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Nottingham Forest have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Inter Milan striker Andrea Pinamonti, according to an Italian report.

The Lowdown: Forest make enquiry

The 23-year-old spent last season out on loan with fellow Serie A side Empoli, and after a hugely successful spell, appears to have caught the eye of a Premier League suitor, with a summer switch away from the San Siro highly likely.

The Reds were credited with an interest in the forward earlier this week, with reports suggesting that the club had made contact with Inter regarding his availability, and it now sounds like they have been gifted the chance to officially make their move.

The Latest: Forest given financial boost

Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) report that whilst Atalanta are currently Pinamonti’s favoured destination, they are ‘struggling to reach’ the €20m (£16.7m) asking price that Inter have put on his head.

Sassuolo are also said to be ‘keen’, though it’s Forest, Dane Murphy and Co who are waiting ‘in the background’ having already made their enquiry.

The source states that if a deal with an Italian side can’t be agreed upon, this would allow the Reds to ‘push for the transfer’ and change the situation entirely.

It’s believed that the £16.7m fee would consist of a €15m (£12.5m) fixed fee with an additional €5m (£4.2m) in extras, a sum that could fit what the hierarchy would be willing to spend.

The Verdict: Proven goalscorer

Steve Cooper has already signed Taiwo Awoniyi for a club-record fee this summer, but with Sam Surridge being the only other out-and-out striker, the boss will be keen to add to his attacking ranks even further.

Pinamonti, once dubbed an ‘excellent prospect’ by Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte, was prolific in front of goal for Empoli last season, netting 13 times and providing two assists in the Serie A, as per Transfermarkt.

This is exactly the kind of form that the 42-year-old needs in his starting XI, and if the price is right, the Cles-born talent could be the 13th fresh face walking through the doors at the City Ground in weeks to come.

The agent of Roma winger Nicolo Zaniolo is in contact with Tottenham Hotspur to see whether a resolution can be reached over a potential transfer.

The Lowdown: Zaniolo links

On Monday, Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Spurs remain interested in the 23-year-old, but their current offer – a loan with an obligation to buy for £21.14m – doesn’t meet the Serie A giants’ valuation.

Tottenham were handed a boost in their pursuit when Juventus, another club interested in the youngster, pulled out of the race, having switched their attention to alternative targets (via Football Italia).

However, Roma have still refused to lower their £42m price-tag on Zaniolo, leaving the two clubs stuck at a crossroad.

The Latest: Agent now involved

According to the print edition of Il Tempo (08/08/22 – as relayed by Sport Witness), Zaniolo’s agent, Claudio Vigorelli, is “talking to Tottenham to see if there are margins for an offer in line with AS Roma’s demands: €50m cash, with no counterpart.”

Giallorossi boss Jose Mourinho would apparently like to keep the Italy international, but it is thought that if a suitable offer came in, the Serie A outfit would cash in on the winger.

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The Verdict: Great signing but seems unlikely

Given his underlying statistics, it seems Zaniolo would certainly fit in well playing in Antonio Conte’s fast-flowing side.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 23-year-old ranks in the 93rd percentile for shots total and in the 90th percentile for progressive passes received, boasting similar traits to Adama Traore, another target for Conte.

Once dubbed a ‘lethal playmaker’ by journalist Zach Lowy, Zaniolo would add further depth and quality to the Lilywhites’ squad.

However, with the two clubs so far apart in their valuations, this appears to be an unlikely deal if Spurs aren’t going to budge on their offer.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to strike an agreement for Blackburn Rovers sensation Ashley Phillips this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs keeping busy…

Despite the signings of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie, it is believed that Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici is keeping busy.

Links continue to surround the likes of Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo and other more obscure targets have emerged in the past week or so in north London.

After sealing a Premier League top four finish last season, Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte seemingly means business for his first full campaign in charge of the club.

The Latest: Lilywhites looking to seal Phillips move…

Indeed, as per a report in the last 48 hours, an encouraging update has come to light on Spurs’ pursuit of Blackburn starlet Phillips.

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The 17-year-old, whose non-professional contract expires at the end of this season, is thought to be ‘on the verge’ of a move to N17.

The Daily Mail claim Tottenham are ‘looking to strike a deal’ for Phillips and are ‘closing’ on the central defender, simply awaiting Paratici’s green-light.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Phillips, eyed by Chelsea and Man United also, would come to Hotspur Way with a glowing reputation.

The centre-back’s former boss Tony Mowbray waxed lyrical over his young talent late last year, calling him ‘phenomenal’ with ‘amazing’ attributes.

Meanwhile, Spurs pundit John Wenham did a background check on Phillips and was left blown away – calling him a ‘monster’ and urging Paratici to get a deal done ‘asap’ (Football Insider).

