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According to The Telegraph (via The Express), Graham Potter turned down the chance to manage Tottenham Hotspur as he did not want to work with Daniel Levy.

The Lowdown: Potter flying

Potter was linked with the Tottenham job before Spurs finally settled on appointing Nuno Espirito Santo.

It seems the Brighton manager did well to stay with the Seagulls, though – the south-coast side have won six of their opening eight games in all competitions (75 per cent), with their only defeat coming against Everton (Sky Sports).

The Latest: Potter snubbed role

As per this latest report, Spurs did indeed approach Potter about making the move to north London.

However, the former Swansea manager did not want to make the switch as he did not want to tarnish his budding reputation by working for Levy.

The Verdict: Damaging for Levy

Tottenham’s search for a new permanent boss after the sacking of Jose Mourinho was a farce. They went through a whole host of candidates, including Antonio Conte (The Guardian), Gennaro Gattuso (ESPN) and Paulo Fonseca (The Mirror), before finally deciding to choose Espirito Santo – mainly, it seems, because he was out of work and obtainable.

Potter’s Brighton have enjoyed a fantastic start to the new term and look to only be getting better. It is early days, of course, but they are four points ahead of Spurs at the moment in the Premier League table.

This report is damning news for Daniel Levy, whose reputation is taking a battering at the moment, and one has to wonder where the future lies for the club if an up and coming manager would rather – with all due respect to the Seagulls – stay put than join a club who were in the Champions League final just a few short years ago.

In other news, Gary Neville takes aim at these two Tottenham players.

An update has emerged regarding Liverpool’s interest in Sampdoria winger Mikkel Damsgaard.

What’s the talk?

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Reds have made an initial enquiry over a deal to sign the 21-year-old from the Serie A outfit ahead of tonight’s transfer deadline.

The report claims that Jurgen Klopp’s side could come in with an offer for the Denmark international, but the Genoa-based club want to keep him.

Parting gift

Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards is reportedly due to leave the club at the end of the season and he must ensure that he seals a deal for Damsgaard as his parting gift to Klopp.

Edwards has been the architect of the Reds’ excellent transfer business in recent years, with the likes of Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah coming in under his stewardship, and Damsgaard could be his final masterstroke.

He would still have the January transfer window to complete deals before leaving in the summer of 2022, but if he can bring the Danish starlet to Anfield on deadline day, that could alleviate the need for any business in the winter and make this his final move. The mastermind must now reach an agreement with Sampdoria to tempt them into changing their minds.

Xherdan Shaqiri left the club earlier this month and Edwards could replace him by landing the Sampdoria winger in the final few hours of the window. The 21-year-old Dane has caught the eye for his country this year, with four goals and three assists in his last six starts for Denmark.

Earlier this year, Danish football expert Martin Mikkelsen hailed Damsgaard as being ‘magical’ and outlined some of the forward’s best assets.

He told TV2 Sport: “It’s the season’s assist. Isn’t that where we are? He’s magical – what a speed! It is fantastic improvisation, and he just finds Balde in the field, as they both know what is going to happen.

“It is a free space he has, as he is not so locked. He is dynamic and can go both ways. He is creative but also so mature in his decisions. Was it something we dreamed of? It’s awesome.”

In five European Championship appearances, Damsgaard scored two goals and set up one goal for his teammates as he averaged an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.28. This shows that he has the quality to step up and perform on one of the biggest stages, which suggests that he could have the potential to join Liverpool and be a success.

At the age of 21, he also has plenty of time left to develop as a player. He could improve under Klopp’s coaching and be a project on whom the German can work over the course of a number of years.

This is why he could be the perfect parting gift from Edwards to the manager, as he would be leaving Klopp with a promising player with the scope to go on and achieve great things.

In other news: Liverpool must secure 2022 agreement for “special” £36m-rated gem, fans would love him

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has blasted an ‘under the radar’ summer transfer gaffe at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Paratici era underway…

Since the club announced his appointment in mid-June, a lot of eyes have been directed at new transfer chief Fabio Paratici as chairman Daniel Levy takes a back seat from transfers.

