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Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on a deal to bring Sam Johnstone to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Mirror, who claim that Tottenham are now set to land the West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign, as Manchester United have now decided not to pursue a deal to bring the 29-year-old back to Old Trafford this summer.

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The report goes on to state that the England international’s availability on a free makes him an attractive proposition to both Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici, with Spurs looking to bring in a quality addition between the sticks in order to provide Hugo Lloris with both backup to and competition for his starting spot in Antonio Conte’s side.

A Paratici masterclass

Considering the fact that, upon West Brom’s relegation from the Premier League last season, the Black Country side placed a £20m asking price on the goalkeeper’s head amid interest from the likes of Leeds United, Manchester United, West Ham United and Watford, should Paratici go on to land the 29-year-old on a free this summer, it would represent something of a big coup for Spurs.

While it is true that Johnstone has not enjoyed the best campaign of his career over his 36 appearances in the Championship this season, the three-time capped international undoubtedly proved his ability at the highest level of the English game last time out.

Indeed, over his 37 Premier League fixtures in 2020/21, the £7.2m-rated shot-stopper was one of Albion’s standout performers, keeping six clean sheets and making an average of 4.5 saves per game – by far and away the most of any ‘keeper in the league – with these returns seeing the £32.5k-per-week talent earn a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.03 – ranking him as the Baggies’ second-best player in the top flight.

As such, it is clear for all to see just how talented a goalkeeper the player Gary Lineker dubbed “unbelievable” is, leading us at Football FanCast to believe that, should Paratici indeed secure the 29-year-old as Spurs’ first signing this summer, it would be yet another transfer masterclass by the Italian sporting director.

AND in other news: “Expect to see”: Eccleshare drops £145m Spurs summer claim, supporters will be buzzing

The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder has revealed that Newcastle United have already agreed a deal in principle to sign Matt Targett permanently this summer.

The Lowdown: Targett at NUFC

On January’s transfer deadline day, Newcastle announced the signing of Aston Villa left-back Targett, joining the Magpies on loan until the end of the season as Lucas Digne took his place in the Midlands.

The 26-year-old was Eddie Howe’s fourth transfer of the winter window, following Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimarães as they joined up with the squad at St. James’ Park, before Dan Burn followed on the final day.

Since arriving at the club, Targett has played the full 90 minutes in all four games that he’s been available for, and is yet to lose a Premier League game in a Magpies shirt.

The Latest: Deal agreed

Taking to Twitter, Ryder revealed the exciting transfer news.

“Newcastle United already have deal agreed in principle for first summer signing.”

In his article, the Chronicle journalist went on to confirm that Newcastle have agreed an option to turn the defender’s deal into a permanent move, with a fee of around £15 million already set with Steven Gerrard’s Villa side.

The decision is now effectively down to Newcastle and the player himself, who, according to the reliable Ryder, is already looking at accommodation options for beyond his loan spell.

The Verdict: ‘Massive’ signing

Prior to January, Newcastle struggled defensively, leaving them with the current fourth-worst defensive record in the league. Consequently, the club set out to bolster their options at the back, and Howe’s side have since conceded just three goals whilst Targett has been on the pitch.

Upon signing, pundit Noel Whelan insisted that Targett will make a “massive difference” in a struggling Magpies defence, and so far, he has been proven correct, with Targett ranking as the club’s fifth-best player already (Whoscored).

Therefore, if Newcastle are now able to get the personal terms sorted, this will be a great start to the window, meaning the club have immediately ticked off one problem position and can focus on bringing in new additions elsewhere.

In other news: Newcastle: Ryan Fraser a doubt for Southampton clash

Newcastle United were active throughout the January transfer window as they made a number of additions to their squad.

Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes and Chris Wood all came in to bolster Eddie Howe’s options across the park.

These signings tipped the club over the squad limit in the Premier League and they made the decision to leave Ciaran Clark, Isaac Hayden and Jamal Lewis out of their 25-man list.

