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Arsenal stars Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard could inadvertently thwart the club's chances of signing a £60 million forward who the club really like.

Edu and Arteta planning to sign new attackers for Arsenal

The North Londoners, in their bid to win a first Premier League title in 20 years, have been imperious going forward, despite not having an out and out goalscorer leading the line.

£43 million star certain to move as Arsenal enter pole position for deal

The Gunners are “very impressed” by his ability.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 8, 2024

Indeed, no other team have racked up more goals in the top flight than Mikel Arteta's men so far this season, with strikes coming from all across the attacking areas courtesy of top scorers Saka (16), Kai Havertz (12) and Leandro Trossard (11).

However, it is still widely believed that Arsenal are planning to bring in an important new striker this summer, and reliable journalist Charles Watts has also claimed they could look to bring in yet another winger as well.

The Gunners are targeting number nines in big names like Napoli star Victor Osimhen and Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres. The latter has been in scintillating form over 2023/2024, scoring 41 goals in all competitions, and it is believed Arsenal are in pole position to sign Gyokeres for Arteta.

In terms of wingers who Arsenal could have their eyes on, Crystal Palace star Michael Olise is thought to be one of them.

The France youth international, barring his injury absences, has been a star player for Oliver Glasner and his predecessor. Scoring nine goals and assisting four others over 17 league appearances, he's displayed real cutting edge, and this has alerted Arsenal chiefs.

Arsenal really like Olise but Odegaard and Saka could thwart deal

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are big fans of Olise but Saka and Odegaard could actually thwart a deal. This is because the prospect of regular game time for the 22-year-old is diminished, thanks to the latter pair cementing their roles in similar positions to Olise.

The Eagles star wants to join a team playing Champions League football next term but also wants to start week in week out, with Aston Villa now confident they can beat both Arteta and Man United in the race for Olise – who is rumoured to command a £60 million price tag.

“In the first-half we didn’t get enough out of him, and we couldn’t bring him into the game as much as we wanted," said former Palace boss Roy Hodgson when discussing Olise's future after a terrific 5-1 win away to Leeds last season.

“In the first-half he was a figure on the right but he wasn’t creating chances or showing aggression in his play. In the second-half he got it all right in both defence and attack and he showed what a wonderful player he is.

“I have seen him for 10 days less than I have seen the others. What I make of him is that I think he is an enormous talent – he has got a great possibility to have a wonderful career and a wonderful future. We can only hope we at Crystal Palace can give him that platform.”

A young Manchester United fan was hailed by the Red Devils faithful for "motivating" Marcus Rashford to end his goal drought against Southampton.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man Utd cruised to a 3-0 victory
• Rashford scored the second of the afternoon
• Kept his promise to a fan after finding the net

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 26-year-old forward had struggled to find the back of the net in the new campaign but a message from a young fan named Grayson seemed to be just the encouragement he needed. Rashford’s subsequent performance in United’s 3-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday saw him deliver a much-needed goal, with the player dedicating the strike to the 10-year-old fan.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  On Thursday, September 12, Rashford shared a moving Instagram post in which he revealed the special video message he received from Grayson, a lifelong Manchester United fan. In the video, Grayson excitedly showed Rashford his bedroom, which was decked out in United memorabilia, including a photo taken with Rashford during a visit to Old Trafford.

  “Hi Marcus, my name is Grayson and I’m a huge fan of yours,” the young supporter began in the clip. "This is my bed cover, my number is 10 just like yours. This is my blanket with the United badge, this is the bear that I've had since I was born – it has a Manchester shirt on and Manchester United shorts."

  In response to Grayson’s touching message, Rashford posted an Instagram story promising to dedicate his next goal to the young fan. He wrote, "Thank you, Grayson! The next goal that I score is dedicated to you [red heart emoji]." It didn’t take long for Rashford to fulfil that promise, as he found the net during Manchester United’s clash with Southampton just a couple of days later.

• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  The United faithful was overjoyed to see Rashford once again among the goals and they thanked Grayson for his message.

  A United fan, @EssKayDevil, wrote: "Shout out Grayson Rashford said that one was for you."

