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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly plotting a summer transfer move for Leeds United winger Jack Harrison, according to The Telegraph. 

The lowdown: Impressive top-flight exploits

The 25-year-old enjoyed a sensational breakthrough campaign in the Premier League at Elland Road having signed permanently from Manchester City for £11million in 2021 (BBC).

Harrison scored eight times and provided another eight assists in 2020/21 and a hat-trick earlier this season against West Ham put the former England youth international in the spotlight once again, despite this campaign seeing a slight drop-off in form overall.

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Having made an enquiry during the January transfer window, Spurs could be about to renew their interest.

The latest: Summer swoop pending

As per the report, Tottenham are believed to be ‘planning’ a summer offer for the highly-rated left-winger.

Moreover, it’s claimed that sporting director Fabio Paratici has received a recommendation from Italian icon Andrea Pirlo – who was impressed by the two-cap England Under 21 ace at New York City FC.

The report also states that Harrison could be viewed as an alternative option to Adama Traore after Spurs missed out on the powerful Spaniard in January when moving from Wolves to Barcelona on loan until the end of the season.

The latest: A ‘brilliant’ signing?

Capable of operating in advanced wide positions as well as in wing-back roles (WhoScored), Harrison would appear purpose-built to flourish in Antonio Conte’s system.

Despite the struggles at Leeds this season, the man recently described as ‘brilliant’ by Kevin Phillips has enjoyed a decent campaign in the top-flight, scoring seven times and providing two assists in 30 appearances across all competitions.

Valued at £13.5million and under contract in Yorkshire until 2024 (Transfermarkt), signing the versatile star would be a wholly affordable option and could see Conte cast aside an injury prone Ryan Sessegnon.

In other news: Journalist drops huge claim in Spurs’ pursuit of Serie A hitman. Read more here.

Newcastle United are among the Premier League clubs chasing FC Koln defender Timo Hubers, according to The Daily Mail. 

The lowdown: Hubers profiled

25-year-old Hubers is predominantly a centre-back, though he has played a handful of games as a right-back, left-back and defensive midfielder during his career, showing impressive versatility from a young age.

He made headlines in the UK in March 2020 when he became one of the first professional footballers to test positive for Covid-19.

He’s played 15 Bundesliga matches for Steffen Baumgart’s eighth-place side this season, including 12 of the last 13.

Significantly, his contract at the RheinEnergieStadion is due to expire in just over 14 months’ time, potentially putting pressure on Koln to cash in this summer.

Newcastle did strengthen the heart of their defence in January with the signing of Dan Burn from Brighton and Hove Albion, but clearly Eddie Howe wants further reinforcements.

The latest: Premier League interest

Journalists Chris Wheeler and Olly Allen write that Steve Nickson and Newcastle are ‘understood to be tracking’ Hubers ahead of the summer transfer window.

PL rivals Leeds United, Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Southampton are also in the frame in his signature, with Championship promotion hopefuls Fulham keen too.

He’s apparently likely to cost as little as £6million, in part due to his contract situation.

The verdict: A cheaper Salisu

What kind of defender is Hubers? Well, he looks to be very comfortable in the possession, ranking in the 82nd percentile (among positional peers in the ‘big five’ leagues) for passes attempted and the 95th for dribbles completed.

He also very much defends on the front foot, recording 11.58 pressures per 90 minutes (80th percentile) and reads the game well, as evidenced by his 4.12 interceptions per game (99th).

According to FBRef, he boasts a similar profile to Southampton’s Mohammed Salisu, another player Newcastle are said to admire. Indeed, The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards revealed that Newcastle considered a move for the Ghanaian in January.

But he’s valued at £13.5million by Transfermarkt, and Hubers could be available for only half the price. It may be a no-brainer, then, for Howe and his recruitment team.

In other news, this trio struggled most against Tottenham Hotspur.

Leeds United are interested in signing Blackburn Rovers centre-back Darragh Lenihan, according to a fresh transfer rumour which emerged on Thursday.

The Lowdown: Lenihan shines for Blackburn

Tony Mowbray’s side are enjoying an excellent season currently, sitting second in the Championship and looking strong to seal promotion to the Premier League.

Lenihan has been an undisputed key man for Blackburn, starting 26 of 28 league games at the heart of the defence and being hailed as ‘special’ by his manager.

The captain’s performances appear to have alerted a host of clubs, however, with a potential move to the top flight now on the cards.