Big error

PIF must now avoid making a big error as Hayden is being linked with an exit from St. James’ Park.

Sparta Prague, Basel, Spartak Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow and Sochi are among the European teams reportedly interested in snapping him up as their respective transfer windows remain open for the time being.

Alan Shearer once dubbed him “superb” and he still has plenty to offer. The £41k-per-week machine has averaged 3.0 tackles and interceptions whilst winning 4.6 duels per game. This shows that he is able to regularly win the ball back for his side, whilst he has been reliable in possession in his own half with a pass completion rate of 89%.

He was ruled out for two months at the end of December and it remains to be seen exactly when he will be cleared for action. This injury seemingly influenced their decision to leave him out of the squad but it should not tempt PIF into cashing in on him.

Hayden is an experienced, hard-working, option in the middle of the park and a player the club should be looking to bring back in next season. This is why it would be a big error for the owners to sanction a permanent exit, instead of a loan until the end of the campaign.

The former Arsenal enforcer has over 100 appearances in the Premier League under his belt and still has plenty of years left ahead of him in the top-flight at the age of 26.

Even if Howe does not see him as a player who will be starting on a regular basis next season, he could be useful as a squad option who can come off the bench late in games to see out results and to start when needed due to injuries or suspensions.

This is why PIF must avoid allowing Hayden to depart St. James’ Park on a permanent basis. It would be a big error and one that could negatively impact the squad next season, due to the loss of his experience and defensive nous.

AND in other news, Time’s up: Howe must brutally axe £42k-p/w NUFC “lightweight”, he’s been “shocking”…

Everton have had a shocking season, with numerous injury problems and poor performances contributing to their current relegation challenge. If they can remain in the Premier League next season, there seems little doubt that Frank Lampard will be making changes over the summer, but there is one player’s future which could be out of his hands already.

What’s the word?

Journalist Dean Jones has made a big claim on the future of Toffees deadline day signing Dele Alli, with his future at the club uncertain and potentially cut short.

The transfer insider told GiveMeSport: “If he’s not in the team by the end of the season, it’s pretty likely he’s gone.”

Lampard will be fuming

Lampard only joined the club on transfer deadline day in January but wasted no time bringing in Alli on the very same day to offer him the opportunity to revive his career away from Tottenham. However, due to the nature of Everton’s situation in the Premier League, the 43-year-old does not have the time at this point of the season to find the attacking midfielder’s best position in the team.

With only ten league games left for the Toffees, Lampard is obviously looking to his most experienced and reliable attacking players to secure safety for the club to remain in the Premier League this season. With Alli struggling for consistency in his game, as seen at Spurs over the last few seasons, the former Chelsea boss clearly doesn’t trust him yet.

Lampard will surely be fuming at the speculation surrounding the 25-year-old, and after giving Alli a chance to join him at Goodison Park, he would no doubt be disappointed if the player decided to leave due to a lack of game-time in a vulnerable period for the Toffees, as there could be an opportunity to take a much more consistent role in the team next season if they aren’t relegated this year.

Even this season, there could still be moments when Lampard feels that he can lean on the ex-Spurs playmaker, but it could really pay off for Alli if he maintains patience and works with his manager to secure a role in the team in the future. Alas, this could ultimately depend on the league status of the club next season – if they were to drop into the Championship, they will likely have a tough time trying to keep many of their marquee players, including Alli.

In other news: Everton handed fresh lift as update emerges, Lampard will be buzzing

West Bromwich Albion appear to have been dealt a setback in their bid to bring Vedat Muriqi to The Hawthorns in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Fabrizio Romano, with the transfer insider relaying the quotes of Lazio director Igli Tare on Twitter, who seemed to suggest that the 27-year-old centre-forward will not be leaving the Serie A side in the current market.

In his tweet, Romano said: “Vedat Muriqi won’t join CSKA Moscow, Lazio director Igli Tare says: “It was fake news. He’s not joining CSKA Moscow.”

