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Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal that would bring Maxence Lacroix to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Deutschland (via Sport Witness), who claim that Spurs are attempting to scupper RB Leipzig’s bid to land the VfL Wolfsburg centre-back this summer, with the Bundesliga side having their first offer rejected for the 21-year-old earlier in the transfer window.

The report goes on to state that the defender would be a “dream player” for Tottenham’s new director of football Fabio Paratici, who wanted to sign Lacroix for his former side Juventus.

However, despite Tottenham’s reported interest, it is then claimed that the north London side are yet to make a concrete offer for the former France U20 international, who is believed to be available for a fee of around £26m this summer.

Spurs would love him

With it being common knowledge that Spurs are in the market for additions to their backline ahead of next season, as well as the fact that Lacroix highly impressed for Wolfsburg last season, the claim that the club are believed to be considering a move for the centre-back this summer comes as hardly surprising news.

Indeed, over his 30 Bundesliga appearances for Mark van Bommel’s side last term, the £25.2m-rated man helped his side keep 12 clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.2 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 4.5 clearances and winning five duels per game.

The defender also chipped in for his side in an attacking capacity, scoring one goal and providing one assist for his teammates, in addition to touching the ball an average of 74 times per fixture, as well as completing an average of 49.1 passes in each game.

These metrics saw the man Oliver Glasner dubbed an “outstanding” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.09, ranking him as the club’s fourth-best performer in the top flight of German football, playing a key role in his side securing an impressive fourth-place finish in the league.

As such, if Paratici is successful in his attempts to lure the young Frenchman away from the Bundesliga this summer, his signing would very much appear to be one that Spurs fans and coaching staff alike would love, as, not only does Lacroix seem to be a defender capable of slipping straight into Nuno Espirito Santo’s starting XI, he very much appears to have the potential to be a star player for Spurs for a number of years in the future.

In other news: Spurs dealt big transfer blow over “very strong” Paratici target, fans will be furious

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Hugo Ekitike to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French publication Le10 Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that David Moyes’ side have made an offer of around €15m (£12.5m) for the 19-year-old Stade Reims centre-forward, with the Ligue 1 side and the France U21 international believed to be taking time to reflect on the proposal before getting back to West Ham with a decision.

The report goes on to state that Newcastle United are also interested in a move for the teenager this month, with it even being suggested that the Magpies had tabled a €35m (£29m) offer for the striker, however, according to Le10 Sport, Reims have only received one bid for Ekitike at present, and that is from the Hammers.

The next Mbappe

Considering the sheer amount of potential that Ekitike quite clearly possesses, in addition to West Ham’s rather desperate need for much greater depth at centre-forward, it is unsurprising to learn of Moyes’ interest in a move for the 19-year-old this January.

Indeed, over his 17 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season, the £5.4m-rated centre-forward has been in astonishing form for Reims, having already scored eight goals, registered three assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the highest scoring teenager in Europe’s top five leagues average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.88, ranking him as the French side’s 11th-best performer in the division.

Furthermore, as a result of his rapid rise and impressive return of goals at such a young age, many in France have drawn comparisons between Ekitike and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, with Graeme Bailey stating on Twitter: “Many in France believe he could be the next Mbappe.”

As such, should the West Ham board indeed manage to seal a deal for the player who is said to possess “the mentality of Kobe Bryant in a 19-year-old’s body” this month, it would appear that Moyes could very much have an extremely exciting prospect on his hands in the second half of the current campaign.

And, who knows, should Ekitike continue his current rate of development following a potential switch to East London in January, the 58-year-old manager may even be in possession of the next Mbappe – something that is undoubtedly an extremely exciting thought for everyone involved with the Hammers.

In other news: “I’ve been told”: Ex drops teasing transfer claim that will have West Ham fans buzzing

Alex McLeish has given his reaction to some Glasgow Rangers injury news that he has now heard involving Alfredo Morelos.

The Lowdown: Thigh surgery for Morelos

The Ibrox club confirmed earlier this week that the 25-year-old has undergone surgery on a thigh injury and will now return to training in pre-season, which means he has been ruled out for the rest of the current campaign.

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It has been reported that they could now sell the Colombia international in the summer, meaning that he may have played his last game for the Teddy Bears.

The Latest: McLeish reacts to Morelos blow

Speaking to Football Insider, former Light Blues manager McLeish has now given his reaction to the news of Morelos’ injury, as well as the striker’s potential departure this summer. He said:

“Listen, you couldn’t rule it out. It’s a massive blow because who else do you turn to now in terms of getting goals?

