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According to Telefoot’s Julien Maynard, Tottenham are one of the teams interested in Lille attacker Jonathan Ikone.

What’s the word?

After drawing a disappointing blank against a relegation-threatened Bournemouth on Thursday night, it’s no surprise to see that Spurs are seemingly after another forward player this summer.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…



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And as per Maynard, both Spurs and Newcastle have inquired about signing Ikone, and that despite him having a contract with Lille until 2023, could leave the French side if a “significant offer” comes in.

Potential

At just 22, Ikone is already a fully-fledged France international, despite the wealth of attacking talent Les Bleus have at their disposal. With 11 caps and two goals to his name, it’s a testament to how highly-rated he is, that he is able to find his place in a squad including the likes of Kylian Mbappe et al.

Originally coming through the PSG academy, it was Lille’s sporting director Luis Campos who unearthed Ikone and brought him to the Ligue 1 giants’ rivals for a reported €5m (£4.4m).

Can you name every one of Spurs’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…



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Campos, of course has been linked with a move to Spurs to work alongside Jose Mourinho, whom he has admitted to having a close relationship with. Valued at £32.4m, Ikone is very much an exciting attacker who looks to take the game to the opposition.

Last season saw him play in multiple different positions, including through the middle as a number nine, just behind the central striker, and even on both flanks too. Averaging a very impressive 2.6 dribbles per game, Ikone perhaps doesn’t have the same kind of renown or recognition that Nicolas Pepe built up in his time at Lille, which eventually saw him make a big-money to Arsenal.

But still only 22, he has plenty of time to grow and develop, and could be the kind of under-the-radar signing that gives Spurs further strength in depth both out wide and up top.

With promotion to the Premier League secured, Leeds can look forward to an exciting post-season of being linked to players across Europe.

And one man who they will surely be excited at being touted with, is Brentford winger Said Benrahma.

The Algerian of course will be familiar to Marcelo Bielsa’s side having scored against them in a Championship fixture this season, and according to the latest reports, is now being eyed up by the Whites this summer.

The report claims that Bielsa wants the 24-year-old at Elland Road at all costs, and has made him his priority in terms of summer transfer targets. It’s further added that the Whites are readying an offer in the region of €26m (£23.6m) to lure him away from London.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

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And when you look at the kind of season he had, it’s easy to see why Benrahma is a man in demand. With 17 goals and nine assists, the attacker has been one of the main reasons behind Brentford’s charge for an automatic promotion place – they narrowly missed out on the final day.

As per Whoscored, he has averaged a very impressive 3.9 shots, 2.1 key passes and 3.1 dribbles per game in the Championship, and that level of creativity and goal threat is something that could really elevate Leeds’ attack.

His ability to take players on is second-to-none, and it’s no surprise that several people who have worked closely with him have raved about his technique and skills – including Brentford manager Thomas Frank.

He said: “For me he’s a quality player with top skills but also finishing skills. We actually worked very hard with him to arrive in the box at the right situations. In there when he’s turning and running at people – oof, I don’t want to defend against him!”.

His teammate Henrik Dalsgaard further underlined just how much of a difficult customer he can be for the opposition, saying: “He’s such a tricky player, you think you’ve got him locked in the corner and then, all of a sudden, he’s out”.

And if you needed to sum it all up, then look no further than Sam Saunders, Brentford B’s assistant coach, who claimed Benrahma “could nutmeg a mermaid”.

Benrahma may be plying his trade in the Championship, but all signs point to him being a Premier League quality player in the future. Victor Orta and co would be foolish not to snap him up ahead of the competition.

Liverpool failed to return to winning ways against Arsenal after throwing away an early 1-0 lead at the Emirates.

The Gunners were able to capitalise on two defensive errors to come from behind and win the match 2-1. The victory sees them stay in their fight for Europa League football but ends Liverpool’s dreams of a 100-point season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have won just two of their matches since they were crowned champions. Their loss in London means they will not achieve centurion status and following their draw against Burnley at Anfield, they will not finish the season with a perfect home record.

Fans are frustrated with their most recent result and are particularly criticising Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s performance against his former side. According to Sofascore, the midfielder lost possession 14 times and failed to complete any of his attempted crosses. He was substituted off after 61 minutes and earned a disappointing rating of 6.5.

A lot of fans on Twitter aren’t happy – with one telling Chamberlain to ‘leave my club ASAP’. Others have branded him a ‘fraud’ and claimed ‘he’s done’.

Read more replies here:

Do you agree with the comments on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Reds? Join the conversation in the comments below…

Lots of Everton fans have been destroying the latest link to former Chelsea man Branislav Ivanovic as Republika have reported comments made by him on his future.

As per the outlet, he said that he will probably continue his career at the Merseyside club and claimed that he has received a good offer from them.

The Zenit St. Petersburg defender also added that he has not receive an offer from Red Star Belgrade, which may potentially put the Toffees in the front seat.

