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Barcelona’s highly-rated young midfielder Marc Casado has opted to stay at the club despite interest from Southampton. 

What’s the word?

That’s according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, who claimed that the Saints, along with Premier League duo Brighton and West Ham, had all submitted proposals for the 18-year-old.

He has instead opted to continue his development in Catalonia and joins up with Xavi’s pre-season squad.

The Premier League trio were all offering significant financial incentives, but the teenager’s heart reportedly remained with Barcelona.

Supporters will be gutted

Southampton have had a relatively busy summer, bringing in five players who will likely battle for first-team spots.

Whilst a new centre-forward is still the main area of concern, allowing this deal to escape will remain a sore spot for Ralph Hasenhuttl and Saints supporters.

The Barcelona under-19s captain has earned huge praise for his calmness on the ball, and many have expectations of him reaching the levels of Pedri and Gavi. In fact, he is reportedly primed to be the natural successor to club legend Sergio Busquets.

Southampton have a brilliant track record of producing and developing young talent, so there seems little doubt that a move to the English south coast would have helped Casado develop further.

Remarked upon for his ability to beat the press with neat turns, break up the play and pick out a killer pass, the 18-year-old appears to have the qualities required to succeed in the Premier League.

He would have occupied Oriol Romeu’s current role commendably, and in time he could have succeeded the former Chelsea anchor man. Alongside the potent James Ward-Prowse, he could have been moulded into an all-round quality central midfielder at St Mary’s.

To combine the teachings of both of these midfielders could have helped Casado to fulfil the ‘next Busquets’ prophecy, as it would have been the perfect blend of brutality and brilliant technique.

Southampton supporters have every right to be gutted as a potential midfield star of the future instead opts to stick around in Catalonia.

The south coast club were always fighting a losing battle to pry him from one of the foremost football clubs in the world, but Hassenhuttl will likely still feel aggrieved that Casado will not be joining the Saints.

AND in other news – After Mara: Ralph can finally axe “desperate” £15m Saints flop, he’s not good enough

Tottenham Hotspur have been given a big boost in their pursuit of James Maddison this week…

What’s the word?

Spurs are thought to be one of several Premier League teams keen on the Leicester City playmaker and he could soon become available with the Foxes in desperate need to raise funds, as per John Percy of the Telegraph.

Valued at £50m, the England international is someone who could earn a substantial fee for the Midlands club. Newcastle United have recently tested the water with a £40m bid, which was swiftly rejected and according to transfer insider Dean Jones, Maddison isn’t keen on that switch either.

Instead, he appears to be holding out for a move to north London.

“I don’t get any signs so far that James Maddison actually wants to join Newcastle. From what I hear, James Maddison wants to join Tottenham or Arsenal,” the Eurosport journalist told ‘The Done Deal Show’ this week.

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Spurs given boost in the James Maddison race

There has been a lot of chatter surrounding Tottenham’s interest in the 25-year-old maestro.

CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs recently claimed that manager Antonio Conte “likes the player a lot,” whilst the ever-reliable Alasdair Gold of football.london suggested that if “the chance to prise him away arises they might just make a move.”

With the door seemingly open, it would be foolish for sporting director Fabio Paratici and co to not strike as if Jones is to be believed, the homegrown talent is eager to play for Spurs.

The north Londoners have something of a registration problem as they lack numbers that fit the homegrown quota and that will only get worse if Japhet Tanganga and Harry Winks seal their respective exits as they are two Hotspur Way academy graduates that are no longer on the books.

Maddison, who broke through at Coventry City in 2013, would certainly aid that lingering issue.

Not just that, but he would add an abundance to Conte’s engine room, having enjoyed one of his best-ever campaigns last term.

Across 53 appearances in all competitions, Maddison provided Brendan Rodgers with 18 goals and 12 assists, averaging one goal contribution every 120.8 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

It led to the Foxes boss singing his praises back in May this year.