Aside from CSKA Moscow, previous reports had also suggested that Valerien Ismael’s Albion side were interested in a move for the Kosovo international this month, while both Leeds United and Hull City have also been credited with an interest in Muriqi.

However, with Tare stating quite intently that news of the club’s striker potentially leaving Rome is ‘fake’, a move elsewhere could now also be off the cards, including to the Hawthorns.

Fans will be buzzing

While it is undeniable that Muriqi’s return of goals during his seven and a half year spell in Turkey was impressive, considering how poor the striker has been since making a big-money move to Lazio back in the summer of 2020, the news that the Kosovan looks unlikely to be leaving Italy this month is sure to have left Baggies fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 246 appearances for the likes of Giresunspor, Genclerbirligi Ankara, Caykur Rizespor, Fenerbahce, KF Teuta and KS Besa Kavaje, the £12.5m-rated man scored 81 goals and registered 23 assists – not far off making a direct goal contribution every other game.

However, since his £17.93m move to Lazio, the £52k-per-week striker has failed to hit anywhere near these heights, having bagged just two goals and provided two assists over his 49 appearances in all competitions for I Biancocelesti.

As such, when taking into account Muriqi’s extremely hefty weekly wage, in addition to the fact that the 27-year-old has proven he does not have what it takes to make it in one of Europe’s big five leagues, the news that the Kosovan will not be leaving Italy for The Hawthorns this winter is undoubtedly fantastic news for everyone involved with the Baggies.

In other news: Sky Sports pundit drops worrying WBA January claim, it’d be a “huge blow” for Ismael

Manchester United have not made much progress so far in their winter transfer window, despite many players being linked to the club over the first two weeks, but Ralf Rangnick could be set to make his first star signing as manager at Old Trafford.

Rangnick’s side have been struggling to get results in the Premier League since the new year began, with a defeat at home in their first game of the year against Wolves, and drawing in their second league game of 2022 with Aston Villa after losing a two-goal lead on Saturday evening.

These results and a clear lack of determination to see games out will only put more pressure on the interim manager to make signings who can make a positive impact and offer the side the quality they need to climb into the top four as they compete with West Ham United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur for a Champions League qualifying place.

One player that could save Rangnick’s six months in charge at Old Trafford, is Ousmane Dembele who was hailed “better than Mbappe” by Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, recently.

The 24-year-old forward has not been playing a lot for the La Liga giants with only six appearances in the league this season so far due to a knee injury, and has been linked with a move to Manchester United this week, with the £287k-per-week gem out of contract in the summer, so a cut-price deal could be available if Rangnick feels it would be worth stepping up on the signings this month.

Dembele has a fantastic goal involvement record at Barcelona, despite only playing 58 minutes on average per game for the club so far, with a goal or assist every 141 minutes according to Transfermarkt.

Someone with consistent output would be a great addition to the Manchester United forward line, with the creative possibilities endless for the French attacker if he was to play alongside the second-highest goalscorer in the history of football, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Fans would also love to see Dembele add attacking depth at Old Trafford, with one fan even tweeting:

“What is the solution to make Man United a great club? Sign Dembele.”

Rangnick will be looking to find a way to get the fans back on side after some turned on the manager after the Aston Villa game on Saturday evening, so signing a star offensive player like Dembele could be a good way to get back in the good books of the fanbase for the German coach.

In other news: Rangnick has fee agreed for Amadou Haidara

Since Southampton were promoted to the Premier League at the end of the 2011/12 season, one player that has been a consistent and regular figure for them is club captain James Ward-Prowse, who has made at least one goal contribution in all of the ten Premier League seasons he’s had at the club, racking up 35 goals and 34 assists in 257 appearances.

After appearing in all 38 of Southampton’s league games last term, the 27-year-old managed to end the campaign with more goals (8) and assists (8) than he had done previously and is currently on his way to matching those numbers with five goals and two assists in 18 games so far this time around.

