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Former Portsmouth midfielder David Norris is hopeful that the club can re-sign Ben Thompson from Millwall.

Thompson spent the first half of the 2018-2019 season on loan at Fratton Park, scoring three goals and adding three assists which saw him become a popular figure with the Pompey faithful, who have been wanting him to return ever since.

However, the midfielder’s excellent performances saw him become a key part of Millwall’s side, although a hamstring injury suffered in December 2019 has stalled Thompson’s momentum at The Den – with starts extremely hard to come by last term.

He started less than half of Millwall’s Championship games last season, and the recent addition of George Saville won’t have helped Thompson’s chances of playing more regularly.

Dan Cowley has already been busy in the transfer window, bringing in six new faces, including Thompson’s former Millwall teammate Shaun Williams, and Norris exclusively told Football FanCast that Thompson can be the next to come through the door at Fratton Park:

“Hopefully, with the other lad coming in, hopefully with the connection.

“On paper, it seems like it could, so hopefully that one would work.”

Tottenham could find themselves battling relegation under Paulo Fonseca in the upcoming Premier League season, warns former player Paul Stewart.

Chairman Daniel Levy has turned to the former AS Roma boss after missing out on a host of other targets, though the club’s manager situation is unlikely to be the only thing that has given him a headache recently.

Harry Kane’s future at Tottenham also remains in doubt, adding to this chaotic period for the north London outfit.

All in all, Stewart is worried about what lies ahead for his former side. He told TT in an exclusive interview:

“They could find themselves maybe even battling relegation if they don’t watch or mind how they go about it because it’s not an easy league. Every week you come up against a team that’s going to give everything.

“Spurs could find themselves in a dog-fight.”

Indeed, the 2020/21 campaign could end up being a very challenging one for Tottenham and their new manager.

However, if Spurs are able to keep hold of Kane, they should be able to avoid a complete catastrophe and at least challenge for something, be it a Champions League place or the League Cup again.

When you have a forward who can create and score goals like the England captain, as Tottenham have shown in recent years, you’re likely to at least be in the conversation.

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Celtic attacking midfielder David Turnbull this summer.

However, according to The Athletic’s Aston Villa correspondent Gregg Evans, Turnbull, ‘is not a target’ for Dean Smith’s side.

The Lowdown: Villa’s reported £7m bid

Reports just last week suggested that Villa were readying a £7m offer for Turnbull this summer.

Villa watched Turnbull in action on a number of occasions during the 2020/21 season, with manager Smith receiving glowing reports on the Scot.

A possible swoop for Turnbull was thought to be due to Ross Barkley’s loan coming to an end, along with Jack Grealish being linked with a Villa Park exit.

However, according to Evans, Turnbull isn’t of interest to Villa over the coming months.

The Latest: Celtic man staying put

Evans shared a story on Villa’s transfer plans on Friday morning, insisting Burnley’s Dwight McNeil and Norwich City’s Emiliano Buendia are targets, with extensive groundwork already laid on possible deals.

However, when it came to Turnbull, Evans said:

“Elsewhere, it’s understood that Celtic midfielder David Turnbull, a player linked to Villa, is not a target.”

The Verdict: A boost for Eddie Howe?

In our opinion, this will come as a huge boost to Eddie Howe. The 43-year-old is thought to be closing in on a move to Parkhead, with an announcement reportedly imminent.

You’d expect he’d want to keep hold of Celtic’s best players, and you can certainly include Turnbull in that category.

He was a shining light in a disappointing season for the Hoops, with his displays earning him the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award.

Turnbull completed 85 key passes in the 2020/21 campaign, 15 more than any other Scottish Premiership player, as per WhoScored.

On that basis, you’d expect Turnbull to be a key man for Howe in an attacking sense, so it’s good to see a move to the Midlands is off the table.

In other news: Alan Nixon provides Howe latest, find out more here. 

Michael Ball believes Harry Kane will only move to Manchester City if he leaves Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

Kane has been heavily linked with a potential move to the Etihad Stadium, having expressed a desire to leave Spurs, per Sky Sports.

The Athletic reports that City are keen on a deal to sign the England captain this summer, but any transfer would be hugely expensive given that Kane has three years left on his contract and has just won the Golden Boot in the Premier League.

Ball believes that only a handful of teams will be able to afford him, and believes that, as a result, City may well be his only option if he is to depart.

Indeed, Sky have reported that the striker wants to remain in the Premier League, with just three clubs interested; Manchester United and Chelsea have also been touted with a possible interest.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Ball said: “It was a bit of a shock but then you could understand Harry’s position.

