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Tottenham Hotspur moved seven points clear of fourth as Antonio Conte’s side recorded another victory in the Premier League, this time seeing off Everton in north London on Saturday evening.

It’s now their best start to a season since the 1963/64 campaign and the Italian, as well as the Lilywhites faithful, have Harry Kane – scoring a penalty in his 400th appearance for the club – and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to thank given their second-half goals steered Spurs to a 2-0 win.

In what was a pretty dominant affair, the Denmark enforcer took plenty of plaudits from the press, with football.london and the Evening Standard highlighting his display as a viable ‘Man of the Match’ candidate.

But further back in defence was a particularly glowing performance from Cristian Romero, who was an absolute titan in Tottenham’s quest to seal a clean sheet.

As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old colossus – who has now signed permanently at Hotspur Way – had a better match rating than the ex-Southampton man, with only the goalscoring Kane beating his exploits.

The ruthless Argentinian led Conte’s squad for three key defensive attributes – tackles (two), interceptions (one) and clearances (one), whilst he also won six of his aerial and ground duels, so he clearly was a beacon of strength and aggression on Spurs’ way to the three points.

And as usual, he excelled with the ball at his feet after he registered a total of 65 accurate passes at an accuracy rate of 88%, of which one was a key chance created. Meanwhile, his 87 touches were the second-most of any home player and that merely signals his influence on the game as it was more than every single one of Conte’s midfield options, via SofaScore.

Once lauded as an “animal” by two-time former teammate Pierluigi Gollini, the £42.5m star also caught the attention of journalist Alasdair Gold, who claimed he was ‘dominant in everything he did.’

“It’s a good Tottenham performance this. At the heart of it, Romero has had one of his best and most proactive games in a while,” The Athletic’s Seb Stafford-Bloor also tweeted during the encounter, only adding to the way in which the Argentina international ran the show at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend.

So forget Hojbjerg and Kane, it was Romero’s night on Saturday as he put in an aggressive and encouraging display to help Spurs on their way to another Premier League victory.

AND in other news, Conte could unearth his next Lukaku as Spurs eye Jan swoop for £45m “absolute machine”…

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is searching for his first win since the international break and after a goalless draw in midweek, he’ll be hoping his side can go one better at Brighton and Hove Albion this evening.

The Lilywhites were held by Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League, just a few days after their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League last weekend.

It’s a short turnaround for the Italian and his squad, so rotation could be in order, whilst Emerson Royal is one of a few confirmed absentees after he received a careless red card in the north London derby.

Conte could finally switch to a 3-5-2 formation, as a result of their form and congested schedule.

That would see another midfielder enter the fray, likely to be £30m signing Yves Bissouma. The box-to-box powerhouse – who journalist Aaron Stokes once dubbed an “absolute monster” – joins Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the engine room but does mean that a forward needs to be dropped.

Given his struggles this season, Heung-min Son could be axed to the bench – just as he was against Leicester City – meaning it’s Harry Kane and Richarlison up front.

The 6-2 whitewash over the Foxes also provided a clue as to how Spurs could lineup without Emerson, so Ivan Perisic may switch to the right wing-back role, with Ryan Sessegnon coming in on the left.

Conte should also revert back to his usual three-man defence after Ben Davies returned from injury in midweek. The versatile Wales star is likely to start alongside Eric Dier and Cristian Romero, who are protecting club captain Hugo Lloris between the sticks, in what would be the third and final change from Tuesday.

The likes of Oliver Skipp, Davinson Sanchez and Bryan Gil may have to wait for further minutes and there are continued doubts over the fitness of Dejan Kulusevski, who has missed Tottenham’s last two fixtures.

Predicted Spurs XI (3-5-2): Lloris; Davies, Dier, Romero; Sessegnon, Bentancur, Bissouma, Hojbjerg, Perisic; Richarlison, Kane

AND in other news, Spurs could end creative crisis with 22 y/o “superstar”, he’s 82% cheaper than Maddison…

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on reported Leeds United transfer target Noa Lang.

What’s the talk?

Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel, the Italian journalist confirmed that Victor Orta and his Leeds United transfer team were interested in a deal for the Club Brugge KV forward this summer – having been linked with the 23-year-old for the best part of two years – however, no move ultimately materialised for the Netherlands international.

The transfer insider went on to state his belief that this was a missed opportunity for the Whites, as well as a host of other clubs who failed to submit an official bid for the winger, although, the journalist did go on to claim that Lang will be still available in the coming transfer windows – potentially opening the door for a Leeds move further down the line.

Speaking about the situation of the attacker, Romano said: “Noa Lang, a player I really appreciate, I think he’s really underrated. It’s true that Brugge already sold Charles De Ketelaere to AC Milan, but Noa Lang was available on the market. He will be available in the future transfer windows, so a really important and interesting opportunity.

