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Tottenham Hotspur had something of a hit-and-miss record in the transfer market prior to Fabio Paratici’s arrival in north London in the summer of 2021, with Daniel Levy getting a number of signings right – such as Son Heung min, Christian Eriksen and Hugo Lloris – while also getting quite a few wrong – including Tanguy Ndombele, Serge Aurier and Georges-Kevin N’Koudou.

And, one more player who undoubtedly falls into the latter category is Clinton N’Jie, the chairman’s £12m signing from Olympique Lyonnais back in August of 2015, with the forward reportedly brought in to help replace Roberto Soldado – who secured a move to LaLiga side Villarreal in the weeks preceding the Frenchman’s switch to Spurs.

However, after starting none of Tottenham’s first 14 Premier League fixtures in 2015/16, as well as being handed just two starts in the club’s first six Europa League outings that same season, it quickly became apparent that the then-22-year-old attacker was not exactly a favourite of Mauricio Pochettino – before N’Jie would suffer a season-ending knee injury in December of 2015.

The following campaign, the Cameroon international was shipped out on loan to Olympique de Marseille, where the £38k-per-week player would score €7m (£6m) option to buy clause in the winger’s contract.

However, things would once again fail to work out for N’Jie at Marseille, who sold the forward to Dynamo Moscow just two years later, who subsequently allowed the Cameroonian to join Turkish side Sivasspor on a free transfer this summer, where the now £1.08m-rated forward has scored one goal over his nine Super Lig appearances so far this season.

As such, considering that N’Jie’s career has fallen off a proverbial cliff since his 2015 move to north London, coupled with the fact that the 29-year-old currently boasts a market valuation that is an enormous 91% less than the £12m Spurs paid for his services, it is clear for all to see that Levy had a nightmare when bringing the forward to the club seven years ago.

Manchester United target Jan Oblak may not be planning to move to the Premier League ‘just yet’, according to transfer insider Dean Jones for GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

Evening Standard journalist Nizaar Kinsella reported that Erik ten Hag’s side hold an ‘interest’ in the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper ahead of next summer’s transfer window.

United’s current first-choice stopper David de Gea is out of contract at the end of the season, so the Red Devils must either try to agree an extension for him or find a replacement.

The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones said that sources in Spain had expressed scepticism over the prospect of Oblak joining United in the near future. He points out that the Slovenian is under contract at the Wanda Metropolitano for another six years, having only signed an extension in July.

Jones stated: “In England, it keeps being reported that clubs are interested in Oblak, but when you speak to people in Spain, they don’t quite see it that way.

“He’s got a long time left on his contract, and people keep talking about the fact he’d love to test himself in the Premier League. As I say, people in Spain feel like this might be a bit premature, and he might not come just yet.”

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The verdict

United should think twice about moving for Oblak in any case.

Over the past year, he has actually underperformed from a shot-stopping point view, ranking in just the 36th percentile among goalkeepers in Europe’s big five leagues for this metric.

De Gea’s distribution has been derided as ‘poor’ by The Athletic’s Maram AlBaharna, but Oblak may not solve that problem.

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He isn’t a goalkeeper who plays a lot of short passes, ranking in the 89th percentile for passes which travel 40 yards-plus.

While he is a more proactive sweeper than De Gea, he’s still below average in this department, so United perhaps ought to be looking elsewhere for the Spaniard’s long-term successor at Old Trafford.

Aston Villa will be without Lucas Digne for an indefinite amount of time…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Birmingham Mail journalist Ashley Preece, who delivered an update on the Frenchman ahead of the Villans’ clash with Leeds United in the Premier League this afternoon.

“Lucas Digne the big concern; no return date for the Frenchman with Ludwig Augustinsson the favourite to come in at left-back vs Leeds,” he tweeted.

The 29-year-old full-back picked up an issue during the international break, where he was called up for France, and is set to be sidelined for “a few weeks” at the very least.

A big blow for Gerrard

Digne is a crucial member of Steven Gerrard’s starting lineup, so his absence is an obvious blow to the manager and the rest of the squad.

The France star is one of just two players to have played 100% of minutes in their seven outings in the Premier League since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, the other being goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, which proves just how important he is to the former Liverpool midfielder.