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The Latest: Leeds in the mix

According to a report from TEAMtalk (27/01/22), Leeds are one of numerous Premier League teams eyeing up a move for Lenihan, with Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Wolves and Everton also mentioned.

The 27-year-old’s current Blackburn deal expires at the end of the season, meaning the Whites could snap him up on a free transfer if he doesn’t extend his stay at Ewood Park.

Promotion could be a determining factor in convincing the Republic of Ireland international to stay put.

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The Verdict: Good squad acquisition

While the step up to the Premier League from the Championship is admittedly great, Lenihan’s performances this season suggest he could be a shrewd signing by Leeds.

The Irishman has won an impressive average of 5.1 aerial duels per match in the league this season, not to mention 4.9 clearances each game too.

To put that into context, Liam Cooper leads the way for the Whites in aerial duels with 3.6, highlighting the Blackburn skipper’s prowess in both boxes, while no Leeds player with more than one appearance boasts more clearances than Lenihan.

The fact that he would be available on a free takes out the financial risk element, too, so there is a little about the move that feels negative.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly considering another bid for one player. Find out who it is here.

Arsenal are interested in a deal to bring Luis Sinisterra to the Emirates in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that Richard Garlick has now submitted an offer for the Feyenoord winger in an attempt to secure the signing of the 22-year-old at the end of the current campaign.

However, the report goes on to state that both Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen have also launched an offensive for the Colombia international, for whom the Eredivisie side are believed to be demanding a figure of around €15m (£13m) in order to part with this summer.

Arteta can axe Pepe with Sinisterra

Considering just how impressive Sinisterra has been for Feyenoord this season, in addition to how disappointing Nicolas Pepe has proven to be for Arsenal since his club-record £72m move back in 2019, it is not difficult to see why Mikel Arteta would be interested in a move for the Colombian attacker this summer.

Indeed, over his 24 Eredivisie appearances this term, the £16.2m-rated forward has been in sensational form for Arne Slot’s side, scoring ten goals, registering five assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots and making 2.2 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £10k-per-week forward who Nico Cantor dubbed a “crafty, quick and sneaky” player average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.53, ranking him as the fifth-best player in the top flight of Dutch football.

In comparison, things have gone rather less well for Pepe over his 15 Premier League outings for Arsenal this season, with the £27m-rated Ivory Coast international scoring one goal, providing one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.3 shots and making 0.7 key passes per fixture.

These returns have seen the £140k-per-week flop who The Short Fuse dubbed a “practice dummy” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.67, ranking him as Arteta’s joint seventh-worst player in the top flight.

As such, it is not surprising to learn that the 26-year-old and the Gunners are reportedly open to parting ways this summer, nor is it difficult to see why Garlick is targeting the 22-year-old as the Ivorian’s replacement – as selling Pepe and signing the much more exciting Sinisterra would represent fantastic business for the north London side.

AND in other news: Arteta can unearth the new Haaland as AFC plot bid for “world-class” 23-goal “diamond”

With the absence of Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool needed someone to inspire their unit against the dangerous Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.

Enter Jordan Henderson, who gave his answers to critics with a commanding performance.

While Liverpool couldn’t get the job fully done against a gritty German side, Henderson’s output was nothing less than superb. The Liverpool captain not only kept an eye on to keep the tricky James Rodriguez quiet but also dictated the tempo of their game. He did so admirably, while also elevating the performance-level of Naby Keita and Georginio Wijnaldum.

Allowing his midfielders to press high up, Henderson displayed urgency and energy from his deeper role. Not only did he sniff out dangers and eliminate threat, but also tried to create from his deep role. Henderson played a stunning long-ball to Mohamed Salah in the early minutes, but the Egyptian couldn’t divert it towards goal.

While he was gutted not to gain an assist for that brilliant pass, Henderson kept his head down and claimed his authority in the game. He distributed possession really well, maintaining an 81% passing accuracy. However, his defensive work was brilliant, as he made three tackles and recovered possession eight times. (stats via Fotmob)

An encouraging, vocal figure in midfield, Henderson proved how important he is to Liverpool. He reaffirmed his ability to get the best out of those around him, while also saving his side from doom multiple times and prove himself as the undisputed leader of Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Newcastle United have reportedly now offered a deal to Sven Botman ahead of a potential move in the summer.

The Lowdown: Two-way battle

It has been widely reported that there seems to be a two-way battle between the St. James’ Park faithful and AC Milan for Botman’s signature this summer.