“I saw some highlights, talking about KDB scoring 18 goals, he’s playing in a top team, James has had to work for every goal, he’s not had any penalties. He’s been outstanding,” he told reporters (via the Leicester Mercury). “We talked through his game and the level of intensity he adds. He elevates the team. To do it in the Premier League as a midfield player, he has shown he is one of the top players at this level.”

Also lauded as “a special talent” by The Times’ chief football writer Henry Winter, and as a player capable of making a “stunning” impact by The Mail’s James Sharpe, it’s clear that Maddison would be a remarkable seventh signing of the summer transfer window.

If Spurs can beat their arch-rivals to his signature, then Conte will be getting another fine addition to his squad and one capable of filling that creative void in midfield.

£50m is an awful lot of money to pay but English talent comes at a premium in this day and age, and he’s ultimately a player that could solve a lot in N17.

Paratici must now look to submit a formal offer for the Leicester star.

AND in other news, Conte can land Perisic 2.0 as Spurs eye £67k-pw target who’s “in the Vertonghen mould”…

Can’t get enough football? Watch Tottenham Hotspur live streams and highlights on StreamFootball

West Ham United have set their sights on an alternative to Piotr Zielinski and Amadou Onana as news emerges on Strasbourg midfielder Ibrahima Sissoko.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye new midfield man…

Hammers head coach David Moyes seems determined to sign a new central midfielder who can come in and rotate with the likes of Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice in front of the back four.

Onana and Zielinski, reliably thought to be targeted by the east Londoners, are no longer on their way and West Ham may need to start from scratch in the efforts to sign a player for that position.

This comes amid Moyes’ clear transfer demand to the media recently, where the Scotsman suggested his side need to do far more before the Premier League window shuts.

The Latest: West Ham set sights on Sissoko…

Now, as per Foot 365 Ligue 1 journalist Ignazio Genuardi, the club have set their sights on colossal 6 foot 3 Strasbourg ace Sissoko after ‘missing’ out on Zielinski and Onana.

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He explained:

“In search of reinforcement in the midfield, the Hammers did not wish to overpay (transfer + salary). After missing Zielinski and therefore Onana, the team managed by Moyes looks in particular at Strasbourg Sissoko.”

The Verdict: Good alternative?

Such an imposing figure, there is little question Sissoko possesses a physicality tailor-made to the English top flight.

Still just 24-years-old, the player would come with bags of potential and an ability to get forward – having notched two goals and five assists in Ligue 1 last season.

Valued at around £7.2 million by Transfermarkt, Sissoko could also be an affordable option for the club having missed out on pricier targets.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Los Angeles FC talent Jose Cifuentes to Elland Road this summer.

That’s according to a recent report by French media outlet Jeunes Footeux (via Leeds Live), who claim that Victor Orta looks set to join both Leicester City, SS Napoli and an unnamed Ligue 1 side in the race for the 23-year-old central midfielder’s signature in the summer transfer window.

The report goes on to state that, with the Ecuador international’s current contract at the Banc of California Stadium set to expire in the winter of 2023, the Major League Soccer outfit are said to be demanding a figure in the region of £5m in order to part with the former CD Universidad Catolica starlet this summer.

Perfect Klich replacement

With Leeds United midfielder Mateusz Klich being linked with a move away from Elland Road this summer, should the Poland international go on to move onto pastures new in the coming weeks, Cifuentes could well be something of a perfect replacement for the 32-year-old.

Indeed, the £5.85m-rated talent has been in remarkable form over his 22 MLS appearances for LAFC so far this season, scoring six goals, registering five assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.0 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per game.

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The £6.1k-per-week Ecuadorian has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 2.0 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, 29 passes, 1.5 long balls and winning 5.0 duels per fixture.

These returns have seen the 23-year-old who John Thorrington dubbed “dynamic” and claimed has an “eye for goal” average a quite spectacular SofaScore match rating of 7.10, not only ranking him as Steve Cherundolo’s joint third-best performer in the league but also as the joint 46th-best player in the division as a whole.

In comparison, over Klich’s 33 Premier League fixtures in 2021/22, the £2.7m-rated midfielder offered the Whites little in attack, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.3 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.6 dribbles per game.

