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Tottenham Hotspur winger Ivan Perisic could help the Premier League club to secure a deal for Josko Gvardiol, according to Frank McAvennie. 

The Lowdown: Spurs linked with Gvardiol

The Lilywhites have recently been linked with a move for the RB Leipzig defender, who is currently playing alongside Perisic for Croatia in the World Cup.

Last month, it was reported that Spurs manager Antonio Conte is hoping that Perisic can persuade his compatriot to come to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the near future.

Following this behind-the-scenes claim, it appears that one pundit thinks this could be a big advantage for Spurs.

The Latest: McAvennie on Gvardiol

Speaking to Football Insider, former Celtic striker McAvennie was asked if having someone you already know at a club helps a player to make a decision to join that club.

The 62-year-old replied: “Of course it is. Coming to London from another country, it is good to have somebody there that you can bounce off. I think it is great to help settle in, however good a player you are. And the word is that Gvardiol is phenomenal.

“It does help. They have got to have somebody that can show you the ropes, that can be a good pull.

“If somebody goes to Tottenham it is because of Conte, not for anything else because they are not going to win anything. Having somebody at the club that you know, if you were swithering on it that would pull it.”

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The Verdict: A boost for Spurs?

Taking into account what McAvennie said, it seems that Perisic’s presence at Tottenham could act as an advantage in their hopes of securing a deal for Gvardiol.

Last season saw the centre-back show how impressive a defender he is, as he ended the Bundesliga campaign with more successful tackles (31) and interceptions (51) than any other player at Leipzig.

He also racked up the second-highest number of clearances (62) and the third-highest number of blocks (30) and made more progressive passes (123) than any of his team-mates.

With all of that in mind, having Perisic as a potential inside man could end up being a big boost for Spurs’ chances of signing Gvardiol, who we feel the club should do all that they can to sign.

Aston Villa will be keeping an eye on the performances of Watford winger Ismaila Sarr for Senegal at the World Cup, according to journalist Ed Aarons.

The Lowdown: Sarr impressing for Watford

The 24-year-old stayed put at Vicarage Road during the summer despite the Hornets’ relegation to the Championship and he has continued to thrive for the club, with Villa initially agreeing a deal to sign him at one point.

Sarr has scored five goals and registered four assists in the league so far this season and he will be hoping to star for Senegal at the upcoming World Cup. He already has 10 goals in 47 caps for his country and will likely start for them at the tournament.

The Latest: Villa to scout Sarr at World Cup

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Aarons backed Villa to be one of the clubs tracking Sarr’s performances in Qatar as they eye up a potential move for him.

When asked if he thinks Villa will be scouting the winger at the World Cup, The Guardian reporter said:

“Yeah, I would definitely say so. I know Crystal Palace have had a lot of interest in him, and obviously, Man United a couple of years ago tried to get him on loan on transfer deadline day.

“So, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is in the sights of other clubs, bigger clubs as well, eventually, if the price comes down.

“But maybe it’ll be a move to a smaller club in the Premier League first and then to a bigger club, but I honestly think that he’s good enough to play for one of the top clubs.”

The Verdict: Could be a worthy target

Sarr could be a great squad addition for new Villa manager Unai Emery, giving them a fresh option in attack and giving them the natural width that they are lacking on the left.

The likes of Philippe Coutinho and Emiliano Buendia can operate in that position but they lack the Watford man’s pace, power and natural width there.

Ben Foster has described his former team-mate as a ‘freak’ and a ‘game-winner’, such is his ability; and at 24, the prime years of Sarr’s career should be arriving soon.

How great would it be if he spends those at Villa Park…

Glasgow Rangers have a number of promising young players who are making their way into the first team after impressing in the academy side this year.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst is spoilt for choice when it comes to bringing gems up from the B team, and he has utilised the likes of Alex Lowry, Adam Devine, Charlie McCann and Leon King so far in 2022.