  Whereas, @jessiedza, wrote: "Grayson when I catch you. Rashford is back because of you. #SOUMUN #ManU."

  Meanwhile, @Chaoshead_, wrote: "Grayson impact on Rashford…"

  @UtdRish said: "Take that Grayson! You lovely kid, thanks for motivating Rashford!!! Get In!!! Things we love to see."

  @TheTechTalkie found the coincidence funny enough and wrote: "Rashford score. Young Grayson is the lucky charm."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Rashford’s dedication to improving his performance has been evident. After being ignored for the England squad by interim manager Lee Carsley, following Gareth Southgate’s resignation after Euro 2024, Rashford used the time to continue working on his fitness and sharpness. Rather than taking time off, the United forward was spotted training at two non-league football grounds, Ashton United and West Didsbury & Chorlton. Footage of Rashford’s intense training sessions circulated on social media, showcasing the forward’s determination to return to top form.

The players from Tottenham Hotspur’s iconic side of 2018/19, in which they reached the Champions League final under Mauricio Pochettino, are all slowly beginning to leave the club.

Talisman striker Harry Kane was one of the most recent players from that famous side to leave the club. The England captain joined Bayern Munich last summer, for a fee of £86.4m, where he has scored 43 goals in 43 games so far.

The likes of Christian Eriksen, now at Manchester United via Inter and Brentford, Dele Alli who is now an Everton player, and Kieran Trippier, who is now at Newcastle, have all left in recent years. Meanwhile, legendary centre-back duo Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghan now play at Royal Antwerp and Anderlecht respectively.

Just a couple of the members of that Spurs squad remain at the club today, including Son Heung-min. The legendary attacker has scored 161 goals and has 83 assists in 403 games for the Lilywhites.

However, the other player from that squad who still remains in the first team today, has struggled for minutes under Ange Postecoglou this season, and a tough performance against Arsenal in last weekend’s North London derby has led to people calling for him to be dropped.

Ben Davies' stats vs Arsenal

The player in question here is Welshman Ben Davies, who had a tough afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend against his side’s biggest rivals. There is no doubt Davies is a modern-day Spurs stalwart, having played 330 games for the club, scoring nine and assisting 23.

However, his opportunities this season have been few and far between. Davies has featured in just 19 games in all competitions for Postecoglou’s side, with 17 of those coming in the Premier League.

Davies is one of the highest earners at Spurs, who have a fairly low wage expenditure compared to the other ‘big 6’ sides. He is the tenth-highest earner at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, on £80k-per-week, according to Capology.

Against Arsenal, Davies was directly up against Bukayo Saka, and he had a tough afternoon, ultimately handed a poor 4/10 rating courtesy of FFC's player ratings.

As per Sofascore, the 31-year-old won just six out of his 11 ground duels, and one out of three aerial duels. Not only that, he lost possession ten times and was dribbled past on two occasions.

It was certainly not an easy game for Davies who let Saka cut in all too easily for Arsenal's second goal of the game. The Wales international slotted into the side to replace the injured Destiny Udogie, who will miss the rest of the season and the Euros.

Spurs 2-3 Arsenal: Player ratings & match recap

Arsenal took on Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

By
Matt Dawson

Apr 28, 2024

Who might replace Davies in the starting XI

Former Spurs player Jamie O’Hara believes that his former side need to “get rid” of Davies because “he’s not good enough”. Indeed, this is a harsh statement, given he has played 330 games for the club.

With that being said, wanting him dropped for the game against Chelsea on Thursday is justifiable, given he will be coming up against Cole Palmer, one of the best players in the Premier League this season. Palmer has 20 goals and nine assists in 29 games in the league. If he struggled with Saka then another left-footer of the Chelsea star's calibre won't end well.

Should Postecoglou decide to drop Davies from the starting lineup, there is one leading candidate to replace him; Emerson Royal. The Brazilian is normally a right-back, but five of his 21 appearances in all competitions this season have come from left-back, instead.

The 25-year-old has scored once this season and is yet to register an assist. He is a good defender, averaging 4.59 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes as per Fbref. That places him in the top 6%. Not only that, Emerson averages 6.56 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 5%.