The £34k-per-week veteran also struggled in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of just 1.4 tackles, 0.3 interceptions, 23.7 passes, 0.8 long balls and winning a mere 2.7 duels per outing.

These returns saw the Pole average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.67, ranking him as Jesse Marsch’s 11th-worst performer in the top flight of English football last season.

As such, while the Premier League is undoubtedly a more challenging division than the MLS, it is evident that Cifuentes betters Klich’s output in almost every midfield metric, leading us to believe that, should the 32-year-old indeed secure a move away from Elland road this summer, the £5m LAFC talent would make a perfect replacement for the 40-cap international.

Newcastle have been dealt a big injury blow ahead of their game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon, with Nick Pope reportedly set to miss the trip to the south coast.

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, the former Burnley man is a doubt for the game against Graham Potter’s side, with Martin Dubravka or Karl Darlow likely to deputies for Eddie Howe’s side.

After keeping a clean sheet on his debut against Nottingham Forest, the last thing Howe would have wanted is for Pope to get an injury, but it seems as if he will have to cope without the England international on Saturday afternoon.

While he was rarely threatened in the win against Steve Cooper’s side last weekend, with the away side failing to manage a single shot on target, Pope has shown in his time at Burnley that he is a ‘keeper who can be relied upon.

A big blow for Newcastle

Despite the Lancashire side suffering relegation to the Championship, Pope’s nine clean sheets were still more than the likes of David de Gea, Kasper Schmeichel and Dubravka.

Liverpool manager was full of praise for Pope after his saves helped Burnley earn a 1-1 draw at Anfield in 2020, saying:

“It’s frustrating because we should have scored much earlier. Nick Pope was obviously warmed up. We warmed him up through the game and he was properly warm and had some really sensational saves.”

Last season Burnley were expected to concede 60.22 goals but only shipped 53, which emphasises how much Pope over-performed.

Newcastle, meanwhile, were expected to concede 62.71 and conceded 62 which is respectable but suggests that Pope is a more reliable goalkeeper than Dubravka and would do a better job in the side.

Therefore, it is surely both a big and gutting blow for Howe that Pope may miss the game against Brighton, and he will be hoping to see the 30-year-old back as soon as possible.

Crystal Palace want ‘somewhere between 25 and 30 million’ if they’re to sell Wilfried Zaha this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The lowdown

Zaha is into the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park and The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam says they have ‘no intention’ of allowing him to leave on a free transfer.

That, of course, means they will have to tie him down to a new contract in the next 12 months, or sell him in one of the next two transfer windows.

Chelsea are interested in Zaha, and manager Thomas Tuchel is thought to be keen on the idea of moving for the Ivorian before 1 September.

Intriguingly, Palace themselves are targeting two of the Blues’ assets.

According to 90Min, they remain keen to bring back Conor Gallagher following his loan spell last season, and are also ‘in the hunt’ for Callum Hudson-Odoi.

The latest

Jones says Hudson-Odoi and Gallagher are unlikely to be used as part of any deal for Zaha and set out Palace’s demands for the 29-year-old.

“I think it [Hudson-Odoi and Gallagher] would be separate from an actual bid for Zaha because Palace would want a cash deal for him and they’d want his full valuation, which would be somewhere between 25 and 30 million,” he said.

The verdict

Will Palace be able to get that price for Zaha, even though he’s 29 and is approaching the end of his deal? Potentially.

This is, after all, a player who’s proven he can deliver in the Premier League, with 102 direct goal involvements (61 goals and 41 assists) in 279 games.

The £130,000-per-week attacker has been named the club’s Player of the Season on three separate occasions, most recently in 2017/18.

He’s also a former winner of the Premier League’s Player of the Month award, scooping the honour in April 2018.

Zaha also showed what he was capable of on the opening day of the season against Arsenal, winning 11 ground duels, and creating two chances (including one big chance).

Arsenal are eyeing up a swoop for Ukrainian talent Mykhaylo Mudryk as Mikel Arteta aims to add at least another new face to his squad.

