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As per Italian newspaper Corriere Torino, via Sport Witness, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has come to light involving Juventus winger Dejan Kulusevski.

The Lowdown: Tottenham in frame…

The Sweden international is said to be on the agenda of Spurs ahead of January as managing director Fabio Paratici looks to bolster Antonio Conte’s attacking options.

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Both men are apparently admirers of Kulusevski with a report from TUTTOmercatoWEB explaining that they share the same ‘esteem’ and believe he is a gem with huge potential.

Other sources, like reporter Daniele Longo, even say there have already been contacts for the player ahead of January

The Latest: Spurs eye January bid…

As per CT, via Sport Witness, Tottenham and Arsenal are in contention for his signing with Kulusevski himself thought to be open to moving in search of more game time.

Is it is believed that Spurs and their bitter rivals ‘have indicated their intention to sink the blow in January in case the right conditions arise’ – presumably meaning they’re weighing a bid.

Paratici is personally the youngster’s ‘number one fan’ according to this report with Spurs’ transfer chief well and truly eyeing a move.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Lauded as an ‘explosive’ attacker by former Sweden striker Marcus Allback, the pundit also claims that Kulusevski is hard-working and tracks back to defend (The Sun) – surely an endearing quality for Spurs supporters and for Conte.

The only caveat may be his alleged €35 million (£29.6m) asking price with Juventus apparently refusing to budge on that price tag.

Amid Tottenham’s financial troubles as they also aim to sign a centre-half and in-demand striker Dusan Vlahovic, Kulusevski perhaps should be put on Paratici’s back burner.

In other news: Conte ready to axe Tottenham player as agents begin work behind the scenes, find out more here.

Allan Saint-Maximin has made it very clear that he doesn’t want to be involved in a third straight relegation battle with Newcastle United or he may have to look for a move to a team with more ambition, but Hull City legend Dean Windass has ruled out that next club being Everton.

Former Toffees striker Marcus Bent told Football FanCast last month that one of the Merseyside outfit’s main transfer priorities this summer is to sign a new pacy winger.

The Magpies appeared to be heading for the Championship after they were thrashed 3-0 by Brighton, but the return of Saint-Maximin from injury saw Steve Bruce able to push his team further up the pitch knowing his talismanic winger would be able to carry the ball forward much quicker and more successfully than anyone else in the squad.

With the amount of money Everton have spent in recent years, it would be sensible to think they are a much better club to join than Newcastle but they only managed to finish two places higher than the Magpies last season.

If Saint-Maximin, valued at £70m according to The Daily Mail, did move to Goodison Park then he would certainly be in a side that plays more attacking football which would suit his playing style but in terms of league finishes there is not much in it, something Windass spoke exclusively to Football FanCast about:

“Saint-Maximin is a talent but I don’t think he’d leave Newcastle. He’s like the big fish at Newcastle and I think, listening to Steve Howey the other day, he’s their talisman now.”

Everton may well be looking for a new winger this summer with Bernard failing to impress and Alex Iwobi still yet to show any sign of proving he was worth the £27 million the Toffees paid for him back in 2019.

Bruce will know that Saint-Maximin deserves to be playing at a higher level than relegation battles so the recruitment on Tyneside has to be spot on with more signings like Callum Wilson, and fewer ones like Jeff Hendrick.

Michael Ball has told The Transfer Tavern that Everton’s players need to prove themselves worthy of a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad between now and the end of the season.

The Toffees have enjoyed a relatively successful season this term under the experienced management of Carlo Ancelotti.

Following the weekend’s results, the club sit eighth in the Premier League table, but they are now nine points behind fourth-placed Chelsea after losing to Aston Villa on Saturday.

They still have a game in hand on the Blues but catching them now seems unlikely at best, given the respective form of each side.

Securing qualification for the Europa League remains within their grasp but the Toffees will need to start winning with some regularity for that to become a reality.

And Ball has challenged the players at his old club to step up and show that they deserve to be a part of the squad next season, when the club will likely look to kick on again.

Speaking exclusively to TT, Ball said: “If the players want to be at the football club next season, they’ve got to start performing now to the level Carlo wants to keep them in the squad.

“It’s a huge incentive for them to go out there and prove to the fans and to Carlo that they want to be there.