“I like Roofe but I think he has to play with somebody up front. I don’t think he’s a lone striker. I do feel he needs a foil to play with. Who that foil is going to be, I don’t really know.”

The Verdict: Others must step up

Morelos is Rangers’ top scorer this season on 19 goals, and in his absence, others must now step up to the plate ahead of Sunday’s clash against St Mirren.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team managed no shots on target in their 1-0 loss away to Braga in the Europa League on Thursday night, which is simply not good enough.

If they are to have any chance of going through to the semi-finals, then their frontmen must be more prolific. After all, they could be playing for a starting spot next season if Morelos ends up leaving Ibrox.

In other news, these were the Gers’ three worst performers against Braga

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has confirmed that Leon Bailey is set to miss the next couple of Premier League games at least following his injury against Manchester City on Wednesday night.

What’s the story?

The Jamaica international lasted just over a half-hour against Pep Guardiola’s men in mid-week, and Gerrard has now delivered an update on where things stand with him right now.

He said: “Leon’s one doesn’t look great. He obviously has a muscle problem which, when he sprinted, he pulled up. He has a problem that we will analyse in the coming days.

“He will need an MRI scan and we will have to find out what the damage is. It looks like he will miss at least a couple of games. He was starting to look a real threat in training!”

Gerrard will be gutted

Bailey’s combination of pace, trickery and eye for goal gives Gerrard’s side a potent attacking force from out wide and removes much of the goal-scoring burden from the likes of Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings.

The Jamaican has had an injury-disrupted start to life at Villa Park, playing just 423 minutes of football in the Premier League, but even in that limited amount of game-time, he has shown exactly why Villa fans should be excited about their summer signing.

After coming off the bench to great effect against Watford on the opening day – he marked his Premier League debut for the club by setting up John McGinn’s goal and almost sparking a late comeback – the winger showed just what he can bring to the table when he delivered another barnstorming cameo against Everton, scoring late on.

As one of the club’s marquee summer signings, it’s been desperately disappointing to see Bailey spend so much time off the field rather than on it, and this latest niggling problem is sure to have Gerrard absolutely gutted at not being able to count on him for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, Gerrard could fix Villa’s midfield problem by signing this star…

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a swoop for Nantes attacking midfielder Ludovic Blas, with Eddie Howe’s side in desperate need of extra creativity in the final third.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Star, the Magpies are in talks with the Ligue 1 outfit over a potential deal for the 24-year-old, with Premier League rivals Watford also reportedly in discussions.

The Frenchman has been in stellar form this term, scoring seven goals and setting up another one in 19 Ligue 1 appearances, with his side currently ninth in the French top flight.

Valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt and earning £16k-p/w, the attacking midfielder -who is often deployed as an inverted right-winger – has two years left on his contract with Nantes and could be on his way to the Premier League this month.

Last season, Blas completed the most successful dribbles in Ligue 1 with 80, whilst recording the fifth-highest amount in the French top flight since the 2017/18 campaign.

There has been plenty of attention surrounding the 24-year-old, with team-mate and former Liverpool midfielder Pedro Chirivella comparing Blas to former Anfield teammates Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

Speaking to French magazine So Foot, Chirivella said: “When it comes to pure talent, I rate Ludovic Blas above all the others. I played with [Philippe] Coutinho, Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, I know what they are capable of.

“And when I see what ‘Ludo’ is doing in training or in games, he has nothing to envy them when it comes to talent. He’s incredible, spectacular, and his future looks bright. We are often lined up together in the middle, we see football the same way, and it is a pleasure to grow alongside him.”

Blas would be a huge upgrade for Newcastle

With Eddie Howe’s side still 19th in the Premier League table and in real danger of being relegated, the 44-year-old will be desperate for as many new recruits as possible this window.

The Magpies have already signed right-back Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid and striker Chris Wood from Burnley this month.

However, their attack could do with the sort of creativity that Blas may be able to provide. The Tyneside outfit are currently averaging a goal per game in the Premier League, having scored just 20 goals in their 20 matches; only three teams have scored fewer goals in the division.

Callum Wilson has provided six of those goals, but the 29-year-old is set to miss eight weeks of action through injury.

Right now, Allan Saint-Maximin is the Magpies’ top creator with five goals and three assists. However, after the Frenchman, no midfielder or attacker has contributed more than one assist.

Granted, there is the argument that Blas would need the time to settle in a new league, whilst there also being serious expectations put on the 24-year-old’s shoulders with Newcastle deep in the relegation dogfight. Based on the Nantes player’s goal return and the garlands surrounding him, though, he could prove to be exactly what Howe desperately needs.