Meanwhile, only Tyrone Mings (2.4) is winning more aerial duels per game than Digne (2.1), whilst an average of 2.3 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game also suggests that he’s a very solid and reliable defender for the team.

But it’s further forward where his presence is often felt, ranking as the joint-second most creative option in the squad, having averaged 0.9 key passes per game this term, also via WhoScored.

“To sign a player of his pedigree and quality in the January window is a great addition to our squad and his arrival excites me and everyone associated with Aston Villa,” Gerrard explained after snatching the Frenchman in a £25m deal from Everton back in January.

His back-up, Augustinsson, is yet to feature for Villa since arriving on loan from Sevilla in the summer, so it’s hard to gauge whether he will be a suitable alternative or not but Digne is going to be a very hard man to replace, given his importance to Gerrard over the past ten months.

Just as Preece says, it’s certainly a big concern – and now blow – for the Villa boss.

AND in other news, Gerrard could unearth Villa’s next Ramsey in 16 y/o gem “excelling” at Bodymoor Heath…

Wolves forward Hwang Hee-chan could still be a target for Premier League side Leeds United in future transfer windows, according to a claim made by transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Hwang stays put

The South Korean has failed to set the world alight in his time at Molineux to date, scoring a mere five goals in 37 appearances for the club – four of which came in his first six matches.

Hwang was strongly linked with a move to Leeds during the summer transfer window, but in the end he stayed put at Wolves for the time being, at least.

A fresh claim from a trusted insider now suggests that the forward may still be coming towards the end of his time in an Old Gold shirt.

The Latest: Leeds could try again for Hwang

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Leeds could go back in for Hwang in the future as they look to acquire his services.

The journalist stated:

“Fulham moved on from Dieng and that gave Leeds a pretty free run at him. He was the ideal player to fit the project as he still had plenty of scope to be moulded into what Marsch was looking for in a forward.

“Hwang proved too tough but it is one they might come back to along with Gakpo.”

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The Verdict: No great loss

In truth, Hwang has been an underwhelming signing, not providing sufficient end product despite initially being hailed as “devastating” by BBC pundit Garth Crooks, and that has played a part in Wolves generally being a goal-shy team.

They netted just 38 times in as many league games last season and have been the joint-lowest scorers so far this term with a mere three top-flight goals – five fewer than Leicester at the bottom of the table.

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If the 26-year-old leaves, it may not feel like any great disaster for Bruno Lage, so long as he brings in a replacement to retain squad depth for the second half of the season.

After the huge ACL injury blow to Sasa Kalajdzic, and with Raul Jimenez less reliable in that department these days, selling Hwang and bringing nobody in would seem negligent.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Antonio Conte has been left excited by Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo and wants him to join, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs prepare…

Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici has been fully preparing for Conte’s first full Premier League season in charge at Hotspur Way, completing seven major signings for the club.

Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie have all put pen to paper at N17 with the latter man going back out on loan to Udinese.

The Lilywhites have also started this campaign in fine fashion with a 2-2 draw away to London rival Chelsea and an opening day 4-1 demolition at the expense of Southampton.

The Latest: Conte eyeing Zaniolo…

According to journalist Xavier Jacobelli, speaking on Radio Radio, Conte is personally eager to sign Zaniolo, with the reporter also sharing Tottenham’s chances.

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He explained, via Tutto Juve, that while the Italian is keen to acquire Roma’s 6 foot 3 gem, Spurs are yet to make an official move despite having ‘so much money’.

Jacobelli said:

“Zaniolo depends on Tottenham. Since when and how the English club wants to move. They have so much money. Conte wants Zaniolo at Tottenham, he values ​​him very much. “

The Verdict: Make the move?

The Serie A side reportedly value Zaniolo at around £50 million but the player’s age and quality could make this price tag a justifiable one.

According to WhoScored, no attacking player in Jose Mourinho’s team finished 2021/2022 with a higher rate of completed take-ons per 90 or attracted fouls.

The numbers point to a very tricky player in the final third, and at just 23-years-old, he’s also one for the future.

Called a ‘beast’ by members of the Italian media, Zaniolo would be the cherry on top of a productive transfer window for Spurs, and they could further be boosted by reliable claims that the player himself is ‘open’ to joining (Ben Jacobs, CBS journalist).

