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The Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser has told Football FanCast that West Ham are prepared to sell Manuel Lanzini this summer if the price is right.

Lanzini flourished in his first three seasons with the Hammers having been signed when Slaven Bilic was manager, quickly becoming the heartbeat of their attack – contributing 35 goals during that period, with exactly 40 percent of those coming in 2017-2018.

Such was Lanzini’s blistering form for the Hammers, he was named in Argentina’s 23-man squad for the World Cup.

However, an ACL injury suffered in training not only ended his chances of playing in Russia but saw him miss almost the entire Premier League campaign in 2018-2019.

Lanzini has managed to remain fit for the previous two years but has slipped down the pecking order under David Moyes and made just five Premier League starts last season.

Reports from France believe that he could be on his way to Marseille this window, and Rosser told Football FanCast that Moyes would be willing to allow him to leave:

“Lanzini is another one who could potentially move on and free up some wages, although Moyes did really like him. Lanzini is an option that if a bid comes in, they would be happy to let him go.”

Tottenham Hotspur are lining up moves for Inter Milan duo Stefan de Vrij and Marcelo Brozovic, according to Inter Live.

The lowdown

Netherlands international De Vrij made 30 Serie A starts for the champions in 2020/21, while central midfielder Brozovic featured in 33 matches, scoring twice and providing six assists.

He’s a well-rounded option in the middle of the park, recording 1.6 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.4 key passes per 90 minutes (via WhoScored).

Both players are currently in action at the European Championships, with Brozovic starting for Croatia in their 1-0 defeat against England on Sunday.

Inter reportedly need to raise around €80million through sales this summer to address their financial difficulties.

The latest

The report states that Spurs are willing to spend a combined €47million (£40.5million) on the two transfers.

€25million would be committed to landing Brozovic, with €22million made available for the De Vrij move.

Fabio Paratici, who will take up his post as Spurs’ managing director of football in July, is hopeful that his good relationship with Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta will work in his favour.

The pair were previously colleagues at Juventus.

The verdict

Of the two signings, there’s a more pressing need for De Vrij, or at least a player of his calibre – Spurs’ defence is due a revamp.

The 29-year-old is probably in the bracket below the very best in his position, but he would still help to solidify the backline based on his performances this season.

The centre-back averaged two successful aerial duels, 2.9 clearances and 1.3 interceptions per match (via WhoScored).

There’s no doubting Brozovic’s ability, but Spurs already look fairly well-stocked in the middle of the park, particularly after adding Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to their ranks last summer.

The most encouraging detail here, perhaps, is that Paratici may be able to utilise his vast network of contacts to tap into Serie A’s excellent talent pool.

In other news, Alasdair Gold has revealed what Paulo Fonseca is discussing with Spurs. 

One of Tottenham Hotspur’s mooted managerial targets could be about to become a free man this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Italian news outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, it is almost inevitable that Antonio Conte leaves Inter Milan despite clinching their first Serie A title in 11 years.

It’s thought that the 51-year-old is not happy about the direction the club is going in as president Steven Zhang and their Chinese owners Suning have asked the club’s hierarchy to cut the wage bill by 20% and raise €100m (£85m) in player sales to help their precarious financial situation.

Conte has remained firm in his belief that the squad needs backing financially, rather than the opposite.

La Stampa have also claimed that Spurs would be able to offer the former Chelsea man around €20m-per-year (£18m) amid interest from Real Madrid, and as a result, they represent the most attractive destination for him, should he leave the San Siro.

Get it done, Levy

A lot of targets have already come and gone in the month since Jose Mourinho’s surprise sacking and we’re still no closer to finding out who the next manager of Spurs will be.

If Conte does become available, then chairman Daniel Levy would be crazy to not consider him. After all, he’s a nine-time major trophy winner and has cleaned up the Special One’s mess before.

When Mourinho departed Chelsea for a second time, the Blues recorded their worst finish since 1996 (tenth) and in their very next season under the Italian, they won the Premier League title and finished runners-up in the FA Cup, before going onto win it a year later.

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In fact, the two have even clashed at times, with the 51-year-old lambasting Mourinho as ” a fake” and a “little man” back in 2018, when Chelsea met the Portuguese’s Manchester United side.

Conte has since gone on to transform Inter into a club to be feared for the first time in over a decade – a similar timeframe in which Spurs have suffered without a trophy.

