Category Uncategorized

Tottenham Hotspur talent Pedro Porro could ‘soon’ make his debut after being signed from Sporting Lisbon in January, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Porro signed by Tottenham…

Spurs completed a deadline day deal for the 23-year-old to bolster their wing-back options as Antonio Conte now sees more attacking flair in the position.

The former Manchester City defender comes with real promise, having been praised for his performances in the Portuguese top flight, but Lilywhites supporters will be hoping that he doesn’t follow a similar trajectory to Djed Spence.

The 2022 summer signing left for Rennes on loan recently after Conte refused to hand the Englishman regular minutes, but according to Jones, it appears that Porro’s situation is different.

The Latest: Porro’s Spurs debut expected ‘soon’…

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the reporter claims that the Spaniard was in fact a Conte signing and not a ‘club’ one like Spence, adding that Porro could ‘soon’ make his Spurs debut, having been an unused substitute in last Sunday’s 1-0 win over his former club.

He stated: “I mean, obviously, they haven’t put all this effort into him for no reason. I don’t think this is the same as Djed Spence when they put months of work into signing him and then he was never seen.

“I mean, this isn’t; that was more of a club signing, where this was somebody [Porro], I’m told it was very much a Conte signing and a man that the management team felt could transform their season, so I do expect to see him soon.”

The Verdict: Big asset…

Dubbed a ‘special talent’ by some members of the media, the Spanish right-back is a serious asset to both Spurs and Conte as they push for a top-four Premier League finish.

As per WhoScored, before signing for Tottenham, Porro excelled in an attacking wing-back role under Ruben Amorim at Sporting. He ranked in the Lisbon club’s top two in terms of both key passes (2.4) and attempts at goal (2.6) per 90 whilst also registering six assists in the league, more than any of his former team-mates.

By contrast, Tottenham’s current first-choice right-back Emerson Royal doesn’t compare in terms of these attacking returns, with the Brazilian only havng one assist to his name so far this season.

However long it takes Porro to get settled in at Spurs, we have little doubt that he will eventually become Conte’s first-choice wing-back option on the right over the coming weeks.

Arsenal could make a move for Ferran Torres this month…

What’s the word?

That’s according to 90min transfer expert Graeme Bailey, who said the following on a recent ‘Talking Transfers’ podcast:

“He’s a player who Arsenal have liked for a long time, even before he left City. Mikel Arteta knows this boy well. I think he is a perfect fit for Arsenal, I really do. Of all the players linked, I think Ferran Torres, under the radar, could be a sensational pick-up for Arsenal.

“Keep an eye on this, this one could happen. It’s got chances. Barca could loan him, so yeah, I think Torres could be the one that Arsenal turn to.”

It backs up similar remarks from transfer insider Dean Jones, who told GIVEMESPORT: “Ferran knows that Arsenal have wanted him for some time now, which suggests that he would fit in well into what they’re trying to build under Mikel Arteta.”

Reports in Spain suggested that the Gunners had a €30m (£26m) bid rejected for the 22-year-old some 18 months after he swapped Manchester City for FC Barcelona in a €55m (£48m) move.

He’s perfect for Arteta

With Gabriel Jesus still absent with a long-term knee issue, it makes sense for sporting director Edu Gaspar to look for alternatives for the remainder of the season – one which could end with silverware, given their position in the Premier League and other domestic and European cup competitions.

Arteta had left Pep Guardiola’s side by the time Torres had been and gone from the Etihad Stadium, not that he featured much at his young age, but moves for the aforementioned Brazilian and Oleksandr Zinchenko suggests that this would be another move that could pay dividends.

FBref also liken his statistical profile to that of Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez, two players that the Spaniard did coach at City, which further bodes well for such a move.

What makes Torres a solid candidate in the long run is his versatility to play anywhere across the front three, where he has provided six goal contributions from 20 appearances this term, so if Jesus were to return early, he’d still be valuable cover for the flanks too.