“He was on the list of Leeds, for example, and also some other clubs around Europe were tracking him, especially in Italy. But now, Noa Lang is still available on the market, so a missed opportunity.”

Orta must avenge missed opportunity

Considering just how exciting a talent Lang has undoubtedly proven himself to be over the past few years, should the Dutchman indeed be available for as little as €25m (£22m) once again in the January transfer window – as Romano suggests – Orta simply must avenge his missed opportunity by launching a move for the 23-year-old when the winter market rolls around.

Indeed, after making a loan move from Ajax to Brugge in the summer of 2020, the £17.1m-rated talent enjoyed a stellar debut campaign over his 29 Jupiler Pro League appearances in 2020/21, scoring 16 goals, registering seven assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.9 shots, making 1.7 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the versatile winger – who can operate from any position across the front three and in both central and attacking midfield – average a quite extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.37, not only ranking him as his club’s third-best performer but also as the joint eighth-best player in the top flight of Belgian football as a whole that season.

Then, after sealing a permanent £5.4m switch to the Jan Breydel Stadium in the summer of 2021, Lang once again shone over his 37 Jupiler Pro League fixtures last season, bagging seven goals, providing 12 assists and creating 19 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.0 shots, making 1.9 key passes and completing 1.7 dribbles per game.

These metrics saw the £20k-per-week sensation yet again average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.20, ranking him as Brugge’s joint fifth-best performer in the division, as well as the joint 20th-best player in the league as a whole last time out.

Furthermore, the five-cap international has also impressed for Brugge on the European stage, scoring one goal and registering two assists over 12 appearances in the Champions League – despite playing for a club who are not typically considered one of European football’s bigger sides.

As such, with Lang quite clearly being a versatile, consistent, creative and deadly attacker, exactly why Orta did not sanction a move for the Dutchman this summer is rather baffling – particularly after missing out on the signing of Charles De Ketelaere to AC Milan.

However, with Romano suggesting that the 23-year-old could well be available in January, Orta will not have to wait long before he can amend this mistake – with a move for the Brugge star appearing an absolute must for the Whites this winter.

Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch could select an unchanged lineup for their trip to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League later this afternoon…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to ever-reliable LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross, who dropped the early team news hint to supporters on Twitter ahead of kick-off. He said:

“If you were ever going to put your house* on an unchanged line-up, this is the weekend to do it. (*Don’t do that).”

In an accompanying article, the Whites reporter named his starting XI as the exactly the same that started in the shock 3-0 win over Chelsea last weekend.

So that’s a 4-2-3-1 of Illan Meslier; Rasmus Kristensen, Diego Llorente, Robin Koch, Pascal Struijk; Tyler Adams, Marc Roca; Daniel James, Brenden Aaronson, Jack Harrison; Rodrigo.

Marsch is surely buzzing

This will surely leave the American head coach absolutely delighted as he may not want to tinker with a side that remains unbeaten from their opening three games, whilst he has no new injury concerns.

And despite Patrick Bamford being an injury doubt, the Yorkshire side registered the best performance of Marsch’s time at the club without him, so it would make sense to run it again and let the England international edge closer to 100% fitness.

Club captain Liam Cooper and summer signing Luis Sinisterra, who both made a midweek appearance in the Carabao Cup, are the only two other names that leave him with plenty to think about but the former isn’t likely to be rushed into action either.

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There’s certainly a case to be made for the Colombian winger to start in the place of James, who was the only member of Leeds’ front four to not get on the scoresheet or assist either.

Either way, the 48-year-old will be buzzing heading into kickoff this afternoon as he has everyone he expected fit and available as he looks to make it four matches unbeaten for the third-place outfit.

AND in other news, Marsch dealt fitness worry ahead of Brighton clash…

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Joao Pedro to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by 90min, who claim that, despite Newcastle United being in advanced talks over a £35m deal for the Watford centre-forward, Victor Orta is keeping a very close eye on the situation of the centre-forward ahead of potentially launching a late move of his own for the 20-year-old in the coming days.

The report goes on to state that Everton have also made contact with the Championship side regarding a deal for the Brazilian, while Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest are also thought to be keen on the striker.

“Special” signing

Considering the sheer amount of potential Joao Pedro undoubtedly possesses, in addition to the fact that the signing of a new centre-forward is known to be Orta’s priority over the remainder of the summer transfer window, it is not difficult to see why the Whites’ director of football would be keen on a deal to bring the Watford starlet to Elland Road in the coming days.

Indeed, following his arrival at Vicarage Road in January 2020, the £12.6m-rated talent made an immediate impact over his 38 Championship appearances in his first full season with the Hornets back in 2020/21, scoring nine goals, registering two assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots, completing 1.6 dribbles and making 0.6 key passes per game.