His record at the Italian giants reads 64 wins from 102 matches (62.7%), whilst averaging 2.11 points and 2.10 goals per game, via Transfermarkt.

By comparison, Mourinho was sacked having won 52% of his games in charge of Spurs, where he picked up only 1.77 points and 2.00 goals per match.

During his time in England, Conte received a particularly glowing endorsement from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who waxed lyrical about his impact on the English top-flight.

He said, via the Daily Mail:

“Tactically he is a master, he did it amazingly with Italy and when he went to Turin [with Juventus]. I think Conte is going to leave, going to give something to English football. I’m sure of that.”

With Levy thought to be seeking an attack-minded head coach, there are not many better candidates out there than Conte, who not only has a proven record in the Premier League but also has transformed a similar club in Inter Milan.

The Spurs chairman would be a fool to not throw everything he’s got at the 51-year-old “winner.”

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops exciting claim in Spurs’ manager search that’ll have fans BUZZING…

According to a report by Estadio Deportivo, West Ham United have now joined Sevilla in eyeing a possible move for Inter Milan forward Alexis Sanchez this summer.

The Lowdown: West Ham on attacker hunt…

If West Ham have one position on the agenda for this transfer window, it’s going forward.

Injuries plagued Michail Antonio’s season last year while club record signing Sebastien Haller parted ways for Ajax in the January window – leaving the Irons with few options up front.

The club have been linked with a move to sign a new forward this summer with another priority believed to be a permanent deal for Jesse Lingard.

The Latest: Sanchez now on West Ham radar…

As per Estadio Deportivo, both Sevilla and West Ham are now interested in Sanchez as they search for options to bolster their forward line.

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He featured regularly last season under former Inter boss Antonio Conte but was not one of the first names on the team sheet, making 30 Serie A appearances in total but starting just 12 of those games (WhoScored).

The Nerazzurri, as a result of this and possibly his €134,000-per-week wages (£115,000), are said to be keen on offloading the forward this summer.

In the midst of their financial crisis, Inter must sell surplus-to-requirements players and the ex-Manchester United man wouldn’t mind finding a new club depending on the destination.

Enter the Hammers, who are now said to be eyeing Sanchez ahead of 2021/2022.

The Verdict: Avoid…

It is no secret that the 32-year-old was a top class player in the Premier League at Arsenal, where he scored 80 goals and assisted 45 others (Transfermarkt), but bringing him back to London now would be a gamble.

Indeed, he has been called a ‘magnificent player’ before by Jordi Cruyff (talkSPORT), but it is debatable whether he can now have that same impact in the English top flight.

Scoring just seven goals and assisting five others over 2020/2021 for Inter in Serie A, it is arguable that the Irons would be better placed investing their money elsewhere, rather than a player with obvious talent but approaching the twilight of his career.

In other news: ExWHUemployee’s ‘refreshing’ update has these Irons talking, find out more here.

Leeds United are set to miss out on signing Fleetwood Town teenager Josh Feeney, with Aston Villa reportedly on the verge of snapping him up.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Feeney

The Whites may be eying up first-team reinforcements this summer, but they have also been linked with a move for Feeney, who is the current England Under-16s captain.

The highly-rated youngster has been watched by a host of clubs, such is his potential, with Leeds tussling with the likes of Wolves, Leicester City and Celtic for his services.

The Latest: Aston Villa set to sign youngster

It looks as though Villa have won the race to sign Feeney, however with the Birmingham Mail reporting that the centre-back has been in talks with them in recent days.

The player’s representatives were believed to be ‘impressed’ by what Villa had to offer, seeing a potential path into the first-team for him eventually.

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The Verdict: Long-term blow

While missing out on Feeney is no great issue currently, with Leeds possessing strong centre-back options in Diego Llorente, Liam Cooper, Robin Koch and Pascal Struijk, it is a potential long-term hit.

The defender clearly has a huge amount of promise moving forward going by the huge fight for his signature, and with Marcelo Bielsa hopefully looking to set the Whites up for a strong future, signing him would have been a positive.

Only time will tell if Feeney makes the grade, but having great English talent in the academy squad is always preferable, so this is a blow for Victor Orta and co.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with a move for an exciting youngster – find out who it is here. 

Former Premier League manager Lawrie Sanchez has exclusively told Football FanCast that he isn’t surprised Crystal Palace are interested in signing Reading striker Yakou Meite.

