Category Uncategorized

BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton has praised some Tottenham Hotspur exit news involving young midfielder Alfie Devine.

The Lowdown: Devine ‘in talks’ to agree January move…

Over the last week, it has been claimed that the Englishman is already discussing a loan move away from Spurs mid-season in search of regular first-team football.

Devine has been starring for Tottenham’s under-21s this season, especially in the UEFA Youth League, in which he has bagged three goals in just four appearances.

However, the 18-year-old arguably needs more senior minutes if he is to develop his game further and eventually become an asset at Spurs, for whom he has made just one first-team appearance.

Football Insider recently shared a development on this front, with Devine now ‘in talks’ with multiple clubs over sealing a temporary January exit.

The Latest: Hutton thrilled…

Speaking to the same outlet, former Spurs right-back Hutton has been left thrilled by this news.

The ex-Scotland international claims that this is a good move on Devine’s part and explains that a mid-season loan move could be exactly what the youngster needs in order to further his development.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-3/” title=”Tottenham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Speaking to Football Insider, when asked if this is good news, Hutton explained: “Definitely. As long as it is the right kind of Championship club. If we are talking top half that are going to compete to try and get in the Premier League and play good football, then yes it is a good move.

“Over the last season he has come in to the first team under previous managers. I think it is a good opportunity for him to go out and get game time at a level that is going to help him improve for the future.”

The Verdict: Right move…

The England under-19 international has already been described as ‘top class’ by Liverpool legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, and we believe that a spell in the Championship could be long overdue for him.

Indeed, now could be the time for Devine to hone his skills in a rigorous and competitive division, rather than being a big fish in a small pond in underage football.

Nottingham Forest spent over £150m on transfers in the summer, making 23 new signings in total, and all eyes are currently on the club’s next moves in the January window.

Despite their numerous signings, the Tricky Trees have suffered a struggle for good form in the Premier League and are currently rock bottom in the league table after picking up just nine points from a possible 36 so far.

With just three league games left until the World Cup begins, Steve Cooper will be hoping that his team can pick up some vital points in the meantime and there is no doubt that the Welshman will spend the five-week break searching for solutions to save Forest’s season.

The club will be given a lifeline in January when the transfer market reopens as they will be able to right some of the wrongs in the summer, but it will be their only chance to do so before the end of the season – so making sure the recruitment is perfect is essential.

Evangelos Marinakis has appointed a new head scout and head of recruitment after sacking their predecessors due to a review of the summer transfer window, and it has been reported the owner is willing to spend up to £100m to retain the club’s Premier League status.

One player who could become available in the new year is former Nottingham Forest full-back Djed Spence – who Forest attempted to sign in the summer –  as he is struggling for game-time after joining Tottenham Hotspur in the summer – and it has been suggested that he could be sent out on loan this winter.

Spence was part of the play-off promotion team that took the Garibaldi from the relegation zone in the Championship to play-off winners at Wembley, and although Forest have replaced the talented right-back, a loan deal wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.

Indeed, Neco Williams and Serge Aurier are occupying the spot on the right flank but it would be hard to ignore Spence’s experience of working under Cooper and his ability to thrive whilst following the manager’s football philosophy.

Over 42 Championship appearances last season, the £20m talent – who was hailed the “real deal” by Trevor Sinclair – scored two goals, registered four assists and created six big chances, as well as making an average of one key pass, 1.4 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game – proving that he is both a reliable defender and an attacking threat.

With that being said, it seems unlikely that Forest would make a move for Spence now but if he can be a short-term solution that saves the side from relegation next summer, it could be a great and inexpensive piece of business.

West Brom are still in the process of appointing a new manager following the sacking of Steve Bruce and Sean Dyche is one man to be linked with the vacant post at the Hawthorns.

The 51-year-old is yet to take a new job in management following his sacking by Burnley last season, having spent nearly ten years with the Clarets.

Reports suggest that Dyche could be one of the favourites to take over at the Baggies as they look to push themselves up the Championship table, with only two wins to their name thus far.

If West Brom still harbour any hopes of promotion this season, then they need to fix an ailing defence which has leaked 18 goals so far this term, with just three clean sheets in that time.

If anyone knows how to organise a defence it is Dyche, as he played as a no-nonsense centre-back during his playing career and set Burnley up with similarly efficient defenders during his spell at Turf Moor.

When Dyche led Burnley to the Europa League in 2018, his side conceded just 39 times across the Premier League season, with clean sheets a speciality for the Clarets, especially at home.

While the 51-year-old became best known for keeping Burnley in the Premier League against the odds, he was also the man to lead them there, as the Lancashire side won the Championship title in 2016.

That title-winning campaign saw Burnley concede just 35 goals across the entire season, which again emphasises that Dyche knows how to set a team up and win games, something the Baggies have failed to do on far too many occasions in 2022/23, with eight draws so far.