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Over his first summer window, the Italian oversaw a plethora of incomings and outgoings at N7 but only time will tell whether his deals will come to fruition.

One area he didn’t gain much luck in was signing a back up striker to superstar Harry Kane, with former England international Robinson now dropping a claim.

The Latest: Robinson blasts ‘under the radar’ transfer gaffe…

Speaking to Football Insider, the ex-Tottenham man has blasted Spurs for their failure to land another forward in the summer.

Robinson also believes the transfer gaffe has gone ‘under the radar’ and lots of people ‘have missed’ this blunder.

“It’s gone under the radar [the failure to sign a striker],” he explained.

“A lot of people have missed the fact that Spurs have not signed another striker.

“Vinicius has gone back because he was only on loan last season. To let Vinicius go without replacing him could be an oversight by Spurs.

“All of the talk in the last window was about – what if Harry Kane gets injured? When he was injured last season they struggled and they did not score goals.

“Yes, Son and Bergwijn can play there but they are not out-and-out number nines like Kane.

“People have forgotten about that because of all of the hype surrounding the potential Kane transfer and other deals. There is no direct cover in that area.”

The Verdict: Bang on the money…

Even though Paratici finally signed Spurs a star centre-half, brought in a couple of future stars, a goalkeeping alternative and very exciting right-back (Transfermarkt), we believe the failure to land an out-and-out centre-forward could indeed come back to haunt them.

Nuno is just one or two injuries, specifically to Kane or Son Heung-min, away from a real first team crisis with the only other natural option being teenager Dane Scarlett.

The last thing Spurs will want is to rely on the dazzling but inexperienced youngster and Paratici may have missed a trick in his failure to land a striker.

In other news: ‘Finished article’…Sky pundit in awe of Spurs starlet who’s an ‘improved version’ of Ndombele, find out more here.

Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly eyeing a move for Portsmouth forward Ellis Harrison, according to The News.

What’s the story?

Wednesday are playing their football in the third-tier of English football after being relegated from the Championship last term.

The Owls have recently been dealt a frustrating injury blow too, with news emerging that Josh Windass will be ruled out of action for the next two months.

Therefore, this means that it’s likely that Darren Moore will delve into the transfer market to find a suitable replacement for Windass, who netted ten goals in 44 appearances for Wednesday last term.

Harrison is one of the players he’s reportedly targeting, with the Pompey forward struggling for consistent minutes with the League One club in recent seasons.

‘Great character’

Harrison has been with Portsmouth since 2019 and has scored 16 goals in 70 appearances for the club, having previously been on the books with Ipswich Town and Bristol Rovers.

The 27-year-old made 31 appearances in all competitions for Pompey last term, and scored six goals in that season, although his efforts weren’t enough to see them force themselves into the top-six, much to the frustration of the Fratton Park faithful.

A Windass replacement is certainly needed for Wednesday and Harrison could be the ideal player to fill that void.

The forward will feel as though he has a point to prove at this level, especially when he’s not been a regular in the Portsmouth starting XI in the last year. Harrison wasn’t involved in the matchday squad for Danny Cowley’s side on Saturday, and with a number of younger players being named amongst the substitutes instead, that could drop a sizeable hint that the forward is heading for the exit door sooner rather than later this summer.

This could turn out to be a shrewd investment by Wednesday, as they look to find a striker to fire them back into the Championship, with Harrison showing that he can score goals at this level, having netted ten goals in 39 appearances during the 2019/20 season for Pompey.

Speaking in an interview with The News earlier this year, Cowley labelled Harrison as a ‘great character and great personality’ as he returned from an injury lay-off.

“Ellis has great character and great personality, he brings a real energy to the group off the pitch. We’ve certainly missed him.”

Sheffield Wednesday are set to return to action next Saturday when they take on Doncaster Rovers, and it’ll be interesting to see whether they can get a deal for Harrison over the line between now and that clash at Hillsborough next weekend.