That’s according to French outlet Media Foot Marseille which claims that Arsenal are increasingly active in pursuing the winger, although they haven’t tabled an offer as of yet.

His current Shakthar Donetsk contract expires in 2026 and the report states that he wouldn’t leave for anything less than €20m (£17m).

With Arteta looking to add another winger to his squad, Mudryk could be a great option to call upon.

Theo Walcott 2.0?

The Spanish manager has undergone somewhat of a squad overhaul this summer in order to get Arsenal back into the Premier League top four and Champions League qualification.

It appears to be working – so far anyway – with new signings Gabriel Jesus, who has two goals and registered three assists already, and Oleksandr Zinchenko providing the much-needed spark as the Gunners have notched three consecutive victories to begin their campaign.

With reports linking Nicolas Pepe to Nice and a loan move edging closer, it will give Arteta space to add in a winger to the side, with Yeremy Pino and Moussa Diaby linked of late, a move for Mudryk could be a cheaper alternative.

His talents also echo that of former Arsenal wide man Theo Walcott and thus, Arteta could unearth the club’s modern-day version of the flying winger.

Football talent scout, Jacek Kulig, said as far back as 2018 that Mudryk’s pace and acceleration were very strong and Walcott was famed for his speed which enabled him to constantly pass defenders with ease.

Indeed, Fintan O’Reilly of Total Football Analysis once noted the following about the Ukrainian: “One of the big positives to his game from a dribbling perspective, however, is that he retains a lot of his rapid pace while carrying the ball.”

He continued: “Mudryk can dribble at a very fast pace, which makes it difficult for defenders to time challenges on him as he carries the ball towards goal.”

His talents are certainly reminiscent of a young Walcott, despite playing on the opposite wing and Arteta could do with a unique option to call upon in his attack.

Mudryk played 11 times for Shakthar in the league last season, scoring twice and registering seven assists, proving he can not only chip in with a few goals but also create plenty of opportunities for his teammates. Walcott also contributed heavily in that regard, proving to be a creative and goalscoring force during his spell at Arsenal, scoring 108 times and grabbing 80 assists.

With the 21-year-old being dubbed as “unstoppable” by the club’s official social channels following a recent performance against Domzale, Arteta should be acting quickly to seal any potential move as soon as possible.

Leeds United are considering making a late move for long-term transfer target Ryan Kent.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that, with Daniel James being linked with a move away from Elland Road this summer – with both Tottenham Hotspur and Everton believed to be keen on the 24-year-old – Victor Orta could be tempted to reignite his long-term interest in a £15m move for the Glasgow Rangers winger in the coming days.

The report goes on to touch on the Whites’ failed attempt to bring the Scotland international to the Premier League back in the summer of 2020, however, with one year remaining on his current contract at Ibrox, previous reports have suggested that the former Liverpool forward would be open to a move away from Glasgow this summer.

Orta can bin James with Kent

Considering the contrasting returns of Kent and James over the course of the past 12 months, should an opportunity arise for Orta to swap the latter for the former over the remainder of the summer transfer window, it is something the Whites’ sporting director simply must grasp with both hands.

Indeed, after sealing a £30m move to Elland Road last summer, the £16.2m-rated James failed to impress over his 34 Premier League appearances last term, scoring just four goals – despite being deployed up top 14 times – providing four assists and creating five big chances, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots, making 0.8 key passes and completing 0.6 dribbles per game.

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These metrics saw the £50k-per-week forward who Graeme Souness dubbed “reckless” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.64, ranking him as Jesse Marsch’s joint ninth-worst performer in the top flight of English football last time out.

In comparison, over Kent’s 26 Scottish Premiership appearances in 2021/22, the £15.75m-rated winger was in much more impressive form, scoring two goals, registering eight assists and creating 10 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.5 shots, making 1.7 key passes and completing 2.0 dribbles per fixture.