AND in other news, Newcastle eyeing a move for player dubbed the “new Vidic.”

Not only is Sergio Reguilon saving lives, but he may have also saved Nuno Santo’s bacon as Tottenham Hotspur made it three wins on the bounce this weekend, despite reports of the Portuguese being under intense pressure in north London.

It wasn’t too long ago that an embarrassing 3-1 defeat to arch-rivals Arsenal saw many outlets, including The Evening Standard and The Sun, claim that the 47-year-old was fighting to keep his job, just months into his reign.

Spurs have now thrashed NS Mura in the UEFA Conference League and secured wins against Aston Villa and Newcastle United in the Premier League, scoring a whopping ten goals in the process.

By comparison, the Lilywhites had only scored four goals in their opening six league games beforehand.

Nuno has largely relied on the attacking exploits of Heung-min Son, who currently sits as their top goalscorer on four goals, three more than the prolific Harry Kane, who only opened his 2021/22 account at St James’ Park on Sunday.

The South Korean sensation rates out as Spurs’ second-best player (7.15), per WhoScored ratings, and he ranks first for shots (2.9) and key passes (2) per game, proving to be a major influence in the attack.

However, it is the Spaniard at left-back who has proven to be a bit of an unsung hero and that’s not just because of his urgency in the northeast to alert the referee.

He’s been delivering the same sort of intelligence on the pitch, particularly in their recent outings. And after a concerning dip in form last season following injury, it’s certainly a welcome return to the Reguilon they know and love.

Averaging a rating of 6.93 for the campaign, the 24-year-old provided one assist on Spurs’ way to victory against the Magpies and he has also notched six clearances, five tackles, three interceptions across their last two league games, via WhoScored.

So not only is he doing his defensive duties but he is also getting up the pitch to provide some extra creativity in the attack. He’s delivered just as many assists as Son in those games, for further context.

Previously lauded as a “complete player” by his former Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui and dubbed a “phenomenal” left-back who “everyone loves at the club” by football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, it’s clear to see that Reguilon has a major influence in north London.

The £36m-rated dynamo has certainly been Nuno’s saving grace, ever since he started to appear on the hot seat in the dugout.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Winks: Paratici can form formidable Spurs unit with “complete” £26m-rated gem…

The international break perhaps came at the wrong time for Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers side, as things seemed like they were beginning to click under the leadership of the 45-year-old, with Wolves picking up nine points from a possible 12 over their last four fixtures.

With a West Midlands derby against Aston Villa coming up this afternoon, not only will Lage be hoping for a positive result in order to continue his team’s impressive run of form, he will also want to provide fans with the bragging rights of a win over one of their more prominent rivals.

Ahead of what is sure to be a challenging fixture for Wolves, will Lage decide to make any changes from the team which started the 2-1 win over Newcastle United last time out?

Here’s how we think the Portuguese could line up against Villa, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Francisco Trincao being ruled out of the trip to Villa Park after falling ill while on international duty with Portugal, Lage will be forced into at least one change this afternoon, and we predict that the 45-year-old will also make one other alteration to his starting XI against Newcastle United last time out.

The back three of Romain Saiss, Conor Coady and Max Kilman remains untouched, as do the left and right wing-back duo of Fernando Marcal and Nelson Semedo, while Jose Sa also retains his place between the sticks.

The first change comes alongside Ruben Neves in the middle of the park, with the £100k-per-week Joao Moutinho dropping out of the XI and 26-year-old Leander Dendoncker taking his place. That is to provide Wolves with a bit more defensive stability and energy against what is likely to be a rather attack-minded Villa midfield, which conjured four key passes against Spurs recently.

In the front three, Hwang Hee-chan keeps his spot following his brace against Newcastle, while dribbling king Adama Traore is reintroduced on the right as Trincao’s replacement, and Raul Jimenez starts up top.

In other news: Huge Wolves blow confirmed ahead of Aston Villa clash, Lage will be gutted

Leicester City travel to the London Stadium for their second Premier League game of the season tonight, and they’ll be hoping to make it back-to-back victories when they take on West Ham United.

The Foxes began their 2021/22 campaign with a satisfying 1-0 victory over Wolves last weekend, getting their hunt for a top-four finish off to a solid start.

What’s the word?

Their victory over Bruno Lage’s men was made even more impressive by the fact that they were missing several key first team players for the match, and Rodgers has revealed that he’s set to be without summer signing Ryan Bertrand once again as the 32-year-old recovers from a viral infection.

“The squad will be about what we had last weekend,” the manager said in Friday’s press conference. “Ryan Bertrand won’t be available. It’s mostly the same, but Timothy Castagne will be available.”