“That’s by putting top performances in and winning football games and fingers crossed other teams in and around you start dropping points as well because they’ve got their own issues going on.”

An update has emerged on Rangers and their interest in bringing a Scotland international back to Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Gers are one of the possible destinations for their former academy starlet, Billy Gilmour, in the summer as he looks set for a loan move.

The report claims that his parent club will allow him to leave on a temporary basis again and Rangers are one of the teams in the mix for his signature.

Gio van Bronckhorst must get it done

This is a major deal that the Dutch head coach must get over the line as he would be a fantastic addition to the squad next season.

Despite Norwich’s struggles in the Premier League, Gilmour has shown flashes of Premier League quality this season with an average SofaScore rating of 6.84.

He has made 2.7 tackles and interceptions along with creating 1.2 chances per game in midfield, showing off his ability to win the ball back at one end and his ability in possession at the other. Although, he has lost 51% of his duels and may need to improve on the physical side of the game in the years to come.

Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness lavished him with praise last year. The ex-Liverpool man said: “He’s a fabulous little football player and when you factor in that last season he only made five starts in the Premier League for Chelsea, he’s not played a lot of football and he came into what was a hothouse of a game – high tempo, loads of pressing – and he managed to stay there.

“He’s just got that all round awareness of where people are all of the time and his first touch is generally away from the man who is marking him. He creates space for himself.”

He was previously hailed as “world-class” by Manchester United legend Roy Keane and his performances on the international stage suggest that he deserves that tag. In World Cup qualifiers for Scotland, Gilmour has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.13 – showing that he has been producing consistently brilliant displays for his country in competitive matches.

The £28k-per-week gem’s impressive form for Scotland and the glimpses he has shown with Norwich in England suggest that he would be a major signing for Rangers. He has the quality to dominate games in midfield with his aforementioned ability on and off the ball and van Bronckhorst would surely love to work with the 20-year-old to help him fulfill his potential.

Get it done.

AND in other news, Sources: Shock Rangers transfer claim emerges that will leave Wilson excited…

According to 90min, Tottenham Hotspur have already begun searching for a successor to Jose Mourinho, as the Portuguese isn’t likely to last past the end of the current campaign.

After a hot start that saw them sit top of the table at the start of December, Spurs have crumbled to sixth place, with the top four looking out of reach.

That makes their chances of qualifying for the Champions League – one of Daniel Levy’s key requirements – seem rather unlikely, having embarrassingly crashed out of the Europa League to Dinamo Zagreb last week.

As per the report, Spurs have compiled a long list of potential replacements.

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is thought to be the front-runner but names like Carlo Ancelotti, Julian Nagelsmann, Massimiliano Allegri and Nuno Santo all feature, too…

On the Chalkboard

Aside from the obvious impact on the struggling fortunes of Matt Doherty – a £15m summer arrival from Molineux – it’s hard to see the fellow Portuguese making much of an impact in north London, especially given Wolves’ own problems this season.

The 47-year-old gem has had the most success at the Midlands outfit when deploying a three-at-the-back system, and that is something that could be a recipe for disaster at Spurs.

Of course, Nuno should be lauded for transforming the Old Gold into a stable Premier League club. The Athletic’s Tim Spiers claimed that he had done “special things” and that it was “unbelievable” and a “miracle” to see them in Europe.

A lot of Mourinho’s problems have come through defensive individual mistakes, with his usual culprits being his only options in the role. Indeed, the Spurs boss has struggled to cement down a proper partnership in his backline.

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Eric Dier (21 league starts), Davinson Sanchez (15 starts) and Toby Alderweireld (18 starts) have frequently rotated throughout the Premier League season, whilst Joe Rodon’s rare start last Sunday saw him throw his name into the equation.

The former two have been particularly calamitous.

Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara dubbed the duo the worst partnership in the Premier League and urged the club to get rid of both of them. He said to talkSPORT:

“I look at the team and the back-four is just an absolute shambles. I don’t know why Jose keeps playing [Davinson] Sanchez and [Eric] Dier because it’s probably one of the worst partnerships in the Premier League.”

A three-man defence requires a perfect mix of pace, ability on the ball and an excellent reading of the game. This is something lacking at Spurs right now.

Only Sanchez (85.4%) has a better passing accuracy rate than any of Wolves’ current backline of Conor Coady, Max Kilman and Leander Dendoncker.

