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Antonio Conte is reportedly very keen on signing Adama Traore for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Off the boil

There is no doubt that Traore has gone off the boil this season after his six goal and 12 assist haul in the 2019/20 term, with no goals or assists so far this campaign (Transfermarkt).

He can still be a right menace on his day, as Jurgen Klopp even went as far as to claim that he is ‘undefendable’ after an impressive display against Liverpool at Molineux back in March, and he still averages the most dribbles per game (4.7) out of any player in the Premier League.

Nonetheless, Traore is a unique asset despite his lack of numbers in terms of end product, and so it is no surprise at all to see Spurs interested in his signature.

The Latest: Conte keen

As per The Daily Telegraph, Conte is very keen on a move for Traore, and is a long-term admirer of the Wolves machine.

They cite that the North London club tried to get him on loan in the summer transfer window when Nuno Espirito Santo was still in charge, and now Conte wants Daniel Levy to table an offer that would make the Wanderers think about selling him.

Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold has also claimed that Fabio Paratici is ‘a fan’ of Traore, and so it is a move that certainly looks possible.

The Verdict: Makes sense

Given that Traore is used to playing in a preferred formation should be natural to him.

He is a player that Conte likes, and so the Italian manager will surely already have plans to get the best out of him and suit his style of play, perhaps in the right-wing back role that Victor Moses thrived in at Chelsea.

Nonetheless, with his superior dribbling ability, Traore would offer the Lilywhites something different and more direct going forward, and at 25 years of age, still has a lot of room for improvement.

Of course, he needs to work on being more ruthless in front of goal, but it is no less exciting to see what Conte could do with him on and off the field.

In other news, find out which THFC player Conte is particularly in awe of here!

Speaking to Tribal Football, journalist Rudy Galetti has shared an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer plans involving Juventus star Juan Cuadrado.

The Lowdown: Paratici eyeing free deals…

Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici have reportedly been eyeing up players on dwindling contracts as the club aim to back manager Antonio Conte with low cost, effective options.

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There have been many links to soon to be out-of-contract stars over the last few months with the likes of Paulo Dybala (Juventus) and Sam Johnstone (West Brom) coming up as most recent examples.

Ahead of Conte’s first full campaign in 2022/2023, this summer window could be crucial as the club and chairman Daniel Levy aim to back the Italian in transforming Spurs back into an elite Premier League side.

The Latest: Galetti makes Cuadrado claim…

Speaking to TF, journalist Galetti says Paratici and co are ‘chasing’ another imminent free agent in Cuadrado.

Tottenham have apparently made contact with the Colombian’s representative, Alessandro Lucci, with Conte ‘crying out’ for a new right-wing-back option amid his dis-satisfaction over Emerson Royal.

Despite the electric form of Matt Doherty, Spurs’ head coach still wants to strengthen on the right-hand side, resulting in the Lilywhites now ‘working hard’ to sign his former player in Cuadrado.

The Verdict: Good option?

Tottenham and Paratici spent a lot of January attempting to negotiate a deal to sign Adama Traore with Conte seeking a makeshift RWB option.

After Barcelona hijacked that move, you could say Doherty’s brilliant performances have arguably masked over Spurs’ transfer blunder, but Conte may need to re-visit the position again to add further steel.

Cuadrado, who could join for free if he doesn’t extend in Turin, may well be a shrewd option.

Indeed, the South American has averaged a higher league match rating (7.21) than any Spurs player over 2021/2022 bar Harry Kane (7.36) and Son Heung-min (7.38), according to WhoScored.

He’s a consistent threat in the attacking positions with only Son and Dejan Kulusevski making more key passes per 90 in the final third than Cuadrado this season (WhoScored).

The £152,000-per-week star may well be a suitable solution for Conte on the right.

In other news: Tottenham eye agreement ‘in the coming weeks’ as they make offer for exciting midfielder, find out more here.

There is ‘absolutely zero chance’ that Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool to join Chelsea this summer, according to journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Salah linked with Chelsea move

The Egyptian played a key role in the Reds’ 2-0 win at home to Southampton on Saturday night as the Premier League champions picked up a crucial three points. Salah teed up Sadio Mane for the opening goal at Anfield, before Thiago sealed the win with a late strike in front of the Kop end.

A transfer claim from Christian Falk earlier in the week suggested that Liverpool’s number 11 was being eyed up by Chelsea, with a return to Stamford Bridge mooted for the 28-year-old.

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The Latest: Pearce laughs off Salah rumour

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after the victory over Saints, Pearce said that a return to Stamford Bridge simply won’t happen, with the Reds desperate to keep hold of Salah. He outlined:

“There is absolutely zero chance that Salah goes to Chelsea this summer. Liverpool have no intention of selling him and certainly if he did ever leave it wouldn’t be to another English club.”I struggle to believe he’s even on a shortlist because Chelsea will know it’s impossible.”

