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According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur boss Nuno Espirito Santo is ‘keen’ to reunite with Wolves star Adama Traore in north London as the club ‘weigh up a move’ to sign him.

The Lowdown: Spurs in attacker chase…

As reported by football.london, Spurs’ first priority is an overhaul in defence this summer with the Lilywhites eyeing, preferably, after two new centre-back signings.

However, they also have their eyes on strengthening in the attacking positions, as highlighted by the capture of young winger Bryan Gil from Sevilla.

Tottenham have earmarked the likes of Danny Ings and Dusan Vlahovic as possible forward additions, with the Daily Mail now coming out with another link.

The Latest: Spurs weigh up Traore move…

As explained by the Mail and journalist Adrian Kajumba, Traore is now a target for Tottenham as Nuno eyes a possible reunion with his former star player at Molineux.

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Wolves have yet to receive ‘any official contact’ for the 25-year-old but they will consider letting him leave this summer amid Spurs’ fresh interest.

However, managing director Fabio Paratici faces a financial battle to sign Traore given Wolves would want a fee ‘similar’ to the £45 million they banked for Diogo Jota last summer.

The Verdict: Exciting but unlikely…

The Spaniard has been quite an exciting player to watch since his debut in the Premier League nearly six years ago.

Last season, Traore completed more dribbles per 90 than any other player in the English top flight (4.1) – highlighting his real threat going forward (WhoScored).

He has also attracted praise from Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who called him ‘undefendable’ after the Reds beat Wolves 1-0 in March (Liverpool Echo).

Nuno himself has made no secret of his admiration for Traore in the past, lauding the player as ‘amazing’ and ‘unique’ (The Athletic).

However, given his possible £45 million tag, this move could be too difficult to pull off given Tottenham are having to adopt a sell-to-buy policy.

In other news: ‘Speaking to people involved’…Alasdair Gold believes another Spurs signing ‘will happen’, find out more here.

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa must land Spain star Adama Traore amid David Norris’ transfer claim.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that the Whites are interested in signing the Wolves winger, with claims back in December revealing that Bielsa’s side were keen on luring him to Elland Road.

Norris has delivered his verdict on Leeds’ potential move for Traore. Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “He likes them attacking, exciting players that can create. They still must work hard, but the way he’s been in the last couple of seasons, and how much of a danger he is and how much he an create, I think that would be a great signing. Leeds are looking for top players and I think he’s a top player.”

Game-changer for Bielsa

Dubbed a “machine” and someone who’s “been scaring defenders” by former Leeds defender Rio Ferdinand in January 2020, the £100,000-a-week Traore has the kind of game-changing pace and ability which could terrify the rest of the Premier League just like he has done at Wolves.

Averaging an impressive 4.1 dribbles per game – the highest in the entire Premier League last season – and being fouled 2.3 times per match, the third-most in the division, Traore is a relentless dribbler who’s a nightmare for opposition defences.

Indeed, Bielsa himself has previously admitted to how tough a player Traore is to mark, saying: “It’s better to follow the man than leave him to a team-mate. I believe, fundamentally, Traore likes to play out wide on the wings. If he dominates the ball on his side he’s difficult to start, so whoever’s marking him will need some support.”

Hailed as “unplayable” by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp following an impressive display against the Reds back in January 2020, the £27m-rated Spaniard is currently at Euro 2020, so a move may only be made once La Roja’s involvement in the competition ends.

If Leeds can pull off a deal for the 25-year-old, they could terrify the rest of the Premier League with one of the division’s most dangerous attackers.

Meanwhile, this Leeds United transfer target would be a major upgrade…

Former Everton star Michael Ball believes that Rafael Benitez has all the required credentials to take over from Carlo Ancelotti, but fears that it may turn ugly if such an appointment goes wrong.

Ancelotti shockingly left the club last week to rejoin Real Madrid after the departure of Zinedine Zidane.

The Italian was only appointed in December of 2019 but he has departed, having taken in just one full season at Goodison Park.

Everton finished 10th in 2020/21 but he has still left to join one of the biggest clubs in world football, if not the best.

Everton have since been linked with a number of managers and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has suggested that the club should make a move to bring in the former Reds boss, who was also rumoured to be a contender in The Athletic.