Perhaps it is not a surprise that Ivanovic has been linked given that Carlo Ancelotti has worked with him before at Stamford Bridge, playing in 89 games in all competitions across two consecutive seasons, scoring a rather impressive seven goals and making a further 13 assists, according to Transfermarkt.

He seems to have emerged as a transfer target for the Blues given that he has previously been linked to EFC before in this summer window, which did not go down well with supporters.

Nevertheless, being 36 years of age now, perhaps one can question whether he has the legs to cope with the sheer pace of the Premier League.

These members of the Goodison Park faithful destroyed the link to the Serbian international on Twitter:

Evertonians, would Ivanovic be a bad signing? Comment below!

With Aaron Ramsdale signing for Sheffield United, the club do not need to worry about their goalkeeper situation any longer, and this means they can now focus on other aspects of the squad that need strengthening.

Indeed, Chris Wilder seems to have already identified what positions he will now target in the transfer window.

According to Sheffield Star journalist James Shield, the Blades manager is very keen to add a centre-forward to his squad before the 2020/21 season starts.

While the search for a striker seems to be the priority for Sheffield United, they are also reportedly keeping an eye on midfielders in case John Lundstram departs, with multiple Premier League clubs keen on a move for the 26-year-old, as per Sky Sports.

The interest in another striker makes perfect sense for the Blades as they would probably have wanted their forwards to have scored more regularly last season. Their top scorers were both strikers as Lyss Mousset and Oliver McBurnie scored six goals each, which is not exactly a brilliantly prolific haul for centre-forwards and scorers-in-chief.

It also makes sense due to the advancing years of Billy Sharp (34) and David McGoldrick (32) and therefore the club need to be thinking about their future options up front as that duo won’t be around for a lot longer.

If they can pick up a reliable striker with potential and a consistent eye for goal, then there is every chance that they can achieve another top 10 finish like they did last term.

It also makes perfect sense that they are looking for a midfielder due to the the transfer speculation surrounding Lundstram, and supporters of the Blades should be happy as it looks like the business they are trying to complete in this transfer window is being planned in good time.

Blades fans, is Wilder right to now prioritise signing a striker in the transfer window? Comment below with your views!

After being linked with a summer move, Leicester City are now the odds-on favourites to sign Burnley attacker Dwight McNeil according to some bookmakers, via Leicestershire Live, with manager Brendan Rodgers looking to snap up a creative outlet ahead of a busy 2020/21 Premier League campaign. 

This also comes after Demarai Gray’s future has at the King Power Stadium has become more doubtful, especially after a report from The Telegraph linking him with a move to Newcastle United, and now the Foxes are ‘favourites’ to sign McNeil as a potential replacement.

Left-back Ben Chilwell has already departed the East Midlands in a £45m move to Chelsea, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal, and McNeil could be high on the list of candidates to come in and strengthen Rodgers’ squad.

Defender Timothy Castagne is reportedly set to join Leicester as Chilwell’s direct heir, but the Burnley youngster has been strongly tipped to follow him.

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the left-sided midfielder started all 38 Premier League games for the Clarets last season, marking himself out as a key figure under Sean Dyche by scoring two goals and providing six assists from the flanks (WhoScored).

Out of Burnley’s entire squad, only Ashley Westwood managed to provide more key passes per game, perhaps attracting Rodgers and his staff at Leicester to a player deemed to have vast potential.

Speaking to Sky Sports via Lancs Live, pundit Jamie Redknapp has also waxed lyrical over McNeil’s ‘real quality’ and correctly predicted that top six sides would be after him in this window, now that Leicester could be in the chase.

Given the quick run of games over 2020/21, strength in depth may well be key, and the Englishman could provide a new dimension for the Foxes going forward.

Foxes, would you be happy to sign McNeil? Join the discussion by commenting below…

West Bromwich Albion are closing in on another summer signing and it’s one that many at the Hawthorns will recognise…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s Steve Madeley, the Baggies are poised to re-sign attacking midfielder Filip Krovinovic on loan from Benfica for a second spell.

They claim that an agreement is increasingly likely after a significant breakthrough in discussions this week.

Slaven Bilic is a big fan as he can play a multitude of midfield positions, and he’s thought to be a very popular member of the dressing room too.

Although the temporary switch is ‘heading towards’ a straight loan without any obligation to buy despite being linked with a £6m move earlier this year.

Risky business

And that could be the greatest risk that Luke Dowling makes this summer.

Albion have seen exactly what Krovinovic has to offer after he provided three goals and two assists whilst averaging 1.4 shots, 1.1 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

It took until after Christmas to see him regularly, but he soon became an integral part of the promotion winners and if he has another good season in the Midlands, the Baggies will be stuffed as he’ll be free to join any other interested team or maybe even return to Portugal.

If he takes to the Premier League like lightening, then Bilic has no advantage when it comes to next summer.

The Croatian’s assistant Danilo Butorovic believes the 25-year-old “is going places,” calling him “underrated” as well as a “great talent.”

Whilst earlier this summer Football Insider pundit Noel Whelan claimed getting Krovinovic back at the Hawthorns would be an “absolute bargain” and Bilic is very desperate to land him.