Those players may be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Nathan Patterson, who broke into the first-team squad before moving to Everton in the Premier League in January.

However, Rangers do not always make the best call when it comes to promising young players, and one talent with whom they had a nightmare was winger Malcolm Ebiowei.

The forward left Ibrox in the summer of 2021, just over a year after joining from Arsenal, to sign for then-Championship side Derby County, although it remains unclear as to whether it was a free transfer or if the club pocketed a fee for the talented youngster.

He quickly caught the eye in England as he scored seven goals in as many under-18 appearances for the Rams. This convinced Wayne Rooney to hand him a chance in the first team and he racked up 16 Championship games, scoring once and setting up two goals, in the 2021/22 campaign.

Derby coach Justin Walker hailed the teenager’s ability last term, saying: “I think he has been a breath of fresh air. You can see how much the fans have warmed to him, he gets people out of their seats. He has got that little bit of X-factor, if you like, that creativity we have lacked at times in the final third.

“The only thing probably missing from his game is a goal, but I am sure that will come. He has got so much talent, and more importantly his attitude and his character.”

His form led to him being snapped up by Premier League club Crystal Palace in the summer just gone. The young gem only signed a one-year contract with Derby, and this allowed the Eagles to swoop for him without negotiating a fee, aside from compensation.

Palace podcaster and content creator HLTCO claimed that Ebiowei will be “fun to watch” for supporters and compared him to a young Wilfried Zaha, while he has played two top-flight matches for the south London club to date.

The 19-year-old wizard is showing off his potential at the top level and Rangers fans may now be wondering what could have been, as he could have starred for the Light Blues alongside the likes of Lowry and McCann if he had remained at Ibrox.

Nottingham Forest are currently struggling in the Premier League after five straight defeats and as a result, are at the bottom of the table at the moment.

With just four points taken from their first eight outings in the top flight, Steve Cooper’s side are struggling to make their presence known which will need to improve drastically over the coming weeks and months if they are to have any chance of retaining their status in the Premier League.

Although the problems are mounting at The City Ground, some of the young players who are waiting for their golden opportunity to feature in the senior Forest team are thriving out on loan, with striker Will Swan proving his worth whilst at Mansfield Town.

The talented 21-year-old is making his mark in League Two and could become the next prodigy that Cooper could unearth when he returns next summer, with the player possessing “lovely” ability in the words of journalist Josh Bunting.

Swan has scored three goals and delivered one assist over his 12 appearances, with a goal contribution every 140 minutes so far which will surely catch the eye of the Forest boss as his side struggle back in Nottingham.

More recently, the talented centre-forward featured in the starting line-up against Derby County in the EFL trophy, with the game going down to a penalty shoot-out last night.

Swan scored his spot kick, had six shots on goal, completed 100% of his crosses and made two tackles and two interceptions over the course of the game, proving that he is a positive presence in the team, both from an offensive and defensive point of view.

The centre-forward was lavished with praise by his current manager Nigel Clough who hailed Swan a upon his arrival at Field Mill, saying:

“He’ll bring youth and energy to the team. He’s a good all-round striker and a good finisher, given the opportunity.”

If Swan did get the chance to play for Forest in the Premier League it wouldn’t be the first time he has been promoted to the senior team. He impressed for Forest U21s, scoring 12 goals in 22 appearances which saw Chris Houghton give him a chance in the Championship over the 2020/21 season.

However, the opportunity may have come too soon for the young striker as he failed to make an impact on the side and was quickly replaced after just two appearances.

With that being said, if Swan can continue to develop his talents and abilities with Mansfield over the season ahead it could finally be the perfect time for Cooper to unleash the young talent in his team when he returns from loan.

After a summer in which they added a plethora of new signings, a talented player such as Swan could well save them millions in forthcoming windows.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is being monitored by Manchester United ahead of a potential move, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: New contract

Martinez has been a regular since joining from Arsenal back in 2020, making 83 appearances in all competitions.