“He’s a fantastic player, perfectly in his prime, he’s 27, Daniel Levy won’t let him go cheap. There’s not many teams who will be able to afford him, Harry looks like he wants to stay in the Premier League.

“Man City, you feel, is the number one destination for him.”

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing a transfer move for Cristian Romero in the summer window.

The Lowdown: Centre-half needed

Spurs conceded as many as 45 goals in the Premier League in the 2020/21 term, which is a rate of more than a goal a game and more than all four teams who secured Champions League football, so they could do with signing a shiny new centre-back for the new manager to build the team’s spine around.

Toby Alderweireld is also not getting any younger at 32 years of age, and so they should be looking to replace the Belgium international sooner rather than later and perhaps sign a long term partner and leader for Joe Rodon, who is impressing at Euro 2020.

The Latest: Spurs eye Romero

According to  L’Eco Di Bergamo (via Sport Witness), the North London club reportedly have their ‘eyes open’ with regards to potentially signing Romero.

The news outlet also mentions that Fabio Paratici bought him for Juventus, and so clearly rates him very highly.

The Verdict: Good option

Romero would certainly be a good option to bolster the squad for whoever the new manager may be – Serie A expert Conor Clancy explained this month how the defender is ‘phenomenal’ but ‘deceptively dirty’, praising his quality on the ball as well as off it.

At just 23 years of age, the Argentina international certainly has room to grow too, and could perhaps tone down that beastly side – he averaged 2.3 fouls per game in Serie A and picked up ten yellow cards this term – and become more streetwise with more experience.

Having already played at the highest level with Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League last season, and helping qualify for the elite European competition for the next campaign, he is a player who knows how to perform in big games.

Currently rated at £27m by Transfermarkt, signing Romero could turn out to be a shrewd piece of business by the Lilywhites – he scored three goals last season and more importantly was a colossus in front of his own goal, averaging 2.6 tackles and 4.3 interceptions per game.

In other news, find out which ‘outstanding’ talent THFC are interested in here!

Manchester United might well have the opportunity to sign an excellent partner for captain Harry Maguire this summer.

The Red Devils have been linked with a move for Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic, with reports from Calciomercato claiming that they are interested in the defender and could agree a deal worth approximately £26m with the Serie A outfit to bring him to Old Trafford.

Ed Woodward must certainly try and do that as United aim to bolster their defensive options heading into 2021/22.

Milenkovic has certainly harnessed his reputation as one of the most promising defenders in European football in recent seasons.

Rated at £25.2m by Transfermarkt, the 23-year has amassed 118 appearances in Serie A since a 2017 move from Partizan Belgrade. He has played a key role with the Florence club securing two top 10 Serie A finishes in his time at the club.

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Milenkovic has drawn lofty praise for his performances, too, with former Serbia head coach Mladen Krstajic labelling him as “a new Vidic” – a prospect which will certainly be tempting the Red Devils into making a move considering the 39-year-old’s achievements at Old Trafford in the past.

When comparing his statistics to his Manchester United counterparts, the current Fiorentina man comes out overwhelmingly on top.

According to WhoScored, he averages more tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks per game in the league this season than Victor Lindelof. He also exceeds the Sweden defender for aerial duels won per match.

It all makes a convincing argument for Milenkovic to be Harry Maguire’s partner in Manchester. With the Red Devils linked with a move for the Serbian, they must convert that interest into a tangible offer to his current employers and do all they can to bring him to Old Trafford in the near future.

AND in more news, find out why last week’s Liverpool postponement is a disaster for the Red Devils…

Peterborough United Director of Football Barry Fry believes that Graham Potter is a realistic target for Tottenham Hotspur, and has hailed the football he plays at Brighton & Hove Albion in an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern.

Spurs are trying to appoint a new manager following the sacking of Jose Mourinho earlier this season, with Potter one of head of recruitment Steve Hitchen’s top targets, as per The Daily Mail.

Ryan Mason is in charge on an interim basis at this point in time, but is unlikely to get the job on a full-time basis.

Potter has somewhat struggled at Brighton at times this season and they are currently 17th, although they have achieved Premier League safety.

Per UnderStat, however, Brighton should be 7th in the table based on their xG, and Fry believes that Brighton simply don’t have the goalscorer required to climb the table.

However, he has been impressed with the way Brighton play, and thinks that the signing of a clinical striker would see them climb the table.

He told TT: “He arguably plays the best football in the Premier League but unfortunately, for me, they haven’t got a goalscorer.

“So no matter how much football you play, no matter how many chances you create, unless you’ve got someone to stick it in the back of the net, you’re never going to do it.”

Fry believes Daniel Levy will be keen to bring Potter into the club, as Spurs will thrive on the chances Potter usually creates.

