lage.

AND in other news, Wolves can spark European push by signing £100k-p/w “freak” with “Maradona’s energy”…