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Man City prepare £100m Harry Kane offer

A major update has emerged regarding Manchester City’s pursuit of Harry Kane’s signature.

What’s the talk?

According to The Times, the Premier League champions have made it clear to Tottenham that they are ready to offer £100m to sign the 27-year-old this summer. The England captain has told Spurs that he wants to leave the club after they failed to qualify for the Champions League and City are looking to swoop in to secure a deal.

Tottenham are reportedly expected to reject this offer from City as they attempt to keep hold of their talisman. However, Pep Guardiola’s side are also willing to include a player in the negotiations, with Raheem Sterling potentially on the table for Spurs.

Back in 2020, former Tottenham striker Jurgen Klinsmann hailed Kane as “exceptional” and said that he can achieve anything he wants to in football.

The German told talkSPORT: “He can achieve anything he puts his mind to. He’s so, so talented, exceptional and he’s now into a stage of his career where he is far more mature. He’s not the young lad anymore, even if you think of him as a young player.”

Earlier this year, pundit Tony Cascarino claimed that Sterling has “dropped off” this season and is not the best winger in world football.

He told talkSPORT: “Raheem has dropped off, he’s having a blip. On his game he is an exceptional talent, but I still wouldn’t say he’s the best.

“If you asked me to pick between Neymar or Sterling, I’d probably pick Neymar.”

Txiki must axe Sterling

Txiki Begiristain must ruthlessly axe Sterling from Manchester City this summer if it allows the club to sign Kane from Tottenham. As Cascarino explained, the England winger has dropped off in the past 12 months and he is not the same player he was a couple of years ago. It could be the right time for City to move him on, especially if it means getting Kane in return.

Sterling’s goalscoring numbers in the Premier League last term were his lowest since the 2016/17 campaign as he produced 10 goals. The English forward managed 17 or more Premier League goals in each of the three seasons leading up to the 2020/21 campaign, highlighting his drop-off in form and explaining why it could be the right time for him to be sold.

Meanwhile, Kane enjoyed his best goalscoring season since 2018 as he found the back of the net 23 times for Tottenham in the league. He also had his best year in terms of creating for his teammates, with an impressive 14 assists domestically. The Tottenham man topped the Premier League charts in both categories last season, winning the Golden Boot and the Playmaker award.

The £200,000-per-week beast could be a major addition to Manchester City’s squad if they can land him. Ilkay Gundogan was City’s top scorer with 13 last season in the Premier League, suggesting that there is room for a player with Kane’s goalscoring prowess to come in and be the club’s main source for goals next season. This is why Txiki needs to ruthlessly axe Sterling if it means getting a deal for Kane over the line.

AND in other news, Txiki must sanction Man City swoop for “ice cold” £34m goal machine, Pep needs him…

West Ham fans want Kral and Hlozek signed

Many West Ham United fans are eager for the club to sign both Alex Kral and Adam Hlozek after the Irons were linked with a move for the duo.

The curtains have now closed on what was a fantastic campaign for the Hammers. They spent much of the season in the race to reach the Champions League, and although they eventually fell short, they still qualified for the Europa League. As such, David Moyes and his team will have a busy summer ahead of them as they aim to get the squad ready for what will be a challenging 2021/22 campaign.

New signings could well be on the way, and they have now been linked with moves for Czech duo Kral and Hlozek by Salim Baungally. The journalist claimed that the Irons are fully focused on signing the pair, who are valued at £9m and £15.3m respectively by Transfermarkt and were both selected in their country’s Euro 2020 squad.

Kral has excelled in defensive midfield in recent months, while Hlozek netted 15 goals during an impressive campaign to earn a new deal at Sparta Prague. However, it may be the case that the new contract simply enables the club to extract a higher fee for him if they were to cash in on him.

The news was shared on Twitter by @WestHam_Central, and it attracted plenty of reaction from supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to give their thoughts on the update.

Let’s see what the West Ham fans had to say about the news below

“Get it done before he gets the Euros Golden Boot”

Credit: @_ghzst

“Pleaseeeeeee”

Credit: @dtmason15

“Yesssss”

Credit: @Tommb22

“GET THEM BOTH IN NOEEWWWWW”

Credit: @FornalsFluency

“Make it happen”

Credit: @whu_hearney

“I’d be over the moon if we sign both!”

Credit: @TrevorBenstock

In other news, many West Ham fans are livid over this man’s snub.

Pundit says Aston Villa good move for Southampton’s Ward-Prowse

Carlton Palmer believes that Aston Villa wouldn’t be a sideways move for Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse.