And in other news, this forward let Moore down with a shocker as Sheffield Wednesday slip up…

Queens Park Rangers have been handed a big injury boost ahead of their Championship fixture on Wednesday night.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by West London Sport, Mark Warburton revealed that he is “very optimistic” that Charlie Austin will be fit enough to play a part in QPR’s trip to Middlesbrough on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old has not featured for the Rs since his withdrawal midway through the second half of the club’s 1-1 draw with Millwall on the opening day of the Championship season, having taken a heavy knock to his knee.

However, it very much appears as if the centre-forward could well be back in action at the Riverside Stadium, with Warburton stating: “Charlie will be training [on Monday] and we’ll see how he goes.

“It was a whack on the knee, some bruising and it had to calm down. We’ll see how he is, but I’m very optimistic.”

Fans will be buzzing

While QPR demonstrated in their 3-0 win over Hull City last weekend that they do not have much of a problem finding the back of the net in the absence of Austin, the striker’s prospective return to first team action this week will nevertheless have the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the £1.8m-rated man was in fantastic form over his 21 Championship appearances while on loan in west London last season, bagging eight goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 2.3 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £52k-per-week forward earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as Warburton’s eighth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, the return of the former Southampton hitman will undoubtedly provide the QPR manager’s chances of continuing his side’s impressive early-season form with a rather substantial boost, with the Rs boss – along with the club’s fans – undoubtedly hoping that Austin can bag a goal or two upon his potential return to action on Wednesday.

In other news: Warburton drops claim on “outstanding” £4k-p/w beast that will have QPR fans buzzing

West Ham could make a desperate push for West Brom’s Matheus Pereira, 25, if they lose Jarrod Bowen this summer, claims Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Hammers have reportedly already spoken to Pereira’s people about a move and Hatfield expects things to possibly intensify should Bowen indeed leave this transfer window.

Bowen is thought to be on Liverpool’s shortlist, with The Athletic recently claiming that Reds boss Jurgen Klopp rates him very highly.

He scored eight goals and provided five assists in the Premier League for West Ham last season, so David Moyes would surely want a replacement for him if he was to leave. For Hatfield, that replacement could be Pereira.

Speaking to FFC about the two players, the West Brom journalist said:

“There’s reports of Jesse Lingard, who’s not going to go there by the sounds of it, and some reports of an interest in a player like Jarrod Bowen. If he was to leave as well, then you’d think West Ham would be really desperate for a player like Pereira.”

Considering his performances in the previous campaign and the fact that Lingard has returned to Manchester United, Moyes will not want to lose Bowen.

Pereira, who recently managed to score 11 goals in English football’s top flight, however, does not look like he would be a bad replacement.

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira is reportedly interested in bringing OGC Nice defender Youcef Atal to South East London [Foot Afrique].

In 2020/21, the Algerian right-back impressed for his current employers, registering three goal contributions in 22 appearances in all competitions; one goal and two assists [Transfermarkt].

Now, he could be set to have a decision to make on his future owing to recent reports.

Atal is said to be the one of Vieira’s main priority targets as Palace manager, and he could potentially make his move for the 25-year-old in the near future [Foot Afrique].

The former Arsenal captain signed the Nice man back in 2018 when he was manager of the Ligue 1 outfit.

Now on his radar once again, no wonder loads of Crystal Palace fans took to Twitter to share their opinions on the news.

Crystal Palace FC fans react:

Replying to popular Crystal Palace fan outlet PALACE XTRA, here is what some Eagles fans had to say about recent events:

“What a signing he would be. Very versatile”

Credit: @Tyler34036371″Yes please”Credit: @TheEagleDC”We can dream..”Credit: @WilfzSZN”On my knees for this”Credit: @FiachraFurlong”Class but afcon”Credit: @saucysakho12″OMG”Credit: @CPFCH10In other news, Crystal Palace fans react to a coaching update.

David Norris has labelled the arrival of Junior Firpo as a statement signing by Leeds United.

The Dominican Republic-born left-back, who has been capped at under-21 level by Spain, has joined the Yorkshire club from Spanish giants Barcelona.

Firpo has penned a four-year deal after completing a move worth £13million.

The 24-year-old made 18 appearances for Barcelona last season, including six in the UEFA Champions League.