Given Ward-Prowse’s clear importance to the team as well as his useful knack for scoring and creating goals, the current January transfer window could give new Southampton owner Dragan Solak the opportunity to make a real statement and show his ambition for the team by bringing in a player that could push Hasenhuttl’s side forward alongside Ward-Prowse.

With the south-coast club previously linked with a transfer move for Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard, who has been previously described as being a “dynamic” player by former Red Devils player and coach Michael Carrick, this could be a great first signing under Solak’s ownership.

Having scored nine goals and provided five assists in 16 appearances on a loan spell with West Ham United last season, the £18m-rated star has proved what a dangerous player he can be in front of goal when given the chance to play regularly, which he hasn’t been given this season at Old Trafford.

During his spell with David Moyes’ side, the Englishman managed to rack up an average of 2.6 shots per game in the Premier League, which is higher than any current Southampton player has managed to make this season, showing that he could be a very dangerous player for the Saints if he decides to leave the Manchester club again this month in search for regular playing time.

If Southampton can secure Lingard’s signature this month and get him playing alongside Ward-Prowse as they have done in the past on the international stage, the pair could form a terrifying partnership in Hasenhuttl’s side and add an extra attacking outlet in the team that could potentially push them into the top half of the table by the end of the season.

In other news: Ralph could unearth the new Yaya Toure as Saints plot move for “unique” £9m-rated ace – opinion

Norwegian football is going through a golden spell with a number of players now performing at the highest level in Europe. They look like a national team that are on the up and should start making their mark in major tournaments in the near future.

Here is a look at four of their players who could be set for big moves in 2022.

Erling Haaland

Striker Erling Haaland is the real star of Norwegian football. The Dortmund striker is considered to be one of the best strikers in the world at the moment. His goal scoring record at the German club over the last three years backs that up.

Last season’s Best Forward of the Season in the Champions League is being monitored by all the major European clubs, including Manchester United; their boss Ralf Rangnick is thought to be an admirer of the player. They will be fully aware that Haaland’s release clause of £64 million will be activated in the summer. This is much lower than what they will value the player at, as he would be expected to go for at least £100 million in today’s market.

As reported by ESPN, Barcelona are thought to be preparing a move for the striker this summer. They are doing their best to reduce their wage bill before then by offloading players like Philippe Coutinho and Samuel Umtiti. This will allow them to be able to finance a deal later this year.

Haaland will be hoping he can help Dortmund to some silverware this season if it does end up being his last campaign for their club. They are the 11/2 favourites to win the Europa League with Unibet, one of the leading sport betting sites in Norway who offer odds on the European competition.

Jørgen Strand Larsen

Another Norwegian striker who has a big future is Jørgen Strand Larsen. He currently plays his club football for Groningen in the Eredivisie in the Netherlands. In his debut campaign for the Dutch club last season, he scored nine goals. He looks on course to beat that record this year.

Stand Larsen has played for Norway and may end up being Haaland’s strike partner going forward. He has recently been linked with a move to the Premier League to join Leicester.

Celtic are another club who are thought to be interested in Larsen. They bought Virgil van Dijk from Groningen in 2013. If they do sign the 21-year-old, they will be hoping the striker goes on to have a similar career to the former PFA Player of the Year.

Ola Brynhildsen

Only one player had more assists in Norway’s Eliteserien last season than Ola Brynhildsen. He helped Molde finish second in the final standings behind FK Bodø/Glimt.

The 22-year-old joined Molde from Stabaek in July 2020. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Norwegian club. Despite his age, he has already appeared 100 times in the Eliteserien, so he has lots of experience.

Brynhildsen has featured for Norway under-21s, however, he remains uncapped with the senior team. That is likely to change in 2022, especially if he continues with the form he showed last year.

Unlike Haaland and Strand Larsen, it may not take a huge transfer fee to scoop the talented attacking midfielder away from Molde. There are likely to be clubs across Europe who are happy to take a chance on him to see if he can step up to a higher level. It would be relatively low risk for them.