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These returns saw the 20-year-old average an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as Watford’s joint 13th-best performer in the league that season – with his goals playing a key role in the Hornet’s promotion back to the top flight.

The £30k-per-week forward once again impressed over his 28 Premier League appearances – only 15 of which came as starts – last season, bagging three goals, providing one assist and creating five big chances, in addition to taking an average of 1.7 shots, completing 2.2 dribbles and making 0.7 key passes per fixture.

This level of performance has seen the youngster come in for a great deal of praise, with The Athletic’s Adam Leventhal dubbing the attacker a “prodigious talent,” Keith Andrews labelling the Brazilian “special” and Claudio Ranieri stating his belief that Joao Pedro is “one of the best young players in the Premier League”.

In comments cited by the Evening Standard earlier this year, Ranieri said: “Look, for me, Joao Pedro is a crack. He is young and he has to improve a lot. But he is also one of the best young players in the Premier League, for me.

“For me, Joao is a very good player but we have to leave him to improve slowly, slowly, without putting pressure on him. He has to improve a lot, he has very good skills, but slowly, slowly please.”

As such, when taking into account his impressive returns, his abundance of potential and his apparent availability in the market, should Orta manage to steal the forward away from Newcastle’s clutches prior to September’s transfer deadline, the Spaniard would undoubtedly have landed Leeds an exceptionally special talent.

Nottingham Forest have agreed a £9m transfer fee for Real Betis wing-back Alex Moreno, according to reliable journalist John Percy.

The Lowdown: Moreno interest

Last month, Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo reported that Steve Cooper’s side were interested in bringing the 29-year-old to the City Ground this summer.

It was understood that the La Liga outfit were holding out for a £17m fee to relinquish the Spaniard’s services. At that time, it was said that Forest had opened talks over a move, but the negotiations were only in the early stages.

The Latest: Percy’s claim

Percy has shared an update on Forest’s pursuit of Moreno, claiming that the Premier League club have now agreed a fee for the player.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist proclaimed: “#NFFC have agreed a fee of around £9m with Real Betis for left-back/left-winger Alex Moreno. Medical in next few days, set to be 13th summer signing. Forest working on other new additions before window closes”.

The Verdict: Could be a fine coup

Looking at his underlying statistics, Moreno’s prospective arrival at the City Ground would provide Cooper with a versatile player who could be utilised further up the field or even as a full-back.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the 29-year-old ranks in the 95th percentile for non-penalty goals, the 89th percentile for non-penalty expected goals and the 88th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area and also for blocks.

Dubbed ‘quality’ by journalist Ethan Lamb, Moreno would add depth to Cooper’s already much-strengthened squad.

Statistically comparable with the likes of Premier League players Emerson Royal and former Reds ace Matty Cash, this could be a very good signing for Forest if they can get it done.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has shed some light on Arsenal’s ongoing pursuit of Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans this summer. 

The lowdown: Arsenal’s interest in Tielemans

The Gunners have been extensively linked with the 25-year-old throughout the summer transfer window as Mikel Arteta and Edu attempt to strengthen the squad at the Emirates Stadium.

However, the north Londoners face familiar competition for Tielemans as Football Insider claimed that Manchester United are prepared to battle it out for the Belgium international, having already snatched Lisandro Martinez from the Gunners’ apparent grasp.

Despite the apparent strong interest in Tielemans from Arsenal, there has been no concrete movement on a deal, and one well-informed onlooker has now had his say on the current state of play…

The latest: ‘Top target’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed that the Gunners remain keen on the 52-cap Belgian and believes that a deal could yet materialise ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He said: “I think Arteta would like to bring in another midfielder and Tielemans has been the top target throughout the summer, but they’re gonna have to see what they can do in the transfer market because Leicester will be looking for top dollar for him.

“They’re not going to be willing to sell them on the cheap, but Leicester also need to sell players this summer as well to raise funds themselves. So there could be an interesting few weeks to see what happens in this potential deal.”

The verdict: Here’s hoping

Although the transfer business carried out so far can only be commended as Arsenal have certainly bolstered their ranks, particularly in an attacking sense with the capture of Gabriel Jesus, there remains further room for improvement in the squad.

As things stand, Arteta can only call upon Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny in a senior capacity, along with a relatively unproven Albert Sambi Lokonga and new arrival Fabio Vieira, to carry out conventional central midfield duties. That leaves space for at least one more proven Premier League operator in the engine room.

Once dubbed a ‘sublime’ player by sports journalist Josh Bunting and sharing similar traits to the likes of Rodrigo De Paul, Joshua Kimmich and Arsenal target Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (FBRef), the cultured Tielemans would bring an abundance of elite-level experience and unerring passing ability to the north Londoners.