An alternative option to Emerson could be to bring January signing Radu Dragusin into the side and push Mickey van de Ven out to left-back. The 23-year-old is naturally a centre-back but has played on that side 15 times in his career, although not since joining Spurs last summer.

Postecoglou certainly has some decisions to make this week regarding the starting left-back against Chelsea.

He may well decide to stick with Davies and show faith in the player, go with Emerson or even the less experienced choice of bringing Dragusin into the team and pushing Van de Ven out to left-back. Either way, the man tasked with the job will have a tough night ahead, against Palmer, one of the deadliest players in the top flight.

Spurs can ease Udogie blow by unleashing their “best academy defender”

This would be a shrewd move from Ange Postecoglou.

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 23, 2024

Manchester United have had some world-class centre forwards in the history of the club, but it’s been somewhat of a problem position in recent years.

Short-term fixes have been brought in, such as Odion Ighalo, Edinson Cavani, and even Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but only the latter put his stamp on the side.

In the summer, Rasmus Hojlund was purchased for £72m from Atalanta, with the transfer being viewed as a long-term solution.

However, United are once again on the hunt for a number nine, one that can provide support for Dane while also serving as a rotation option.

Man Utd want a new striker

According to a report from German outlet SportBILD, via the Manchester Evening News, United are interested in signing Serhou Guirassy.

Prior to this season, the striker was relatively unknown to those outside of Germany, but he’s certainly been making waves this campaign.

The Stuttgart ace has an extremely good value-for-money £17m release clause in his contract this summer, with plenty of clubs keeping an eye on him due to that, including West Ham United.

However, it seems that Sir Jim Ratcliffe views the striker as the perfect replacement for Anthony Martial, who looks set to walk on a free this summer.

Man Utd lining up "genius" manager to replace Erik ten Hag

The Manager defeated Ten Hag twice in 2023.

By
Tom Lever

Apr 17, 2024

Guirassy stats compared to Hojlund and Rashford

Prior to the season, Man United fans were licking their lips at the prospect of Hojlund and Marcus Rashford combining in the final third.

However, the duo haven’t been quite as prolific as anticipated, scoring seven Premier League goals each this season, one behind Bruno Fernandes in pole position.

Across all competitions, their combined tally does reach 21 goals, with the number ten contributing to eight of those, which is a huge decrease compared to last season’s incredible 30.

However, United target Guirassy has been far more clinical in the final third than Ten Hag's duo, and as you can see by the table below, he’s been a level above the duo on almost every front.

The Guinea international has been one of the most in-form strikers on the planet in 2023/24, and his goal-per-game record of 1.28 is simply unbelievable, which equates to 25 Bundesliga goals in 23 matches.

It’s clear that Guirassy is the definition of a clinical “finisher,” as dubbed by reporter Josh Bunting, but he also provided much more than just that, due to his ability to link up play and act as a creative outlet.

The fact that the 28-year-old ranks in the top 3% for touches in the mid-third proves that he likes to drop deep and get involved in build-up, but he’s also clearly a major threat in the box, where he’s a threat with both feet and with his head.

Not only is he comfortable receiving the ball with his back to goal, but he can also be a danger in behind the backline, which would make the United attack far less predictable.

Unlike what Rashford and Hojlund have shown this season, he’s also the type of player to grab a game by the scruff of the neck and lead his side to victory, as shown by the fact that he’s scored in all of Stuttgart’s last six games.

Overall, based on his performances this season and the data, it would be expected that Guirassy – who has enjoyed an "outrageous hot streak", as per The Athletic's Seb Stafford-Bloor – would cost a hefty fee, but for just £17m, United should do everything they can to secure the forward.

With the club's current number nine, Martial, scoring just 12 league goals since the start of 2020/21, a clinical new replacement is certainly needed.

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their plans to bring in a new forward in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Express reporter Ryan Taylor has suggested that they are more likely to go for Leeds star Raphinha than Everton’s Richarlison in the coming weeks.

Fabio Paratici is looking to add to Antonio Conte’s attacking unit and Taylor believes that the former Rennes magician is the main target.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think Spurs are edging slightly more towards Raphinha at the moment.

