Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur forward Steven Bergwijn.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, following reports that suggest the 24-year-old could be set to leave Spurs this summer, there is indeed a serious chance that the Netherlands international moves onto pastures new in the coming weeks – particularly since Fabio Paratici’s capture of Ivan Perisic.

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In his tweet, the transfer insider said: “There is a serious chance for Steven Bergwijn to leave Tottenham in the summer, as Perisic is joining the club too. The plan is still the same. Ajax have his name on their list since January but there are many clubs interested in him, race still open.”

Supporters will be buzzing

While it is undeniable that Bergwijn is a player who boasts a great deal of talent and potential for future growth, when considering his current market valuation, hefty weekly wage and lack of game time under Antonio Conte, the news that the winger is set to depart north London this summer is sure to have left the Tottenham faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the £26m-rated forward has started just one Premier League fixture since the Italian’s appointment as Nuno Espirito Santo’s successor last November, playing a total of 275 league minutes over the past six months.

Furthermore, with the Dutchman reported to be earning around £75k-per-week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – ranking him as the club’s seventh-highest paid player – it is clear that if the 24-year-old is set to remain a backup option for Conte in 2022/23, this is money that could easily be put to better use by the 52-year-old in the summer market.

As such, while Bergwijn has provided Spurs with some memorable moments during his two and a half year stay – including a stunning volley in a 2-0 win over Manchester City on his debut and a stoppage-time brace to seal an incredible 3-2 comeback victory over Leicester City earlier this season – the fact that the former PSV Eindhoven starlet looks set to move on to pastures new this summer is undoubtedly a good move by Paratici, Conte, Daniel Levy and the club.

AND in other news: Contact made: Paratici in talks for £99k-p/w Spurs target, he’s “similar to Laporte”

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Giorgi Mamardashvili to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Marca, who claim that Fabio Paratici has now joined the race to sign the Valencia goalkeeper, with Manchester United having already made contact with the LaLiga side regarding a deal for the 21-year-old.

The report goes on to state that, with Los Che needing to raise around €70m (£60m) from player sales in order to balance their books, Jose Bordalas’ side would be open to the sale of the Georgia international this summer – with the shot-stopper reported to have a €20m (£17m) release clause written into his contract at The Mestalla.

The next Jan Oblak

Considering the sheer amount of potential Mamardashvili undoubtedly possesses, it is easy to see why Paratici would be interested in a deal to bring the ‘keeper to north London this summer – especially for a figure of just £17m.

Indeed, the £4.5m-rated talent highly impressed over his 18 LaLiga appearances this season, keeping eight clean sheets and making an average of 3.1 saves per game – the joint fifth-most in the league.

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These returns saw the £13k-per-week shot-stopper who Xisco Munoz claimed can have “brutal growth” and Jacek Kulig dubbed Jan “Oblak-esque” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking him as Bordalas’ fourth-best performer in the Spanish top flight.

Furthermore, according to FBref data, the 21-year-old also ranks in the top 8% of goalkeepers in Europe’s big five leagues for saves made per 90, as well as the top 4% for clean sheets, the top 23% for goals conceded, the top 9% for goal-kick distance, the top 24% for crosses stopped and the top 29% for defensive actions outside of the penalty area over the last 365 days.

As such, with the 35-year-old Hugo Lloris being no spring chicken, and Mamardashvili clearly being an exceptionally talented young goalkeeper, it would appear highly advisable for Paratici to do everything he can to land the Georgian ahead of Manchester United this summer.

Indeed, should the Valencia starlet continue his extraordinary rate of development following a £17m switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Italian sporting director could well have sealed a player who could go on to become the next Oblak – the Atletico Madrid number one who had a £70m asking price last year – for Spurs.

AND in other news: “Understood to be keen”: Gold drops big Spurs transfer claim that supporters will love

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could well prove to be the deciding factor in any move for Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the respected insider suggested that Arteta’s links to the forward – having previously worked under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad as assistant manager – may well help tempt the 25-year-old into a move to north London.

Amid reports linking the 54-cap international to the Emirates, O’Rourke revealed that both the Gunners boss and their Brazilian contingent could have an impact on the move going ahead: “I think the opportunity to work under Mikel Arteta again would be a big factor in any decision from Jesus and there’s quite a few Brazilian players at Arsenal as well, which would maybe make it easier for him to settle in if he were to leave the Etihad for the Emirates.

“Arsenal are going the right way under Mikel Arteta, I think it’s fair to say, so I’m sure it’s something that he would definitely consider if Arsenal do follow up their interest.”

This latest claim follows centre-back Gabriel teasing a move for his compatriot to join him at the club, with a new striker seemingly on the agenda despite Eddie Nketiah nearing a contract renewal.