Furthermore, the £49.5m-valued Belgian is into the final 12 months of his deal at the King Power Stadium and could be available for much less than his true worth in the market, making any attempted swoop from Edu a welcome one.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring David Raum to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent report by The Times, who claim that, despite the reported interest of both Bayern Munich and Manchester City, Rob Newman has now entered into negotiations with TSG Hoffenheim regarding a move for the 24-year-old left-back.

The report goes on to state that, with David Moyes hoping to sign a long-term successor to Aaron Cresswell ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, the Hammers’ head of recruitment has identified the Germany international as his number one target in the position – with the Bundesliga side believed to be demanding a figure in the region of £33m in order to part with the defender this summer.

“Outstanding”

Considering just how impressive Raum was in Germany last season, the argument that the left-back would be an unbelievable signing for Newman to get over the line this summer is a rather easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 32 Bundesliga appearances in 2021/22, the £26m-rated talent was in breathtaking form for Die Kraichgauer, scoring three goals, providing 13 assists and creating 19 big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 2.7 key passes, taking 0.8 shots and completing one dribble per game.

The £6.4k-per-week full-back also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping his side keep four clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.6 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 1.1 clearances and winning 4.5 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Alexander Rosen dubbed “outstanding” and Jacek Kulig claimed top clubs “should be all over” this summer average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.29, not only ranking him as Andre Breitenreiter’s best performer in the league but also as the 12th-best player in German top flight as a whole.

As such, it is not difficult to see why Kulig believes that Europe’s elite clubs should be making a move for the nine-cap international ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, nor it is hard to see why Raum would make an excellent addition to Moyes’ defensive options next season, as the former Greuther Furth star is undoubtedly one of the most exciting left-backs currently playing the game.

AND in other news: “I have been told..”: ExWHUemployee drops big WHU transfer update supporters will love

Liverpool transfer target Calvin Ramsay is ‘keen’ on joining the Reds and a deal could be completed soon, according to reliable journalist Dominic King.

The Lowdown: Ramsay heading to England

The 18-year-old’s future has been a big talking point in recent weeks, with the Aberdeen youngster expected to leave his current club this summer.

Liverpool and Leeds United have been the undoubted front-runners to acquire Ramsay’s services, as the right-back makes the move south of the border.

It looks as though the Reds are the favourites to get their man, and a new update enhances that view.

The Latest: King drops Ramsay transfer update

Taking to Twitter late on Monday night, King claimed that a move could even be completed this week, with Ramsay wanting to join Liverpool. The journalist revealed:

“A little update on Liverpool and their pursuit of Calvin Ramsay. It’s still very much the intention to sign him from Aberdeen, he is keen on making the move and a fee of £4million should get things done. Could be movement before the end of the week.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

The Verdict: Ideal Trent deputy

This looks like it could be a hugely exciting piece of business, considering that Ramsay is already making waves in Scotland at just 18, being described as ‘elite’ by Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack and ‘brilliant’ by Paul Robinson.

The defender already has nine assists in 39 appearances for the Dons and he could become an even greater attacking force working alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold as the 23-year-old’s deputy.

Ramsay would come in as a squad player for Liverpool, potentially replacing Neco Williams, and will hopefully mature into something special in the years to come, possibly even rivalling Alexander-Arnold for a starting berth eventually.

In other news, Liverpool have given up on signing one player. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips has made it clear that he wants to stay at the club, according to senior Sky Sports reporter Tim Thornton.

The Lowdown: Man City linked with Phillips

The 26-year-old helped the Whites to remain in the Premier League on the final day of the season with a 2-1 win at Brentford. The boyhood Leeds fan would have more than likely left if the club were relegated but he has still been heavily linked with an Elland Road exit.

Manchester City reportedly have Phillips at the top of their list to replace Fernandinho and believe that the England international possesses the perfect profile to fit in at the Etihad Stadium.

The Latest: Positive update on Phillips

Sky Sports reporter Thornton shared a Leeds transfer update on Monday evening. He said that the biggest question of the summer will be if the club can keep hold of Phillips and Raphinha, stating that the former of the two has ‘made it clear he wants to stay’ at Elland Road – something you’d expect that Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta are aware of.

Phil Hay has also provided a promising update on Phillips, stating that the club are ‘quietly hopeful’ that the midfielder may sign a new deal and remain in Yorkshire for a further 12 months.

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The Verdict: Would be huge

Jesse Marsch is already very short of midfield options, so keeping hold of Phillips would be a major boost.

He has been pivotal for the Whites ever since Marcelo Bielsa took charge in 2018, going from strength to strength as he also picked up England’s 2020/21 Player of the Year award.

You’d expect that Marsch would be desperate for Phillips to stay at Leeds over the coming months and form one half of a two-man midfield in a potential 4-2-2-2 or 4-4-2 system. The early signs are quite positive and hopefully we’ll hear more on a long-awaited new deal soon.

In other news – £34m release clause: Leeds now interested in move for ‘special talent’ who Marsch loves