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The Verdict: Salah to stay put

Despite constant murmurings surrounding Salah’s future, it would be a huge surprise if he ended up leaving Anfield in the summer transfer window.

For starters, he appears happy at Liverpool, with 29 goals in a tough season proof that he is still giving his all, while the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid are in no financial position to spend fortunes on players these days.

The idea of Salah moving to Chelsea is indeed a laughable one – why would Jurgen Klopp even entertain the idea of making a direct rival far stronger? – so it is a transfer rumour which seemingly has no legs, as Pearce has hinted.

In other news, one Liverpool attacking player has been tipped to leave the club this summer. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Nicolo Zaniolo to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte are planning to send a club official to watch the AS Roma midfielder in action against Leicester City on Thursday night – when Brendan Rodgers’ side face Jose Mourinho’s men in the Europa Conference League semi-final first leg at the King Power Stadium.

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Further reports claim that Newcastle United and Manchester United are also tracking the 22-year-old, with whom the Serie A side may be willing to part this summer – as long as they were to receive a figure of £40m for his services, while the Italy international himself is believed to be demanding a deal worth £95k-per-week in a move away from the Stadio Olimpico.

He’s perfect for Conteball

With Zaniolo being a versatile, creative and forward-thinking midfielder – the type of player which, at present, Tottenham’s midfield is desperately lacking – it is easy to see why Paratici and Conte would be interested in a move for the Roma prodigy this summer.

While it is true that the 22-year-old has suffered a number of injury setbacks in his short career – something which has seen his game time limited this season – it is undeniable that the former Inter Milan starlet is a player who boasts a significant amount of both ability and potential.

Indeed, this is talent the £29.7m-rated dynamo has demonstrated over his seven Conference League outings this term, scoring four goals, registering four assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.3 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £75k-per-week sensation who Stefano Vecchi dubbed a “part-Gerrard, part-Lampard” midfielder average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as Roma’s second-best performer in the competition but also as the joint 15th-best player in the tournament as a whole.

The Italian has also impressed over his 25 Serie A outings this season, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking 2.6 shots, making one key pass and completing 2.2 dribbles – the joint second-most in the league – per fixture.

Furthermore, despite suffering two ACL ruptures and still being just 22 years of age, Zaniolo – who is comfortable when deployed in central midfield, attacking midfield, on the right-wing or up top – has already racked up 105 appearances for the Giallorossi, scoring 21 goals and registering 14 assists along the way.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the player who Cristiano Masitto labelled “ingenious,” “devastating” and a “game-changer” is very much all three of these things, while it is also evident that a talent with Zaniolo’s skillset would be something of a perfect fit for Conteball.

This, then, leads us to believe that Paratici must do all he can to get a deal over the line for the 22-year-old this summer, as £40m could very quickly look to be something of a steal for a prospect as bright as the Roma starlet.

AND in other news: Source: Close friend of Conte now drops significant Spurs exit claim, it’s a big twist

Manchester City are reportedly considering a move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot this summer and the Frenchman would arguably be a better fit in Pep Guardiola’s side than Borrusia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.

What’s the word?

According to Calcio Mercato (via Sport Witness), Juventus are planning on selling the former PSG man this summer, which has alerted both Barcelona and Manchester City, who have ‘begun to follow’ the French international.

Despite finding his feet in Turin after a difficult start, it is claimed that Andrea Pirlo wants to make improvements to his midfield in the summer, so Rabiot could be one who is moved on in order to raise some funds for transfers.

A better fit than Zakaria?

Man City have also been heavily linked with a move for Swiss international Denis Zakaria ahead of the summer window and since they both play in midfield, you would imagine that it would be one or the other, rather than both, for the Citizens ahead of next season.

Zakaria is more of a defensive-minded midfielder, whereas Rabiot can play further forward, and yet the 25-year-old Juventus man seemingly has had the edge when it comes to defensive statistics this season.

He has averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.2 aerials won per game in Serie A so far this season, whereas Zakaria has averaged 1.1 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 0.6 aerials won per game in the Bundesliga.

The 24-year-old has also struggled with injury problems in recent seasons which seem to have had a serious impact on his performances, as this season has seen him earn a poor 6.4 average rating compared to last season’s superb 7.15/10 average rating in the German top-flight.

Rabiot also triumphs over Zakaria when it comes to passing, as he has averaged far more passes and key passes per game than the Swiss midfielder, whilst his pass accuracy rate, in general, is higher than the Monchengladbach midfielder.

The £28.8 million-rated Rabiot has earned a lot of praise from Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon in his time at the club, with the ‘keeper suggesting in 2019 that:

“He is a fantastic mix, he has the physical strength of Pogba, who is like a wardrobe, has the personality of Vidal and potentially the dynamism of Marchisio.