Seemingly little risk financially, Paratici and Co have little to lose when it comes to moving for the teenager and he could even be a future star.

Nottingham Forest are interested in making a move for Blackpool winger Josh Bowler this summer, according to the reliable Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Bowler linked with Forest move

It appears as though the Reds’ incredible summer spending may not be over just yet, with more new faces possible before deadline day ends on September 1st.

One player who Forest have been linked with recently is Bowler, who has been a key man for Blackpool in recent years, being called a ‘prized asset’ by Neil Critchley.

The 23-year-old has scored nine goals in 50 appearances for his current club, including one in the Championship so far this season.

The Latest: Fresh update emerges

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, The Express‘ Taylor confirmed that Bowler is very much on Forest’s radar:

“Blackpool winger Josh Bowler is subject of interest from Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth & Fulham. Also been told #WatfordFC could make late move given cash at their disposal. Tangerines now fearful forward could depart before deadline.”

The Verdict: Intriguing summer option

While a mid-table Championship player moving to the Premier League may not feel like a significant piece of business, Bowler is someone who could become a handy squad figure at the City Ground.

At 23, he has years ahead of him to hone his trade and improve under Steve Cooper, while his pace and trickery could be effective from the substitutes’ bench when legs are tiring.

The fact that Forest missed out on Bowler back in January suggests he is a long-time target, further adding credence to the idea that Cooper likes the look of him and believes he can excel in his system.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Moise Kean in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to Jeunes Footeux, the Magpies are eyeing up the young centre-forward alongside Premier League side Leeds United.

Juventus have an obligation to sign him from Everton for €28m (£24m) and the Magpies are willing to pay €20m (£17m) to sign him.

It’s thought the Old Lady could be willing to part ways with him before the conclusion of the transfer window.

Better than Hugo Ekitike

The Magpies are clearly in the market for a number nine after missing out on a deal to sign Hugo Ekitike from Stade Reims, as PSG snapped him up earlier this summer.

Eddie Howe could now bring in a better player than Ekitike in the immediate future by securing a swoop for the Italian marksman.

He could suit the way the former Bournemouth manager wants his team to press as a unit as Get French Football News once stated that he is “willing to do the defensive work, counter-pressing & tracking back in equal measure”, whilst the interest in him suggests that they believe he will fit into what they want to do on the ball.

Journalist Mina Rzouki once dubbed him “electric” and previously said that he is “lovingly clinical”, which highlights the kind of energy he can provide at the top end of the pitch.

He could get fans off their seats with his quick running and ability to find the back of the net, having scored 82 goals in 224 games in his club career to date. The 22-year-old has also scored four goals in 12 caps for Italy, which shows that he can perform at international level too.

Kean could offer more of a goal threat than Ekitike at this point in his career. The current Juventus loanee scored 13 goals in 26 Ligue 1 matches whilst on loan at PSG from Everton in the past, whilst Ekitike has found the back of the net ten times in 28 French top-flight matches to date.

The Italian could also find the transition to playing for Newcastle easier than the Frenchman would have done as he has already played 39 times for the Toffees in England, which means that he will not need a period of time to adapt to English football.

Therefore, Kean could be better than Ekitike for the Magpies this season not only due to his goal record, but because of his suitability to the team, and his familiarity with English football.

Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has backed Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou to stay at Parkhead until one of Europe’s ‘big guns’ comes calling.

The Lowdown: Brighton links

According to a report from the Sunday Times on 11 September, the 57-year-old remains a strong contender to become the next Brighton manager, after Graham Potter left the club to take the vacancy at Premier League giants Chelsea.

On 13 September, via Herald Scotland, the Australian asserted he was ‘paying no attention’ to the speculation linking him with a move to the Amex Stadium, and that he remained fully focused on succeeding with Celtic.

The Latest: McAvennie’s claim

McAvennie believes that Postecoglou would only be swayed by one of the ‘big guns’ from England or Spain, as he has amounted to huge success at Parkhead.

Speaking with Football Insider, the Celtic legend claimed of the current Hoops boss: “I don’t think there’s a club that could turn his head.

“The man came into Celtic without a team, without a backroom staff. He came in on his own and changed that whole system, that whole team, the club, people are smiling again and that’s big credit to one guy.

“To go to Brighton won’t be on Ange’s radar. If he goes anywhere, it’ll be bigger than that. He’s proven himself all over the world now. Wherever he’s gone he’s won. He’s either going to go to the big guns in England or the big guns abroad.

“He’ll go at some point because he’s that good. It’s the same as what I say about players. If you’re playing well people are going to come in for you and show an interest, and that’s credit to the player. This is credit to the manager. He’s doing that well; people are going to come in for him. There’s nothing we can do about that, but I’ve got a feeling that it’ll have to be one of the big boys.

