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Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a move for Sasa Kalajdzic, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Eurosport’s Dean Jones claimed earlier this week that Spurs were looking into a potential summer move for the 6 foot 7 Stuttgart forward and now a similar story has surfaced in Germany, with Fussball Transfers suggesting that the north Londoners have already enquired over a deal.

They aren’t the only ones to do so, though as Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig are also keen whilst Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano exclusively told GiveMeSport last month that the “amazing player” was on the radar of Premier League trio West Ham, Everton and Newcastle United.

Jones believes he would be a backup option to Harry Kane at Spurs, and that he would be available for just £15m.

Cheaper alternative

This would be an interesting approach from Spurs, as they haven’t really had a player of this stature since Peter Crouch, who Kalajdzic has, of course, drawn many comparisons to.

In addition to that, he’s also been dubbed ‘the next Haaland’,  been labelled an “Ibrahimovic-machine” and likened to Germany legend Mario Gomez – all are, or were, tall, rangy strikers that had a knack for scoring plenty of goals.

This term, the 23-year-old has been in fine mettle bouncing back from a serious injury in 2019/20, scoring 14 goals and providing four assists in 27 league appearances, via Transfermarkt. He’s proven to be a nuisance against the likes of Jonathan Tah (Leverkusen), Mats Hummels (Dortmund) and ex-Arsenal nemesis Shkodran Mustafi (Schalke).

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Kalajdzic has even hit the ground running on the international stage. He has picked up five caps, where he has found the net three times, all of which coming in World Cup qualifiers for Austria.

Only four other players have scored more league goals than the Austrian international this campaign but of all five players, he is the one doing it in the fewest shots per game, having managed just 2.1 attempts each outing, via WhoScored.

Currently, Spurs have Carlos Vinicius on loan from Benfica to play second fiddle to Kane but if they want to keep hold of him, then. they’ll have to splash out around £40m which is far too much to spend on a backup option.

And it seems like Mourinho isn’t the biggest fan of the Brazilian, either.

Therefore, if Levy were to swoop for Kalajdzic, he could indeed save his club around £25m in transfer fees alone and those funds could go towards improving other areas of the pitch, such as in central defence.

Mourinho has worked with Ibrahimovic before, so the idea of having a man-mountain in attack isn’t something new to him and that could pay further dividends for the club and player alike.

If it’s between Vinicius and Kalajdzic, then it’s surely a no-brainer in terms of finances and long-term potential. Levy must sanction a move for the Stuttgart talisman this summer.

AND in other news, Levy could find Spurs’ next Robbie Keane in “unbelievable” £18m-rated beast…

Fans of Aston Villa have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the club shared an update regarding two of their upcoming Premier League fixtures.

According to a statement on the Villa website, Dean Smith’s side will now face relegation-threatened Fulham on 3 April at 8pm, as the fixture has been selected for television coverage by Sky Sports.

The club also confirmed that their Premier League clash with Liverpool – a game in which, in the reverse fixture earlier this season, Villa ran out surprising 7-2 winners – will also be broadcast live by Sky Sports, with the match now taking place on 10 April at 3pm.

However, after Aston Villa relayed this information on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing furious at the rescheduling of the fixtures, while others appeared confused by an initial typo in the statement on the club’s website – which claimed that both fixtures were due to take place on 3 April.

So, what exactly did these Aston Villa fans have to say in reaction to the rescheduling of two of their club’s fixtures?

“You know what this means…”

@Stanion18

“Another night ruined.”

@avfcdann

“Hopefully this is coming to the end of these stupid spread-out kick-off times.”

@MrP7478

“Do we have a lot of 8pm kick-offs or are all other teams having just as many?”

@the_borb

“Another late kick-off.”

@AVFC_Luke

“It’s a Saturday kick-off which means we’ll win but it’s a late kick-off which means we’ll lose, so hell yeah scrappy 0-0 here we come.”

@rad_nauseam

“Two games in one day?”

@standoberman

“Why is every game at 4am this year? I seriously can’t take this anymore. #avfc”

@rico_chong

In other news: Villa learn asking price for in-demand PL midfielder – find out more here! 

Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus recently and the German could be the ideal man to replace Georginio Wijnaldum at Anfield this summer.

According to German news outlet Kicker (via Sport Witness), the Reds have expressed an interest in signing the 23-year-old ahead of the summer, although they will face competition from Borussia Dortmund for his signature.

If the young midfielder were to make the move to Liverpool, he could prove to be the direct replacement for Wijnaldum, who is widely expected to join Barcelona when his contract with Jurgen Klopp’s side expires at the end of this season.

Neuhaus has established himself as one of the most promising youngsters in the Bundesliga in recent seasons and has become a regular in the Monchengladbach side following an impressive loan spell with Fortuna Dusseldorf.

So far this season, the midfielder has contributed four goals and four assists in 19 top-flight appearances, resulting in a solid 6.93 average rating.

Wijnaldum meanwhile, has two goals and no assists in 23 Premier League appearances and has averaged a fairly disappointing 6.63 rating, suggesting that based on their form from this season, Neuhaus would actually be an upgrade on the Dutchman in this Liverpool midfield.

Whilst the 30-year-old has registered a much better pass success rate than Neuhaus this season (91.5% compared to 84.9%), the former Newcastle United man is perhaps guilty of playing the safe pass on too many occasions, as Neuhaus outscores him when it comes to key passes per game.

The Monchengladbach man also averages more tackles, interceptions, dribbles and shots per game than Wijnaldum, suggesting that he is solid defensively, but would also add more of a goalscoring threat than the Dutchman, who has struggled to score consistently throughout his time with the Reds.

Fellow Monchengladbach regular Marcus Thuram was full of praise for his teammate last year, saying:

“Flo is simply an outstanding player. Flo deserves to be at Euro 2020. If I were national coach, I would call him 100 times.”

Therefore, Neuhaus is clearly held in high regard in Germany and it seems likely that he will depart this summer considering the interest being shown in him, so Michael Edwards should ensure that he joins Klopp’s side this summer, as he could be the perfect man to replace Wijnaldum in this Liverpool squad.

And, in other news… Edwards should swoop for “exciting” PL winger who is “only going to get better”

Leeds United have received a welcome boost in their pursuit of Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu.

Kokcu to Elland Road?

The 20-year-old is clearly highly rated as he has been linked to several Premier League clubs in the last 12 months, with Sky Sports previously stating that Arsenal and Everton are keen on securing his services.

Kokcu, who is valued at £11.7m by Transfermarkt, has scored once from 14 Dutch Eredivisie appearances this season.

Voetbal International revealed that Leeds have now entered the race to sign Kokcu, along with Leicester City and that a loan option is available to both clubs.

Cited by Sport Witness, the Turkey international confirmed himself that Feyenoord “did not want to cooperate” when a possible move was presented to him but was reassured that clubs are still monitoring his progress.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Kokcu still has a contract at the Dutch outfit until 2025, which probably means that his price tag will be a lot higher than his Transfermarkt valuation.

But given the fact that he is only 20 and has already made 68 senior appearances for the Rotterdam club, the Turkish central midfielder is certainly a player for the future.

He averages an 84.6% pass accuracy in the Eredivise, while his possible rival for a midfield spot in Mateusz Klich sits at just 82.3% this term – both players boast 1.5 key passes per game.

Because of this, we believe Leeds should go all out to capture Kokcu next summer, especially if Raphinha is tempted by a move to Liverpool as the midfielder could turn into another young gem to build around.

In other news, Victor Orta eyes Marcelo Bielsa replacement for Leeds amid summer exit whispers – report.

Fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the Hammers relayed footage of Jesse Lingard’s spectacular strike against Arsenal last weekend.

Since joining West Ham from Manchester United on a five-month loan deal back in January, Lingard has been in rather remarkable form over his seven Premier League appearances for David Moyes’ side, scoring five goals and registering two assists, as well as averaging a highly impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.48 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in the top flight.

The 28-year-old was once again one of the standout performers in the Hammers’ 3-3 draw with Arsenal on Sunday, with the attacking midfielder scoring a screamer from the edge of the box to put West Ham 1-0 up in the fixture, as well as cleverly setting up Jarrod Bowen for the second goal of the game.

