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Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek is reportedly ready to snub interest from across the continent and fight for his place at Old Trafford next season.

What’s the story?

According to the Manchester Evening News (MEN), the 24-year-old is set to reject advances from clubs in Italy, Spain and Germany to stay at United this summer.

Sides in Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga have all made tentative enquiries for Van de Beek in recent weeks, but after arriving on English shores for £35m just one year ago, the Netherlands international is determined to be a success with the Red Devils.

Imagine him and Bruno Fernandes

The creative talent endured a tough first campaign at United and has been linked with a move away during the current transfer window as a result.

However, MEN claim that sources close to the player have said he’s feeling “fit, fresh and ready for the challenge” after missing out on Euro 2020 through a groin injury.

Van de Beek’s extended rest could see him return for the 2021/22 campaign in perfect condition, ready to help Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side continue their progress and finally end their long trophy drought.

Recent reports claim the Norwegian tactician is set to trial a new formation next season, with a more attacking 4-3-3 set to be tested out over the customary 4-2-3-1.

If Solskjaer does make that change, it is likely to mean one of Fred or Scott McTominay dropping to the bench in favour of a more forward-thinking midfielder.

And while Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba may be the obvious choices, Van de Beek has more than enough quality to stake his claim for a regular starting berth.

In a season that can easily reach 60 games, rotation and strength in depth is key for any team to have success, meaning the Dutchman should have ample opportunity to showcase his true ability and potential next term.

The £27m-rated maestro impressed in flashes during his maiden campaign at Old Trafford, drawing praise from former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves following a standout display against Istanbul Basaksehir.

“I thought Van de Beek was close to perfect. He is so unselfish, he can just fit in and play the right balls everywhere,” said the BT Sports pundit.

With Pogba often used on the left-hand side of the front three at the backend of the recently concluded campaign and Marcus Rashford potentially facing up to three months out through injury, Van de Beek may get an extended run in the starting XI alongside Fernandes in United’s engine room.

Just imagine the damage he could do alongside their Portuguese dynamo in the middle of the park. Both players possess creativity in abundance and they also know how to find the back of the net with great regularity.

It’s an ideal opportunity for the former Ajax man to find his best form in a United shirt and Solskjaer must be brave enough to unleash the technical gem.

And, in other news…Fabrizio Romano drops Man United transfer update that should leave fans concerned 

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the appointment of Paulo Fonseca as their next manager.

The 48-year-old will be the man tasked with replacing Jose Mourinho in the dugout whilst the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ takes his fellow countryman’s place at AS Roma.

He’ll have a mighty task on his hands, not at least because he was thought to be the club’s sixth choice for the role.

Fonseca will arrive in North London knowing that his star striker Harry Kane wants to leave, the futures of several players are up in the air, the defence needs a major overhaul and much of the deadwood needs to be moved on.

However, he does meet the key criteria set out by chairman Daniel Levy, who very early on in the process – some six to seven weeks ago – was said to desire an ‘attack-minded’ head coach who could commit to the development of the club’s young stars.

In the former Shaktar Donetsk boss, they get just that.

Fonseca’s Roma side may have struggled to pick up results on the pitch but their style of play has drawn plenty of plaudits, ranging from The Athletic’s James Horncastle describing them as the league’s “entertainers” alongside Atalanta and Sassuolo, to Portuguese journalist Alex Goncalves once dubbing it as “stylish football.”

Ryan Sessegnon would have been one player Levy had in mind for next season and, following a successful loan spell at Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim, he’s surely in line to play more regularly for Spurs’ senior side.

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Indeed, if Fonseca unleashes the versatile wide man next season, he could save himself, Levy, and the club several millions in the transfer market.

What makes the 21-year-old gem so appealing is his ability to play anywhere down that left flank, and given the Portuguese has often gone to a three-at-the-back wing-back system, the youngster could provide backup to Sergio Reguilon.

The futures of Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and Gareth Bale are all up in the air, meaning that Spurs could have a shortage of out-and-out wingers going into next season. Again, Sessegnon solves this problem.

Now valued at just over £16m by Transfermarkt, the England under-21 international must step up if given an opportunity. It’s time for him to deliver on the huge potential with which he has always been touted throughout his short career to date.