“Brighton aren’t a patch on Celtic. The money might be better, but I don’t think Ange is interested in that. It’s interesting but look at what happened to Brendan [Rodgers]. He’s in a terrible state now. All the promises that were made to him didn’t happen.“

The Verdict: Keep him at all costs

Having arrived at Celtic in June 2021, Postecoglou has gone on to achieve plenty of success already in charge of the Glasgow giants.

Having averaged 2.25 points per match whilst at Parkhead, the former Australia manager has already gone on to win the Premiership and the Scottish League Cup.

Leading the Hoops to their first Champions League group stage campaign since 2017/18, Postecoglou has clearly established himself as a fan favourite at Celtic Park.

Therefore, it would be a massive disappointment if he were to leave the club in what may be considered a downgrade of a move if he joined Brighton, who with the greatest of respect have only won one major honour (way back in 1910/11). Thankfully, that doesn’t seem likely to materialise just yet.

Tottenham Hotspur are a team who, in recent years, have reaped the benefits of unleashing home-grown talent in their first team squad, with the likes of Harry Kane, Harry Winks, Kyle Walker-Peters, Japhet Tanganga and Oliver Skipp having all graduated from the Spurs academy before establishing themselves in the senior side.

This is not a trend that looks to slow down anytime soon, with the likes of Harvey White, Troy Parrott, Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett having also made first-team appearances for the club after coming through the youth ranks at Hotspur Way, while there are also a number of exciting talents currently knocking on the door the senior squad.

One such player is Romaine Mundle, the 19-year-old winger who has been lighting it up for Wayne Burnett’s U21 side this season, with the London-born attacker surely starting to enter into Antonio Conte’s thinking when it comes to the Italian’s matchday planning – having already taken part in first-team training under the 52-year-old manager this season.

Indeed, it is not difficult to understand why Mundle is beginning to push for a place in the senior side, as the teenager has been a constant source of both goals and assists throughout his time spent in the Spurs academy.

Over his 35 appearances for Tottenham’s U18s, the winger scored four goals and registered nine assists, while, over his 27 fixtures for the U21s, the forward has notched one further goal and provided his teammates with two assists.

The 19-year-old particularly impressed in the U19’s 3-0 UEFA Youth League victory over Olympique de Marseille earlier this month, setting up Jaden Williams for Spurs’ second of the game – with his performance being dubbed “brilliant” by football.london’s Rob Guest, before the journalist awarded the forward a match-topping nine in his player ratings for the fixture.

Regarding Mundle’s display, Guest wrote: “Utilised his pace early on and created a chance for himself with some persistent play but saw his effort go wide of the target.

“However, was at the heart of Tottenham’s second goal as he checked inside, went back on the outside and then teed up Jaden Williams for a simple finish. Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici would have been impressed as both were watching on in the far corner when Spurs netted their second. Very impressive performance.”

This is not the first time the attacker has caught the eye, with Josh Holland claiming that Mundle was causing Leicester City’s U21s “many problems” in a 2-2 draw with the Foxes earlier this season, while Alasdair Gold stated his belief that the winger “looked bright” in a 0-0 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion’s U23s towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

Furthermore, with Mundle being a player who is capable of operating from either flank, as a central midfielder or in the number 10 role, the teenager’s impressive positional versatility would also appear to be a huge plus for Conte – who is well-known to favour players who can be deployed in a number of different positions across the pitch.

As such, with Mundle evidently being a creative, deadly and versatile attacker, Conte could very well unearth a real gem by unleashing the 19-year-old in his first-team squad – with the youngster certainly being a talent who the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful should be incredibly excited about.

Nottingham Forest are not having the most ideal start to their Premier League campaign after being promoted to the top flight by winning the Championship play-offs, with the side currently omitted to the relegation zone as they sit 19th in the league table.

Steve Cooper will be scratching his head after improving the squad by signing 22 new players this summer as his team are still struggling to pick up points with four defeats on the bounce in their last four outings.

Despite making more signings than any other Premier League club this summer, it might be a surprise that Forest did miss out on some of their top targets over the transfer window, with Maxwel Cornet making the move to West Ham United instead of The City Ground.

The former Burnley star was constantly linked with the newly-promoted side over the summer before completing a deal to join the east London club but it turns out that Evangelos Marinakis may have dodged a bullet by not triggering the relegated player’s £17.5m release clause when he had the chance.

The Hammers currently join Forest in the Premier League relegation zone only above Cooper’s team on goal difference after a devastating start to the season for the Europa League semi-finalists of last season, and Cornet has been struggling to make his mark in his new team.

The 25-year-old has been nothing short of anonymous during his first four outings in the league for his current club with just 8.8 touches and four passes completed per game with no goal contributions or big chances created either, albeit only playing 54 minutes in the top-flight so far.