Supporters buzzing

That update from O’Rourke will only get pulses racing among Gunners supporters, with Jesus an ideal fit to solve their centre-forward woes, particularly with experienced marksman Alexandre Lacazette looking set for a departure.

In truth, while it had been a turbulent last 18 months or so prior to his eventual exit in January, former skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has no doubt left a notable void in Arteta’s squad, with the Gabon international having scored 68 Premier League goals during a four-year spell at the club.

In the most recent campaign, the squad’s highest scorer was Bukayo Saka with 12 goals in all competitions, although only two other players got into double figures, with that shortage of goals potentially proving costly in their failure to secure a top-four berth.

That is where the City gem comes in, with the £45m-rated hotshot having scored 13 goals and registered 12 assists across all fronts in the 2021/22 season for the title winners, notably bagging four in a brutal dismantling of Watford back in April.

As well as offering versatility, having featured on either flank or through the middle during his time in England, the 5 foot 9 speedster also offers a wealth of experience when it comes to lifting silverware, including winning four league titles in just the last five seasons.

In what remains a youthful squad in north London, adding a player of such elite calibre could well prove a real masterstroke, with supporters set to be ecstatic at managing to pluck such a gifted asset from a Premier League rival.

Although it is perhaps a worrying thought that City are so well-stocked that they are potentially happy to cash in on a player who has scored 95 goals in 236 games for the club since his £27m arrival back in 2016, it would remain a coup for Arsenal nonetheless.

Having fallen short in their bid to secure Champions League football for the first time since 2017, the club – and its supporters – will no doubt be optimistic that Jesus can finally get them over the line next term.

IN other news, Vieira 2.0: Arsenal gifted chance to sign “top-class” £25m ace, he could guarantee UCL…

Manchester United are close to a deal for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong in a major update shared on Thursday.

The Lowdown: Contact made

Erik ten Hag previously worked with the 25-year-old at Ajax and has made a head start on an Old Trafford rebuild by terminating his deal with the Dutch giants six weeks early.

The Red Devils made contact over a deal for De Jong earlier this month, as reported by Fabrizio Romano.

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Romano stated earlier this week that Champions League football was a priority for De Jong, something United can’t offer at this moment in time, however, it looks as if there has now been a big breakthrough in talks.

The Latest: Move close

The Faithful MUFC translated an update from well-known news outlet Corriere dello Sport on Thursday regarding De Jong.

They state that De Jong is next to pack his bags at the Nou Camp after Philippe Coutinho’s permanent move to Aston Villa and won’t be the last due to Barcelona’s financial situation, adding that a transfer to United is now close.

The Verdict: Ten Hag set to get his way

Should this report prove accurate, then it looks as if United are edging closer to a first major transfer under Ten Hag. The United manager wanted to change De Jong’s mind over a reunion in England and is keen on his services for his ‘tactical ideas’.

It appears like he may now get his way, and you’d like to think that De Jong may not be the only midfielder to arrive, especially as Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata are out of contract, while Nemanja Matic is also set to leave over the coming months.

De Jong could be the club’s only out and out central midfielder, joining holding midfielders Scott McTominay and Fred and attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes, which just shows that more is required.

In other news: Man Utd source: Sensational transfer twist as Erik ten Hag now hijacking move for ‘golden boy’. 

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has backed the Reds to sign either Declan Rice or Kalvin Phillips during the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Midfield addition in?

The Reds are likely to look to sign a midfielder between now and the start of the season, with fresh blood required in an ageing area of the pitch.

Jordan Henderson is arguably not quite the player he was and Naby Keita is inconsistent, so a third player to accompany Fabinho and Thiago is perhaps needed.

As such, Aurelien Tchouameni has been linked with a move, but could a player closer to home come in?

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The Latest: Murphy backs Reds to sign England star

Speaking to talkSPORT [via Liverpool Echo], Murphy urged Liverpool to bring in either Rice or Phillips, both of whom have been hailed as ‘superb’ by Barcelona manager Xavi:

“I’d be going all out for (Declan) Rice or (Kalvin) Phillips. English, hungry, someone you know will be around for a long time, can come in hit the ground running, that’s where I’d be looking.”

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The Verdict: Seems unlikely

Both Rice and Phillips are undoubtedly excellent footballers who have become key individuals for England, helping them reach the final of Euro 2020 last summer.

However, it is hard to envisage either of them heading to Liverpool this summer, with the former expected to stay put at West Ham for one more season.

Meanwhile, Manchester City have been linked with a move for Phillips and the Reds could end up finding themselves out-priced by the 26-year-old’s bloated homegrown fee.

