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Liverpool and another Premier League club are interested in signing a highly-rated young defender, according to his current club's president.

Liverpool transfer news

It remains to be seen if the Reds will do any key transfer business during the January window, but they have certainly been linked with plenty of players of late. For example, Anfield chiefs are reportedly looking to hijack Manchester United's move for impressive young Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, as Jurgen Klopp weighs up whether to bolster his defensive options or not.

Joel Matip's season-ending injury has acted as a major blow to the Reds manager, making it absolutely vital that Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate stay fit for long periods this season.

Away from the defence, Liverpool have been linked with a move for Barcelona winger Raphinha, with the former Leeds United man potentially leaving the La Liga giants in the near future. A stunning move for Paris Saint-Germain and France superstar Kylian Mbappe has been mooted, too, but it appears as though Real Madrid are in pole position to snap him up.

Liverpool want Kevin Mantilla

Speaking to La Voz [via Sport Witness], Talleres president Andres Fassi claimed Liverpool and Brighton are interested in signing centre-back Kevin Mantilla.

“It’s true, they have been following him for four months now. And they asked us for information about his physical records."

A report last year claimed that the Reds were keen on signing the 20-year-old, but a move has failed to come to fruition until this point. He is contracted to his current club until the summer of 2027, so it may take a hefty bid to prise him away any time soon.

Mantilla is still very much a player who is maturing, given his age, but he could be viewed as a long-term investment by Liverpool, coming in as a good backup option to begin with, and learning from playing alongside the likes of Van Dijk and Konate.

He is a 23-time capped Colombia Under-20 international, and assuming he continues on his current trajectory, he will surely make the step up to the senior international team at some point in the future.

Mantilla now has nine first-team appearances to his name for Tallares, and the fact that he can also slot in at both left-back and right-back at times could act as another reason to sign him for Klopp. The Liverpool manager is a fan of versatile players – the Reds have been linked with Sporting CP star Goncalo Inacio numerous times, who can play centrally and on the left-hand side of the defence – so it is a move that would make sense.

Liverpool could sign a bigger talent than Bradley in “sensational” 5 ft 10 gem

Jurgen Klopp’s side could make a shrewd January signing with this rising EFL star.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 13, 2024

Admittedly, the improved form of Joe Gomez this season and the emergence of youngster Jarell Quansah does mean the Reds are well-stocked at the back, even without Matip fit, but bringing in Mantilla at this point in his career would represent good business.

England director confirms that management had been bound by confidentiality until story was made public