And, after West Ham shared footage of Lingard’s strike on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many heaping a considerable amount of praise on the England international.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Jesse Lingard?

“Incredible goal, awful game.”

@LeMonjames56

“Actually unreal shot, still can’t believe it.”

@cloudymc20

“WHAT A STRIKE!! TAKE A BOW JESSE!!! COME ON YOU IRONS!!”

@diltondiltond1

“Great goal, it’s a shame we couldn’t keep hold of a 3-0 lead.”

@jaymeeteewhu98

“If you don’t sign this lad, then I’m quitting from the Hammers. The best pickup we’ve had in years!!!”

@johnnypana

“It was a really great goal, the jink from Benny, the great cutback from Michy and the rocket from Jesse.”

@CraigardH

“Kick with a bam! We love West Ham!”

@Rohan_bhartiya

In other news: these West Ham fans slammed this club figure with “no ambition” after footage surfaced – find out more here!

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former England international midfielder Carlton Palmer has been discussing the possibility of Crystal Palace signing Leicester City winger, Demarai Gray. 

This comes after the £10.8m-rated Leicester City man, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, has been linked with a move to Selhurst Park, while Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen are also said to be in the hunt for the 24-year-old’s signature, per the Daily Mail.

So, what has Palmer said about Crystal Palace potentially signing Gray?

Palmer has shared that he believes the Premier League-winning winger would be a good fit for the Eagles, explaining that while he’s not “overly a big fan” of Gray, he feels that Palace would be a good level for him to continue his career, with his time at the King Power Stadium potentially coming to an end. 

The pundit said: “I think he’s decent. Crystal Palace aren’t going to challenge at the top end of the table, are they? They’re always going to be mid-table or just above, so he would fit into the Crystal Palace scenario, as it were. I mean, I’m not overly a big fan of him. I think he does okay, he’s got good pace.” 

Transfer Tavern take

Gray hasn’t played a very significant role for the Foxes this term, making just two appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ side in all competitions. 

You could argue that Selhurst Park would be a good destination for the winger to move to if he is set to move on from the Foxes in either this window or the next, as Palace are potentially short on natural options on the wing.

Per Transfermarkt, Wilfried Zaha, Andros Townsend and Jeffrey Schlupp are the only players in the Eagles’ first-team squad who are natural to wide positions in the attacking third/middle third of the pitch. Schlupp is currently nursing an injury whilst Townsend will be out of contract in the summer.

Meanwhile, Gray has plenty of experience playing on either wing, so we agree with Palmer’s claim that he could be a good fit for Palace and it might make sense for the south London club to target him if he is set to leave Leicester, either this month or in the summer. 

In other news, Dominic Fifield has issued a claim on the possibility of Crystal Palace handing Christian Benteke a new deal.

Liverpool face Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Wednesday evening in a top-of-the-table clash, where a win would see the Reds move top of the Premier League.

The Reds could be without Joel Matip, after the Cameroonian defender went off injured in the 1-1 draw against Fulham at the weekend and if he cannot play, Klopp should put his faith in Nathaniel Phillips.

The 23-year-old defender has impressed in both of his Premier League appearances this season, picking up solid ratings against both West Ham and Brighton, suggesting that he can be relied upon against Jose Mourinho’s side.

Whoever Klopp opts to play in defence will be in for an extremely tough match, considering the way both Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son have started the season for the North London club but Phillips’ no-nonsense physical style could see him get the better of the England captain on Wednesday.

Whilst Kane is perhaps best known for being a goalscorer, this season has seen him drop deeper where he has shown his superb passing range, having registered 10 assists already in the top-flight this season.

However, if Phillips can win the physical battle against Kane and limit his influence on the game, then it would give the Reds an excellent chance of winning Wednesday’s game.

If the Spurs striker isn’t given any space to work in by Phillips and co, then he’s much less likely to be able to play one of his trademark through balls to his South Korean teammate.