As good as this move it, it could well be tarnished by the fact that the Baggies will be left without any obligation – or even an option – to buy. That’s something that could come back to haunt them this time next year.

AND in other news, WBA could upgrade Sawyers with £12m swoop…

Liverpool are back in the running to pursue global talent Kylian Mbappe, according to French media.

The reigning Premier League champions are reportedly eyeing up a deal for the Frenchman and are said to be in talks over a 2021 move. That’s according to L’Equipe (relayed via @LFCTransferRoom), who claim Real Madrid are also fond admirers of the forward.

This isn’t the first time Liverpool have been mentioned alongside Mbappe. The Reds have been loosely linked to him throughout the year, but no talks of an official move have surfaced. A plot to land the 21-year-old next summer could mean that they are serious about bringing him to Merseyside.

Mbappe is currently valued at a whopping £162million and Paris Saint-Germain will almost certainly not let him go cheap. However, what is likely to be an astronomical price tag is more than justified. The young star boasts 91 goals and 51 assists for PSG in 125 appearances, as well as 27 goals and 16 assists in 60 Monaco games (via Transfermarkt).

This link has got Liverpool supporters fanning themselves as they imagine bringing Mbappe to Anfield. One fan has tweeted ‘be still my beating heart’, with another pondering over a potential deal.

They feel that ‘Edwards surely could get him’ for an initial up front payment and then the rest coming through instalments.

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful here:

Do you think Liverpool can land Kylian Mbappe next year? Join the conversation in the comments!

Liverpool could be close to finalising a permanent move that will see young left-back Yasser Larouci join Leeds as the hours of the summer transfer window tick down.

The 19-year-old has made it clear that he is looking for regular first team football and that’s something the Merseyside outfit cannot offer him. With new signing Kostas Tsimikas being assigned as Andy Robertson’s deputy, there’s no room at the inn for the young Frenchman.

A new future for Yasser Larouci

Leeds and Brentford have both been heavily linked to Larouci this year but it looks like the Championship winners are in pole position to secure a deal. According to The Mirror (via HITC), Marcelo Bielsa is eager to land a move for the defender before the transfer window closes. With less than a year left on his current contract, it’s imperative that Liverpool cash in whilst they still can.

The Reds recently valued Larouci at £2million, but Leeds were reluctant to pay the full amount for the teenager, according to Afrique Sports (via TEAMtalk). However, with Bielsa clearly keen to see a deal materialise, the Whites may just bite the bullet and pay up.

Despite receiving a lot of praise from Jurgen Klopp, Larouci will be waiting a long time to push into the first team with Tsimikas now on the picture. The Algeria-born defender has made a few first-team appearances, featuring in the FA Cup ties against Everton and Shrewsbury back in January (via Transfermarkt).

Larouci also featured on the club’s tour of USA, facing Klopp’s former club Dortmund in a 3-2 defeat. The manager praised the teen for defending ‘really well’ against Jadon Sancho as The Reds took on his former side (via Liverpool ECHO).

Leeds currently have three recognised left-backs on their roster, so the addition of Larouci will make for some tense in-house competition to fight for their spot in the starting line-up.

In other news, Michael Edwards shows Liverpool worth amid potential transfer profit…

Sheffield Wednesday’s quest to secure their first home win in over eight months will have to wait as they were well-beaten by Brentford at Hillsborough on Wednesday night.

The Owls have not picked up three points in south Yorkshire since February and still remain bottom of the Championship on minus four points following their points deduction.

Garry Monk has it all to do if he’s to keep Wednesday in the second flight of English football this season but it’s also on the players too, especially without their supporters in attendance.

He’ll be disheartened by the performance from his defenders after conceding a brace to Bees talisman Ivan Toney, and the display of Joost van Aken was perhaps the standout in terms of being particularly poor. He certainly let his manager down.

The 26-year-old has been given a second chance at Hillsborough after playing for 2. Bundesliga outfit VfL Osnabruck last season after joining the club back in 2017 for £4.5m.

He was deployed in a back three alongside summer arrival Aden Flint and right-back by trade Moses Odubajo, and was clearly the worst performer, clinching a 6.4 rating by SofaScore.

The Dutch colossus failed to win any of his duels, lost possession seven times and only made 50% of his long balls with Toney giving him the run around all game.

YorkshireLive’s Dom Howson graded van Aken a mediocre 5/10 and claimed: “Found it tough going to contain the Bees forward line, particularly in the first half.”

Fellow centre-back Julian Borner was a regular presence under Monk last season, starting 34 league games, so it’s a surprise to see his name on the bench but the fact that he’s waiting in the wings should spell trouble for the former Heerenveen man.

If he continues at this disappointing level, then that switch will quickly become an easy one to make. He let Monk down this week and has to be a drop candidate before they host Luton Town on Saturday afternoon.

With Chey Dunkley, Dominic Iorfa and Tom Lees all on the treatment table, van Aken ought to be making the absolute most of this rare opportunity.

AND in other news, Chansiri’s transfer decision on key Owls star instantly vindicated…