It is clear that David Moyes is struggling to find the best way to deploy the player with the manager speaking out on Cornet’s slow start, saying:

“I think it is probably his lateness back into pre-season and it is getting him back into condition really.

“But I think we are still finding out as well, looking at how we can best use him.”

The last thing Cooper would’ve needed alongside the challenge of getting his new signings to establish connections on the pitch is a player who is lacking sharpness and struggling to find their identity in the team, and signing Cornet could’ve held back the Forest attacking threat even further had they secured his signature.

With that being said, Forest are in desperate need of a dominating presence and some confidence in the side, so not signing Cornet was clearly the right decision as the problems could’ve only extended further for Cooper if he had been reliant on the Ivorian attacker’s contributions in the team.

Tottenham Hotspur have produced a number of exciting talents over the years, with the likes of Jamie Redknapp, Nick Barmby, Sol Campbell, Ledley King and Harry Kane having all graduated from the Hotspur Way setup before enjoying fine careers in the professional game.

However, while Kane – who has gone on to score 255 goals in 396 appearances for the club – is arguably one of Spurs’ best-ever youth products, there was another player in the 29-year-old’s age group who many of the Tottenham Hotspur faithful had even higher hopes for – Alex Pritchard.

Indeed, after highly impressing in the various youth age groups at Hotspur Way, the attacking midfielder was loaned out to Swindon Town for the 2013/14 campaign in order to provide him with valuable first-team minutes to continue his development in the professional game.

And, after scoring six goals and providing ten assists over seven outings in the EFL Trophy and League Cup, it very much appeared that Pritchard was indeed an exhilarating prospect.

This notion continued after a further spell away from north London the following season, with the forward bagging 12 goals and providing seven assists over Brentford in 2014/15 – helping the Bees reach the play-off semi-finals that year.

However, following a less successful loan at West Bromwich Albion in 2015/16 – playing just two senior appearances for Tottenham, Daniel Levy and Mauricio Pochettino decided that, when Norwich City made an £8m offer for the midfielder in 2016, the time was right for Spurs to cash in.

Following this deal, the former England U21 international shared his delight at securing a move away from north London, stating in an interview with The Mirror: “It was a bit disappointing to finally leave Spurs. But in the end, I couldn’t wait to get out of there. They just never gave me a chance.”

Although, despite a bright start to life after Tottenham at Carrow Road – scoring eight goals and registering 12 assists over £10m move to Huddersfield Town in January of 2018 marked a devastating turning point in his career.

Indeed, scoring just injury-laden three-and-a-half-year spell at The John Smith’s Stadium, Pritchard would ultimately leave the Championship side on a free transfer at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, before taking a further step down the footballing pyramid to join League One Sunderland that summer.

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And, while the 29-year-old has started to show signs of life at The Stadium of Light – scoring four goals and registering 16 assists over his 58 fixtures in all competitions, helping the Mackems seal promotion in 2021/22 – it is abundantly clear that Pritchard simply did not have what it takes to make it at the very top of the English game.

As such, with the midfielder currently boasting a Transfermarkt value of just £1.8m – a whopping 78% lower than the £8m Levy sold him for back in 2016 – it is clear that the Tottenham chairman very much hit the jackpot when parting with Pritchard, as the once so promising youngster has failed to ever live up to early expectations.

Leeds United fell to defeat against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon to make it five wins without a victory in the Premier League for Jesse Marsch’s side. 

The Whites started promisingly at Selhurst Park and took the lead after Brenden Aaronson’s shot led to Pascal Struijk netting the opener. However, Odsonne Edouard equalised with Palace’s first real attack and Eberechi Eze earned the hosts all three points in the second half.

The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who Leeds’ three worst outfield performers were on the day to have featured for at least 60 minutes.

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Liam Cooper: 6.1/10

Cooper was the worst outfield performer, ending with a rating of 6.1/10. The captain gave away a free kick for Palace’s equaliser and was done by Eze for the winner.

Statistically, the Scot lost five of his nine duels, gave possession away on 18 occasions and only completed two of his nine attempted long balls.

Brenden Aaronson: 6.4/10

Some may be surprised that Aaronson was Leeds’ second worst-performer after his run and shot led to the opener.

However, playing from the right, Aaronson lost the ball 14 times and was also second-best in 10 of his 14 duels. The attacker also failed to make a key pass or complete a long ball.

Patrick Bamford: 6.5/10

Bamford struggled on his return to the starting XI and lasted 62 minutes before being replaced by Crycensio Summerville.

The centre-forward had a golden opportunity to double the lead in the first half and lost two duels, gave possession away on nine occasions, failed to make a key pass and had just 26 touches.