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Alasdair Gold believes that Harry Kane is very open to staying at Tottenham Hotspur – but only on the correct terms.

The Lowdown: Still hope for Spurs

With Harry Kane now into the final 18 months of his contract, the striker has a decision to make as to what he wants his career to be remembered for. Is it being a Spurs and Premier League one-club legend, or does he go somewhere and win silverware?

Kane has been very loyal to Spurs over the years and is now the club’s joint-top scorer of all time alongside Jimmy Greaves, and despite interest from clubs such as Manchester United and Bayern Munich, he could be in line to extend his stint with Tottenham.

The Athletic has recently reported that Kane is very much open to extending his stay at Spurs, which will be music to the ears of fans and Daniel Levy, although Gold doesn’t believe it’s completely straightforward.

The Latest: Pressure now on Daniel Levy

Gold has claimed on his YouTube channel that Kane has passed the emphasis onto Levy in contract talks as he is open to staying if the club can meet his ambitions.

He said: “Everyone that I’ve spoken to around him or that knows him says that he’s very focused on the now at the moment and getting Spurs into the top four, try and hopefully win an FA Cup and also progress in the Champions League.

“But everyone I’ve spoken to has said the same thing, that he would be open to discussing the right contract with Tottenham if the club do open talks as expected in the weeks after the transfer window closes.

“So that’s exactly what the Spurs fans want to hear and I also think it’s actually quite clever manoeuvring and positioning from his camp, I think it’s quite clever in that regard as well because it piles the pressure on Levy and the club, it absolutely does.

“It’s pretty much saying ‘ok, Harry will sign a deal if the deal is right and he senses that the club is progressing and showing the ambition that he wants to show’.”

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The Verdict: Kane looking to stay at Tottenham

It will be huge for Spurs if their star man and record goalscorer decided to extend his stay beyond next summer, as it shows his loyalty and commitment to finally bringing some much-needed silverware to Tottenham.

However, if Spurs were to finish without a trophy this season, finish outside of the top four and lose Antonio Conte at the end of the campaign, that certainly wouldn’t be a sign of the club being ambitious.

Therefore, it is indeed now all down to Levy to back Antonio Conte in the transfer market and get the Italian to commit his own future to the club, as that would perhaps be the biggest sign of Spurs moving in the right direction to keeping Kane, otherwise, they could lose one of their greatest-ever strikers.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their pursuit of a deal to sign a new attacking midfielder during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Gers insider The 4th Official has claimed that the Light Blues are set to make an offer to sign Todd Cantwell from English Championship side Norwich.

The Gers are interested in snapping up the Canaries academy graduate and want to agree on personal terms with the player before making a bid for his services.

In their Patreon post, they wrote:

“As I mentioned in yesterday’s article, Rangers are already in talks with Todd Cantwell. I have been told that while an official offer has not been made to Norwich City, that should change soon.

“One of my sources was confident that an offer would be made to the Championship club relatively shortly once there is an agreement between Cantwell and the Rangers. There is no expectation that Norwich City will stand in the way once Cantwell agrees on the move.”

Mason Mount 2.0

Gers boss Michael Beale could unearth his next Mason Mount by securing a deal for Cantwell and getting him back to his best out on the pitch.

GOAL once claimed that Beale played a key role in the England international’s development during his time working in Chelsea’s academy set-up and that, as of December 2021, the Blues gem kept in touch with him to ask for regular advice.

Mount, like Cantwell, is a 24-year-old English attacking midfielder who can also be deployed out on either flank but he has been able to take his career onto the next level, whilst the Norwich man has struggled of late.

The Chelsea dynamo has been capped 36 times by England and produced 33 goals and 37 assists in 184 first-team games for the Blues.

Cantwell, meanwhile, has not been capped by his country at senior level and has only made 45 appearances in the Premier League to date.

However, he has shown enough signs of promise in the past to suggest that he has the potential to develop into a player with the quality to be a regular in the top-flight in England.

The midfield magician, whose talent was described as “God-given” by his ex-youth team coach Gary Cockaday, scored six goals and provided two assists in 37 Premier League games in the 2019/20 campaign and followed that up by delivering six goals and seven assists in his side’s Championship title-winning season the following year.

Beale has shown, with Mount, that he can help players in Cantwell’s position on the pitch to thrive and the Norwich man could be the next gem to benefit from his excellent coaching on the training pitch.

Glasgow Rangers will be keeping tabs on Lawrence Shankland in the January transfer window with a view to bringing him to Ibrox.

What’s been said?