“I think if you look at Richarlison’s profile, my personal view is he’s mainly better centrally and if you look at Tottenham’s side, he won’t have many opportunities through the middle. Outside of that, he sometimes plays off the left, and Son plays there as well.”

Supporters will be excited

Spurs supporters will be excited by this claim as Raphinha would be a sublime addition to Conte’s squad for the 2022/23 campaign.

Since arriving in England, the Whites gem has scored 17 goals and provided 12 assists in the Premier League – including 11 goals last term – whilst playing out wide on the right.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-much-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

In that time, Richarlison has managed 17 goals and eight assists whilst playing on the left and through the middle as a centre-forward.

This means that Raphinha has been more productive than him in the final third, despite the Everton man spending time as a number nine, and this suggests that he would be the better signing.

There is little between them in terms of their scope for development. They are both 25 and heading toward the peak years of their respective careers, which means that they would both come in with the potential to improve in the years to come.

Therefore, it should be a matter of current ability and suitability for the team. Taylor explained why Raphinha suits Tottenham’s team more than Richalison and the statistics suggest that the Leeds man is also the better player with his ability to score and assist goals on a regular basis from out wide.

The Spurs supporters will be excited by the prospect of the ex-Ligue 1 attacker coming through the door as he will provide another big attacking threat in the final third. He can support the likes of Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski to form a mouth-watering attack in the top-flight next season.

AND in other news: Conte could land Spurs masterclass in deal for “explosive” £30m gem, he’s Foden-esque…

West Ham United appear to be edging ever closer to confirming the arrival of Stade Rennais defender, Nayef Aguerd…

What’s the word?

As per journalist Fabrizio Romano, the deal to bring the 26-year-old to the London Stadium is now “confirmed”, with the deal set to be announced by the Hammers on Monday.

Writing on Twitter to deliver an update on the situation, the respected insider stated: “Nayef Aguerd joins West Ham on a permanent deal for £30m, here we go confirmed. West Ham have finally completed paperworks with Rennes and Aguerd’s contract is now also signed.

“Official statement on Monday after some twists but with West Ham always in control.”

The Morocco international has also publicly confirmed his exit from the French outfit, with east London set to be his new home, despite fears that Premier League rivals Newcastle United were attempting to hijack the deal earlier this week.

Moyes buzzing

While that rival interest from the uber-rich Magpies had sparked some nerves among Irons supporters, it would appear that last season’s Europa League semi-finalists have finally secured their man, with Aguerd set to bolster what had been a problem area last term.

A long-term absence for veteran defender Angelo Ogbonna due to injury had left manager David Moyes drastically short of options at the heart of the defence, having also seemingly lost faith in Frenchman Issa Diop, with the 25-year-old starting just ten league games last term.

The arrival of the Rennes man will not only add increased depth, but the £10.8m-rated colossus should also pose a very real threat to the current first-choice pairing of Kurt Zouma and Craig Dawson, having enjoyed another fine campaign in Ligue 1 last term.

The former Dijon ace registered ten clean sheets in his 31 league outings in the 2021/22 season – all of which had come as starts – chipping in with two goals and two assists, while also averaging an impressive four clearances per game and winning a solid 62% of his total duels.

Not just a reliable defensive asset, the £8.9k-per-week gem will also offer Moyes invaluable quality in possession, as he ranks in the top 10% for attempted passes and the top 16% for pass completion among those in his position across Europe’s big five leagues, showcasing his willingness to play out from the back.

That calmness with the ball at his feet – and the fact he is left-footed – should provide the Hammers boss with an impressive alternative to his current centre-back options, with the Scotsman undoubtedly buzzing to have secured such a talent to help bolster the club’s domestic and European hopes for next term.

IN other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

An update has emerged regarding Sunderland and their interest in signing Robbie Brady in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, the Black Cats are one of the clubs eyeing up a deal to sign the Republic of Ireland international on a free transfer.

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is joined by Middlesbrough and Bournemouth in his pursuit of the winger, who is set to be available after the end of his short-term contract with the Cherries as he helped Scott Parker’s side to finish second in the Championship last season.

Imagine him & Alex Pritchard

Sunderland would complete a trident of former Norwich attackers behind Stewart by signing the winger, as he would join Pritchard and Patrick Roberts in the frontline.