“He is a big, big talent. The sky is the limit for him. He may become one of the world’s best in his position,” claimed Sessegnon’s former Fulham teammate Stefan Johansen. “He is an incredibly down to earth person who works hard every day. His future seems very bright.”

Hoffenheim sporting director Alexander Rosen has described him as a “highly talented and fast wide player, with a strong left foot.”

If he gets the Spurs job, Fonseca must look to develop the young dynamo next season. In the process he could save the club millions – or at the very least invest those funds in another area, such as the defence.

AND in other news, Paratici could land Spurs a perfect Kane replacement in £26m-rated beast who’s “so crazy”…

Former West Brom midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that Chris Wilder would win his old side promotion.

Wilder is said to be one of the leading candidates for the West Brom job as the Midlands club look to replace Sam Allardyce ahead of their return to the Championship.

Wilder has been out of work since departing Sheffield United back in March, who he could face next season from the Hawthorns dugout following their own relegation to English football’s second tier.

It would make for interesting viewing in a potential battle for promotion, and Palmer really fancies West Brom’s chances if they do go on to hire Wilder.

“I think he’s a really, really good manager,” the ex-West Brom player exclusively told FFC.

“The simple fact is Chris Wilder has done his apprenticeship. He is a top, top manager. If he’s ready to get back into the game, for me, West Brom shouldn’t even hesitate. Give him the resources and he’ll get them promoted.”

While Wilder and United had their struggles this season, the all-round job the 53-year-old did was impressive.

Though they did have their disputes this term, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp called Wilder incredible before coming up against him for the first time.

Speaking in a football.london Q&A, Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold says the club have eyes for Juventus defender Merih Demiral.

The Lowdown: Spurs on defender chase…

As explained by previous reports, including one from Gold, a priority for Tottenham this summer is a ‘leader’ at the back who can help to reinforce their backline for 2021/2022.

Defence was arguably one of Spurs’ weak links last season and chairman Daniel Levy may need to provide Spurs’ new manager with more options in those positions.

Tottenham will need to adopt a sell-to-buy policy, though, amid difficult financial circumstances caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Latest: Gold says Spurs have eyes for Demiral

Sharing the latest on Tottenham’s transfer plans, journalist Gold believes that Tottenham have certainly looked at Demiral as an option.

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“He’s definitely a player that Tottenham have had their eye on as a club,” he explained in a Q&A.

“Much depends on who the new manager wants of course.”

The 23-year-old was out injured consistently throughout 2020/2021, missing 17 matches (Transfermarkt), meaning he could only start 10 Serie A matches in total (WhoScored).

The Verdict: Gamble…

The 6 foot 3 colossus, described as ‘too aggressive’ by scouting expert Josh Williams (Leicestershire Live), also missed half of 2020 with a cruciate ligament rupture (Transfermarkt).

Indeed, the last thing Tottenham need is an injury prone summer signing who can barely feature next season.

One positive aspect of Demiral’s profile is his ability to play out from the back, with the centre-half averaging a very impressive 94% pass accuracy over his league appearances last season (WhoScored).

This could point to a mature head on young shoulders, but Demiral’s poor fitness record indicates this move would be a gamble.

In other news: Spurs now want this ‘amazing’ 103-goal striker, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur were made aware ‘weeks ago’ that Gareth Bale was not planning to extend his loan spell for a second season, a report from The Athletic has revealed.

The lowdown

The Welshman temporarily returned to north London for the 2020/21 season, seven years on from his then-world record £85m move to Real Madrid.

Bale scored 11 goals and added another two assists in just 10 Premier League starts (via WhoScored). He netted a further five times in the cup competitions, finishing as Tottenham’s third highest-scorer behind Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

There have been changes in management at both clubs involved in the loan deal, however. Spurs sacked Jose Mourinho in April, while Real Madrid have brought back Carlo Ancelotti after the departure of Zinedine Zidane.