An ageing Alderweireld and Dier isn’t the fastest defence by comparison, nor is the England international on the same wavelength for defensive ability, sitting behind the lot for tackles (0.8) and interceptions (0.9) per game, via WhoScored.

Despite taking Wolves the Premier League, and then the Europa League in the space of just two seasons, Nuno just isn’t the right fit for Spurs at the minute.

AND in other news, Alli’s transfer value continues to plummet under Jose Mourinho

Joelinton will not join another club this summer if they are unwilling to match his current wages, warns former Newcastle United defender Steve Howey.

Joelinton joined Newcastle from Hoffenheim back in 2019 in a club record £40m deal but has failed to live up to expectations.

The Brazilian forward scored just two goals in his debut Premier League season before netting four last term.

Considering that, it probably would not be a shock if Newcastle tried to cut their losses soon. However, Howey thinks that is easier said than done, believing Joelinton’s wages could be a problem.

Speaking exclusively to TT about the 24-year-old’s future, the ex-Newcastle player said:

“If the manager goes to Joelinton and says, ‘Listen, the club want to try and offload you,’ it’s not great news that you get from the manager. 

“But the player, because he’s got his contract, if the club that want to buy him are not prepared to match his wage or even better it, then he doesn’t move. The power’s with the player.”

Newcastle certainly find themselves in a tricky position with Joelinton, who still has a contract until 2025 and is reportedly their top earner at £85,000-a-week.

Offloading him is not going to be easy, so you would expect him to still be at St. James’ Park next season. From a Newcastle perspective, hopefully he can turn things around.

Noel Whelan has offered his verdict on Tottenham’s reported pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic…

What’s the talk?

The one-time Premier League forward has suggested that the Lilywhites could land an upgrade on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg by bringing the 31-year-old to the club this summer.

Spurs are reportedly interested in a potential deal to bring the Bosnia international to north London ahead of next season, with Fabio Paratici exploring the possibility of signing him on a season-long loan from Barcelona, and Whelan believes it would be a good piece of business.

He told Football Insider: “I don’t think the Tottenham fans are that overwhelmed by Hojbjerg right now.

“He needs a lot of work as well in pre-season. He’s done okay in the European Championships but Pjanic is a different level to me. That’s why he’s been at Barcelona.

“I think the biggest factor is experience. You need players you can trust. The experienced players that know how to control the game, dictate a game.

“Someone who’s going to be a presence on the training ground and in the changing room, to bring that calmness and that experience to a team.”

Once silenced Poch

Tottenham fans may well remember Pjanic from his performance against the club in the Champions League for Juventus in 2018. The Italian giants knocked Spurs out of the competition with a 2-1 win at Wembley to win 4-3 on aggregate.

The Bosnian played the full 90 minutes in the heart of Juventus’ midfield that night as he won one aerial battle and two tackles and completed 85% of his passes, helping to silence Mauricio Pochettino’s side by stopping their attacks through the middle and dictating the play for his own team.

Therefore, Spurs fans will already know that he has the quality to perform on the biggest stage and could adapt well to playing in the Premier League. As Whelan referenced, the 31-year-old is vastly experienced at the top level and has played more than 400 times across Serie A, Ligue 1 and La Liga for Lyon, Roma, Juventus and Barcelona throughout his career.

His technical quality is not in doubt, with former Roma coach Rudi Garcia once hailing the genius of Pjanic over a dead-ball after the Bosnian scored a free-kick in the Serie A, highlighting his ability on the ball.

Garcia said: “I am very happy for Adem Ljajic, and I knew at the break we’d probably struggle on set plays. Other than those, we weren’t really allowing any chances.

“How did we resolve the situation? Gave Pjanic the ball and watched him score a genius free kick.”

The £18m-rated magician has an excellent career average WhoScored rating of 7.13, a score no Tottenham midfielder was able to get near in the Premier League last season. Attacking trio Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane and Gareth Bale were the only players who achieved a higher rating throughout the entire squad.

This suggests that Pjanic could be a brilliant addition to Tottenham’s squad and that is why Paratici must sanction a loan swoop for the Barcelona man.

AND in other news, Paratici facing Spurs disaster over “fantastic” £100k-p/w beast, Nuno will be livid…

According to The Scottish Sun, Glasgow Rangers are interested in signing Morecambe winger Carlos Mendes Gomes.