Alex Neil worked with (and signed) both Brady and Pritchard during his time at Carrow Road, and the pair played alongside each other in the 2016/17 campaign in Norfolk.

The Scottish coach previously lauded the Irishman as a “top quality” player, and the 30-year-old’s statistics whilst playing for the Canaries back that up.

In his Championship season under Neil, Brady averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.11 as he managed four goals and four assists in 23 appearances playing at left-back and on the left wing. This came after he played 36 matches under the Scot in the 2015/16 Premier League and averaged an impressive rating of 6.98 in the top flight.

The winger has also shown that he still has what it takes to perform at this level. He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 in six games for Bournemouth as he helped them to get their promotion to the top tier over the line.

In 2016/17, Pritchard produced an eye-catching six goals and seven assists in 19 Championship outings whilst playing alongside the £33k-per-week wizard for half of the campaign before Brady joined Burnley in January 2017.

Both players have therefore proven that they have the quality to make a big impact in the Championship, with both doing so under Neil’s management.

The ex-Norwich boss knows how to get the best out of the pair and will be able to play them alongside each other in attack once again if Speakman can seal a deal for Brady in the coming weeks.

Imagine both of them scoring and setting up goals in the second tier for Sunderland next season, harking back to their days doing just that for the Canaries.

AND in other news, “Only heard…”: Alan Nixon drops big Sunderland transfer claim that’ll deflate supporters…

Aston Villa are keen on signing Nantes left-back Quentin Merlin, according to The Sunday Mirror (05/06, p72), via Birmingham Mail.

The lowdown

Steven Gerrard has already completed four signings for the summer transfer window – Diego Carlos, Philippe Coutinho, Robin Olsen and Boubacar Kamara – but his recruitment drive shows no signs of stopping.

Indeed, The Athletic's Gregg Evans reported after the capture of Kamara that a left-back is on the agenda for the 42-year-old.

Merlin has been with Nantes since the age of 11 but only made his Ligue 1 debut this season. He would go on to start 21 of his team's top-flight matches, making seven more substitute appearances.

The 20-year-old, who can also operate as a left midfielder, is contracted to Nantes until 2026 and is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt.

The latest

The report from The Sunday Mirror (via Birmingham Mail) claimed that Merlin grabbed Gerrard's attention during a Ligue 1 scouting mission a few weeks ago.

The Villa manager travelled to the Stade Velodrome for a match between Marseille and Nantes on 20 April, intending to watch Kamara, but Merlin reportedly impressed him too.

The verdict

Merlin, who has been labelled a 'serious talent' by Jacek Kulig, looks like he could be a strong back-up to Lucas Digne and a potential long-term starter, with Matt Targett's Villa Park future uncertain.

The French youngster ranked in the 86th percentile among full-backs in the top five European leagues for shot-creating actions in 2021/22, notching three assists in addition to his two goals (via FBRef). With high volumes of progressive carries and dribbles too, he's clearly very active up and down the left flank.

He may only have played 20 minutes on the night that Gerrard was in attendance, but that speaks to the strength of his cameo against Marseille. Merlin won three of the four duels that he contested, completed two dribbles and was successful with eight of his 10 passes (via SofaScore).

He also shone against Paris Saint-Germain in February, scoring what sports journalist Josh Bunting called an 'incredible' goal, and he looks like an astute replacement for Targett if the latter has played his last game in a Villa shirt.

In other news, Matt Maher lays out his Villa transfer expectations

Manchester City are reportedly set to make an approach to Leeds United over a potential transfer move for Kalvin Phillips.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Telegraph, City are “expected to formalise their interest” in Phillips once England’s international matches are out of the way and “make an official approach to Leeds later this month.”

As a product of Leeds’ youth system, the 26-year-old has made 234 senior appearances for the Whites across all competitions.

In those appearances, the England international, who has a reported price tag of £60m, has found the net 14 times and delivered 13 assists in the process.

With 49 Premier League appearances now under his belt, the midfielder now has a clear idea of what it takes to play in the top flight and how difficult it can be given how Leeds had a rather turbulent recent campaign.