Castagne’s return will be warmly received by the Leicester manager and fans alike, with fellow full-back James Justin also sidelined through a serious knee injury.

However, the Northern Irishman confirmed that compatriot Jonny Evans has not recovered in time from a foot complaint to make his first appearance of the season.

“(Evans) is out (on the grass) but he’s not training with the team. It’s just ongoing with Jonny and the injury. We said we would see where he’s at after the international break. He’s not near to playing as of yet,” Rodgers said.

More bad news has filtered through over the course of the weekend, as The Athletic’s David Ornstein disclosed that Jannik Vestergaard will also miss tonight’s clash with West Ham due to injury.

The 6 ft 5 centre-back was brought into the club to provide cover for Wesley Fofana, who isn’t expected to feature for the remainder of the year, but then he picked up a problem himself in training, ruling him out of action.

Brendan Rodgers will be gutted

Despite Castagne’s return offering a brief reprieve on the fitness front, Vestergaard’s absence on top of those of Evans and Bertrand will leave Rodgers feeling gutted as their defensive injury crisis continues to plague the club.

A string of absences contributed to the Midlands outfit missing out on a Champions League qualification spot in the last two consecutive seasons, and the former Celtic boss must already be worried that history could repeat itself once again this time around.

In other news… Forget Perez: Rodgers must unleash Leicester’s “incredible” £18m-rated gem versus West Ham 

An update has emerged regarding Paris Saint-Germain’s plans for reported Newcastle United transfer target Mauro Icardi.

What’s the talk?

According to L’Equipe’s Friday edition, via Sport Witness, the Ligue 1 giants are open to offers for the attacker ahead of the January transfer window and are looking for a fee in the region of €50m (£42.7m), whilst they could also be tempted into a loan move with an option to buy at the end of the season.

The Magpies have been touted with the centre-forward recently, with Eddie Howe plotting his targets ahead of next month.

Dream deal

PIF could seal a dream deal for Newcastle in multiple ways by landing a swoop for the Argentina international in January.

Firstly, the structure of the move could work perfectly for them. If PSG are willing to allow him to join on loan with an option to buy, that would alleviate the added financial pressure which would be forced upon them if they were relegated to the Championship with Icardi’s wages on the books.

The Magpies would be able to opt against signing him permanently if they finish in the bottom three, or they could pin him down to a long-term contract if his contributions help to keep them in the top flight, which is why this could be a dream deal for the club.

His goalscoring record throughout his career suggests that he has the ability to keep them up. The marksman scored 124 goals in 219 games for Inter and has now found the back of the net 36 times in 79 games for PSG, highlighting his class in front of goal.

Italy centre-back Giorgio Chiellini had previously lavished praise on the 28-year-old, saying: “Among the great attackers I have faced, I highly value Icardi, who inside the area is almost impossible to mark. Mauro against Juve has often scored, it hurt me.

“He’s a world-class centre-forward, even if he lacks something in the collective game, he’s a Trezeguet but with different characteristics, lethal in the aerial game but perfectible outside the surface.”

This suggests that Icardi has the ability to come in and score goals for Newcastle, as he has proven that he can do it at the top level in France and Italy, with Chiellini’s comments showing how much of a threat the 28-year-old can be to defenders. Therefore, he could be a dream signing for PIF both in terms of the financial aspects of the move and what he could bring to Howe’s side on the pitch.

AND in other news, Dream come true: PIF could leave the Toon Army buzzing with major NUFC appointment…

Dean Smith will not want to let midfielder Marvelous Nakamba go this summer, Aston Villa journalist Luke Hatfield has told Football FanCast.

Last month, the MailOnline reported that both Everton and Crystal Palace are interested in signing Nakamba before the transfer window closes.

The 27-year-old, who joined Villa from Club Brugge back in 2019, was not one of the first names on Smith’s teamsheet last season.

In total, he made just 13 appearances in the Premier League, spending a lot of the campaign on the bench.

Despite that, Hatfield expects the Villa boss to keep hold of the Zimbabwe international.

“I think Dean Smith is happy with having Nakamba there as an option,” the Express & Star reporter said.

“I don’t think he’d want to see him go at all. It might leave them a bit light in that department.”

All in all, Smith does look pleased with his midfield options. While Villa have targeted Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, attack has been the former Brentford manager’s priority.

He has signed Ward-Prowse’s ex-Southampton team-mate Danny Ings, Leon Bailey and Emiliano Buendia to improve the Villans’ forward line.

Anything can, of course, still happen before the transfer window slams shut, but it looks like Nakamba will be remaining at Villa Park.