That’s according to Barry Ferguson, with the former Rangers midfielder stating his belief on the Go Radio Football Show (via the Daily Record) that Micheal Beale will be keeping an eye on the Heart of Midlothian centre-forward this month.

Regarding the 27-year-old, Ferguson said: “I think he’s been a brilliant signing for Hearts. He’s one that I’m sure Rangers will be keeping an eye on because goalscorers are hard to find. If [Alfredo] Morelos does go, you’ve got [Antonio] Colak and [Kemar] Roofe. Roofe for me is a really good player but there are injury concerns, so you need another striker.

“One thing Shankland can do in the Scottish League is put the ball in the back of the net and that’s been proven this season. It’s a brilliant return. He’s a proper penalty box striker. He can get involved in the build-up play but normally he’ll get it, lay it off and his first thought is ‘I’m getting in that box’.”

“Brilliant signing”

Considering just how impressive Shankland has been following his move back to Scotland from Belgian club Beerschot this summer, it is easy to see why Ferguson believes that Beale could be interested in bringing the striker to Ibrox this winter.

Indeed, over his 19 Scottish Premiership appearances so far this season, the £750k-rated talent has been in devastating form, having already scored 15 goals, registered two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 3.2 shots – 1.6 of which have been on target – making 0.7 key passes and completing 0.5 dribbles per game.

For reference, no player in the top flight of Scottish football has scored more goals this season than Shankland’s 15, an extremely impressive feat considering the 27-year-old does not play for one of the Old Firm.

Speaking more generally, the £3k-per-week hitman’s returns have seen him average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.11, not only ranking him as Hearts’ second-best performer in the league but also as the 17th-best player in the top flight of Scottish football as a whole this term.

Furthermore, Joel Sked has clearly been extremely impressed with Shankland since his return to Tynecastle, with the Scottish journalist stating of the striker in a post on Twitter back in December:

“Lawrence Shankland has been different class for Hearts. So much more to his game than goals. His ability to drop in, act as that focal point and link play, his awareness and the way he creates space for himself. All so good and so vital.”

As such, should Morelos indeed go on to depart Ibrox in January or next summer, it would very much appear as if Shankland could be something of a dream successor to the Colombia international up top, as the 27-year-old has more than proven this season that he has what it takes to hit the back of the net on an incredibly regular basis in Scotland.

Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in signing Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. 

The Lowdown: Kvaratskhelia’s season so far

The 21-year-old only joined the Azzurri last previous summer but has since gone on to make 17 appearances for the club across Serie A and the Champions League. In that time, the Georgian has scored eight goals and supplied 10 assists in the process.

Despite only being a Napoli player a few months, Kvaratskhelia has numerous Premier League clubs looking at him.

The Latest: Liverpool in Kvaratskhelia race

According to a recent report from 90min, Liverpool are joined by Newcastle United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United with an interest in signing the winger.

The report adds that, while Napoli ‘have not disclosed a price tag, they are believed to be holding out for a figure above and beyond £100m such is their appreciation of him’.

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The Verdict: A ‘cheeky’ target

Alongside his goals and assists this season, Kvaratskhelia has also had more shot-creating actions (58) and successful dribbles (19) than any other player at Napoli. From a defensive point of view, the winger has made more tackles in the attacking third of the pitch (10) than anyone else at the club.

Having been hailed as a “genuine superstar” by journalist Kyle Bonn, it’s understandable why so many Premier League clubs are after the Napoli star.

Jurgen Klopp will already know what Kvaratskhelia is capable of producing on the pitch, describing his nutmeg on Trent Alexander-Arnold as “cheeky” following the teams’ Champions League clash in early November. The winger also set up one of Napoli’s goals in their 4-1 drubbing of the Reds in the reverse fixture two months previously.

With Liverpool having two standout forwards in Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz out injured, perhaps securing a move for the Georgia international would be a smart decision by the club.

Taking all of that into account, we feel that if the Reds were to sign the Napoli attacker, it would give them a very exciting young player who has already shown how capable he is of standing out in one of Europe’s biggest domestic leagues.

Everton could be handed a huge financial lifeline by a Premier League giant…

What’s the latest?

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, via GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham Hotspur could come back in for their underperforming youngster Anthony Gordon.

He said: “I think it will happen next summer. Obviously, Everton want to tie him down to another contract and get him secured.

“But, for the player, he has to map out his own future. If he’s going to stay at Everton, they’ve got to show real ambition between now and May.”

With the Toffees having reportedly dismissed the £60m Chelsea were willing to offer in the summer, it seems like they might receive a hefty fee should this transfer prediction come to fruition.

Cash in

Many fans would likely agree that they should have cashed in over the summer.