These returns saw the £52k-per-week attacker who Steven Gerrard labelled “dangerous” average a SofaScore match rating of 7.06 – a rating which, should he have achieved at Leeds last season, would have ranked him as the Whites’ best performing outfielder in the Premier League.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old also played a key role in Rangers’ widely unexpected run to the 2021/22 Europa League final, scoring one goal, registering three assists and creating five big chances over his 13 appearances in the competition – averaging an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.08.

As such, should Leeds manage to bring in a reported £20m for James in the coming days, it would appear highly advisable for Orta to immediately spend a potential £15m of this money on the Rangers sensation, as it is evident that the Scotland international would represent a huge upgrade on the 24-year-old Welshman.

Gabriel Agbonlahor has heaped praise on Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg for his performances this season.

The Lowdown: Spurs start brightly…

Spurs have started this 2022/23 campaign brightly, remaining unbeaten over their first six Premier League matches, with four wins and two draws on the board.

Antonio Conte is reaping the rewards for his hard work behind the scenes as he transforms the Lilywhites into a formidable opponent to face.

This also comes after a busy summer off the pitch in N17, where sporting director Fabio Paratici sealed moves in the transfer market for Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie.

Despite the arrival of an ‘exciting’ addition in Bissouma, the Mali international has been largely unable to displace mainstay midfielder Hojbjerg.

The Latest: Hojbjerg praised…

Speaking to Football Insider, former Villa striker Agbonlahor has claimed that the Denmark international ‘deserves to start’ over Bissouma at Tottenham.

The talkSPORT pundit explained: “It’s still early doors in the Premier League season. There are going to be injuries and unavailability.

“If someone’s playing well, as Hojbjerg is, you can’t just drop them for a new signing.

“Richarlison hasn’t come straight in, Perisic hasn’t come straight in. It’s a long season, so there’ll be a lot of rotation.

“Hojbjerg, for me, deserves to be starting because of the performances he’s put in this season.”

The Verdict: Huge player…

Called ‘underrated’ and ‘intense’ behind the scenes by reliable reporter Alasdair Gold, the former Southampton colossus has been untouchable in Conte’s starting XI recently.

As per WhoScored, Hojbjerg has been handed the nod in all six of Spurs’ opening matches whilst also ranking as their second-best performer on average behind star striker Harry Kane.

The Dane ranks in the top five at Tottenham for tackles won, interceptions made, passes attempted and pass completion, illustrating his impressive all-round midfield nature.

The 27-year-old has even chipped in with two goals and certainly deserves all the praise coming his way.

Wolverhampton Wanderers journalist Steve Madeley gave his immediate reaction to Nathan Collins’ ‘reckless’ challenge that saw him sent off vs Manchester City.

The Lowdown: Collins sees red

The Old Gold hosted Pep Guardiola’s side at Molineux on Saturday, but suffered a 3-0 defeat thanks to two first-half goals from Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland, followed by Phil Foden adding a third on 69 minutes, making this the club’s first loss in four Premier League games.

One of the most notable moments though was the centre-back being shown a straight red card for a high-waisted tackle on City’s opening scorer, meaning that he will now be temporarily suspended and unavailable for selection.

The Latest: Madeley’s reaction

Taking to Twitter, Madeley insisted that whilst Collins’ lunge wasn’t done on purpose, his dismissal was a completely fair decision by referee Anthony Taylor. He wrote:

“No malice in the challenge from Collins but it was seriously reckless and he can have no complaints about the sending off. He’ll now miss the next 3 games, exposing Wolves’ lack of depth at centre-back.”

The Verdict: Bad day at the office

Whilst Wolves beating Man City in this game wasn’t impossible, the likelihood is it wasn’t going to happen given the reigning champions’ current form and the absence of Lage’s natural strikers.

Collins receiving his marching orders so early on made the task of dealing with their world-class opponents twice as difficult, though his karate-esque challenge was never going to be viewed as anything less brutal.

It’s fair to say it was an all-round disappointing day at the office, but it’s important that the Wanderers now use the international break to regroup and come back fighting against West Ham in the hope of securing all three points without Collins in the XI.