The latest

Bale was left frustrated by the lack of starting opportunities afforded to him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Sources close to the player feel he was ‘badly mismanaged’, in particular during Mourinho’s tenure. [The Athletic]

He doesn’t intend to come back to Spurs for the 2021/22 season and is said to have ruled out another loan move away from Madrid. MLS clubs are apparently ‘investigating their prospects’ of a blockbuster transfer. [The Athletic]

The verdict

The £16.2m-rated Bale scored or assisted every 87 minutes for Spurs last season, which does suggest that he was under-utilised by Mourinho.

He once again underlined his class at the Euros, with a pair of assists in Wales’ vital 2-0 win over Turkey which effectively put them into the last 16.

The 31-year-old certainly seems to still have plenty to offer in European football and he may harbour hopes of resurrecting his Real Madrid career, but remaining at Spurs could have been an attractive and mutually beneficial option had he been given the game-time he felt he deserved.

In other news, a new name has emerged in Spurs’ manager hunt.

Many Wolves fans have been left to flock to a contract update involving Adama Traore.

As per Goal, the Spain international is set to commit his future to the Midlands club, as he is currently in talks over a new deal.

However, that deal is likely to include a gentleman’s agreement with which he would be allowed to leave if a bigger club comes in bidding a certain transfer fee.

The update has certainly caused a debate among the Molineux faithful, as some are split over whether this is good news.

Of course, keeping one of the best players for as long as possible is ideal, but some are not happy at all with the gentleman’s agreement as it questions his loyalty and commitment to the Wanderers, while it is debatable whether he has actually earned it based off of just three goals and three assists this season (Transfermarkt).

Wolves fans on Traore contract update

These WWFC supporters flocked to the contract update on Traore as it was shared on Twitter:

“Massive W tbf”

Credit: @OldManWolves

“W”

Credit: @lewis__wwfc7

“Class”

Credit: @w0lv0br4d10

“Sell him, even though he’s the only shining light in the last few games. Personally his performances as a whole this season don’t warrant a new contract or pay rise. Is he playing for the team or himself?”

Credit: @Wulfrunian1877

“A bigger club get rid now”

Credit: @RobertDimmock1

“The modern footballer… always one eye on something else. Loyalty just doesn’t exist.”

Credit: @peterping

In other news, find out what Raul Jimenez update has left Wanderers raving here!

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey, who made 278 appearances during his career, has admitted that he was never convinced how good Kalvin Phillips was until this season.

Phillips is one of the most important players for Leeds United as he has become the anchor who allows players such as Raphinha, Jack Harrison and Stuart Dallas to stay higher up the pitch, and his WhoScored rating of 7.06 proves how important he is.

The £4,500 per week midfielder has also become an England regular despite this still being just his first season in the Premier League and Gareth Southgate trusts him to start for the Three Lions during Jordan Henderson’s absence.

Speaking on how he has been won over by Phillips this season and what he thought of him when he first saw him play live, Howey told FFC:

“I think a lot of clubs will be looking at him in the summer, but I must admit that I wasn’t 100% sure what all the fuss was about with Kalvin Phillips.

“I saw him against Everton, and at the time I was with Gareth Southgate and I said to him, ‘yeah he is a top player’. He’s comfortable on the ball, his distribution is very good and then you put him in the England team, and it looks as though he’s been there for years.”

Phillips has picked up a few injuries this season and Leeds have struggled without their midfielder general at times because he offers the defence protection but he also gets attacks started quickly.

Marcelo Bielsa has guided Leeds to a comfortable position in the table but the Argentine is still yet to sign a new contract at Elland Road beyond this summer.

Celtic’s off-field chaos may end up preventing them from signing Crystal Palace’s James McCarthy.

Sources close to Give Me Sport have provided an update on the club’s pursuit of Eddie Howe and midfielder McCarthy.

The report claims the Hoops are an ‘absolute mess’ behind the scenes with ‘mixed messages all over the place’ coming out of Celtic Park in regards to a new manager.

A deal for Howe could still go through, but the delay in a managerial announcement is holding up the club’s proposed move for McCarthy.

There is thought to be a slight reluctance from the Hoops hierarchy to force through a pre-contract agreement just in case Neil Lennon’s long-term successor does not want him.

McCarthy’s Palace contract expires in a matter of months, so the club are in a position where they could make the 30-year-old an early signing ahead of the summer.