When Dyche was sacked by Burnley, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was full of praise for the job he did at Turf Moor, saying:

“I only have words of praise because what he’s done at the club over the last 10 years is phenomenal. He gave the club a really clear identity, he’s managed to keep the team, with one of the smallest budgets, consistently in the league.”

Dyche certainly knows how to get the best out of his squad and has proven himself in both the Premier League and the Championship, so there is little to suggest that he wouldn’t be a success at West Brom, especially if he can solve the Baggies’ defensive issues.

Crystal Palace youngster David Obou is set to sign a three-year professional contract at Selhurst Park when he turns 17 in November, The Guardian report.

The Lowdown: Obou profiled

Obou joined Palace’s academy back in January 2021 and has seemingly gone from strength to strength with the club.

The 16-year-old has made eight appearances in the U18s Premier League in midfield and on the left-hand side, as per Transfermarkt, scoring once.

He also netted a ‘brilliant’ goal against Manchester City in the U18s PL Cup last year, and it looks as if Obou will now take a big step in his bid to become a Premier League player.

The Latest: Professional Palace deal

The Guardian shared a story on Tuesday looking at 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs.

Obou was Palace’s inclusion in the story, with Ed Aarons claiming that the creative teenager is set to sign a three-year pro deal with the Eagles following interest from Bayern Munich and PSV Eindhoven in the summer.

The Verdict: Good news

Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman appear to have found a real gem in Obou, so it is good to see that the club are being proactive when it comes to offering the player senior terms.

Obou may well have been tempted by the reported interest from Bayern and PSV, especially as a number of English youngsters have gone abroad and successfully developed into first-team players.

Noni Madueke, previously on the books at Palace, is a prime example and is now considered a PSV star, so it is exciting to know that Obou will seemingly remain at the club for the next three years.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has admitted that the Premiership champions may sign one more player before the transfer window closes on Thursday.

The Lowdown: Celtic’s transfer window so far

The Hoops have been busy in the transfer market this summer, having welcomed seven permanent additions to Celtic Park after spending £20.4m. In addition, the Glasgow giants have added Moritz Jenz on loan players to Postecoglou’s squad.

Going the other way, Celtic have allowed seven players to leave Parkhead for good this summer, along with sanctioning a number of loan exits.

The Latest: Postecoglou teases possibility of signing

In a recent press conference, Postecoglou has admitted that there could be a few departures from the club this week. However, he went on to add that this could mean the Hoops may secure another addition before the transfer deadline on Thursday night.

As quoted by Football Scotland, the Celtic manager claimed: “I’d be very surprised if anyone wants to leave this place at the moment. We’ll see how the next few days go. There’s the possibility of a couple of outgoings.

“And that could give us the opportunity to bring another one in. But there’s nothing fixed. If the right opportunity came along, we might add one more.

“If we don’t – I’m happy with the business we’ve done. It was great to get Sead finally done. I’m pleased to get a player who will fit in well with us. He’s only 23 but already has great experience with clubs and at international level. He’ll be a great asset for us.”

The Verdict: Could still be deals done

As mentioned by Postecoglou, the Premiership champions secured a great coup when they signed Haksabanovic from Rubin Kazan last week.

The 23-year-old winger has already made 28 appearances for the Montenegro national team, having previously represented Sweden at youth level, and he boasts 78 goal contributions during his senior club career.

With the Montenegrin having already played for the likes of West Ham United and Malaga, Postecoglou will be hoping to bring in another player of the same calibre who could prove to be an important addition for the Hoops this season.

Therefore, even with just a few days remaining in the transfer window, we may still see multiple incomings and outgoings at Parkhead before Thursday night’s deadline. Either way, it’s refreshing to hear that the Celtic boss is content with the business done so far, while not ruling out the possibility of further additions in the coming days ahead of their Champions League group stage return.

Glasgow Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara is reportedly being eyed up for a transfer away from Ibrox, according to 90min. 

The lowdown: Kamara omitted

The 26-year-old has been the subject of interest from numerous clubs this summer, and despite remaining a key part of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s plans, a move away could still be on the cards.

The Finland international had previously been courted by Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa during this summer’s transfer window, but it now appears that a suitor from mainland Europe is in town.

Having been left out of Rangers’ matchday squad for the 2-2 draw against Hibernian on Saturday, it has emerged that there is strong interest from France in acquiring Kamara’s services…

The latest: Nice ‘lining up’ Kamara bid

As per 90min, Ligue 1 club Nice are believed to be ‘lining up a bid’ to sign the 46-cap midfielder.

It’s claimed that Kamara was left out by Van Bronckhorst ‘because of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his future’ amidst the latest transfer interest.