Dean Smith’s side might have finished 12 points ahead of the Saints, but disappointing second half of the season meant they ended up just four places above the St Mary’s outfit.

However, widespread reports believe that Smith is trying to bring the Southampton captain to Villa Park this summer in what would be their latest high-profile Premier League addition.

Villa have already secured the services of Norwich’s Emiliano Buendia for a club-record fee last week, whilst Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martinez arrived 12 months ago.

Ward-Prowse has enjoyed an impressive season for Southampton, scoring eight times – two of which were stunning free-kicks against Aston Villa – which is more than Jack Grealish, whilst also laying on seven assists for his teammates.

However, his form wasn’t enough to see him named in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad for the Euro’s despite an outstanding performance in the final warm-up game against Romania on Sunday.

Palmer told Football FanCast that signing for Villa would be a progressive move for Ward-Prowse despite the club’s both on a similar level:

“Villa are going for it. They’ve just managed to sign Buendia. Villa are a big, big club, and have a top manager in Dean Smith.

“So, from Southampton to Aston Villa, I think that’s a good move. And with Grealish there, I don’t expect Grealish to be going anywhere.

“He’s getting a very good squad of players there, and they could be challenging top six or top seven next season, so that would be a good move for him.”

Celtic can create carnage with Dembele signing

Celtic’s transfer policy this summer will depend on a number of factors.

It will come down to who departs the Hoops and it will also have something to do with whoever the new manager is at Parkhead.

One policy they’ve looked towards is recruiting young players from south of the border.

Liam Shaw is set to arrive from Sheffield Wednesday once his contract expires at Hillsborough but they’ve also been linked with Wigan teenager Kyle Joseph and Exeter’s Joel Randall.

Perhaps one of their most eye-catching targets from the English game is Siriki Dembele.

Currently at Peterborough, his radiant form for the League One side has taken them to the Championship.

He is out of contract in the summer of 2022 and if he doesn’t sign a new deal, this will be their last chance to cash in and receive a fee.

That means Celtic could potentially secure Dembele’s services on the cheap this summer, particularly if you head the words from Barry Fry.

The Peterborough director spoke to last week to Football Fancast’s sister site, This is Futbol.

He commented: “He’s got a year left on his contract and we’ve made him what we consider to be a lucrative offer but there has been a lot of interest in him, and I don’t think he’ll sign a new contract with us.”

That’s a huge boost to Celtic but what could he bring to Paradise? Well, with scintillating speed and “dazzling” dribbling, he has the potential to be a menace in attack.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-mcgregor-mccann-tierney” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

This could be wonderful news for David Turnbull, a creative midfielder who’s been playing with a lack of genuine width next to him this season.

On his way to being named in Scotland’s squad for the European Championship’s, Turnbull has provided 2.7 key passes per match for Celtic.

That’s more than any other player in the squad but very rarely have we seen a supply line in behind.

Coincidentally, one of the rare occasions we saw that was when he lined up alongside Siriki’s brother, Karamoko Dembele.

It was Turnbull who supplied the ball for the teenager’s first senior goal as he raced onto a glorious pass in behind before finding the back of the net.

That sighting is something we could see at Paradise regularly next term, particularly if they land the Peterborough forward.

Capable of playing on the flanks or through the middle as a striker, Dembele has scored 12 goals in all competitions this term.

That tally bodes well for a creative player featuring in behind him.

Like his younger brother, the 24-year-old is capable of beating his man for pace and trickery before finding the back of the net.

The thought of Turnbull and the English attacker playing together should be enough to make fans drool.

You only need to look at the way he combined with Karamoko against St Johnstone a few weeks ago. More football like that and it won’t take long for Celtic to click into gear next season.

They simply have to sign the Peterborough star.

AND in other news, Report claims £7.2m “horror show” will never play for Celtic again, fans surely elated…

Watford handed blow in Josh Doig pursuit

Watford have been handed a blow in their bid to bring Josh Doig to Vicarage Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Ekrem Konur, with the journalist posting on Twitter that Arsenal are now keeping a close eye on the Hibernian left-back ahead of a potential summer move.

Watford were recently reported to be in talks regarding the transfer of the 19-year-old, for whom it is thought that a deal would cost around £4m.

Giaretta will be gutted

With it previously appearing as if Watford had something of a free shot at a deal for Doig, if recent reports are to be believed, the news that Arsenal are now very firmly in the race for the highly-rated youngster is likely to come as gutting news for Watford’s sporting director Cristiano Giaretta.