Ball thinks he has the CV to do a good job, but believes his associations with the Reds, with whom he won the Champions League, could see the appointment turn “toxic”.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “All the managers I’ve seen us linked with, all have got pros and cons. Even top managers like Rafa Benitez, he’s a fantastic coach, he’s probably got the credentials Everton need.

“He knows the Premier League, he knows how to play in Europe but unfortunately, I feel if they have some bad performances, I think it would turn toxic quite quickly.

“That’s the only downfall. He’s such a big name across the park but his credentials are probably what Everton need going forward.”

Aston Villa could deliver another blow to Premier League rivals Arsenal by signing Emile Smith Rowe this summer.

What’s the story?

After beating the Gunners to the signing of Norwich City star Emi Buendia – reports even suggested the Argentine was intent on making the move to Villa Park – it appears Dean Smith is keen on landing another blow to the north London.

Speaking on The Transfer Window Podcast on June 9, journalist Duncan Castles said: “Aston Villa have sounded out Emile Smith Rowe. He broke into the Arsenal team with great effect this season. He is under contract until 2023.

“Something needs to be done by Arsenal in terms of extending the deal or he could be tempted by other clubs.

“It would be quite damaging for Arsenal if they were seen to lose a young talent like that to a club like Aston Villa. It is telling in terms of the ambitions Villa have for next season.”

Smith Rowe and Buendia

Having already made a big statement by landing Buendia ahead of Arsenal, Villa could deliver another sign of their “ambitions”, as Castles says, by luring one of the Gunners’ brightest young talents.

Speaking on the Pitch to Post Preview Podcast, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp said: “Emile Smith Rowe has come in and been a revelation. They needed someone to light the flame, give them that spark.

“He’s an academy boy and you can see he’s doing a great job, the fans love him. I hope with Odegaard coming into the club, that doesn’t stop him being instrumental in what they’re doing. But I’ve been so impressed with him, I love his work ethic, I love the way he runs with the ball, he’s been a breath of fresh air for this team, exactly when they needed it.”

This time last year as they were battling to avoid relegation, even the most ardent of Villa fans could not have expected for them to beat Arsenal to a key signing and then contemplate landing one of their homegrown talents.

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Alas, such has been the rise of Smith’s side in the last 12 months that a move for the £43m-rated Smith Rowe might actually be on the cards, especially given his contract situation in north London.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has dropped an exciting Aston Villa transfer claim…

Tottenham Hotspur winger Heung-min Son is set to remain with the club ahead of the 2021/22 season, after telling Nuno Espirito Santo that he’s looking forward to next term, according to Football Insider. 

The lowdown: Son linked with Tottenham Hotspur departure

Son has caught the eye with a number of strong performances for Tottenham Hotspur over the years, with the winger scoring 107 goals in 280 appearances for the club so far.

It appears as though those impressive showings haven’t gone unnoticed though, with Bayern Munich reportedly previously being keen on reaching an agreement to land Son’s signature in the future.

Spurs reportedly offered Son a new contract worth more than £200,000 per-week, and he was close to agreeing a new five-year deal before Christmas 2020, but an agreement was never reached.

The latest: Decision made on Son’s short-term future

Despite talks over a new deal seemingly stalling, a Spurs source has reportedly told Football Insider that Son will stay put.

They have claimed that he has already told newly-appointed Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo that he is looking forward to working under his management next term.

Son is contracted with Spurs until 2023, but it remains to be seen as to whether his long-term future remains with the London-based club moving forwards.

But for the time being, this will come as a huge relief to the Lilywhites hierarchy and fans.

The verdict: Huge boost for Spurs

This is a huge boost for Tottenham Hotspur, and the club’s supporters will be delighted if this recent update from Football Insider is true.

Son has become even more crucial recently, having netted Jose Mourinho called him ‘incredible’ and an ‘animal’.

With Harry Kane’s future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium looking bleak, it will be vital for Nuno to build his new squad around a player of Son’s quality heading into the 2021/22 campaign.

Make no mistake about it, the South Korea star’s desire to stay is a huge boost for everyone at the club in what could have been an incredibly difficult rebuild if he and Kane were both to leave.

Sunderland are one of a number of clubs reportedly interested in signing Queens Park Rangers right-back Todd Kane this summer.

The Lowdown: Kane moving on?