Marius Lode

Defender Marius Lode has been an integral part of FK Bodø/Glimt’s title success in 2020 and 2021. The towering centre-back has played in the heart of their defence and his form has been very consistent.

Lode received his first two caps for Norway in 2021. Unlike many players in his position, Lode is very comfortable with the ball at his feet. He is also versatile in that he can play at full back and as a defensive midfielder, if required.

The Bodø/Glimt man has featured in Europe across all three leading competitions. British clubs will get a chance to see him close hand when the Norwegian club take on Celtic in the Europa Conference League knockout round play-offs, which takes place over two legs.

In the Europa League Conference League group stage, Lode finished fourth in the most completed passes. As documented by UEFA, he ended the group with 392 passes. Those sorts of stats showcase how much of an all-round player he is.

Stoke City are one of the clubs in England that has been linked with the Norway international. They are unlikely to be the only Championship side to do be doing so. Many English clubs have scouts regularly watching football in the Eliteserien.

If all four of the above players get their moves to bigger clubs in 2022, it can only benefit the Norway national team, as they look to improve their results on the international stage.

Photo by Emilio Garcia on Unsplash

The return of key allrounder Dwayne Bravo has boosted West Indies ahead of the third one-dayer against Zimbabwe

Cricinfo staff08-Mar-2010The return of key allrounder Dwayne Bravo has boosted West Indies ahead of the third one-dayer against Zimbabwe on Wednesday. Bravo’s brother, Darren, has also been included in the 14-man squad for the final three one-dayers.The out-of-form Andre Fletcher, who has six ducks in his previous eight innings for West Indies, and allrounder Dwayne Smith have been dropped, while Ramnaresh Sarwan does not feature in the squad, despite playing in the domestic four-day competition after recovering from injury. Fletcher had kept wickets in the second one-dayer and his axing means Denesh Ramdin, the regular wicketkeeper over the past few years, who was benched after a string of poor batting performances, is likely to return to the first XI.Dwayne Bravo has not played for West Indies since the Tests against Australia nearly three months ago, after breaking his right thumb while playing for Australian state side Victoria in the Big Bash tournament in January. Darren Bravo gets a chance to add to the four ODI caps he picked up during the homes series against India after the World Twenty20 last year.West Indies have struggled so far in the matches against Zimbabwe, labouring to victory in the second one-dayer on Saturday after losing the Twenty20 and the first ODI.Squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy

Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips’ next move could be one of the biggest transfer stories of next summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ future up in the air

The 25-year-old has been a colossal performer for the Whites over the years, with his reputation growing all the time for both club and country. Indeed, England manager Gareth Southgate has hailed him as “excellent”.

With Leeds struggling this season, though, Phillips has been linked with a high-profile move away in the summer, with both Liverpool and Manchester United tipped to sign him.

The Englishman’s current deal runs until the summer of 2024 but there has been no progress with regards to a new contract being signed.

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The Latest: Journalist hints at Phillips exit

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that there will be a battle to sign Phillips at the end of the season, perhaps suggesting that his time at Leeds is reaching its conclusion. He said:

“Kalvin Phillips could be a big story in the summer. Before his injury, he just kept improving. I think he proved what a top performer he is for England.”

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The Verdict: Will he move on?

The idea of Phillips signing a new contract at Leeds can never be ruled out, but he may well feel that he has come as far as he can in a Whites shirt. He is only averaging 0.6 key passes, 2.3 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game in the Premier League this season, compared to 1.2, 2.6 and 1.6 respectively last term (WhoScored).

He hasn’t necessarily been in top form in the current campaign, with injuries holding him back, and it could be that his mind is focused on a fresh challenge.

In truth, having excelled on the big stage at Euro 2020, Phillips deserves to be playing Champions League football given the quality of his performance in recent years. Sadly, that is not something Leeds can currently offer, nor are they likely to in the foreseeable future.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly keen on signing a striker. Find out who it is here.