George Dobell02-May-2019Ashley Giles has accepted that Alex Hales would still be in England’s World Cup squad if news of his drugs test failures had not been revealed by the media.But Giles, the England men’s team director, has also insisted that Hales has not been “deselected” as a direct result of that indiscretion. Instead, according to Giles, Hales was axed from England’s World Cup plans because of “a string of poor behaviour over time” and “the effect the [latest] news had on the players, the management and the captain”.Giles also confirmed that, while he was aware of Hales’ second drug test failure before the selection of England’s provisional 15-man World Cup squad – only Giles, Tom Harrison (the ECB’s CEO) and Nick Peirce (the ECB’s chief medical officer) were informed among ECB officials – he had not passed on the information to the selectors as he was “bound by a duty of confidentiality”.ALSO READ: ‘Breakdown in trust’ between Hales and team – Morgan”When the teams were selected, the selectors and the captain were unaware of any issue surrounding Alex,” Giles said. “The advice we got from our legal guys was categorically we had a duty of confidentiality which we stuck to. We couldn’t tell them, simple as that.”But once the story broke on Friday, the effect of it on the England environment – on the players, management and captain – was really strong. We’re building towards our biggest summer of cricket in 40-50 years and our responsibility is to making sure we’re in the best possible shape going into the World Cup. This became too big a distraction for our environment to have.”Speaking candidly on Thursday afternoon, England’s captain Eoin Morgan confirmed that he and the team’s senior players – Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes – had reached the conclusion that Hales’ place in their plans was untenable, due to a “lack of respect for [the team] values, and … a complete breakdown of trust”. Giles subsequently confirmed that he had been asked to take action.”Being at England’s camp in Wales and seeing the effect of that news, it was clear it wasn’t going to work,” he said. “There’s an element of trust in that environment and if that trust is not within the group, that’s a problem. I think that’s what occurred here. It could be seen that a string of poor behaviour over time has led us to this point.”There was consultation. The captain consulted with his senior players and I talked to the captain and the coach. I’m not a selector, but the selectors were unanimous in this decision, fully supported by myself and Tom Harrison that this was the right way to go.”While Giles was adamant the door had not been permanently closed on Hales’ England aspirations, he did confirm the player “had some making up to do”.”Alex has been an important part of this team’s journey over a period,” he said. “The door isn’t closed, whatever people think.”What we want to see is some really good behaviour over time and some good cricket, of course. We’re there to support him. I understand he’s going back to play for Notts but it’s important we have support from all corners, whether it be the PCA, the ECB or Notts. The player’s welfare is still fundamental. But there’s some making up to do, I’m sure.”Ashley Giles discusses selection matters with England’s Test captain, coach and selector•Getty ImagesGiles seemed particularly underwhelmed by the statement from Hales’ management team which suggested that previous assurances from Giles that Hales’ World Cup place would not be affected were “rendered meaningless” by the subsequent decision to ‘deselect’ him.”I didn’t think that statement was particularly good, but he’s clearly disappointed and we get that,” Giles said. “We – Tom Harrison and I – kept our part of the bargain and maintained our integrity throughout this. Someone else clearly didn’t. That’s the problem.”We said no off-the-field incident could have a bearing on World Cup selection. We stand by that. Any process, whether it be discipline or otherwise, you can’t have double jeopardy.”At the same time, Tom and I can’t make guarantees on selection because we’re not selectors. That’s not handing over responsibility, but we assured him in this case that, for this off-the-field incident, it could not have a bearing on World Cup selection.”But once the story broke, the effect was really strong. It was too big a distraction for our environment to have. So yes, of course, had the story not been made public, the environment would not have been affected and he could have stayed in the side.”Giles also confirmed that England’s policies on the issue of recreational drugs may need to change. While he accepted the current guidelines had been put in place to avoid a recurrence of the Tom Maynard tragedy in 2012 – many felt Maynard may not have attempted a desperate escape from the police if he was less fearful of the repercussions to his career of a potential drugs test failure – he conceded they required reviewing in light of the Hales case.”The worst thing we could do is bury our heads in the sand and go, let’s hope this doesn’t happen again,” Giles said. “If policies need reviewing, that’s what we have to do to make sure next time things work much smoother.”Let’s remember why it was put in place. That policy was put in place after the Tom Maynard situation, a terrible situation, where if we had something like this in place, maybe that could have been avoided. But whether it operates right or not, that’s what needs review.”

Liverpool are reportedly eyeing a move for a "superb" young player in the January transfer window, potentially seeing him as a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah.

Mohamed Salah's Liverpool future

Salah's future has been a major talking point of late, with the 31-year-old the subject of a huge £150m bid from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad last summer. The Reds rejected their advances, ensuring their star player stayed put for another season, but their interest is almost certain to return later this year, and there is another unnamed Middle East club in contact for Salah now too.

Liverpool will no doubt be braced for offers for the Egyptian superstar, who continues to stand out as comfortably his side's most relentless attacking player, and he will have to make a big decision over his future at the end of the season. His contract is up at Anfield next year, so he will either have to sign an extension in 2024, or find a new challenge.

The better outcome is to see Salah remain on Merseyside, considering he is still one of the best players in world football, but if he does move on, it is essential that the Reds bring in a spectacular replacement during the summer transfer window.

Liverpool eyeing Johan Bakayoko

According to Caught Offside, PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko is seen as a target for Liverpool, with a move even potentially happening this month, due to Salah's involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations.

"Sources with a close understanding of the situation inside Anfield have informed CaughtOffside that Liverpool have as many as six main names on their list of targets for defence, midfield, and attack, with the latter being something they could be tempted to look at closely this January due to the absence of Mohamed Salah, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt."

Bakayoko looks like a player of immense potential, being hailed as a "superb" footballer by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and enjoying a wonderful season for PSV to date, chipping in with 11 goal contributions (three goals and eight assists) in 16 Eredivisie appearances.