He added: “I can understand Daniel Levy going for somebody like that and obviously Spurs will have, no disrespect to Brighton, better players in forward positions to finish those chances that he creates.”

Newcastle could sign their own Virgil van Dijk in Celtic star Kristoffer Ajer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that the Magpies are very much interested in signing the Norway international, but it now appears they are set to face significant transfer competition for him.

According to The Scottish Sun, Norwich are preparing a move for the centre-back, and that they could join Steve Bruce’s side in the race to sign him in the summer.

The report adds that crucially, Ajer favours a switch to the Premier League over Serie A, and that he is ready for a new challenge.

Newcastle’s own Van Dijk

Speaking earlier this season, former Scotland boss Alex McLeish said: “I go back to that St Johnstone game, you see sometimes when it’s not going for Celtic and the game’s in its dying embers, and then all of a sudden you see Ajer striding up the pitch trying to inspire like Roy of the Rovers.

“Running from defence, augment the attack and then it leads to a goal – these are inspirational moments and he is an inspirational, influential player for Celtic. Like Virgil van Dijk, he came to Celtic and we all know what happened next.”

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 5, Ajer has certainly got the physical presence to match Van Dijk, and just like the Dutchman, he also appears to be a real ball-playing centre-back.

Ajer’s teammate and fellow centre-back partner Christopher Jullien hailed him as a “unique talent”, and it’s no surprise given his combination of size and elegance on the ball when he brings it out from the back.

Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon said: “Kris is a fantastic player and has pretty much played every minute for me. He has been outstanding, and we have high hopes for him. Kris wants to improve, he is a regular international now, and you have to remember how young he is. He is athletic, good on the ball, good in the air and is an intelligent boy. Kris has all the strings to his bow, he is a real specimen at 21.”

When you look at the kind of influence and impact Van Dijk has had at Liverpool – his arrival sparked triumphs in both the Premier League and Champions League – a dominant centre-half can be the key to taking a team to the next level.

While Ajer isn’t going to be someone to take Newcastle to winning trophies anytime soon, he could help them become a much more formidable defence and a real leader at the back.

Meanwhile, Newcastle could sign their new Demba Ba in this star…

According to the Evening Standard, Massimiliano Allegri would consider an approach to become Tottenham’s new manager.

The Lowdown: Levy continues manager search

Spurs remain on the lookout for a new manager after Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties last month.

A number of big names have been linked with the role, including Julian Nagelsmann (Archie Rhind-Tutt), Maurizio Sarri (Calciomercato) and Erik Ten Hag (The Guardian). Allegri has also been mentioned as a potential appointment (football.london).

The Latest: Allegri would consider approach

According to this latest report, it would appear that the former Juventus manager would consider a move to north London if an offer were made.

The Verdict: A winner

Tottenham have failed to win a trophy since 2008, and there is a general consensus that they have continually underachieved. If they were to appoint Allegri, they would be bringing in a winner.

The 53-year-old has 15 trophies to his name throughout his career, including 13 major pieces of silverware, and he has also reached the Champions League final on two separate occasions with Juventus.

He remains a free agent after departing Juve in 2019. The Premier League would be a new experience for him, of course – he is yet to manage outside of Italy despite taking charge of more than 500 senior career matches – but he has the experience and the track record to suggest he would be capable of doing a good job at Tottenham if Daniel Levy makes him an offer.

In other news, this Tottenham manager target responds to rumours.

Gabby Agbonlahor has slammed Romain Saiss for his part in the goal that Jesse Lingard scored for West Ham United at Wolves on Monday night.

The man on loan from Manchester United opened the scoring for David Moyes’ team with a mazy run on the night as the Wanderers lost out 3-2 in the end at Molineux.

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor has slammed Saiss for not being able to defend well enough to stop the goal from Lingard, and was extremely critical of the whole defence in general:

“Saiss for the Lingard goal, if that was a defender I was playing with I’d be hammering him at half-time saying ‘You’ve not even made a challenge.’ It’s like he had Timberlands on.

“The defence have got to wake up and sort their defending out.”

Saiss did not cover himself in glory

Saiss in particular did not cover himself in much glory on the night, as he really struggled at times in a defence that shipped three goals on their own home turf before half-time.

The Morocco international lost out on four of his duels in total in the match and also failed to block any shots on his goal, while he also lost possession of the ball on no fewer than 13 separate occasions, the joint-second most out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, it was a night to forget for the 31-year-old, who will need to play better than that to cement his place in the starting eleven under Nuno Espirito Santo.

In other news, find out what Fosun update has been slammed by WWFC fans here!