The Hornets are in particular need of reinforcements at left-back following the confirmation that Achraf Lazaar has departed the club just three months after joining, and the SWFA Young Player of the Year very much appears to be an exciting prospect in the position.

Over his 28 Scottish Premiership appearances this term, the defender scored one goal, registered three assists and created two big chances for his teammates, in addition to helping his side keep four clean sheets and making an average of 0.8 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and 1.1 clearances per game – culminating in a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.65.

While these metrics would be impressive for an established left-back, the fact that the £450k-rated man is turning in these numbers at just 19 years of age would appear to indicate that he has an extremely bright future in the game, something that Jack Ross clearly agrees with, as he has dubbed the youngster an “excellent” talent.

As such, if Arsenal’s apparent interest does turn the head of the Scotland U19 international away from a move to Vicarage Road, Giaretta will have to begin his search for an addition in the position all over again – something that would undoubtedly come as a huge blow for the sporting director and his side.

In other news: Massive Watford contract development emerges which will surely have fans buzzing – opinion

Levy accusation emerges in Spurs takeover claim

Speaking to Football Insider, a financial source claimed that Daniel Levy blocked a 50% sale of Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last year worth a reported £800m, explaining that the chairman ‘did not want to lose control’.

Indeed, as per a previous report by Football Insider, Spurs owner Joe Lewis and ENIC are ‘actively looking’ for a buyer in an attempt to sell the club, with an £800m deal close to being agreed last year.

Levy accusation emerges in Spurs takeover claim

In more detail on the story, a financial source has now lifted the lid on why it fell through, with Levy now accused of blocking the sale due to his reluctance to cede control.

A deal was apparently ‘on the table’ which would have seen ENIC maintain a 50% stake in Spurs, but Levy’s unwillingness to relinquish his final say on decision-making and strategy resulted in the agreement collapsing.

Upon this stance from the chairman, the unnamed investors ‘pulled out’ and a deal failed to materialise.

Transfer Tavern take

This Tottenham takeover claim certainly sheds light on the Spurs chairman’s influence inside the club and just how central he is to the running of the north London outfit.

One huge positive for Spurs fans is Football Insider’s claim that the possibility of a takeover ‘looks more likely than at previous times’.

Many Lilywhites supporters have been split over ENIC and Levy’s reign in general, highlighted best by supporters hiring a plane with the infamous ‘Levy Out’ banner last year.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano shares news with Levy set for potentially big decision, find out more here.

Leeds suffer Raphinha injury blow before Man Utd

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has revealed that Raphinha is a “major doubt” for Leeds’ clash against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Brazilian missed the 1-1 draw against Liverpool last time out in the top-flight after being forced to limp off in the closing stages of the game against Manchester City.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side secured an impressive result against the Reds without him, but there no doubt would have been major hopes that he could make his return for the visit of United.

However, Hay has now revealed via Twitter that the winger is yet to actually train with the first-team since picking up his injury, and is now considered a major doubt for the game at Elland Road.

Given that he is yet to get at least some kind of training in before United, it seems highly unlikely now that Bielsa will be able to count on Raphinha, who has been an absolute revelation for the Whites this season.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson said: “He’s full of energy, he’s got a (good) work ethic as well where he works for the team, he just does everything right.

“I’m a big fan of his and the recruitment there to find that player, because for £17m, there will be people now scratching their head going ‘why didn’t we get him?'”

Raphinha’s performances even led to teammate Patrick Bamford raving about him after the game against Crystal Palace earlier this year, saying on Sky Sports: “I think, to be honest, he has been a steal for Leeds. I am surprised. As soon as he came in, you saw him in training, you know sometimes with players whether they are good or they are top class, and he really was. He stood out straightaway.

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“I am surprised that bigger teams, more established Premier League teams I should say, haven’t taken a punt on him because he really is someone special, and he is young.”

Given that he is set to miss out yet again for Leeds, Bielsa will no doubt be gutted that his talisman isn’t available to play against United this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Leeds must unleash this “absolutely outrageous” U23s starlet…

Wilson could be a solid option for Villa

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that his old side should explore the possibility of signing Callum Wilson if Newcastle United go down.

The Magpies are currently caught up in a relegation battle and it would not be a surprise to see other teams target Wilson if they do end up dropping down to the Championship.

Despite Newcastle’s struggles this season, Wilson has still been able to perform when fit. In 21 league appearances, the 29-year-old striker has scored 10 goals, making him an attractive proposition.