Johan Bakayoko's Eredivisie stats this season

Total

Appearances

16

Starts

14

Goals

3

Assists

8

Dribbles per game

3.3

Key passes per game

2.7

Still only 20 years of age, Bakayoko has Salah's ability to cut inside onto his left foot from a right-sided attacking role, and he is already producing such impressive levels of end product, despite his tender years. While the Belgian likely wouldn't be able to come straight in and hit the heights of the Liverpool legend from the off, he could be an eye-catching long-term addition at Anfield, with his potential clearly through the roof.

Bakayoko could even be a great signing even if Salah stays this summer, arriving as a squad player, before eventually usurping the Egypt legend when he does finally drift past his peak.

After suffering play-off heartbreak in the Championship last season, Middlesbrough were tasked with going again in the current campaign under Michael Carrick. So far this season, however, they have failed to reach the same heights as last time out, having taken an age to get going and even flirting with the relegation zone in what was a disastrous start. Carrick's side have fought back to at least put themselves within three points of the top six, but right now they remain on course for even more disappointment.

The January transfer window could yet turn things around entirely though, with those at the Riverside Stadium reportedly eyeing a move to bring in a Premier League player who could help solve Middlesbrough's problems in the January transfer window.

Middlesbrough transfer news

The summer transfer window was always going to leave Middlesbrough struggling to get off to a good start, given that they lost Chuba Akpom in a big move to Ajax. Akpom's stats last season show just how important he was for the club, with his 28 Championship goals firing his side into the play-offs in a sensational season.

Carrick failed to replace those goals, with Middlesbrough's top scorer so far this season, Latte Lath, sitting on just six goals in 16 games. Perhaps aware of just how difficult it will be to replicate Akpom's output, however, Boro are reportedly focusing on defensive reinforcements.

According to the Sunderland Echo, Middlesbrough are eyeing a move for Joe Worrall. The Nottingham Forest defender hasn't been a consistent starter for Steve Cooper's side in the Premier League this season and could be handed the chance to get some crucial minutes in a step-down to the Championship. Considering his experience of successful promotion from England's second tier, Worrall could certainly become a key asset for Carrick, if Middlesbrough push ahead and secure a deal.

"Tremendous" Worrall could be key for Middlesbrough promotion

To say that Middlesbrough would benefit from welcoming a Premier League captain is an understatement. The Championship side sits so close, but still too far away from the play-off spots and must bridge the gap using the January transfer window. Worrall's stats show that when he has been given a starting place for Forest in the Premier League this season, he has been more than capable of stepping up. Compared to Boro centre-back Paddy McNair too, he stands out.

At his best, Worrall has been at the centre of praise from Cooper, who said via The Nottingham Post after handing the defender the captain's armband:

"Joe is a tremendous lad and really embodies everything we're looking to create here at the club. Since the day I walked into the building it was clear Joe has the respect of the dressing room and his performances on the pitch are full of drive, leadership and quality which is something that inspires those around him. I'm looking forward to seeing him continue to grow and flourish in his new role ahead of what will be an exciting season for the club.

Phil Parkinson speaks openly about the rivalry between Wrexham and Stockport County as the clubs climb the EFL ladder together.

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• Wrexham & Stockport have become rivals
• Two title races in three seasons
• Parkinson explains how it will continue

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In addition to the relative geographic proximity – about 50 miles separate the working class towns – adding spice, Parkinson explained that the clubs are likely to be competing for the same players in the transfer window this summer as they each build a squad to be competitive in League One.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This was the second time in three seasons that Wrexham and Stockport have battled for a league title. Back in 2021-22, when there was only one automatic promotion place out of the National League, it was the latter who were victorious as Wrexham fell in the play-offs. Stockport then ended up losing last season's League Two play-off final as Wrexham won the National League, serving to reunite them. It was predicted from the start of the campaign that they would go head-to-head once more, which proved to be the case. Both sealed automatic promotion on the same day, but Stockport got the last laugh by topping it off with the league title, despite losing at the Racecourse on the final day.

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Via , Parkinson said: "There is an edge between us and Stockport after the year we had in the National League. We have been progressing together. Everyone has said they are ahead of us in terms of that progression. They’ve had longer in [League Two]. Also, they’ve had longer with their owners and longer to work on their infrastructure. But we are catching them quickly.