The 30-year-old has become a key player in the Midlands which resulted in Martinez signing a new contract through to 2027 earlier this year.

He has played every minute of action under Steven Gerrard this season, and his impressive form for Villa appears to have caught the eye of Old Trafford officials.

The Latest: United interest

According to FI, United are keeping close tabs on Martinez ahead of a potential move due to doubts over David de Gea’s long-term future at the club.

The report adds that Villa value the Argentine in the region of £45m and is regarded as one of the Premier League’s best goalkeepers by United’s recruitment team.

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The Verdict: A worry

Martinez has been Villa’s best performing player so far this season, as per WhoScored, so learning of Manchester United’s interest is certainly a worry.

Of course, Villa will be under no pressure to sell the ‘keeper over the next 12 months due to his contract situation, however, if De Gea leaves the Red Devils, Martinez could be tempted to become the new number one under Erik ten Hag.

United may even be able to offer Champions League football next season, and if they can, Martinez could even look to push through a Villa Park exit, making this link one to watch.

West Ham United have been dealt a blow ahead of Thursday evening’s Europa Conference League play-off clash.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to first-team coach Billy McKinlay, who – standing in for the suspended David Moyes in the pre-match press conference – revealed that, despite it initially appearing as if Craig Dawson’s injury setback was only minor, the 32-year-old will once again be unavailable for selection against Viborg FF tonight.

Regarding the centre-back’s current condition, the 53-year-old first-team coach said: “Craig has a problem with his quad, he’s missed a few weeks so he’s a short-term [injury] and hopefully won’t be too long.”

Big blow

While it is true that West Ham have added a new centre-back in the shape of Thilo Kehrer to their first-team squad this week, with the £10.1m signing looking to be available for selection in this evening’s fixture, the news that Dawson will once again be sidelined is sure to have come as a huge blow to McKinlay and the Hammers.

Indeed, at present, Kurt Zouma and – potentially – Kehrer are the club’s only available senior centre-backs, with Angelo Ogbonna, Nayef Aguerd and Dawson all being ruled out due to knocks – an eventuality that has seen right-back Ben Johnson start both of the Irons’ two Premier League fixtures in the heart of defence.

Also, with both Declan Rice and Aaron Cresswell suspended for the visit of Viborg, McKinlay is somewhat lacking in experienced leaders for the European clash – something Dawson’s continued absence only adds towards.

Furthermore, considering just how impressive the £2.7m-rated defender was throughout West Ham’s Europa League run last season – averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.17 over his ten appearances in the competition, ranking him as his side’s third-best player in the tournament – it is clear to see that the 32-year-old’s unavailability this evening is a huge blow.

As such, McKinlay will simply have to find a way to make do without Dawson for the Viborg clash – a game the Hammers must win if they wish to give themselves the best possible chance of qualifying for the Europa Conference League proper this season.

Arsenal are still mulling over a potential move for Youri Tielemans this summer transfer window but their failure to act could see technical director Edu Gaspar repeat a previous blunder…

What’s the word?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, the Gunners are still keen on signing the Leicester City midfielder but are yet to officially make a move, as he revealed in a fresh update on the situation to GIVEMESPORT.

“Tielemans is definitely still someone they’re considering an offer for.

“Leicester definitely do not want this one going down to deadline day and losing him then because that would leave them in trouble.

“And the player, to be fair, hasn’t really pushed for anything at the moment, but at the same time he hasn’t had any firm offers.”

Big mistake: Kante 2.0?

Tielemans’ current £33k-per-week contract expires at the end of the season, so this summer could be the last chance that the Foxes garner a substantial fee, with some reports suggesting that £25m would be enough for them to sell.

However, they clearly do not want it to go down to the wire, meaning the north London giants are running out of time if they are truly interested in the 25-year-old as there are less than two weeks until that 11pm deadline on September 1st.