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The former reportedly had a bid rejected from Lille for the Dutchman in the January transfer window, and now it looks as if they will return for him at the end of the season, while the latter have even had their club legends talking up a deal.

The Latest: Deal offered

As per Football Insider, a source from the North East club has revealed that they have ‘not given up hope’ of signing Botman, after holding ‘extensive negotiations’ since January.

Both the KSA Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Milan have ‘offered a contract’ to the central defender, and have already ‘verbally agreed personal terms’.

The Tyneside outfit now have to negotiate a fee with Lille, who are thought to value Botman at £30m.

The Verdict: Sign

If the Magpies can snap Botman up for £30m, it could prove to be a real bargain in the future.

Described as a ‘golden boy‘ by his agent Francesco Miniero, he is already playing regularly at the highest level at just 22 years of age, and is surely a player that Eddie Howe would love to work with.

At six-foot-five, Botman is a colossus, and only two of his teammates win more aerial duels per game on average in Ligue 1 this season.

Nonetheless, he would certainly be a statement signing by the new owners and would seemingly settle into a monstrous back-line alongside 6 foot 7 Dan Burn.

In other news, find out who NUFC now ‘want’ as their ‘marquee’ signing here!

Everton have the chance to take another step away from the relegation zone tomorrow as they take on Leicester City in the Premier League.

The Toffees’ previous league game saw them beat Manchester United at Goodison Park 1-0 thanks to a goal from Anthony Gordon.

Another win for Frank Lampard’s side would take them six points ahead of the relegation zone before Burnley face off against Southampton on Thursday.

On the chalkboard

One player that didn’t feature against United that should be in the starting XI tomorrow is Demarai Gray.

With 26 league appearances under his belt this season, the winger hasn’t started a game for the Toffees since their 2-1 defeat against West Ham United earlier this month.

In those appearances, the Englishman has found the back of the net five times and provided two assists, showing what a useful attacking option he can be.

To further highlight what an attacking nuisance he is for opposition teams, only Andros Townsend (3.34) has a higher average of shot-creating actions per game in the league than Gray (3.21).

In terms of how the £19.8m-rated attacker can hurt teams on the pitch, no other Everton player has come close to equalling the same number of successful dribble attempts that have led to a shot attempt as the winger (10).

With that in mind, even though he hasn’t been able to deliver a goal contribution in the league since his winning strike against Arsenal in December, the 25-year-old can still be a real threat for his side going forward.

Labelled as an “inspirational” player for Everton by Martin Keown, Gray could also have an extra incentive to deliver a top-notch performance this time out if Lampard picks him to start.

Having left Leicester in January last year and admitting to not feeling like he was valued or wanted there, getting the chance to show the Midlands club why they were wrong to let him go or treat him the way they did could put a fire in Gray’s belly and really rile him up for this match.

With that in mind and the opportunity to get another goal or assist to his record and push his new club even further away from danger, Lampard could pull a tactical blinder by giving the winger the chance to haunt his old club, which he definitely has the ability to do.

In other news: Lampard can now axe “reckless” Everton dud with move for “powerful” £27m-rated machine

Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips could be keen to join Aston Villa because of Steven Gerrard’s influence, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Phillips rumours continue

The 26-year-old has endured an injury-plagued season for the Whites, proving to be mostly helpless in their battle to stave off the threat of relegation.

At the same time, Phillips has been continually linked with a move away from his boyhood club this summer, as he potentially eyes up a fresh challenge with a side chasing European football rather than running from the drop.

Villa are one of those to have shown an interest in the midfielder, who has been lauded as ‘phenomenal’ by former England manager Fabio Capello, with Gerrard reportedly plotting to launch a £60m bid this summer.

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The Latest: Gerrard influence key?

Speaking to Give Me Sport about those rumours, Jones believes Gerrard’s legendary reputation in the game could be enough for Villa to snap up Phillips in the summer:

“I think if Kalvin Phillips were to leave Leeds, he would be looking for certain aspects to fit what he’s looking for. Aston Villa have got Steven Gerrard and that, obviously, is a massive positive for them in terms of persuading him.

“They’re going to be pushing for European football from this point on and that’s the aim, so that’ll suit him.”

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The Verdict: Perfect mentor?

While Gerrard is clearly a legend of the game and someone any midfielder would want to learn from, a move to Villa still wouldn’t feel like a big enough step up for Phillips.