  "Stockport are as ambitious as ourselves. We probably get a bit more publicity because of [], but I am sure we will be competing with them in the summer for players.

  "This has happened in the past, and I’m sure it will happen again. We have to make sure we get our targets in position, but Stockport will be fighting hard to get those players as well."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Rather like Wrexham with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Stockport have massively benefitted from new ownership in recent years after previously falling on hard times. The club was taken over by local businessman Mark Stott in 2020, a year after promotion out of the sixth tier National League North, leading to huge investments being made in infrastructure and two further promotions in quick succession.

Tottenham have been dealt another injury blow they "can't afford" after news this week, says journalist Paul Brown.

Spurs injuries mounting for Ange

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is seemingly dealing with problem after problem at Hotspur Way right now, as squad members succumb to injuries by the week.

James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Ashley Phillips, Richarlison, Ryan Sessegnon, Ivan Perisic and Manor Solomon are all unavailable to play right now, with Sessegnon only just returning to light training after his summer hamstring surgery.

First team chance for unseen Tottenham player scuppered after injury blow

Ange was expected to play him amid the Spurs injury crisis.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 30, 2023

Van de Ven, Maddison, Solomon and Perisic aren't expected back on the pitch until 2024, with reports suggesting the latter may never feature in a Spurs shirt again.

Phillips could out for around a month, according to Postecoglou, while Richarlison is hoping to make a comeback in December. With AFCON and the Asia Cup starting in early January, Spurs also face losing Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma and Son Heung-min pretty soon.

Perhaps the most infuriating injury, though, is for midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.

The Uruguay star is now set to be absent till February next year in what is a pretty horrible circumstance for him. Having only just returned from a lengthy absence, previously being forced to sit out for nine months after an ACL injury.

Bentancur was taken off with ankle ligament damage in Tottenham's 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa last weekend, coming after a pretty poor challenge from Villa defender Matty Cash.

Spurs "can't afford" Bentancur injury

The midfielder could've helped shore up Postecoglou's options in the middle of the park, especially with Bissouma and Sarr leaving for AFCON next year, but Bentancur's expected absence till after the tournament means Spurs will be desperately short.

Tottenham could even sign a new midfielder in January to make up for the lack of cover, according to The Guardian and Jacob Steinberg this week.

The north Londoners have been dealt a pretty big blow as a result of Bentancur's injury. That verdict is shared by reporter Paul Brown, who also claims Spurs can't afford losing the 26-year-old.

“Postecoglou said that Bentancur’s setback was disappointing, and I think with Spurs so many men down through injury already, they can't afford to be losing anyone else," said Brown to GiveMeSport.

"I think that's a pretty big blow for them coming at the time it did. Bentancur, I think, is a pretty important player for them. He's got a skillset that I think most of the rest of his rivals in midfield don't have. I just think it's disappointing and frustrating for him really that that happened. So, you have to hope it does not keep him out for too long.”

Bentancur was a mainstay under former boss Antonio Conte before his ACL tear, and comes as a very experienced figurehead with over half a century of caps for Uruguay at international level.

His spell on the sidelines is almost certain to be felt as Tottenham gear up for a tough festive fixture schedule

Two players hoping to be wear the baggygreen next week were in the runs while Joe Burns provided a reminder of why he shouldn’t be forgotten