There was no way the 21-year-old had done enough to merit that kind of price tag, with few even seeing a future where he became worth such a fee.

This was coming off the back of a season where he had earned notoriety for his workmanlike displays during their relegation crisis, as Gordon offered a shining light amidst the dismal performances.

He did only score four times that season, however, which was hardly integral to their survival.

This term, many would argue that his performances have gone missing, and despite his three goals already has been singled out for a lack of effort and an attitude problem that has compounded his poor form.

His creativity has also been lacking, and with the ball, he seems lost.

He is averaging just 0.6 key passes per game, delivers an abysmal cross rate of 16%, and of his nine carries per 90, only one has resulted in a goal contribution.

Some of the theatrical aspects of his game have also led to him being labelled “embarrassing” by pundit Noel Whelan.

Having already stolen Richarlison away for £60m in the summer, it seems Spurs are back with a vengeance to once again take what they believe to be a top talent. Everton simply have to take the money and run once again.

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…

Sunderland have a number of talented young players who have been catching the eye in the academy set-up at the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Max Thompson, who joined the club from fellow Championship side Burnley in the summer, has scored five goals and provided one assist in five Premier League 2 matches and the likes of Caden Kelly and Zak Johnson have also been regulars for the U21s.

They will all be hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous academy graduates and one of the players they are attempting to emulate is current first-team midfielder Daniel Neil.

The 20-year-old gem burst onto the scene last season as he played 39 matches in League One for the Black Cats under Lee Johnson and Alex Neil, starting 31 times.

He has remained a key player for Sunderland following their promotion to the second tier and has started 11 of the club’s 13 fixtures so far this term.

One player who could be the next Neil to step into the first-team set up, whilst playing in the same position, is 15-year-old central midfielder Chris Rigg.

The talented youngster has stepped up to the U21s this season, despite not turning 16 until January, and has played twice in the Premier League 2 so far.

He was directly involved in four goals in nine appearances – two goals and two assists – for the U18s in 2021/22 and has set up one goal in his solitary outing for them in the current campaign.

Journalist Phil Smith claimed that he was “sensational” at that age group last season and his performances have not gone unnoticed outside of the Stadium of Light.

Last month, it was reported that Premier League side Newcastle are interested in signing the midfielder from their bitter rivals for a fee of £2.5m. Sunderland are said to be desperate to keep him as he is rated as the best young prospect in the United Kingdom due to his performances for club and country.

The youngster has also proven himself to be a leader for his age, recently captaining England in a youth team match against Italy, and has been called up by his country at U15 and U16 level.

Whilst Mowbray may not call upon the youngster this season due to his age, he may look to unearth the youngster’s talent in the future and attempt to integrate him into the first team in the same way Johnson did with Neil in 2021/22.

Of course, it is down to Rigg to prove that he can handle the step up to senior football but his statistics, the interest in his services, and his international recognition suggest that he has the potential to do so, which is why he could be the next academy graduate to excel on Wearside.

Leeds United youngsters Jeremiah Mullen and Keenan Carole are set to be ‘sidelined for a number of weeks’ with knee injuries.

The Lowdown: Mullen and Carole at Leeds

Mullen has made 37 appearances for the U18s and U21s, as per Transfermarkt, with four of those coming during the current campaign. The Scottish centre-back signed a new professional contract through to 2025 earlier this year and has been with the club since 2020 after leaving Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Carole has made 55 appearances for Leeds’ youth side, with seven coming for the U21s. The French left-back has made three starts in Michael Skubala’s U21 side this season and signed a two-year professional deal in the summer.

The Latest: Injuries

LUFC Youth shared an update on Twitter regarding the pair on Wednesday afternoon.

They claimed that the defenders have both sustained knee injuries and are likely to be out ‘for a number of weeks’ as a result.

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The Verdict: Not ideal

Leeds have relied heavily on their U21s over the last 18 months, with a record eight teenagers making their Premier League debuts during the 2021/22 campaign.

The likes of Illan Meslier, Pascal Struijk and Joe Gelhardt are all now considered important first-team players at Elland Road after progressing through the U21 system, so Mullen and Carole could well follow suit in years to come.

Therefore, their injury problems will come as a blow to Skubala and Leeds officials, however, hopefully, they will make a relatively swift recovery, looking to impress Jesse Marsch ahead of a potential future first-team call-up.

Leeds United enjoyed a largely successful transfer window, with Victor Orta managing to replace both Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha by adding a whole host of fresh faces to Jesse Marsch’s first team squad.