Granted, they are currently faring better than Leeds, but if the England international is to leave the club, it should be for a team playing in the Champions League rather than one currently sitting ninth in the Premier League table.

Only Phillips knows what his decision will be – so much may hinge on whether or not Leeds are relegation – but moving solely because of a manager who may not be at Villa Park forever would feel a little like a sideways move.

In other news, Leeds are thought to be keen on signing a defender. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to sanction the exit of Dele Alli ahead of tonight’s transfer deadline…

What’s the word?

According to Fabrizio Romano, a deal has been agreed with Everton for the 25-year-old midfielder in what would be a permanent switch, rather than a loan.

“Dele Alli to Everton, done deal and here we go! Full agreement reached with Tottenham, permanent move subject to medical in the next few hours. It’s done,” he tweeted.

“Frank Lampard wanted Dele after van de Beek – official announcement later today.”

It’s believed that the Toffees will owe Spurs around £10m when the Englishman registers 20 appearances for the club as Alli is set to sign a two-and-a-half-year deal – the same as Lampard at Goodison Park, as per the Telegraph’s Matt Law.

Late twist

Well, what a sad end this is for Alli and his time at Spurs.

In what has to be considered a surprising twist, it appears as if the Lilywhites’ hierarchy has finally given up on their long-serving dynamo.

Alli was once one of the most extraordinary talents in the Premier League but things have been on a downward slope for several seasons now.

He ranked sixth on the list of players to have found the net most times before turning 22, ahead of big names like Romelu Lukaku and Cristiano Ronaldo.

By the time Lampard scored his 50th senior goal, he was 26. Alli was only 23.

During the 2016/17 season, he bagged 22 goals across all competitions, setting the bar very, very high but he’s scored just one goal from open play in over two seasons now.

That could be down to a lack of game time, perhaps, but Jose Mourinho publically slammed him as “lazy”, despite Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville once likening him to Roy Keane in terms of his attitude on the training pitch.

In the past, he’s also earned comparisons to Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes. That’s how talented he was, so perhaps it’s a surprise to see Tottenham give up on him just like that, especially as he’s still only 25.

But his poor form and criticism have seen the fanbase also lose faith in his talents, so they will be delighted to see him moved on, even if it’s in these circumstances.

For much of the window, Alli had been linked with a temporary exit, suggesting that there is some sort of hope for his future in N17 but that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore after Romano dropped this stunning twist on deadline day.

AND in other news, Spurs eye third deadline day addition…

According to German news outlet SportBILD (via Sport Witness), Liverpool are still paying close attention to Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham. 

The lowdown: Long-standing admirers

The Reds have long since been credited with an interest in the 18-year-old and have often been among the clubs most reliably linked with the former Birmingham City starlet. It’s even believed Jurgen Klopp has held secret conversations behind the scenes about signing the England sensation.

Having recently made an 84th appearance for the Bundesliga outfit, Bellingham’s stock continues to rise on the continent, with the report from Sport Witness detailing how he has become the star of the show and a leader at Signal Iduna Park.

Now it appears that Liverpool could be considering stepping up their levels of interest, though BVB will hold out for a huge price.

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The latest: Bild drops exiting update

As per the report, translated by SW, the Anfield club are believed to be ‘watching his development closely’, alongside similar interest from Real Madrid.

The report claims that the 12-cap England international will ‘soon’ become the next player to leave Dortmund for a fee in excess of €100million (£83million).

Furthermore, the German newspaper states that the teenager once described as possessing ‘scary’ ability for someone so young by Roy Keane has already become the ‘world’s most expensive’ player for his age.

The verdict: At all costs

Seldom do generational talents such as Bellingham come along, let alone ones that Liverpool hold a genuine opportunity to sign in the not too distant future.

Whilst Klopp’s former employers will be reticent to lose both the midfield star and Erling Haaland in the same window, bids of anything in the region of the aforementioned mooted fees would likely force their hand this summer.

As things stand the Reds are relatively blessed in the midfield department, but with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s future never more in doubt and Jordan Henderson, Thiago and James Milner all the wrong side of 30, adding the next midfield general to the Merseyside ranks would be a shrewd move.

Even at the suggested price point, the early signs would suggest that Bellingham, who is equally adept in conventional positions as well as attacking roles, is going to be an elite-level performer for the next decade and beyond, therefore providing extraordinary value for money, potentially marking newly appointed sporting director Julian Ward’s arrival with an instant statement.

In other news, one Liverpool player has been backed to leave this summer. Find out who it is here.