In other news, James Pearce has dropped a key Liverpool update. Read more here.

Manchester United have had their hopes of signing Juventus defender Merih Demiral boosted.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Italian outlet Tutto Atalanta, via Sport Witness, who claim that the Turkish defender could be “sacrificed” from a Juventus perspective in other to bolster their transfer kitty from what would be an immediate sale.

In a report that mentions both Manchester United and Real Madrid among top European destinations, it is said that the Red Devils are “above all” in the list of European outfits who are ready to move for the defender – this despite the fact that Los Blancos “moved first” for the transfer of the 24-year-old.

In the same report, it is stated that two clubs may “already have an agreement in principle”, with United anticipated to be one of those clubs, particularly with the Premier League side now in pole position for the signature.

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In order for the transfer to work, it would copy the model that saw Spurs sign Christian Romero from Atalanta, in which they bought Romero and immediately sold him.

With Atalanta intending to trigger the buy-option to sign the £27m-rated Turkish defender from Juventus, they could immediately sell him to the likes of United in a replica model to that used in the case of Romero.

Better than Varane

In Demiral, we are talking about a player who has been more defensively sound than Raphael Varane across the last 365 days, as per FBref.

After spending this season on loan at Atalanta, Demiral has been able to demonstrate his acumen in six apiece in the Champions League and Europa League, respectively.

His ability to pressure the opposition has been his biggest asset this year, putting up an astonishing average of 14.93 pressures per 90, with 7.35 occurring in the defensive third and 7.03 in the middle third also. With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise to see him described as an “absolute beast” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

In comparison, Varane’s numbers falter, with his average of 8.08 pressures almost not worth comparing.

It’s the same for the majority of defensive metrics, with Demiral topping the Frenchman for tackles, interceptions and blocks per 90 minutes. Though it is worth noting that the World Cup winner is more accomplished in possession.

That said, they are two players with different defensive approaches. Demiral can play the Vidic role for Ten Hag in United’s back-line with his ball-winning ability.

In other news: Ten Hag can find his own “Ibrahimovic” for MUFC in deal for “lanky” £21m “machine” 

Liverpool have their final trophy challenge this weekend with the Champions League final coming up against Real Madrid, and now a reliable source has revealed a major injury update ahead of the clash.

What’s the latest?

According to Northern correspondent for The Times Paul Joyce, Thiago Alcantara has a good chance of being fit for the Champions League final on Saturday night.

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Joyce tweeted: “Jurgen Klopp said Thiago Alcantara has a good chance of making the Champions League final. He will train this afternoon [Wednesday].”

The midfielder was sidelined with an Achilles injury late into the first half of the final Premier League game of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Supporters will be excited

There is no doubt that supporters will be excited that the Spaniard could be fit for the game in Paris this weekend, especially with the news following a promising update on Fabinho who has returned to full training today.

Impressively, Liverpool have lost just one game with Thiago and Fabinho starting in the midfield since the former Bayern Munich star joined the team, so if the pair could be fit for the game against Real Madrid it would be a massive advantage for The Reds.

Thiago is an undeniable and powerful influence in Liverpool’s midfield with 70.2 touches, 1.2 key passes and 1.9 tackles on average per game, scoring once and contributing four assists, creating three big chances and proving successful in 63% of his dribbles over 25 appearances in the Premier League this season.

The Spaniard is no stranger to Champions League finals either, winning the prestigious European trophy twice once with Bayern Munich the summer before he moved to Merseyside and the other with Barcelona, so his experience in the competition will definitely be a huge advantage for Liverpool.

With that being said, Jurgen Klopp will be absolutely delighted with the progress his injured players have made over the last few weeks to ensure they can put themselves in contention for the final game of an incredible season for the Kopites and will be hoping that his team can pick up their third and final trophy on Saturday.

AND in other news: Forget Tchouameni: FSG can get Anfield rocking with LFC deal for “dangerous” £21m tank

Aston Villa have been heavily linked with Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma in recent months and it now seems as if they are among the favourites to sign the Malian this summer.

What’s the word?

After seeing a bid for the 25-year-old rejected by the Seagulls in January, it seems as if Steven Gerrard has reignited his interest in the former Lille man as he looks to strengthen his midfield options ahead of next season.

Although previous reports have suggested that he could cost as much as £70m and that Monaco were ready to submit a bid, journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Villa could be the favourites to bring him in over Tottenham Hotspur, who have also been credited with an interest.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “They’ll [Tottenham] have massive competition to sign Bissouma and it seems that he’s probably further along in negotiations with other clubs.

“Somebody like Aston Villa might already be in the lead with trying to get him.”

Should Villa sign Bissouma?