“He is incredible, extremely strong. He needs to improve his timing when approaching the opponent’s penalty area but he can become a player with 10 goals per season.”

Given Rabiot’s solid performances in Serie A and in the Champions League this season, therefore, you could argue that he would be a better signing than Zakaria this summer, so sporting director Txiki Begiristain should try and bring him to the Etihad.

And, in other news… Txiki should seal City swoop for £31.5m-rated beast who broke Cristiano Ronaldo’s record

Newcastle United could repeat their Callum Wilson masterclass this summer with Fulham star Tosin Adarabioyo.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that Steve Bruce’s side are one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing the 6 foot 5 powerhouse this summer after the Cottagers’ relegation back to the Championship last season.

And, in response to the links, former Magpies ace Howey told The Transfer Tavern: “Normally what tends to happen is clubs that get relegated, other clubs will pick the carcass off it and they just pick the best players. Look at what happened to Bournemouth last year, for example. Decent player. Could he perform even better with some solid players around him? You know, possibly.”

Another Callum Wilson masterclass

As Howey says, when clubs get relegated from the Premier League, they leave themselves open to the vultures circling and swooping in on their best players.

The Magpies did that to great effect last summer when they signed both Wilson and teammate Ryan Fraser from Bournemouth, and while the latter had an injury-hit campaign that has seen him yet to deliver the goods, the former was a real shining light.

The England international bagged 12 goals in his 26 Premier League games for the Tyneside club, and proved that there is real value for money and quality in teams that have gone down.

And in Adarabioyo, Newcastle could do exactly that again.

Having been described as a “high quality, class player” and “immense” by Tony Mowbray, his former boss at Blackburn, Adarabioyo has the kind of pedigree which could really bolster Bruce’s side.

Mowbray said: “The reason we brought him was because of his attributes. He’s 6ft 5in, he’s very very quick, his distribution is as a good as any centre-back in the division.”

It’s no surprise that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has previously called him “exceptional”, or why Newcastle are keen on landing the £60k-a-week earning powerhouse this summer.

Adarabioyo could be another Wilson-esque masterclass for the Magpies and Mike Ashley.

Nottingham Forest have had their fair share of players that have come and gone from the City Ground over the years.

The Reds finished 17th in the Championship in the 2020/21 season, in what was certainly a forgetful season for Chris Hughton and the club’s supporters.

It’s going to be an interesting summer ahead, as the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss looks to make changes ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign.

Forest are set to take on Coventry City on the opening weekend of fixtures, in what could potentially be a tricky test for the Reds, as they look to get off to a winning start next term.

One player that is unlikely to be involved in the matchday squad for that clash against the Sky Blues is defender Nicholas Ioannou, who has found regular game time hard to come by at the City Ground in recent months.

The full-back signed for Nottingham Forest back in 2020 and has gone on to make just five appearances in total for the former Premier League side.

Ioannou spent part of the 2020/21 campaign out on loan with Cypriot side Aris Thessaloniki, and made ten appearances in total for them, before returning to the City Ground this summer.

The ‘deadwood’ needs clearing out

It remains to be seen if he has a future with Nottingham Forest, with Sky Sports (via Calciomercato) revealing that Ioannou as emerged as a potential transfer target for Serie B side Como 1907.

It is thought that a loan move is the most likely option, although the report doesn’t claim whether it’s a permanent or loan deal at this stage.

A clear-out of the ‘deadwood’ is certainly needed at Nottingham Forest, and if they can replace that ‘deadwood’ with smart signings over the summer, then it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise to see Forest mounting a serious push for a top-half finish this term under Hughton’s management.

They’ve got the makings of a solid squad there at this moment in time, with the likes of Joe Lolley, Lewis Grabban and Joe Worrall showing glimpses of their quality in recent seasons, although they’ve found consistency hard to find at times in their time with Forest.

They’re simply putting off the inevitable this summer

Ioannou hasn’t made an anywhere near good enough impact in his time with Forest though, and the club should be looking to cash in on him at the earliest of opportunities.

A loan move to Como 1907 this summer would only be putting off the inevitable permanent exit, and his reported £4,000 per week wages (according to Salary Sport) could be used on a better alternative, who will be keen to make a positive impact in the near future.

Ioannou has to be sold as he’s simply not good enough.

Luke Edwards has dropped a quite damning arbitration claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United, via Twitter.

The Daily Telegraph journalist has recently been reacting to a report from the Daily Mail that claimed that the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who was part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium looking to buy the St. James’ Park faithful, urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to intervene in the deal between the group and Mike Ashley by correcting the Premier League’s ‘wrong conclusion’ in terms of their decision to block the bid.