And when compared to his positional peers across Europe, the Barcelona gem compares very favourably, ranking inside the top 8% for non-penalty goals and the top 7% for total shots per 90, via FBref.

This sort of attacking output would serve Arteta well and that’s what makes the Spanish phenom a perfect signing before deadline day on January 31st. As such, Edu must look to get this move over the line, as Bailey says, it would be a “sensational” deal to make.

AND in other news, Ornstein shares potential transfer interest in Premier League dynamo…

Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing Celtic wonderkid Rocco Vata this month and if he can follow in the footsteps of Odsonne Edouard, the last player to arrive from the Hoops, then it could prove to be another masterclass by Steve Parish.

According to reports from Italy in recent days, both West Ham and Palace are interested in signing the teenage talent from Celtic this month and the Scottish side could potentially be forced to cash in on him ahead of his contract expiry in 2024.

The 17-year-old has caught the eye playing for Celtic’s B team in the Lowland League so far this campaign, hitting an impressive nine goals and one assist in 15 league appearances, playing in a number of positions across midfield and attack.

Celtic B boss Tommy McIntyre was full of praise for the Ireland U19 international last season as he started to make an impression in the reserve side when he was just 16.

He said: “He’s got to get a lot of credit himself. He’s just natural. He plays and we coach him but he’s got to perform on the day. He’s certainly taking everything on board we’re trying to get out of him. There’s more to come from him, there’s no doubt, but he’s young. What a fantastic goal tonight.”

Vata certainly looks to have a lot of potential and Palace could potentially steal a march on other interested sides by bringing him to Selhurst Park this month, in the hope that he could have a similar impact to Edouard in the future.

The Frenchman would join the Eagles from Celtic in 2021 and has since gone on to make 48 appearances for the first team, in which he has a respectable return of 11 goals and five assists.

He is still just 24 and looks set to be a big part of Patrick Vieira’s side in the future, so Palace know that they can benefit from some of the talents on show at Celtic Park.

Therefore, if a deal can be done for Vata this month then Parish should definitely look at bringing in the teenage wonderkid, as it seems only a matter of time before he is given a chance in Ange Postecoglou’s side, which will only increase his value and standing further.

Tottenham Hotspur may have been handed a blow in regard to their reported interest in Inter defender Denzel Dumfries.

What’s the latest?

There have been some reports in Italy suggesting the Lilywhites have identified the Dutchman as a potential option this month to provide an upgrade to Antonio Conte’s squad.

And there is the belief that Fabio Paratici has been set the task of finding Conte a new right wing-back over the January transfer window, with Sky Sports News claiming this is one of their two targets for the month.

Now, reporter Fabrizio Romano has been speaking about the future of the 26-year-old Inter star and has suggested that Conte’s former club would only sell their wing-back if a big bid was to arrive this month.

Discussing the reported interest coming from Manchester United on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “Dumfries is not a realistic target for January because Inter want big money for him.”

Solution already at Spurs?

With suggestions that Spurs are keen to provide Conte with an upgrade at right wing-back this month, it does leave us puzzled as to what the plan is with summer signing Djed Spence.

The 22-year-old has been outcasted by Conte since the moment he arrived in north London, with Spence being afforded just a handful of minutes across all competitions.

And it is apparent that time spent during the World Cup break, where Spence impressed during the friendly against Motherwell, has counted for nothing, with the defender playing just two minutes in the games since league action resumed.

There have been some suggestions that Spurs have eyes on other wing-backs this month, with Sporting CP star Pedro Porro believed to be on Paratici’s radar.

However, it is also said that Tottenham’s interest in the Spaniard has come slightly off the boil already this week, after finding out his £40m price tag.

Since the return from the World Cup, Matt Doherty has started all three games under Conte and even got his name on the scoresheet against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

But that is the Irishman’s first goal involvement of the season, which is synonymous with the lack of creativity the Italian has recently harked on about.