Indeed, the American manager welcomed the likes of attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson, left-winger Luis Sinisterra, defensive midfielder Tyler Adams, right-back Rasmus Kristensen and central midfielder Marc Roca to his senior side, while Orta also completed deals for youngsters such as centre-forward Sonny Perkins, central midfielder Darko Gyabi and second-striker Wilfried Gnonto.

However, while both Perkins and Gnonto appear to be extremely talented prospects for the future, there is an argument to be made that, with Partick Bamford struggling with injuries over the past 12 months, the Spanish director of football should have brought in a more experienced number nine in order to help ease the burden on the England international.

And, there was one name with whom the Whites were heavily linked over the course of the summer market who has already proven this season that he would have made an exceptional addition to Marsch’s attacking arsenal – that of Stade Rennais FC centre-forward, Martin Terrier.

After enjoying a remarkable campaign over his 37 Ligue 1 appearances last time out – scoring 21 goals, registering three assists, creating five big chances and averaging a sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.30 – the £26m-rated forward has already started to catch the eye once again in France so far this term.

Indeed, over his seven league outings in 2022/23, the £21k-per-week talent has already bagged three goals, provided one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 3.6 shots – 2.0 of which have hit the target – made 1.4 key passes and won 7.6 duels – at a success rate of 55% – per game.

These returns have seen the player who Tim Williams dubbed “phenomenal” and compared to Thierry Henry somehow average an even more impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.43, not only ranking him as Rennes’ best performer in Ligue 1 but also as the 13th-best player in the French top flight as a whole so far this term.

As such, considering the fact that the 25-year-old was reported to be available for a very affordable £30m this summer, coupled with the striker more than proving he is a player who knows how to find the back of the net, Orta’s decision to not pursue a move for Terrier must be one the Spaniard regrets – particularly when taking into account the recent shoulder injury sustained by Rodrigo.

Celtic are reportedly eyeing another potential arrival at Parkhead, amid reports that the Scottish champions are still monitoring Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, Edouard Michut.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – the Old Firm outfit could well make another move for the 19-year-old before the window slams shut, should the Ligue 1 giants be willing to sanction the Frenchman’s departure.

The transfer insider stated: “If PSG are willing to let him go, midfield is an area that Postecoglou is looking to strengthen as well.

“It is somebody they’ve been tracking all summer, so I’m sure they will be keeping tabs with PSG to see if there is any possibility that Michut might be allowed out on loan.”

Reports last month suggested that the Hoops were readying a £2m bid for the teenager, albeit with the Parc des Princes hierarchy said to be demanding in the region of £5m to let him depart.

Edouard masterclass

That would no doubt be a sizeable sum for a player who has made just eight senior appearances for his current side thus far, although the indication is that Michut could well have a bright future in the game, having even been compared to teammate Marco Verratti due to his ball-playing talent.

The “highly technical” prodigy – as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – has already registered one assist in that brief first-team experience so far, with a more prominent role in Christophe Galtier’s side seemingly only hampered by the wealth of senior talent at the 55-year-old’s disposal.

A move could well be needed to allow the youngster to truly kickstart his senior career elsewhere, with manager Ange Postecoglou likely to welcome him into the fold as he looks to bolster his midfield options, having seen Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton depart at the end of last season.

While the title-winning coach quashed the suggestion that the Scottish Premiership side were attempting to sign the France U19 international earlier this summer, the former Yokohama boss did admit that the £2.7m-rated gem is a “good player”, having clearly been aware of his talents.

Those at Celtic Park will no doubt be hoping that Michut can replicate the impact of another man who made the move to Glasgow from PSG in recent times, with compatriot Odsonne Edouard having sparkled following his arrival back in 2017.

Like the younger man, Edouard had enjoyed limited first-team experience prior to his move to Scotland, having made 17 appearances on loan at Toulouse after failing to make a single outing for the Parisien outfit.

That mattered little as he subsequently went on to score 86 goals in just 179 games for the Hoops over the next five seasons, having seen his initial loan move made permanent for a fee of around £9m in 2018.

Having assumed the mantle as the club’s leading marksman following the exit of Moussa Dembele, the 24-year-old went on to spearhead Celtic to a plethora of major honours over the next few years, before departing for Crystal Palace on a £14m deal last summer.

His tale showcases that taking a gamble on an inexperienced youth product can more than pay off, with the current Eagles man having scored a hatful of goals and secured the club a tidy profit upon his eventual exit.

Although the more creative Michut is unlikely to have the same goalscoring impact on Postecoglou’s side, he can still impose himself on the club in the way that Edouard had done previously, rising up from something of an unknown and untested quality into a real leading figure.

It could prove yet another transfer masterclass if Celtic can get the midfielder through the door over the next week or so.