The 27-year-old was a solid performer for the west London club during the 2020/21 season, making 28 Championship appearances, but a move away from Loftus Road could be on the cards.

Kane’s current QPR deal expires in the summer of 2022, meaning this could be their last opportunity to receive a fee for the defender, rather than lose him for free next year.

The Latest: Sunderland eye up move

According to London Football News, Sunderland are interested in snapping up Kane in the next transfer window, with Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth also believed to be in the mix.

The Englishman is a former Chelsea trainee and has also enjoyed spells with the likes of Nottingham Forest, Blackburn Rovers, Preston, Bristol City and Hull City in the past.

The Verdict: A shrewd addition?

Lee Johnson may be keen on adding depth and quality to his squad in the summer having fallen just short of promotion this term, making Kane a potentially solid signing, given his experience in the Football League.

Bringing in an out and out right-back seems like a no-brainer, considering Johnson used several players in that spot throughout this season, including Lynden Gooch, usually a midfielder, who started at right-back against Lincoln.

Kane won an average of 0.8 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game in the league in 2020/21, whereas Gooch’s figures were 0.6 and o.2, respectively, suggesting he could be an upgrade on the versatile ace.

Like Gooch, Kane can also play in midfield, but the fact that his defensive performances are superior is surely what has the Black Cats calling.

In other news, there has been a key update on the future of Sunderland manager Lee Johnson. Read more here.

In a recent meeting with fans, Southampton CEO Martin Semmens has claimed that he believes Danny Ings will not only stay at St Mary’s this summer but could finish his career with the Saints, which would be a huge boost for Ralph Hasenhuttl.

As per Hampshire Live, Semmens said: “I think Danny probably will [sign the contract]. He has been really open and clear with his communication with the club about what he wants to do.

“He is working hard with us. He is committed to us. He is not a robot, he doesn’t do what we tell him to do. Danny will make his own choice.

“But if you ask me now, I think Danny will be with us to the end of his career. But remember, they have their own desires.

“Danny has never done anything but be incredibly hard-working and be committed to this club.”

Southampton have been in discussions with the 28-year-old over a new contract for some time now, although the England international has reportedly made it clear that he is keen to play in Europe next season.

The likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have both been linked with a move for the striker, who has impressed since joining the Saints for £20m in the summer of 2019 following a successful loan spell from Liverpool.

In total, the former Burnley striker has made 96 appearances for the Saints, in which he has contributed 44 goals and 10 assists, which includes the 22 goals he scored in the top flight last season, a tally which saw him finish as the joint-second top scorer in the division.

Although he has struggled to match those numbers this term, with injury problems disrupting his campaign, he is still currently leading the scoring charts in Hasenhuttl’s squad with 10 Premier League goals to his name.

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Therefore, if Southampton can convince him to sign a new deal, with his current contract set to expire at the end of next season, it would undoubtedly be a huge boost for Hasenhuttl as it would make it significantly harder for clubs such as Spurs to prise him away this summer.

If Ings does end up finishing his career with the south coast club, there is no reason why he won’t be remembered as a Southampton legend, especially if he continues his impressive form in front of goal for another few years.

In other news… Southampton suffer devastating transfer setback to “unbelievable” gem, Hasenhuttl must be fuming

This season has been one plagued by injuries for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the academy or part of the first-team set-up, the treatment room has been full for the majority of the campaign.

Jonny has suffered two ACL problems, Pedro Neto is out for six months with a broken knee cap and Daniel Podence will now miss a period of time after undergoing surgery on his groin.

They have also missed the services of Raul Jimenez who has been absent since November while he recovers from a fractured skull.

The Mexican is nearing a return but there are still plenty of boxes left for him to tick before he makes a full comeback.

It’s unlikely he’ll be available to face Everton on Wednesday but another player that will be absent is Theo Corbeanu.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Nuno Santo commented: “He’s not going to be involved. Only the senior players will join the group for Everton.”

The reason for that is because he picked up an injury while playing for the club’s U23 side this week.

It’s not a huge blow for Wolves given his status in the first-team but it will irk Nuno considerably that his already small squad is now missing another player.

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It’ll represent a big setback to the player, though.

Corbeanu came off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend to make his senior debut for the Wolves first-team. In doing so, he became the youngest Canadian to play in the Premier League.