Liverpool are, of course, without Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, meaning that if Matip isn’t fit to play against Spurs, they won’t have a single senior centre-back available in their squad.

Fabinho has shown his class in that position since returning from injury but playing another player out of position in Matip’s potential absence could spell disaster for the Reds’ defence, and Klopp must trust Phillips to produce another strong display against the league leaders.

After his Premier League debut against West Ham, former Liverpool man Jamie Carragher was full of praise for the £70k per week man, saying:

“It was what he did aerially. What Fabinho and [Joe] Gomez lack is domination aerially, and when you play against some teams, not necessarily the top teams, but many teams will look to set pieces, direct balls, crosses into the box, second balls, and Liverpool didn’t deal with that at all against Sheffield United, and that’s what caused them big problems.

“But today, that header at the end from a corner, one of the last kicks of the game, to be the leader and make sure you get your head on it, normally that would be Van Dijk’s role. That was a vital header, and it won Liverpool the game really.

“I love the maturity he showed in the game.”

Therefore, considering that Phillips has done an excellent job in both of his Liverpool appearances this season, he should be the man to start at centre-back on Wednesday if Matip isn’t fit, and perhaps his aerial strength will prove vital if it can help him keep Kane quiet.

And, in other news… Forget Clarkson: Liverpool have the long-term successor to Jordan Henderson’s throne in teenage sensation…

As the days pass by, life on the pitch is becoming increasingly bleak for Sunderland.

On New Year’s Eve they were left disappointed that yet another game was going to be postponed. Every fixture over the festive period has now been pushed back to a later date and any hope of playing against Fleetwood next week has been evaporated. For now, their match with Northampton is thankfully still on.

It’s becoming a tiring process for those at Sunderland with the fear of fixture congestion later in the season swiftly becoming a reality.

Consequently, the Black Cats will need to reach deep within their ranks and utilise the whole squad. That could mean game time for more of the club’s academy crop – a part of the football club that Jack Diamond and Elliot Embleton have progressed away from this term.

One player who will be keen to do the same in the immediate future is left-sided player Cieran Dunne.

The Scot, who learnt his trade at Falkirk, joined the Stadium of Light in the summer of 2019 but hasn’t had a glimpse of much first-team football. Dunne made his debut for the senior side in the EFL Trophy earlier this campaign but after playing just five minutes had to be withdrawn through injury.

Capable of playing as a winger or at left-back, his versatility is a huge asset and he simply has to be considered in the defence. Denver Hume is out injured at the moment and Callum McFadzean was anything but competent against Wimbledon, conceding a penalty.

Thus, it can’t be too long before Dunne gets a chance to prove himself to Lee Johnson. He has had mixed results at U23 level this term and was torn apart by former Sunderland academy product Sam Greenwood.

The forward is now at Leeds and scored a hat-trick past a hapless Dunne and the rest of his defence in a 3-1 defeat.

However, that was a mere blemish in Dunne’s copybook. The fact of the matter is that he has immense potential and has contributed positively to an ever-improving Mackems academy.

They failed to win a single match last season but in 2020/21, they have been victorious in five outings. A big part of that is down to the consistency of the 20-year-old.

More crucially, though, is the fact he possesses plenty of pace. Johnson has made it clear he wants players capable of stretching the play and if Dunne is given license further forward, he could do exactly that.

He’s certainly one to watch.

AND in other news, Johnson must brutally AXE Sunderland ace with just 3 starts all term…

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho could be without at least one of his regular options this evening as his side head to Championship outfit Wycombe Wanderers in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Speaking ahead of the encounter, the Spurs boss told reporters, via the official website:

“Matt Doherty was not involved at Sheffield United and I’m not sure if he will recover. Dele hasn’t trained for the last couple of days with a small problem in the tendon and Serge Aurier, not really well.”

Dele Alli seems likely to be out but that doesn’t come as a major negative to the Portuguese manager as he’s barely utilised the 24-year-old this term, indeed he’s played only 472 minutes in all competitions, of which six were starts, in all competitions per Transfermarkt.

However, the potential of having both his right-back options in Serge Aurier and Matt Doherty would be a killer blow to their fortunes, especially the Ivorian, who has emerged as Mourinho’s first-choice option over the course of the season.