The report also cites ‘two bids’ from Galatasaray earlier in the summer but makes no mention of the details of the potentially incoming offer from France for the man who was dubbed ‘fantastic’ by former Ibrox manager Steven Gerrard.

The verdict: No deal

Having already allowed Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey to leave this summer, the Gers cannot afford to lose another key component of their squad in such a short period of time.

One way that this exit could become more palatable is if the heavily linked Darius Olaru were to arrive at Ibrox and bolster the Rangers ranks in pursuit of the Premiership title.

Last season, Kamara scored four times and provided five assists in a mammoth 52 appearances across all competitions, highlighting his importance to the team. Only four outfield players were given more Premiership minutes for Rangers in 2021/22, which shows how much of a stalwart the Finn has been in Glasgow.

Valued at £6.75m and under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), the Rangers hierarchy are in a position of strength when it comes to deciding the future of their midfielder, but should his departure become inevitable, the priority will be to get the highest possible fee for such a crucial asset.

Nottingham Forest are reportedly not set to make a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, despite their recent links with the player.

What’s the word?

As per journalist Matt Davies in a Q&A for Nottinghamshire Post, a deal to sign the 22-year-old now appears unlikely, with the Englishman’s reported £30m asking price seemingly set to prove too high for the Reds.

Asked whether the playmaker will make the move to the City Ground this summer, the Forest correspondent stated: “I’m not sure he will now. Ask me a week ago and I was very confident but the injury to Raul Jimenez is a real problem. Speaking to people over the summer, MGW would be happy to come to Forest, but Wolves want a huge price to fund other moves.

“They really need a striker now, but Bruno Lage is a big fan of MGW. Will Wolves sell another attacking option when their main striker is out early on. Not sure? Jimenez says he’ll only miss a couple of games, but it’s also been reported he’ll miss 8.

“Forest might have to wait till late in the window and then test Wolves with a bid. Every player has a price, but also a price limit and £30m is a lot! Not sure you can go that high.”

Previous reports have suggested that Steve Cooper and co were interested in Gibbs-White, although other reports have claimed that the Stafford-born gem is keen to remain at Molinuex this season.

Cooper will be gutted

That news will serve as a notable blow to those of a Forest persuasion, with the club’s promotion-winning coach in particular likely to be gutted at not being able to add such a promising talent to his ranks before the September 1st deadline.

The Welshman has already overseen 12 new arrivals in the transfer window thus far, albeit with further acquisitions needed having seen a host of last season’s loanees return to their parent clubs.

In Gibbs-White, the 42-year-old would have been able to secure the addition of not only a familiar face – having coached the youngster at England under-17 level and at Swansea City – but also a versatile asset, with the £9.9m-rated ace comfortable all across the midfield and the forward line.

Although the explosive menace is yet to truly nail down a regular role for the Old Gold, having made just ten starts from his 46 Premier League outings so far for the club, his form on loan at Sheffield United last term showcased just what a huge talent he is.

In 35 Championship appearances for the Blades during the 2021/22 season, the 5 foot 10 speedster recorded a haul of 11 goals and nine assists, while also creating 16 big chances in total and averaging 1.6 key passes per game, showcasing his creativity and his potent threat in the final third.

That sparkling form saw him prove “instrumental” for the Bramall Lane outfit, in the words of former team-mate Billy Sharp, while he has also previously been dubbed a “sensation” by journalist Mike McGrath.

A fresh start now appears to be on the cards for Gibbs-White at his parent club following that string of eye-catching displays in the Championship, with Cooper likely to be frustrated at having to come up against him in 2022/23 rather than having the player as a part of his squad.

Nottingham Forest have wasted no time in getting stuck into the transfer window ahead of their long-awaited return to the Premier League, with 11 signings already secured, and a reliable source has now given an update on the transfer plans ahead.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic’s Nottingham Forest reporter Paul Taylor, Steve Cooper’s side are nowhere near finished in the summer transfer market, with key positions left to fill.

As per Taylor’s report for The Athletic, the 42-year-old still wants to sign at least another midfielder, a striker and another left-back/winger after Omar Richards’ hairline fracture in pre-season training.

Cooper will be buzzing

So far it has been a very positive and promising transfer window for Forest, so there will be no doubt that Cooper will be buzzing to get started in the Premier League next month.

Forest have had to wait 23 years for their return to the top tier, so it is no surprise they are doing everything they can to give themselves the best chance of retaining their top-flight status when they finish their first Premier League campaign since 1998/99.

The signings so far have been a mix of young talent combined with experienced Premier League stars, with former Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard the most recent player to join the squad at the City Ground.

The newly-promoted side have continued to be linked with a number of players, including Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis and Real Betis left-back Alex Moreno. All three are the profile of players that Taylor claims Forest are interested in signing before the transfer window shuts.