With the Old Gold having nothing but pride to play for during the rest of the season, the youngster may have been in with a chance of securing more minutes as the campaign drew to a close.

It will have been exciting to see what he could do at senior level. After all, the qualities he has at his disposal are mouth-watering.

Speaking earlier this season, U23 boss James Collins said: “He’s athletic, tall, can head it, can defend, can dribble past people and score, he can shoot, he can pass, he’s both footed, he’s got a bit of everything.”

Collins added: “Theo can be anything he wants to be. He’s an outstanding prospect.”

Corbeanu’s chances this term may have been curtailed but it won’t be a great surprise if we see him in the first team on a more regular basis next season.

AND elsewhere, Wolves set for huge boost after Molineux news emerges, Nuno will be thrilled…

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has dropped a big claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United after some latest insight was shared from the parties involved.

The Lowdown: Latest takeover insight

As per Football Insider, a source has shared that all parties involved in the deal are still fully committed and that there is growing hope that it will be concluded by the end of July following their arbitration case against the Premier League.

The North East club are privately confident that the top flight will approve the bid after the hearing takes place, suggesting that they believe that the results will go in their favour.

The Latest: Maguire on takeover

Speaking to Football Insider in reaction to the news from their source, Maguire, who is an expert in the field of football finance, has claimed that if the Tyneside club do get the green light in terms of the takeover, then the deal could well be pushed through straight away, and believes that that is what the Magpies would want to do:

“As soon as they get the green light, there’s no reason the deal can’t go through straight away.

“A bit like the Ancelotti [to Real Madrid] deal, where there’s a will, there’s a way. You can get these things through very quickly because the accountants and the lawyers will simply work 24/7.

“Does PIF have to raise the cash? No, they’ve got the cash. It’s as simple as transferring it from one person’s account to another.

“Would they want that to be as soon as possible? Yes, because every day you delay is a day when you’re not able to go into the transfer market.

“Get it done and you can immediately start to utilise some of that big budget for next season.”

The Verdict: Newcastle will want takeover done as soon as possible

Given that the new season would be fast approaching by the end of July, and that Steve Bruce’s team would already be deep into the summer transfer window, there is no doubt that the Toon would want the takeover to be completed as soon as possible if given the go ahead.

NUFC will want to know what kind of calibre of player that they would be able to go for, and also how much money they would be able to spend, as their transfer kitty would increase dramatically if the money came through from the takeover.

However, this all depends on the results of the arbitration case of course, which is not guaranteed to go in the way of Newcastle, despite the reported confidence from the parties involved.

Nonetheless, the Magpies will ideally not want any uncertainty with regards to the takeover going into the new campaign, in order for them to be as best prepared as possible.

In other news, find out what big claim Liam Kennedy has dropped on the potential takeover involving Rafa Benitez here!

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which relayed the comments of Alan Rough, who called for an extension to Glen Kamara’s ban.

Following the news that both Ondrej Kudela and Kamara have been handed bans by UEFA for their part in the incidents in the Gers’ Europa League clash against Slavia Prague – with Kamara’s three-game suspension coming as the midfielder was found to have assaulted Kudela after the match – Rough recently gave his opinion on the matter when speaking on the PLZ Soccer YouTube show.

However, rather surprisingly, the former Scotland goalkeeper actually called for Kamara’s ban to be extended from three to six games, as he didn’t believe the midfield’s current suspension “sends the right message.”

In fairness to the former Partick Thistle mainstay, he did also say he believes Kudela should get an even longer ban too, clearly feeling that UEFA have not stamped any authority on the incident.

That said, after one Rangers fan shared the comments of Rough on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing, quite frankly, furious at the pundit’s remarks.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to Alan Rough’s comments?

“He’s a nobody.”

@billyfaefife

“That’s disgraceful.”

@CraigSim

“What a disgrace.”

@iainmacrae

“Spoken like someone who is completely out of touch with modern society and football.”

@SandyG1410

“‘I don’t know maybe 6 or something’ – top quality punditry on PLZSoccer, maybe try and think before you speak? Absolutely disgraceful.”

@RangersRabble

“What the actual hell?”

@doolsy21

“What did I just hear? Absolute dinosaur. Shouldn’t be given a platform to speak on.”

@Sharpy1872

In other news: Gerrard set to pull plug as rivals near £300,000 move, claims Gers source – find out more here!