As relayed by the Daily Mirror, the Government have since denied that Mr Johnson intervened and that they were ‘not involved at any point’ in the takeover discussions.

Nonetheless, Edwards has since given his thoughts on his official Twitter page over the urging of MBS for the PM to intervene, tweeting that he thinks that it is a ‘massive own goal’ with regards to the pending arbitration case between the North East club and the top flight.

This is because he feels that it shows a connection between the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), of which MBS is chairman of, and the Saudi state, one which the PL’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test (ODT) condemns, as they want it to be shown that they are separate entities.

Newcastle takeover in danger?

Given the forcefulness of MBS to try and get the takeover pushed through, and his connection with PIF, of which he is chairman of, who were part of the KSA consortium, it could be difficult to prove that PIF and the Saudi state are separate entities.

If the top flight still believe the two parties are connected it would spell trouble for the potential bid, and as Edwards points out, MBS has done no one any favours in trying to disprove that by publicly getting involved.

Nonetheless, perhaps the arbitration hearing between the Tyneside club and the PL could yet throw up a positive result for the Magpies, meaning that a takeover should not be ruled out just yet.

In other news, find out what emails show a Premier League U-turn on a takeover decision here!

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce has suffered a major transfer blow in the chase for Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days had suggested that the Gunners youngster, who was on loan at St James’ Park for the Premier League season just gone by, is open to making the move to Tyneside.

Now, Football Insider claim that the Magpies may not even have the finances to pull off such a deal.

The report reveals that Bruce has been informed by the club that he will receive a budget of just £10m and that Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is refusing to spend big while takeover talks continue.

It’s added: “The bombshell rules out the possibility of Newcastle signing Joe Willock permanently from Arsenal after his dazzling loan. That is now a non-starter unless United cash in on one of their few stars capable of generating a £20m-plus transfer fee.”

Fans will be fuming

After seeing him score on his Newcastle debut against Southampton earlier in the Premier League campaign, Bruce claimed that Willock has the style of play from which his side could really benefit.

He said: “It was a classic midfield player’s goal from the ability to arrive in the box, and that’s what he’s brought us. He can go box-to-box, he’s a terrific athlete, the kid, a typical modern-day midfield player who has the ability to get up and down the pitch quickly and has that added ability to score a goal.”

And, when you look at the rest of the Newcastle midfield, Willock really does solve a major Bruce nightmare.

The 21-year-old’s eight goals from midfield are far more than what the rest of Newcastle’s midfield options have managed this season, with Jeff Hendrick the next closest with just the two in the league.

It’s exactly why then that news that Bruce will have such a measly budget to work with in this transfer window will surely have fans fuming at Ashley and his reluctance to open up his chequebook to strengthen the squad.

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A move for Willock in particular isn’t a typical transfer gamble given what he’s already shown while on loan, and it makes the Newcastle owner’s decision to not at least release the funds to just sign him on a permanent basis incredibly baffling.

Meanwhile, Newcastle must land this defender who bullied Ivan Toney…

Newcastle United were put to the sword by a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Manchester United as they fell to a disappointing 4-1 defeat away at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.

Steve Bruce’s side couldn’t stop the Red Devils’ recently arrived Portuguese superstar as he scored a brace, and while they did get back on level terms at 1-1 thanks to a goal from Javier Manquillo, it felt almost inevitable that United’s pressure would eventually tell.

While Freddie Woodman had a day to forget in between the sticks as he let in a couple of cheap goals, Isaac Hayden’s performance was equally worrying and concerning.

His cause certainly wasn’t helped by the fact he was thrust into a centre-back role against a United side teeming with superb attacking players, and that unfamiliarity really told with his positioning and sense of marking.

As per Sofascore, he lost the only duel that he was involved in, which is incredibly disappointing for a defender – to put that into context, Joe Willock won a mammoth 13 of the 14 that he contested.

Hayden also made no tackles and just the one interception, while only one of his six attempted long balls found its mark – either defensively or on the ball, the former Arsenal starlet just couldn’t get going or find his footing in the game.

That was reflected in some of the post-match player ratings handed out after the game, with The Shields Gazette’s Miles Starforth giving him a five, and saying: “Recalled in defence after recovering from a knee injury, had a challenging afternoon.”

And for The Independent, Jamie Braidwood also gave him a five, adding: “Lost Ronaldo for United’s opener and was then beaten by the Portuguese for his second goal after the break. Was playing out of position and it showed at times.”

Hayden’s display was incredibly lightweight in a game where he needed to stand strong in the face of intense pressure.

While Woodman will take the brunt of the criticism, and understandably so, Hayden’s performance did nothing to stop Ronaldo or United in their tracks.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United have an exciting academy talent in this star…