Whilst there are plenty of sufficient alternatives out there – namely Brighton and Hove Albion gem Moises Caicedo, Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and AC Milan’s Sandro Tonali – Arsenal may not want to miss out on another Leicester man, seeing as they’re still paying the price from last time.

Tielemans is also potentially the most realistic target, given his relatively low fee and experience in the Premier League.

Back in 2016, the Gunners’ hierarchy pulled the plug on a deal to sign N’Golo Kante due to the agent’s own financial demands and despite getting there ahead of arch-rivals Chelsea, it was the Blues who signed him for what now seems like a bargain £32m.

The France international has since gone on to win a Premier League, a Champions League, an FA Cup and the World Cup.

Arsenal opted for Granit Xhaka instead and in that time, he’s been named captain, stripped of it and rewarded with the vice-captaincy, not to mention his spats with supporters off the pitch and the numerous red cards on it.

They could well regret not following up their interest in Tielemans, who has been lauded as a “phenomenon” by ex-Sweden midfielder Par Zetterberg and an “outrageous talent” by scout Jacek Kulig.

The Belgian international returned six goals and four assists for Brendan Rodgers in the Premier League last season, which was more than Arteta’s current deep midfield options of Xhaka and Thomas Partey combined.

As such, Arsenal cannot afford to repeat their Kante mistake with Tielemans, he could well go and rip it up with a rival club and that’ll leave them with many years of regret, just like with the Frenchman.

Edu Gaspar, the Gunners’ technical director, and his staff must now avoid this blunder by getting a deal over the line in the coming days.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano claims Arsenal eyeing £38m “special talent”, he could be Arteta’s own Jarrod Bowen…

Everton have been heavily linked with a move for Maxwel Cornet this summer, and now a new update has been revealed that could put a dampener on the club’s plans to sign the player.

What’s the latest?

According to BBC journalist Fraser Fletcher, Everton remain interested in signing the Burnley forward this summer, but negotiations have proven difficult.

Fletcher tweeted: “Newcastle now well and truly in the running for Maxwel Cornet. Everton still keen to land him and have verbal agreement on player side but negotiations with Burnley tricky. Cornet at this point could still end up at any club.”

Supporters will be gutted

It is no secret that the Toffees are desperately in need of reinforcements to improve their squad, and Cornet would be a great addition to add depth to the attacking threat at Goodison Park so supporters will surely be worried about the lack of progress ahead of their return to action next week.

Everton have already made three great signings this summer with James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil and Ruben Vinagre making the move to Merseyside, however, with Richarlison securing a £60m deal to join Tottenham Hotspur, Frank Lampard will want to ensure the attacking threat is fully covered.

Cornet is an extremely versatile player, capable of playing across the front three and in all three of the left-sided positions including left-back – which would give the Everton boss the opportunity to deploy him in a number of positions depending on the demand of the team who had the worst injury record in the Premier League last season.

Over 26 league appearances for Burnley, the 25-year-old scored nine goals, delivered one assist and created two big chances, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots and winning 1.9 duels per game last season – finishing the season as the top goal-scorer for the Clarets.

The Ivory Coast international was the recipient of high praise for his impact on the side last season with former team-mate Nick Pope hailing Cornet a “breath of fresh air”.

The Burnley goal machine has a £17.5m release clause attached to his contract, and with other clubs like Newcastle United interested in signing Cornet this summer, Farhad Moshiri will need to act fast and pay the fee that the Championship side are clearly wanting to be met.

AND in other news: Lampard can land his very own Gnabry with Everton bid for “extraordinary” £50m wizard

Journalist Ashley Preece has provided a worrying update regarding Aston Villa’s search for a new midfielder…

What’s the word?

In a Q and A for Birmingham Mail, the Villa correspondent has suggested that the Midlands side are unlikely to make moves for West Ham United giant Tomas Soucek or Chelsea youngster, Conor Gallagher, despite having previously been linked with the pair.