Alex Malcolm28-Nov-2018Queensland opener Joe Burns sent a reminder of his class to the national selectors with a well-made 96 to help Queensland into a strong position against Victoria at the Gabba.Burns’ innings, along with 47 from Marnus Labuschagne, helped set up a 104-run first innings lead for the Bulls. The lead may have been more without a superb spell from Peter Siddle, who picked up four wickets.High-quality half-centuries from Test squad members Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb saw Victoria claw back infront but late wickets ensured the stumps lead was only 50 with five wickets in hand and two full days to play.Burns looked set for a century early in the day after adding 25 to his overnight total before Scott Boland squared him up with an excellent delivery to get him caught at second slip.Siddle then ripped the heart of the Bulls’ middle order attacking the stumps relentlessly to remove Charlie Hemphrey, Jack Wildermuth and Jimmy Peirson in quick succession.Labuschagne was patient for his 47 but ran out of partners, eventually holing out at deep fine leg attempting to hook Boland who picked up three wickets of his own.Travis Dean then become the first Victorian opener in 13 years to bag a pair when he was given out lbw to Michael Neser from the first ball of the second innings. Seven balls later Victoria were in enormous trouble when Aaron Finch was also adjudged lbw to Luke Feldman. The ball nipped back and hit the top of the pads as Finch was up on his toes but the umpire believed it would have hit the top of the stumps, much to Finch’s displeasure.Harris and Handscomb proved why they are in the frame for the Adelaide Test with a fluent 104-run stand. Harris struck 10 fours in his 62 before he missed a ball slanting in from around the wicket from Mark Steketee. Handscomb reached his second fifty in the match before he fell to Neser, edging to slip trying to defend a good delivery on a fourth stump line.Glenn Maxwell made it to 29 at stumps but lost Seb Gotch in the last over in fading light. Labuschagne’s part-time legspin did the trick for skipper Usman Khawaja to leave Victoria with an uphill battle to set a defendable fourth innings total.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has personally identified one club's "very quick" fringe player as a possible Spurs signing.

Spurs absences take serious toll

Around this time two weeks ago, the Lilywhites were sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table after an impressive 10-game unbeaten streak – winning eight in that span.

Postecoglou's electric brand of high-pressing football was a joy for all to behold – especially for supporters – with star summer signings Micky van de Ven and James Maddison making quite the impression.

Fast-forward to now, and Spurs have suffered back-to-back league games after losing the pair to injury. The north Londoners are without both Maddison and van de Ven till 2024, and are set to briefly miss the likes of Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero through suspension.

Coupled with injuries to Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic, Richarlison and Ryan Sessegnon, the Spurs squad has been stretched wafer-thin.

Spurs look to January for solutions

As a result, reports in the last fortnight have suggested that Spurs may look to January for a solution.

The transfer market is open for business in around a month and a half, with Tottenham looking to sign a left-sided centre-back as an alternative to Van de Ven.

Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr's absences for the Africa Cup of Nations early next year means Spurs are also targeting a new midfielder, while there have been suggestions that Postecoglou wishes to strengthen his forward ranks as well.

Postecoglou identifies Iling-Junior as Spurs target

One attacking option who has been linked recently, is Juventus starlet Samuel Iling-Junior.

The 20-year-old is a fringe player under Massimiliano Allegri, featuring over just four substitute appearances this term. Iling-Junior is a player of huge potential, though, with journalist Michele Neri even drawing comparisons with AC Milan star Rafael Leao.

“Iling Junior is a very quick player, who loves to take on opposing full-backs and attack the vertical spaces, in a very direct way,” Neri explained to TNT Sports.

“He is a left-winger who can also play as a right-winger if needed. He has a great sense for dribbling and a speed from a standing start that other Juventus players do not have.

“In these qualities, you can absolutely see shades of Rafael Leao when the AC Milan superstar was a bit younger. The fans went crazy for him after the Benfica game where he played 20 minutes and really shone, providing an assist to Milik."

Now, a report by Tuttosport (via Udinese Blog) has an update on the rumoured Spurs target.

They claim Postecoglou has personally identified Iling-Junior as a target, and the Lilywhites are now "ready to negotiate" the requested £17.5m asking price for his services.

Juventus, for their part, would plan to reinvest that money in prising Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul away from his current club Atletico Madrid.

His cheap price tag perhaps comes from the fact his contract expires in a year and a half, but whether Spurs are able to pull off a deal in the coming months remains to be seen.

Fosun have made some poor transfer decisions during their time at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Selling the likes of Pedro Neto, Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes for big fees certainly bolstered the bank balance.

It did leave the Old Gold weaker across several areas of the team, however, something that Vitor Pereira is having to try and improve.

One of the biggest mistakes the club made recently was selling Max Kilman to West Ham United.

Why Wolves must regret selling Max Kilman

Kilman joined the Irons for a fee of around £40m, which meant the Molineux side secured a stunning profit on him.

The centre-back has won 70% of his total duels contested in the Premier League for West Ham, while also losing possession just 7.6 times per game and recovering four balls per game.

West Ham haven’t exactly enjoyed the best season, but with Kilman, the club have an excellent defender who will only go from strength to strength as time goes on.