Rangers eye Gomes

The Gers are said to be interested in signing 22-year-old Gomes, who was previously part of Atletico Madrid’s youth set-up.

The Ibrox outfit are believed to have watched the winger on a number of occasions this season, and have even made an enquiry in regards to his availability. He will be out of contract at the end of this campaign (Transfermarkt).

Another bargain deal

It seems the 55-time Scottish champions are continuing to look for bargain deals as they plan ahead for the next campaign. Scott Wright, Jack Simpson and Nnamdi Ofoborh all joined Rangers during the January transfer window as their contracts were set to run out at the end of the term.

Gomes has been in impressive form for the Shrimps this season, scoring 12 goals in 37 games in League One (Transfermarkt) – he had managed just two strikes throughout his career before that. On a free transfer, this would make perfect sense for Ross Wilson and co, and would allow them to allocate funds elsewhere for bigger-name signings that would be more expensive. Mainly, though, it is positive to see the Gers look to do their business early, rather than panicking late in the summer.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this journalist’s comments.

In a recent interview, Manchester United defender Harry Maguire admitted that he chose a move to Old Trafford over a switch to the Etihad Stadium in 2019, despite receiving a personal phone call from Pep Guardiola.

The England international completed an £80m move from Leicester City to Manchester United in 2019 but could have very easily ended up with the Citizens.

When speaking to Gary Neville for The Overlap, the centre-back revealed: “I grew up watching Manchester United, no disrespect to Manchester City… so I always had my heart set on this club.

“I spoke to Pep and obviously the football they play and what he’s done for the club… (I have) great respect for him and what he’s done for football, but my heart was set.”

Since joining United, the 28-year-old has become club captain and has gone on to make 107 appearances for the Red Devils, contributing five goals and five assists.

Whilst he has come under a lot of criticism at times, his performances this season were a key factor in United finishing second behind City, and their drop-off in form in recent fixtures in his absence emphasises just how important he is to Solskjaer’s side.

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In 34 Premier League appearances in 2020/21, the centre-back contributed two goals and one assist, earning an impressive 7.04 average rating from WhoScored, which is higher than the average ratings of Man City centre-back duo Ruben Dias (6.91) and John Stones (7.03).

Guardiola is clearly a big fan of Maguire, having called him to try and convince him to join the Spaniard at the Etihad, whilst the 50-year-old also sung his praises earlier in the season, dubbing him “one of the best central defenders in the world.”

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Therefore, whilst Maguire claims that he had his heart set on joining United, it is a shame that City couldn’t complete a deal for the £36m-rated defender, as he could have been an excellent addition at the Etihad.

In other news… Bye-bye Laporte: Txiki should seal MCFC swoop for “amazing” £45m-rated beast

Benfica negotiated an ‘unusual’ 50% sell-on clause in the event Jota joins Celtic permanently, according to Portuguese newspaper Record (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Jota was one of three deadline day arrivals at Celtic Park, joining alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers and Giorgos Giakoumakis.

They will have the option to buy the Portuguese winger for €7.5million (£6.5million) come the end of the season.

Jota helped his country reach the final of the Under-21 European Championships at the start of the summer, scoring in the quarterfinal victory over Italy.

The latest

The report explains that Benfica have changed their loan policy, having previously been opposed to including permanent options.

Their thinking is that the players are unlikely to make a breakthrough at the Estadio da Luz anyway, and that clubs will be inclined to give more minutes to loanees when they have an option to sign them long-term.

In this case, they’re mitigating the risk by ensuring that they’ll receive half of the proceeds from any future sale.

The verdict

We’ll probably end up forgetting about this clause unless Jota lights up the Scottish Premiership – a clause like this only comes to the forefront of conversation when a player is sold for big money, like Odsonne Edouard.

Jota seems to have the ability to do that, but he’s also been described as a ‘frustrating and inconsistent’ player and has struggled to take the next step after shining at youth level, so inconsistency could be a factor in stopping a massive sale in the future.

Celtic were presumably willing to agree to a hefty sell-on either because they don’t anticipate it being an issue, or because they were desperate to get the deal over the line.

In other news, Anthony Haggerty issued this verdict on Albian Ajeti.