Cooper spoke out this week on the busy transfer window following the Reds’ victory over Hertha Berlin in a pre-season friendly (via Nottinghamshire Live).

The Forest manager said: “There’s loads of good players that are available or you can buy or you get offered to you.

“Obviously we want good players, but we want good players who fit our way of playing, fit our culture and fit our atmosphere. There’s lots of things which go into that. It’s like trying to put a jigsaw together, really.”

With that being said, it will be interesting but not surprising to see if Forest sign more players this summer, and Cooper will now have the job of making sure that his squad of fresh faces can work well together.

AND in other news – After Lingard: Paul Taylor drops Forest claim on possible 12th summer signing that’ll delight Cooper

Aston Villa have already been rather busy in terms of their business in this summer’s transfer window.

In addition to securing permanent deals for former loanees Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen, the Midlands club have also brought in new faces in Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara.

Another name with whom the Villans have been linked this summer, and who Steven Gerrard knows very well, is Rangers centre-forward Alfredo Morelos.

After scoring 46 goals and delivering 13 assists in 62 appearances for HJK Helsinki, the 26-year-old joined the Scottish club five years ago.

Since then, the Colombian has found the net 113 times in 224 appearances for the Ibrox outfit. With 294 club career appearances to his name, the striker has 159 goals and 64 assists on his CV.

Taking this into account, it’s safe to say that Morelos – who has been described as being “brutally ruthless” on the pitch by HJK chief executive Aki Riihilahti – knows how to be a dangerous and consistent goalscorer.

Another club with whom Gerrard has a significant connection is fellow Premier League outfit Liverpool, who have been just as busy as Villa in terms of their summer transfer business.

In fact, the Reds recently caught the headlines by splashing out a club-record £85m to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica. The fact that they chose to shell out such a significant sum of money to bring him to Anfield just goes to show how highly they rate the 23-year-old.

Having scored 67 goals in 138 club appearances, it’s easy to see why the Uruguayan has been included on a list of similar players to Morelos by Football Transfers.

With all this in mind, the prospect of linking up with Morelos once more and getting what could be his own version of Nunez at Villa Park would surely be an exciting prospect for Gerrard.

If the Villa manager can use his connections at Ibrox to help thrash out a deal which would see the Colombian move to England in the coming weeks, this could be a smart bit of business from the Midlands club.

Given his record of being able to score on a regular basis, the 26-year-old would certainly be a useful asset for Villa in front of goal.

In other news: Aston Villa now in the mix to sign “elegant” £106k-p/w machine, imagine him & Carlos

Celtic are reportedly closing in on a move for Lanus full-back Alexandro Bernabei, according to journalist César Luis Merlo. 

The lowdown: One out…

This comes after the Hoops agreed to send Liam Scales on loan to Aberdeen for the duration of the 2022/23 campaign. The 23-year-old will work under Jim Goodwin at Pittodrie and look to obtain much-needed first-team match experience before returning to Glasgow.

Despite being a natural central defender, Scales was predominantly utilised as a left-back to act as cover for Greg Taylor, last season and Ange Postecoglou appears to have wasted little time in replacing the young Irishman…

The latest: Two in…

Taking to Twitter, Argentine journalist Merlo has claimed that Celtic have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with Bernabei ahead of a switch to the Premiership champions.

He stated: “There is verbal agreement for Alexander Bernabei to go to Celtic in Scotland. Lanús is exchanging documentation for an operation that is carried out for 90% of the economic rights.”

Arriving for a reported £4m transfer fee, the 21-year-old – who was hailed as a ‘very complete winger’ by reporter Ezequiel Liniado due to his versatility and unwavering work ethic – has been spotted bidding farewell in Argentina.

He is expected to follow the permanent signing of Jota, who starred on loan last season and is reportedly on the brink of penning a long-term deal to remain in Glasgow.

The verdict: Exciting times

Given the unquestionably sublime work already achieved by Postecoglou in the transfer market during his time in situ, it can be anticipated that the addition of Bernabei to the Lennoxtown ranks will be one of great success.

Boasting impressive dribbling, finishing and defensive contribution (WhoScored), the versatile Argentina youth international certainly possesses all the hallmarks of a full-back suited to the style of play under the 56-year-old, capable of playing anywhere up the left flank.

Albeit only in its infancy, Bernabei has already enjoyed a thriving senior career, with four goals and ten assists in 85 appearances, and the marauding wing-back will no doubt be hoping to evolve onto the next level as a Bhoy whilst pushing Taylor hard for a starting berth.

Seemingly perfectly suited to the manager’s system, it’s unlikely that the Celtic hierarchy would’ve allowed Scales to exit on loan without the Argentine starlet edging closer to an deal at Parkhead, and this seemingly imminent capture – alongside Jota’s permanent arrival – would mark an excellent start to the transfer window.