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Transfer Tavern take

It seems as if the club’s wait for a new boss could end up hurting their summer recruitment.

However, in our opinion, the Hoops are doing the right thing by refusing to sign off a deal without the new manager’s permission.

McCarthy, who is also wanted by Newcastle, is on £50,000-a-week at Selhurst Park, so you’d expect he could become one of the club’s top earners if he moved to Parkhead.

There could be a situation where the new man in charge doesn’t rate McCarthy, which may result in the club forking out a huge salary for a player who is hardly featuring, similar to what they have done with loanee Shane Duffy this season.

Who knows, we may still see McCarthy in Glasgow for the 2021/22 campaign, but for now, it seems as if the club’s priority is a new boss, and we feel that is absolutely the correct decision after last summer’s shambolic recruitment.

In other news: Premier League giants tracking Celtic midfielder, find out more here. 

Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Inter defender Andreaw Gravillon after he impressed during a loan spell with Lorient.

What’s the story?

A dozen clubs are reportedly keen on acquiring the 23-year-old’s signature this summer, with fellow Premier League sides Leicester City and Southampton also monitoring the situation, that’s according to French outlet Foot Mercato.

The report also claims that several teams across the continent are vying for Gravillon’s services, including Real Betis, FC Copenhagen and Marseille.

Palace need him

Gravillon may be wanted by an abundance of teams looking to strengthen their side ahead of 2020/21, but it’s unlikely any of them need the powerful centre-back as much as Palace do.

The capital club are set to experience a number of changes over the coming months, with 14 first-team players approaching the end of their contracts and Roy Hodgson’s successor yet to be appointed.

Many of those switches in personnel could be at centre-back, with Gary Cahill, Scott Dann and Mamadou Sakho all set to become free agents at this moment in time.

Their potential departures would leave James Tomkins as the only recognised central defender in the south London outfit’s setup, meaning significant reinforcements would be required for next season.

Therefore, Palace chairman Steve Parish must swoop for the £4.5 million rated (as per Transfermarkt) ace before another side snaps him up.

Gravillon played a key role as Christophe Pelissier’s side retained their Ligue 1 status, making 26 appearances for the French minnows as they finished 16th in the top-flight table.

His eye-catching performances in the heart of defence clearly caught the eye, and in a recent interview, the Frenchman revealed he remains open-minded about where his future lies.

“Once the season is over, we will see with my agents whether we should stay in Lorient, return to Inter, go elsewhere. We do not know. We’ll see. We will wait until the season to see how things will go,” he said.

Palace’s work in the upcoming transfer window could make or break their season before it’s even begun, but the arrival of Gravillon would give the Selhurst Park outfit a significantly better chance of survival, and Parish must do his best to get this deal over the line.

And, in other news…Huge CPFC contract update emerges on “fearless” £7.2m-rated star, fans will be gutted 

Many Everton fans have been reacting to a transfer update on Theo Walcott as The Athletic report that Southampton are hoping to sign him permanently.

As per the news outlet, his current deal at the Goodison Park faithful expires in the summer window, meaning that the Saints can snap him up on a free transfer.

Walcott’s time at the Merseyside club has been largely underwhelming so far, scoring a mere 11 goals and making just nine assists in 85 games in total over all competitions across the last four consecutive terms (Transfermarkt).

However, at 32 years of age now, the winger is still an experienced head and could be a very useful squad player for Carlo Ancelotti to have in the longer term, as well as being a character in the dressing room.

Everton fans on Walcott transfer update

These Toffees supporters were split on Twitter after reading the transfer update, with one Blues fan even going as far as to claim that the Englishman is an ‘awful excuse of a footballer’:

“Won’t shed a tear when he leaves.”

Credit: @CrunchingVinnie

“Good”

Credit: @BrunsypPB

“Awful excuse of a footballer.”

Credit: @exiledtoffee

“People slag him off but we’re lacking on that right hand side. Iwobi isn’t the answer. Need to replace him.”

Credit: @MissMav

“Never thought I’d say this… get him back!”

Credit: @BlueCommute

“Still can’t believe we let him go and are paying half his wages, worst loan ever”

Credit: @GJS41991

In other news, find out what injury update has been bemoaned by EFC fans here!