Having said that, Dumfries has hardly had a consistent output for Inter this season, with just one goal and three assists to his name in Serie A.

With this in mind, if Spurs are to spend big money on a wing-back this month, then it may be best spent on Porro, who has returned two goals and 10 assists across all competitions thus far.

When David Moyes signed Nayef Aguerd for West Ham United in the summer for a fee of £30m, the Moroccan defender seemed in line to be a sure starter in the heart of their defence.

Unfortunately, he suffered a serious ankle injury against Rangers in a pre-season friendly, which disrupted his season before he even made a competitive appearance.

He finally made his debut against Silkeborg in the Europa Conference League in October, five months after signing for the Irons, and Moyes eased him back in gently, selecting him for just three more matches before the World Cup break.

This was obviously the best decision as Aguerd was subsequently selected for the Morocco squad for the tournament in Qatar and played an integral part as the Atlas Lions made history by becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.

The £50k-per-week titan played a part in his country’s first four matches at the tournament, but he was substituted against Spain with a thigh problem and was left out of the quarter-final clash against Portugal.

Although named in the starting line-up for the semi-final against France, he was withdrawn shortly before kick-off, and it is uncertain whether he will feature in the third-place play-off on Saturday.

Despite his tournament being interrupted, he received a rating of 7/10 from Sofascore and was part of a defence which kept three clean sheets in the four matches that he played.

Defensively he was a rock, winning 69% of his total duels while making one  interception, one tackle and three clearances per match, and journalist Jonty Colman said it was “absolutely superb to see Nayef Aguerd part of the history-making Morocco side”.

His performances will certainly have given Moyes a significant boost heading into what looks like a crucial second half of the season for West Ham. With the Irons already conceding 17 goals as they occupy 16th place in the Premier League table, the Scot will be desperate for the 26-year-old to shore up the team’s leaky defence.

The Boxing Day clash against Arsenal might come too soon for Aguerd, but the signs look promising that he can become a hero for West Ham heading into 2023, just like how he was for Morocco in Qatar.

Off the back of his World Cup performances, Moyes must unleash him fully once the defender is fully fit again.

Leeds United and AS Roma are in the front row to sign Torino midfielder Sasa Lukic.

The Lowdown: Leeds links

The Whites have been heavily linked with a move for Lukic in recent days, with the player himself admitting he has ‘big ambitions’ following reported interest from Elland Road.

Leeds are set to ‘closely observe’ Lukic during the World Cup in Qatar, with the Serbia international entering the final 18 months of his Torino contract in the New Year.

The Latest: Transfer update

A further update regarding Lukic was shared on Wednesday, where Leeds were once again mentioned with financial details over a possible transfer now included for the first time.

Forza Roma stated that Leeds and Roma are in the front row for the midfielder, who looks set to cost €15m (£12.8m). The report adds that Roma doesn’t have that money to spend in the New Year, with Lukic potentially able to double his current €700,000-a-year salary.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-copy/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Realistic?

It seems as if Leeds have a financial edge over Roma in January, and you’d expect that Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises will be able to meet a £12.8m asking price, should they wish to firm up their interest.

Lukic, labelled as ‘outstanding’ by journalist Josh Bunting, can turn out in a variety of midfield roles and is 26 years of age, so you could say that Leeds would be bringing a player in the prime years of his career to Yorkshire.

There’s still plenty of work to be done of course, but speculation isn’t going away when it comes to Lukic.

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has blasted the club’s ‘horrible’ defending during the Carabao Cup game vs Nottingham Forest.

The Lowdown: Out in round three

The Premier League giants were the visitors at the City Ground on Wednesday night and suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Steve Cooper’s side thanks to second-half goals from Renan Lodi and Jesse Lingard in quick succession.

One of the most notable moments though was the lack of effort to stop the final goal from going in after a huge lack of communication, with Oliver Skipp and Yves Bissouma at a complete standstill.