Of the Brighton players to make more than ten appearances in the Premier League last season, Bissouma was the top performer for Graham Potter’s side according to WhoScored, as they secured their highest-ever finish in the top flight.

This emphasises how important he is to the Seagulls and demonstrates why they value him so highly, but if Villa were able to convince him to make the move north, then they could have a top Premier League midfielder on their hands for potentially the next eight to ten years.

After an instrumental performance in a 1-0 win against Spurs last season, Potter sang the midfielder’s praises, saying:

“It is hard when you have a team performance like we did to single anyone out but tactically he was really good. He understood when to cover, release, put pressure on, and then you can see his qualities. His high-end actions are Champions League level. I think you saw the full array of his quality.”

If Villa do have European ambitions for next season, which their early signings suggest they do, then bringing in Bissouma could give them the extra quality in midfield they need to really push for a European spot, so supporters will surely be excited by this latest update from Jones.

And, in other news… Forget Suarez: Gerrard should unleash Villa’s “unsung hero” next season

Two years ago, selling Adama Traore might well have been unthinkable for a lot of Wolves fans.

However, given his disappointing form since then, Bruno Lage’s reported decision to sell the Spain winger this summer might well be the right one.

What’s the word?

According to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, the Old Gold will look to cash in on the 26-year-old this summer, with Barcelona set to turn down their option to purchase him after his loan spell at the Nou Camp this season.

Taylor told GiveMeSport: “I couldn’t rule it out [Traore staying] because, technically, Barcelona are not going to sign him and he’s going to return.

“But I think he’s only got a year left on his contract, so Wolves will be looking to move him on and use that cash to sort of bolster the options within their squad.”

Should Lage axe Traore?

Since joining Wolves from Middlesbrough in 2018, Traore has gone on to make 154 appearances for the Old Gold, in which he has contributed just 11 goals and 18 assists.

Other than a strong run of form in the 2019/20 season, when he managed four goals and nine assists and averaged an impressive 7.49 rating from WhoScored for his performances, the 26-year-old has been wildly inconsistent at Molineux.

His pace and power make him a serious threat on the counter but, on far too many occasions, his final ball was lacking in quality as he found himself in good positions out wide, with his disappointing 1.2 crosses per game average in 2019/20 his best return as a Wolves player.

Therefore, given the interest being reportedly shown in him by Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Leeds United, this summer represents the ideal time for Lage to cash in on Traore.

The former Aston Villa man is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt and his contract with Wolves expires next season, so the Old Gold would surely be best cashing in on him now rather than potentially losing him for nothing in 12 months’ time.

While he has certainly excited opposition managers and players during his time at Molineux, with Jurgen Klopp labelling him “unplayable” and Southampton’s Che Adams dubbing him a “monster”, Traore has sadly been far too inconsistent, and cashing in on him now would be the right decision by Lage.

In other news… Wolves are targeting this prolific Championship striker

Manchester City will be welcoming two new attacking players to their ranks in the coming weeks in the shape of Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland.

With the summer transfer window set to open in a matter of days, the Citizens have the chance to make it a hat-trick of attacking recruitments.

Last month, one journalist revealed on Twitter that City had started talks with Jorge Mendes, the agent of AC Milan winger Rafael Leao, some weeks ago over a potential summer switch to the Etihad Stadium.

The recently crowned Serie A champions signed the winger from French club Lille for a fee of £32m.

Since then, the 22-year-old has gone on to score 27 goals and deliver 21 assists in 115 appearances across all competitions.

Labelled as a “diamond” by Paolo Maldini, the £45m-rated youngster has also been praised for his “spectacular” performances on the international stage by Rolando Bianchi.

In 34 league appearances this season, the Portuguese attacker scored 11 goals and provided eight assists for his teammates, leaving him with more goal contributions than any other Milan player including Olivier Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

To further highlight his attacking talent, no other player at his current club managed to make as many successful dribbles (95), shot-creating actions (105), goal-creating actions (21), shots at goal (97) and shots on target (38) as the youngster.

His overall performances earned him an impressive season rating of 7.37 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated player at his current team and the second-highest rated player in the entire Italian top flight.

The winger has also been likened to Brazil’s legendary striker Ronaldo in terms of his “pace, technique and the quality of his finishing,” according to Leao’s former youth coach Tiago Fernandes.

Taking all of this into account, the prospect of giving Pep Guardiola his own version of Ronaldo alongside the likes of Haaland and Alvarez could be a frightening prospect for City’s opponents in the future.

While it would be safe to assume that the Serie A champions would rather keep hold of their star winger, City should do all they can to convince Milan to sell Leao and give him the chance to shine in the Premier League.

In other news: Pep can replicate Walker masterclass as Man City plot bid for £18m-rated “class act”