The 28-year-old has started ten of their 18 league outings this campaign as well as half of their cup outings too. His turnaround in form has led to the club planning to offer him a longer-term contract as he’s entered the final 18 months of his £120k-per-week deal, per Football Insider.

So clearly, he’s a big part of Mourinho’s plans right now.

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What makes this news even worse is the possibility of not having his back-up, Doherty, either. The Irishman, who joined for £15m in the summer, has played 17 times in all competitions, primarily in the Europa League and this very tournament, so you’d imagine he’d be in line to feature once again if fit.

That said, the 29-year-old has struggled to replicate the sort of form that caught the eye at Molineux. His last league appearance against Leeds was a disaster as he badly let the Spurs boss down with a shocking display – as we further outlined in this Performance In Numbers article.

It leaves Mourinho with a tricky selection headache going into tonight’s clash as without either of the duo, he will either have to turn to Japhet Tanganga, who has played the bulk of his appearances at centre-back, Moussa Sissoko, a midfielder-by-trade who has been somewhat a utility player down that right flank or even a vastly-inexperienced academy player.

Tanganga, who has been dubbed “hungry to play” by Ledley King, seems the most viable option should both of the regular first-team options be absent at Adams Park, though it certainly makes Spurs a weaker prospect as they hold the second-best defensive record in the Premier League so far this term with either Aurier or Doherty starting at right-back.

AND in other news, Levy struck dream deal over £45m-rated “born leader” who’s been a Spurs “steal”…

Arsenal are believed to already be in contact over a possible £63 million signing for next year, as Edu Gaspar and the club's recruitment team look to jump ahead of rival suitors.

Arsenal spend under £100 million on five summer signings

Mikel Arteta and Edu will be very happy with how the club conducted their business over the summer, with five major signings brought in for under £100 million, not to mention a few marquee sales made on top of this.

TalkSPORT pundit says £89m Chelsea star should follow Sterling to Arsenal

The ex-Man City star could make his debut against Tottenham this weekend.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 10, 2024

David Raya signed from Brentford in a £27 million deal, which was a formality of his loan-with-obligation-to-buy move last year. After the Spaniard, Riccardo Calafiori swapped Bologna for the Premier League, with midfielder Mikel Merino also joining Arsenal later in the summer.

Arsenal managed two last-gasp deals at the eleventh hour, with both Neto and Raheem Sterling joining the north Londoners on deadline day. Sterling's capture comes as particularly interesting, and arguably their highest-profile move of the year.

Tottenham (away)

September 15

Man City (away)

September 22

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

The 29-year-old, who's scored 123 goals in the English top flight alone, provides both Premier League pedigree and trophy-winning experience – not to mention versatility.

It is believed Arteta is planning to use Sterling as a false-nine against Tottenham in the north London derby this weekend, with Arsenal looking short in midfield and Kai Havertz potentially dropping further back.

While the Gunners are suffering from a few injury worries and absentee concerns ahead of their trip to Spurs, they've arguably been unlucky in that regard so soon after the start of this new season.

Merino fractured his shoulder in his first ever Arsenal training session at London Colney, and there's been concerns surrounding Calafiori after he suffered a freak injury on international duty with Italy.

All-in-all, despite Arsenal's misfortune when it comes to their new arrivals, Edu and Arteta will still be ecstatic about the business conducted.

Arsenal already in contact over 2025 move for Benjamin Sesko

According to CaughtOffside, the Gunners are already planning for 2025, almost immediately after the closure of the last window. RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko was a widely reported transfer target for Arsenal over the summer, but the Slovenia striker decided to remain at his current club by signing a contract extension.

It is believed Arsenal have already been in contact over a 2025 move for Sesko, as Edu and co look to get ahead of rival suitors like Chelsea and Man United for his signature next summer – indicating they haven't given up hope of landing the 21-year-old.

Some reports claim that the forward's new deal includes a £63 million release clause, so a transfer is entirely possible, and CaughtOffside claim Arsenal are optimistic they can land Sesko this time round.