Asked about potential deals for the two men, Preece stated: “Soucek/Gallagher not on Villa’s radar as far as I’m aware, both important players for West Ham and Chelsea.”

Previous reports had suggested that manager Steven Gerrard is a ‘massive fan’ of Gallagher, while the belief had been that the Villa Park outfit could look to exploit the doubts regarding Soucek’s future in east London.

Gerrard gutted

The former Rangers boss will no doubt be gutted that the club are not set to pursue two players of ready-made, Premier League quality, with sporting director Johan Lange seemingly set to turn his attention elsewhere to land a new midfield recruit.

The club have already brought in highly-rated Marseille man Boubacar Kamara – whom Preece tipped to be the “signing of the summer” following his recent pre-season debut against Leeds United – although the belief is that Gerrard is keen on further reinforcements in the centre of the park.

The former European champions have also seemingly lost out on another reported midfield target in the current window in the form of Yves Bissouma, with the 25-year-old having opted to join Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur in a £25m deal.

With the aforementioned Kamara potentially set to take time to adjust to life in England, the club could well have benefitted from bringing in a player already in the division, with seemingly few better targets than that of Soucek and Gallagher.

The latter man made a name for himself on loan at Crystal Palace last season, netting eight goals and providing three assists in the top-flight in what was a real breakthrough campaign, with his relentless, energetic style also earning comparisons to current Blues teammate, N’Golo Kante.

As for the Czech Republic international, the 27-year-old is a simply colossal figure in David Moyes’ side owing to his 6 foot 4 stature, proving himself a menace in both boxes for the east London outfit as he ranks in the top 1% for clearances made and the top 2% for aerial duels won among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues.

While he and Gallagher may undoubtedly possess different traits, the two men both offer a real dynamic, box-to-box presence, something the Villans would undoubtedly have been keen to utilise.

Alas, it looks as if neither figure will be lining up for the club next term – a fact that will leave Gerrard simply devastated.

AND in other news, Lange eyeing Villa move for £30m “goalscoring machine”, he’d be their own Darwin Nunez

CBS Sports Golazo journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that Youri Tielemans ‘will sign’ for Arsenal, if an agreement is reached with Leicester City.

The Lowdown: ‘Stepped back’

Gunners journalist Charles Watts has reported that Mikel Arteta’s side have ‘stepped back’ in their pursuit of Tielemans this summer, in order to try to get deals for the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Raphinha over the line.

Interest in him from other clubs has now emerged as a result, notably Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Latest: Tielemans update

Taking to Twitter, Jacobs has revealed that Tielemans ‘wants to join’ AFC, with Edu and the club still ‘in touch’ with his agent. They have ‘agreed terms’, but an official bid has not been made:

“Tielemans wants to join Arsenal and Edu still in touch with his agent. Arsenal have agreed terms, and worked on the deal for a year, but have never placed an official bid.”

He added that if the teams can reach an agreement, then Tielemans ‘will sign’ for the North London club, and United’s interest could force Edu to make a decision ‘quicker than expected’:

“If Arsenal reach an agreement with Leicester, told Tielemans will sign. But for now, #AFC haven’t decided on him. The genuine interest from #MUFC may force Edu to make a decision quicker than expected, especially if ten Hag pitch proves appealing.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Arsenal have already been scuppered in their chances of signing Raphinha, with both Chelsea and FC Barcelona attempting to hijack a deal, while United have now submitted a bid for Martinez as they look to beat the Gunners to his signature.

Interest in Tielemans is likely to creep up as the window progresses, especially if he does not sign a new contract with the Foxes, with only one year left on his current deal at the King Power Stadium.

Nonetheless, Arteta would have been given encouragement by the fact that he wants to join them, but as the window has shown so far, any deal is not guaranteed, so the Gunners need to act fast and get him signed on the dotted line.