The Latest: Gold’s reaction

Taking to Twitter, Gold criticised Spurs’ organisation in defence and suggested that a lot more could, and should, have been done to prevent the match-winner from entering the net. He wrote:

“Horrible defending from Spurs gifts Forest a second goal. They’re all over the place at the back and a deep cross is headed back across and Lingard just wanders in completely unmarked to nod it home.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-3/” title=”Tottenham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Disappointing evening

Whilst Tottenham have made it through to the Champions League last 16, they are currently in the middle of a rough patch which was proven by a disappointing evening in the Midlands.

Antonio Conte’s side have now only won two of their last seven games in all competitions and find themselves eight points off league leaders Arsenal.

The title race has almost certainly not been decided yet, though it’s looking like a top-four finish will be the main aim for the Lilywhites come the end of the campaign.

West Ham United insiders have responded to a damning theory which has emerged in regard to Said Benrahma and his move to France, with the east Londoners and Lyon having a nightmare over deadline day paperwork exchanges.

Benrahma move collapses on deadline day

West Ham and Lyon agreed on a fee over Benrahma's transfer days before the deadline, as Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth reported.

West Ham could nurture their answer to Jota in 17 y/o sensation

The former Celtic star’s failed move could be a blessing in disguise.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Feb 2, 2024

The hold-up in his move was at first said to be on Benrahma's side, with the Algerian only agreeing on personal terms hours before the cut-off (Dharmesh Sheth). He then travelled to Lyon for a medical with all documents being prepared in a frantic rush to get the winger over the line in time.

The Ligue 1 side, for their part, were rumoured to have filed all the necessary paperwork before 11pm, but an admin error on West Ham's side ultimately thwarted any hopes of Lyon officially confirming Benrahma's signing for a time.

Pierre Sage's side were furious, even releasing a statement in which they lambasted West Ham for their "incomprehensible" behaviour.

"Olympique Lyonnais strongly regret the failure of the transfer of Said Benrahma," wrote the club (via talkSPORT).

"For reasons beyond our control, and question the behaviour of West Ham, who failed to finalise the required administrative procedures despite all the agreements concluded. Olympique Lyonnais were delighted to welcome Said Benrahma to Lyon this Thursday to finalise his transfer from West Ham.

"The two clubs had signed a temporary transfer agreement, and Olympique Lyonnais had obtained the approval of the DNCG to allow the transfer to take place in a fluid and transparent manner.

"However, in the early evening, when Olympique Lyonnais had entered all the administrative data on FIFA's dedicated platform (FIFA TMS), West Ham had never launched any technical procedure on their part, despite OL's repeated reminders and continuous mutual telephone communication. In the absence of this reciprocal action on the part of the English club and following this incomprehensible behaviour, raising questions, the international transfer certificate could not be requested before closing time."

After an appeal to FIFA, Lyon were eventually allowed to seal a deal for Benrahma in light of the aforementioned events. The 27-year-old now joins them on a season-long loan, coming after one of the most bizarre last-minute January transfer sagas in recent memory.

There were even suggestions that West Ham purposely delayed the paperwork in order to keep Benrahma at the club.

West Ham insiders deny damning Benrahma theory

As relayed by The Daily Mail, some believed the Hammers' glaring left midfield weakness, as evident in their 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, motivated David Moyes and co to keep hold of Benrahma and sabotage his move to the continent.

In reply to the damning accusation, West Ham insiders have denied delaying Benrahma's transfer with intent, labelling Lyon's claim as 'wholly inaccurate and potentially damaging', according to the report. In any case, the need for a winger is certainly more in the forefront after also losing Pablo Fornals to Real Betis.

The London Stadium side take on Manchester United this weekend as Moyes chases a fourth-successive campaign of European football, though it is unclear whether the Scotsman will even be in charge for 2024/25.

Arsenal remain in the race to sign PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Leeds agreement close

As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, on deadline day the Gunners’ Premier League rivals Leeds United led the race in the battle for the Netherlands international, having overtaken Southampton with their proposal.