Guardiola needs him

Taking into account how City will be taking on their next campaign without the experience or versatility of Fernandinho in their squad, Pep Guardiola will undeniably need an experienced and capable figure, like Phillips, to come in and fill the void left by the Brazilian.

Having racked up a total of 139 players tackled throughout his two Premier League campaigns with Leeds as well as 103 blocks, 83 interceptions and 89 clearances, Phillips certainly has the defensive chops to be a tough opponent for whoever he comes up against.

This backs up why he was labelled as a “destroyer” by Steve McLaren as well as having his performance in England’s 1-0 win over Croatia in last year’s Euros described as “immense” by Marcus Rashford.

Taking all of this into account, it’s easy to see why the Manchester club are keen on making an approach to Leeds to see if they would be willing to part ways with their star midfielder.

Having taken Jack Grealish away from his boyhood club, Aston Villa, last summer, the Citizens have shown that they are capable of securing deals for the Premier League’s top talents, which they will presumably be looking to do once again this summer with Phillips.

While it may be hard to get Leeds to sell, the allure of being in the mix to win every competition they play in as well as being able to learn from Guardiola and test himself in Europe could be what sways the midfielder into waving goodbye to Elland Road and joining City.

In other news: Pep can land his next Mahrez as MCFC plot move for “delightful” £58.5m-rated hotshot

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Alessandro Bastoni.

What’s the talk?

In a recent Q&A on football.london, the journalist revealed that, following widespread reports of Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici’s interest in a move for the Inter Milan centre-back this summer, the 23-year-old is understood to be keen to work with the former Nerazzurri coach once again.

Gold went on to suggest that the Serie A club’s pressing need to raise funds in order to complete their own signings could also play into Tottenham’s hands, with a figure of £51m mentioned as the amount that Inter may be seeking in order to part with the Italy international in the coming months.

In response to a question concerning Spurs’ interest in Bastoni, Gold said: “There are two sides to this one in that Alessandro Bastoni is understood to be keen to play under Antonio Conte again at some point, but he is happy at the moment at Inter Milan and it’s worth remembering that he only just turned 23 last month so he’s young in terms of his career and uprooting from Italy. For someone like Romero, he had already uprooted from his homeland.

“Spurs’ hope is that Bastoni can bring added quality to the left side of Tottenham’s back three to complement Romero’s strength and quality on the other side. They see him as a potential heir to Jan Vertonghen with a similar skilful style to the Belgian in being a ball-playing defender rather than an aggressive one like Romero. That could potentially make his adaptation to the physical nature of the Premier League slightly more gradual than the Argentine’s and perhaps that is a concern the player also holds.

“The key to whether Tottenham can get this deal done may come down to how much Inter need the money and whether they help push Bastoni towards the door, particularly as he has only two years left on his contract. The Serie A club want to sign players this summer, not least Gleison Bremer from Torino for around £21m, and if they decide that selling Bastoni for more than £51m can fund more deals then they may help influence his decision. Things change quickly in the transfer window.”

Supporters will love Gold’s update

Considering just how exciting a talent Bastoni undoubtedly is, Gold’s latest update concerning Tottenham’s interest in the 23-year-old is sure to be news that the Spurs faithful will love.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-news-updates-transfer-rumours-gossip-spurs-thfc-conte-paratici” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Indeed, over his 31 Serie A appearances this season, the £60m-rated defender highly impressed on the left of Inter’s backline, helping his team to keep eight clean sheets, making 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 1.8 clearances and winning 4.1 duels (at a success rate of 60%) per game.

The £122k-per-week left-footer also impressed in a creative and attacking capacity, scoring one goal, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his team-mates, along with averaging 50.5 passes, four long balls and 0.5 key passes per match.

These metrics saw the 11-cap Italy international average a remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Simone Inzaghi’s eighth-best player in the Italian top flight.

As such, considering his age, ball-playing talent and ability to play on the left of a back three, it is clear to see that Bastoni would be something of a perfect signing for Paratici to get over the line this summer, especially if the centre-back is available for as little as the £51m fee that Gold has mentioned.

AND in other news – “Am told…”: Dan Kilpatrick reveals huge Spurs transfer twist, supporters will be fuming