Firpo has made the move to Elland Road just a matter of days after North Macedonia left-back Ezgjan Alioski’s departure was confirmed following the expiry of his contract.

Leeds had to fight off stiff competition to secure Firpo’s services, with Premier League rivals Southampton among those also earmarking the full-back as a potential arrival.

But Firpo insisted the influence of Victor Orta played a key role in deciding his future lies at Elland Road.

Former Leeds midfielder Norris insists the arrival of Firpo should not be underestimated.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “I think it’s a big statement of intent. It always is when you can beat other clubs to signings.

“I think he has caught the eye of quite a lot of clubs over the last few months, so it makes Leeds look really good.”

Carlton Palmer has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Troy Parrott is a name that Darren Moore should be considering at Sheffield Wednesday.

The 19-year-old was given his first taste of regular first-team action last season when he spent the campaign on loan at Millwall and then Ipswich.

However, it proved a tough learning curve for the Republic of Ireland striker, who scored just twice in 32 appearances across those respective spells.

Since the end of those stints, Parrott has proved himself on the international stage, though netting his first senior goals for Ireland in a friendly victory over Andorra.

Parrott is currently back at Tottenham and featured in their pre-season game with Leyton Orient last weekend but is set to spend another season out on loan in the EFL.

Wednesday have made three summer additions but are yet to bolster their strike force despite losing several attacking players, including Jordan Rhodes, at the end of last season.

When asked whether the Owls should consider taking the Spurs youngster for the campaign, Palmer told The Transfer Tavern:

“Of course, it’s a name worth considering. These guys that are at Premier League clubs need to go out and play and learn their trade.

“If you can get him out on loan and get him playing, then the lad’s going to get better.”

Tottenham Hotspur could be closing in on their first signing of the summer, if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Italia’s live transfer centre (as relayed by Sport Witness), the Premier League outfit have ‘tightened their grip’ on Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.

It’s claimed that Spurs have submitted a bid of €15m (£12.8m) plus €3m (£2.5m) in add-ons and that has seen them leapfrog Serie A rivals Atalanta in the bid to secure his signature.

They also suggest that the North Londoners plan to finalise the move ‘in the next few days’ with both clubs only a few million apart in their valuations of the Japan international.

Defensive fix

Tomiyasu excelled for Bologna last season, earning a 6.77 average rating by WhoScored, which saw him rank as their third-best player. Interestingly, he did so by playing a multitude of positions and that’s what makes him a hugely attractive prospect for Spurs.

The 22-year-old gem is capable of operating in the heart of defence as well as at right-back and across both positions, he averaged 2.9 aerial battles won, 1.7 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and an 82.1% passing accuracy, as per WhoScored.

Standing at 6 foot 2, the £18m-rated dynamo could draw some similarities to Jan Vertonghen during his early career at Spurs as he was able to play on the left and through the middle.

The Bologna star is evidently an intelligent player who also has decent passing ability on top of impressive physical qualities.

It’s no wonder his current teammate at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Mitchell Dijks, dubbed him “very strong” and a “true Japanese warrior” at a press conference, via Tuttosport.

Spurs desperately need to find a fix at the back as it was their main downfall throughout the 2020/21 campaign. A combination of defensive mistakes and a serious lack of cohesion led to them having one of the worst defences in the top eight.

Their pairing of Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier was deemed “one of the worst partnerships in the Premier League” by former midfielder Jamie O’Hara, whilst right-back Serge Aurier has been dubbed “one of the biggest liabilities in Premier League football” by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.

Evidently, it’s not just in the middle where Spurs have suffered.

Aurier has regularly been blasted as a calamity throughout his career in N17, whilst Matt Doherty’s form since joining from Wolves has been way below par – even to the extent of him being potentially sold if Jose Mourinho was still in charge.

Given that Tomiyasu can play anywhere along the defence, he could be the solution to two of Tottenham’s biggest defensive problems right now.

If Fabio Paratici wants to help Nuno Santo’s cause, then a move for the Japanese sensation could be a very smart decision this summer. For around £15m all in, that seems like an absolute bargain, considering his qualities.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Winks: Levy could land Spurs’ next Dembele in “extraordinary” £36m-rated beast…