How Wolves could do with someone of his quality right now, especially as the club has been dragged into a relegation battle.

Has this been Fosun’s biggest transfer mistake? Or was selling another defender back in 2023 even worse?

Nathan Collins is now starring for Brentford in the top flight, and it looks as though the club could be rueing the decision to sell.

Wolves' bigger mistake than Kilman

Collins spent a single season with the Old Gold, making a total of 31 appearances in all competitions for the club.

During the 2023 summer transfer window, Brentford began to show interest in the Republic of Ireland international and he was soon on his way to London for a reported £23m transfer fee.

This now looks like a bargain. Stephen Kenny, Collins’ former Ireland manager, lauded him in 2022, saying:

For the Bees this season, the 23-year-old has been in excellent form indeed. Across 26 Premier League games, the centre-back has completed 87% of his passes, averages 1.2 tackles, makes 0.8 interceptions and wins an impressive 5.2 total duels per game – a success rate of 63% – in the top flight.

Against Leicester City on Friday evening, he made 12 clearances, was accurate with 60% of his long balls and finished the game with a 90% pass success rate.

There is no doubt Thomas Frank is now getting the best out of the former Wolves star and the decision to sell him two years ago is one that will surely be looked back on as a poor one.

Wolves have conceded 54 goals in the top flight this season, the third-worst defensive record in the division.

If they had Collins at the heart of their defence, things may have looked a lot more promising.

Wolves make first move to sign new £29m striker who could replace Cunha

He’s a wanted man…

By
Tom Cunningham

Feb 21, 2025

Tottenham are willing to green-light an exit for one of their squad members, and he's apparently already reached a verbal agreement with another club.

Which players have left Spurs?

Spurs let go of many players over the 2023 summer transfer window, either on loan or permanently, with star striker Harry Kane being the pick of the bunch after his multi-million-pound move to Bayern Munich. Kane has since gone on to thrive under Thomas Tuchel in Germany, and another high-earner in Tanguy Ndombele departed by signing for Galatasaray on a temporary deal. Davinson Sanchez left for the same club just after the British transfer window shut, while left-back Sergio Reguilon moved to Man United on loan before deadline day.

Harry Winks joined Championship side Leicester City for around £10 million and fan favourite winger Lucas Moura departed on a Bosman when his contract expired in late June. Joe Rodon and Djed Spence both signed for Leeds on temporary deals as well, with Japhet Tanganga joining Kane in the Bundesliga when he put pen to paper on a move to FC Augsburg.

Who will leave Tottenham?

Ange Postecoglou's high-flying Spurs have enjoyed a very promising start to the new season overall. New stars like James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are shining in place of the aforementioned bunch, but some casualties of Tottenham's brilliant beginning to 2023/24 remain.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was a mainstay in Antonio Conte's midfield at Spurs last season, scoring four goals and assisting five others in the league alone, but Postecoglou's new system has seen him relegated to the substitute's bench. The Dane is being linked with a move away from Tottenham as a result, while there have been rumours that Giovani Lo Celso could leave Spurs too.

Versatile Croatia legend Ivan Perisic, who recently succumbed to a season-threatening ACL injury, is another player who is apparently nearing the Spurs exit door. Indeed, the 34-year-old has reached an "agreement" with Hajduk Split to join them. That is according to Football Insider journalist Wayne Veysey, who says the Tottenham "star" is not expected to play for the club again.

The north London club are apparently willing to green-light his move in January and discussions are said to be advancing. Perisic's potential switch to the Croatian side was even discussed during talks to sign highly-rated defender, Luka Vuskovic, recently.

How good is Ivan Perisic?

He featured predominantly at left-back under Conte last season, registering more league assists than any other Tottenham player in the league with eight. The former Spurs boss, speaking after his ex-club signed Perisic last summer, heaped praise on him.

"It is very important we sign a player like Ivan Perisic," said Conte in 2022.

"We are talking about a real important player and top player. Sometimes it is good to bring a player in your team who is a bit over age but at the same time a good player with experience who can improve a young player in your squad."

For all the Croatian's qualities, Spurs have shone in Perisic's absence, having gone top of the Premier League after eight games following their recent win over Luton Town.