The Eagles currently have three senior centre-forwards in their squad, but the in-form Christian Benteke is out of contract this summer, whilst Michy Batshuayi is set to return to Chelsea following the conclusion of his loan spell in south London.

That would leave Palace with only Jordan Ayew, meaning their need to add to their strike department could grow in the coming months.

And the Reading frontman is on Palace’s radar, with reports suggesting that he could be available for just £5m, with Watford and Brighton also keen.

Meite has been a consistent goalscorer during his time in the Championship, bagging at least 11 times in each of his three seasons at Reading, which is exactly the number he managed during the previous campaign in just 29 appearances.

His contract expires in 12 months’ time, which explains exactly why a proven goalscorer is available at a cut-price.

Sanchez told Football FanCast:

“I think they’re the ones that will have a nibble at him, it’ll be interesting to see what type of money they’re talking about and will be interesting to see how much money Reading want. They will need profit from some of these sales.”

George Edmundson may have already played his last game for Rangers, with recent reports suggesting that he could be set for an Ibrox exit this summer after being overlooked by Steven Gerrard earlier in the season.

The 23-year-old centre-back was sent out on loan to Derby County in the winter transfer window after breaking some of the lockdown guidelines set out by the government back in 2020. Since signing from Oldham Athletic in the summer of 2019, the defender has made just 17 appearances for the Light Blues, in which he has contributed two goals and one assist.

Edmundson had made only two Gers appearances earlier in the season before his loan move, so it was always going to be difficult for him to return to Ibrox and re-establish himself in Gerrard’s squad, especially with their impressive title win this year.

The Gers remain unbeaten in the Premiership this term and much of that is down to their superb defensive record, which has seen them concede just 12 goals in 35 games.

Connor Goldson, Filip Helander and Leon Balogun have all impressed at centre-back, whilst Gerrard will also have Nikola Katic and Jack Simpson as options in that position next season, so it is difficult to see where Edmundson fits in.

Given that he hasn’t exactly set the world alight during his time with the Rams in the Championship, making eight appearances and averaging a 6.68 WhoScored rating for his performances, there seems little evidence that he would be a regular at Rangers next season.

Therefore, it would perhaps not be a surprise to see him depart Ibrox this summer, and now Football Insider have claimed that Rangers would be willing to sell him for a fee close to £1m should there be interest in him, so his future in Glasgow certainly looks bleak.

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Unfortunately for Edmundson, he may well have played his last game under Gerrard, and it seems as if his off-field misdemeanours earlier this season could well end up costing him his Rangers career.

In other news… Assombalonga’s potential signing will surely be the final nail in the coffin for this Gerrard favourite at Ibrox.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes Rodrigo de Paul could be an exceptional addition to the Whites’ midfield this summer.

The Lowdown: Midfield addition required for Leeds

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have enjoyed a triumphant return to the Premier League this season, sitting 11th in the table and rarely looking relegation-threatened.

The aim to is to keep moving forward as a team, however, and there have been times when Leeds have looked a little light in midfield, with Kalvin Phillips arguably relied upon too much – they have lost seven of the nine matches without him in the top flight.

De Paul is one player the Whites have been linked with helping solve that issue, having shone for Udinese this season, registering eight goals and assists apiece in Serie A as a box to box dynamo with some serious creative flair.

The Latest: Whelan waxes lyrical over De Paul

Someone who clearly wants to see the 26-year-old in a Leeds shirt is Whelan, who told Football Insider that the £34.2million-rated Argentine could be the perfect man to come in and add competition in midfield:

“We need another midfielder. Someone with a bit of tenacity who can provide assists and goals. We need a player that is a level above what we currently have if we want to progress further.

“There has been so much talk about Rodrigo de Paul coming to Leeds last summer and I did not think for one second that he would be a player we forgot about. They seemed desperate to get him on board. It does not surprise me to hear we might be making a second move for him.

“What a player, he would definitely improve the team. I have seen clips of him and he has bags of energy, a great eye for a pass and can score a goal as well. He would provide really strong competition in the middle.

“I am sure the club recognise it is a position we need to strengthen in this summer.”

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The Verdict: Leeds should seal De Paul move

De Paul ticks all the boxes, in terms of an ideal summer signing for Leeds, possessing quality and end product from midfield, but also averaging 1.3 tackles per game in the league this season.

He is an all-round midfielder in the mould of Phillips, but in a more forward-thinking sense, as his aforementioned goals and assists tally highlights.