For Hendrie, he is certainly a player Villa should be looking at this summer. On the England international, the retired Premier League footballer told TT:

“I mean, Callum Wilson would be another one if you’re talking about Newcastle getting relegated.

“Callum Wilson’s scored goals in a team that’s really struggled this season, so there’s lots of elements of certainly where you’d look at and think ‘yes’, they’re the players you sort of try and bring into the club and nurture and push it forward.”

Moving for Wilson in the summer would not be a first for Villa. In the last summer transfer window, the Midlands club tried to sign the centre-forward from Bournemouth before his eventual move to Newcastle.

Moyes confirms “bad” West Ham injury

David Moyes will be fearing any potential spell on the sidelines for Mark Noble after confirming that the West Ham United captain sustained a “bad” injury against Leicester City.

That’s according to football.london, who quote the Irons boss as revealing Noble took a kick to his elbow during Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Foxes.

Noble had opened the London Stadium affair beside Tomas Soucek as he started back-to-back Premier League games for only the second time this season, as Moyes continues to be without Declan Rice.

Rice is facing a race against time to be fit before the end of the season after sustaining a knee ligament injury during the March international break, which left Noble and Soucek as Moyes’ only natural holding midfield options.

But Moyes could be down to only one option when West Ham visit relegation-threatened Newcastle United on Saturday, after seeing Noble forced off through injury late into his 400th Premier League appearance in claret and blue.

“He got a bad kick on the elbow so his elbow is bad, so we will need to see how he is and, look, Mark has done brilliantly well,” Moyes said following the game.

“He has come into the team and as I said at the start of the season, I thought Mark would have a big part to play, he has a huge part to play because he does so many good things for the team.

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“Obviously, we can’t hide the fact that we miss Declan and Micky Antonio, but we have to find other ways of winning and I have to say, Mark has come in and done a great job.”

Ben Johnson, who is a natural right-back, had to come on to replace Noble in the 82nd-minute and try to help see out Sunday’s game, but was unable to prevent a nervy finish when Kelechi Iheanacho struck his second goal after a late surge of pressure from Leicester.

Moyes will now be fearing the implications of losing Noble for any period of time, having seen his West Ham side emerge as genuine challengers for Champions League qualification.

The Irons sit fourth in the Premier League table and only a point behind the Foxes after beating Brendan Rodgers’ side, but doubts will rise over the likelihood of the London Stadium natives maintaining their position with only one natural central midfielder available.

Noble – who Dean Ashton claims has “given absolutely everything he can” to West Ham – did not look out of place against Wolverhampton Wanderers or Leicester after coming in for Rice, with his leadership skills key to keeping things calm.

The 33-year-old put his body on the line to protect the Irons defence on Sunday, too, having thrown himself in front of a driven effort from Youri Tielemans.

But his decision may now cost West Ham in the long run having gone down clutching his arm in the aftermath, to leave Moyes facing an anxious few days.

AND in other news, West Ham eye 23-year-old talent once backed to become “world-class”…

THFC: Sources say Levy is ‘all over’ deals

According to a recent report, Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is set to be “all over” Paris Saint-Germain this summer as the French club are linked with a number of Spurs players.

The report by Football Insider claimed that sources have revealed Levy will be keen to do business with the Ligue 1 side in the summer market, as the Spurs chairman looks to fund a rebuild of his club’s current squad, as well as attempting to recover some of Tottenham’s predicted losses of £150m, caused by the absence of fans from their stadium this season.

Indeed, since Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment at PSG, the French side have been linked with a number of Tottenham’s stars, with Football Insider mentioning Dele Alli, Hugo Lloris and Serge Aurier as potential candidates for departures, while also suggesting that the Parisians are “one of the few clubs in the world” who could afford a move for either Son Heung-min or Harry Kane this summer.

Transfer Tavern Take

With it being reported earlier this year that Levy is prepared to offload one of Tottenham’s star players this summer, the news that the club’s chairman is looking to do business with PSG is not overly surprising, as the Qatari-backed side are likely to have not suffered as great financial losses due to the global pandemic as other big clubs.

However, whether this news will be pleasing to the ears of a Tottenham fan remains to be seen, as it is not difficult to imagine a scenario in which Kane – for example – is sold simply to cover the club’s mounting debt, a move which would surely enrage many of the Spurs fanbase.

In other news: Tottenham have identified a potentially ‘perfect’ heir to Mourinho – find out more here!

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