However, after failing to do a deal before the 11pm deadline, the Whites continued to work on an offer for the January transfer window, and it is believed that in recent weeks the two clubs came close to an agreement.

The Latest: Arsenal still in the race

However, according to Ornstein for The Athletic, after a period of brilliant form for both PSV and the Dutch national team, Gakpo’s expectations have increased and he no longer wants to join Leeds in January.

The report claims that Real Madrid have been named as a potential destination for the 23-year-old, whilst Manchester United were also considered before they decided to sign Antony from Ajax. However, it is also said that Arsenal are among other clubs who are still being linked with a move for the attacker.

Who you Gunner call? Show your love for Gabriel Jesus with this amazing t-shirt! Click here to buy…

The Verdict: Huge potential

Gakpo has bagged an incredible nine goals and six assists in nine Eredivisie games already this season. Furthermore, he has netted three goals in PSV’s opening two Europa League matches.

Consequently, the Dutch forward’s combined goals and assists haul of 23 for the season is equal to that of Erling Haaland at Manchester City.

Having been hailed as an ‘enormous talent’ by De Telegraaf journalist Wierd Duk, it is no wonder that the 23-year-old is receiving interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Therefore, if Arsenal can get a deal for the winger over the line, he would no doubt be a brilliant addition to Mikel Arteta’s squad on current form.

Over the past few years, Leeds United have enjoyed a great deal of success in bringing exciting youth prospects into Thorp Arch in the transfer market, before unleashing the most talented of these players in their first-team squad.

Indeed, the likes of Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville, Illan Meslier and Pascal Struijk have all made the move to Elland Road in recent seasons, before going on to establish themselves as regulars in Jesse Marsch’s senior side.

However, while there has been a great deal of fanfare regarding the first four of these aforementioned starlets, one player whose development at Elland Road has perhaps been overlooked somewhat is that of 23-year-old defender Struijk.

Upon joining Leeds from the Ajax academy back in January of 2018, The Express ran a report which highlighted the Whites supporters’ unhappiness with the former Netherlands U17 international’s signing – with many stating their belief that Victor Orta should have been focusing his attention on improvements to the first team, rather than signing youth prospects.

Now four-and-a-half-years on from his arrival, you would be hard pressed to find a supporter of the belief that the centre-back’s signing was a bad one by the Spanish director of football, as Struijk is now very much a key part of the Whites’ starting XI.

The defender first started to catch the eye over his 27 Premier League appearances back in 2020/21, a campaign in which the £16.2m-rated talent helped his side keep seven clean sheets and scored one goal, as well as made an average of 1.8 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 3.1 clearances, 41.3 passes, 2.3 long balls and won 3.9 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per game.

These metrics not only saw the Dutchman average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.94 that season – ranking him as the club’s joint 10th-best performer in the league – but also demonstrate both the 23-year-old’s solidity when defending and his ability to play the ball out from the back.

Furthermore, club captain Liam Cooper quite clearly believes that Struijk has an extremely bright future ahead of him in the game, with the 31-year-old stating of his teammate back in February this year:

“Pascal has absolutely everything to be one of the best centre-backs out there, he really has. He’s unbelievable on the ball, he’s strong, good in the air. I always knew. We all know now. His improvement speaks for itself.”

This season, the youngster’s impressive positional versatility – being able to operate from centre-back, left-back and defensive midfield – has already proven useful for Jesse Marsch, who has deployed the former Ajax starlet on the left of his back four in each of the Whites’ six Premier League fixtures in 2021/22 – as a result of Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas’ respective injuries.

As such, while the cost of Struijk’s signing was never officially released, considering his age and the fact that Ajax appeared more than happy to part with the youngster, it can be reasonably assumed that the transfer did not break the bank for the Whites – leading us to believe that Orta very much hit the jackpot when landing the £7k-per-week sensation back in 2018.