Not only that, but 19 caps for Argentina also speaks volumes, and working alongside his countryman Bielsa could take De Paul’s game to another level.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly interested in a move for a winger this summer – find out who it is here.

Newcastle United have suffered a potentially huge blow ahead of their Premier League clash against Fulham on Sunday afternoon, with big question marks over Allan Saint-Maximin’s injury status.

The former Nice winger was forced off with less than 20 minutes to go of the Magpies’ 1-0 win over Sheffield United last time out, and speaking in his pre-match press conference, Bruce confirmed that the winger is a major doubt for the trip to the Cottagers today.

The manager said: “Saint-Maximin, we don’t know if he’s got a calf (injury), or whether it’s a kick as well. We’ll see how he is.”

When asked if the Frenchman’s injury was serious, Bruce added: “We hope not. It looked a bit innocuous, but whether it’s a strain, or whether it’s a kick, he’s not quite sure, so we’ll see how he is in the next 24 or 48 hours.”

The winger was in fantastic form against the Blades last time out, and as per Sofascore, his 8.1 match rating was the highest of any player on the pitch. He completed an incredible 15 of his 16 dribbles on the night and also won 19 of his 24 duels, and it was no surprise that he came in for some rave reviews after the game.

The Shields Gazette’s Liam Kennedy, who gave him an eight in his player ratings, wrote: “What a player. He’s turned up with the want to entertain. Some unbelievable runs from all over the park. Quiet in the last two games – not this time around. Shame he picked up an injury to end his night.”

Aside from the fact that fans might be gutted at missing out on seeing him one final time this season, there’s also the very real prospect that Saint-Maximin may have actually played his last game for the club.

Speaking on talkSPORT earlier this week, the Frenchman said: “I have to be honest, sometimes you have to think about yourself. The most important thing is the team, of course, but you have to think sometimes about your future and that’s why I say I don’t want to fight for one more year to be safe.

“So I hope we try to do everything to have more ambition and to win a trophy and fight for the first place, it can be great.”

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Unless the Magpies enjoy the kind of summer transfer window which convinces Saint-Maximin that the club has the right “ambition” to match his own, he could be on his way out, and that would mean Newcastle fans have already seen the last of the dazzling Frenchman in a black and white shirt.

They will be hoping that his injury is nothing too serious, and even more importantly, that he stays for the long-term rather than jumping ship over the summer.

Meanwhile, Luke Edwards has dropped an exciting Newcastle United update…

According to a report by Voetbal 24, via City Xtra, manager Pep Guardiola ‘wants to push’ for the signing of Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge this summer as a possible replacement for club legend Fernandinho – prompting excitement from a set of Manchester City fans. 

Berge, who has spent most of this season on the treatment table (Transfermarkt), has still managed to attract Premier League interest from the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham – with the two north London clubs said to be eyeing the promising 23-year-old (Jeunes Footeux).

As per Voetbal 24, City are now weighing up a move and Berge is even top of the Sky Blues’ transfer target list as a successor to their Brazilian enforcer and fan favourite.

The 35-year-old, having signed an extension last season, now looks set to leave this summer as Guardiola looks likely to ‘push’ for Berge as his midfield heir.

Reacting to this news, it’s safe to say many City fans were overjoyed with the idea of Berge’s acquisition despite his absences this season – with one fan calling him a would-be ‘amazing signing’.

An international teammate of long time transfer target Erling Haaland, it appears supporters are now excited by another Norwegian prodigy.

Find all of their verdicts down below.

Man City fans swoon over Berge links

“Dude is 6’5 . Wow”

Credit: @qnbrew88

“Brilliant player, would be a great signing, remember when we played them and he was immense.”

Credit: @JoeymanCITY

“This would be an amazing signing don’t care what anyone says”

Credit: @KZN22_

“Yes.. This is make sense alot. He has the quality and would be perfect for rodri/ferna backup. His club is about got relegated so it much cheaper”

Credit: @KenSadja

“Class player”

Credit: @CanceloFCCity

“Oh hell yes! This would really be a great signing aaaaand Norwegian”

Credit: @Loutoo2

“Get him”

Credit: @not_aguero

“Would be cheap as chips and also offers something in the attack from what I’ve seen of him so I would back this”

Credit: @Rodridiculous

In other news: Man City fans lauded this news from Guardiola, find out more here.