Leeds United have discovered the asking price of their reported summer transfer target Ismaila Sarr.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that sources have revealed that Watford will be demanding a figure in the region of £25m in order to part with the 24-year-old forward prior to September’s transfer deadline – a considerably lower fee than the €35m (£29m) figure Foot Mercato had suggested the Hornets would be looking for last week.

This is sure to come as a huge boost to Victor Orta and the Whites, with the Spaniard reported to have identified the Senegal international as a potential option to add to Jesse Marsch’s attacking arsenal ahead of the bulk of the club’s 2022/23 campaign, while Manchester United are also reported to be keen on the signing of the former Stade Rennais starlet this summer.

Raphinha 2.0

With Leeds having lost the services of their star attacking talent Raphinha this summer, it is not difficult to understand why the Whites’ director of football would be interested in a deal to bring Sarr into Elland Road as the Brazilian’s long-term replacement.

Indeed, there are a number of very clear similarities between the two talents, the first of which comes where the duo both cut their teeth in the professional game – Stade Rennais.

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Prior to Sarr’s £40m move to Vicarage Road back in the summer of 2019, the £24.3m-rated talent had proven himself as one of the Ligue 1 side’s brightest prospects, scoring 18 goals and registering 16 assists across 77 appearances for Les Rouge et Noir.

It is a similar story for Raphinha, as, before the 25-year-old sealed his £17m move to Elland Road back in October 2020, the £40.5m-rated forward also proved himself to be one of Rennais’ most exciting talents, bagging eight goals and providing seven assists over his 36 appearances for the club.

Both players also highly impressed following their respective moves to the top flight of English football, with Sarr scoring ten goals and registering eight assists over his 65 top flight outings for the Whites.

Further still, both the Watford star and the now-Barcelona forward are also extremely talented carriers of the ball, with the former completing an average of 1.7 and 1.5 dribbles per game in 2019/20 and 2021/22 respectively, while the latter completed an average of 1.9 and 1.8 dribbles per fixture in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns.

As such, considering the incredibly similar profile of Brazilian and the £71k-per-week player who Ben Foster dubbed a “freak”, it is not hard to understand why Orta would be targeting a move for the 24-year-old over the remainder of the summer transfer window, as the Senegalese sensation could well prove to be the Whites’ next Raphinha on the right wing.

Barcelona ‘will not enter an auction’ for Aston Villa youngster Carney Chukwuemeka this summer, acting as a potential boost for Steven Gerrard.

The Lowdown: Chukwuemeka a wanted man

The 18-year-old is arguably one of the hottest young properties in English football currently, having impressed with his performances for Villa.

Chukwuemeka already has 16 first-team appearances to his name, registering one assist in that time, not to mention starring for England’s Under-19s in their UEFA Euro Under-19 Championship triumph earlier this summer.

Barca are one of the clubs linked with signing the midfielder, showing exactly how highly he is thought of around the elite clubs in Europe, but a key update has now emerged and it’s good news for Villa fans.

The Latest: Barca unsure over deal

According to reports in Spain [via Sport Witness], the La Liga giants ‘will not enter an auction’ for Chukwuemeka and have ‘other priorities’, in terms of summer signings.

Barca manager Xavi is keen for the move to happen but the club’s finances could ultimately hold the key.

The Verdict: Must keep hold of him

This has to be considered a positive from a Villa point of view, with the club having to do all they can to keep hold of one of their most prized assets in Chukwuemeka.

While it would be delusional to simply expect the teenager to remain at Villa Park for the rest of his career, Gerrard will be desperate for him to stay into his early 20s, maturing into a formidable player in the process and upping his price tag further to boot.

Chukweuemeka has been lauded as a ‘fantastic’ player by his manager and the 2022/23 campaign could be even more of a breakthrough one for him, as he looks to become a fixture in the team.

As things stand, it looks as though Barca are unlikely to get their man but Villa will be aware that bids from other clubs could easily come their way in the coming weeks.

West Ham United are reportedly eyeing another lower-league diamond amid interest in Fleetwood Town winger Paddy Lane.

What’s the word?

According to The Mirror (June 27, pg. 51, via West Ham Zone), the Hammers are said to have ‘sent scouts’ to watch the 21-year-old play for the League One club last season, albeit with both Hearts and Cardiff City also said to be interested.

The report suggests that the youngster – who is already a full Northern Ireland international – is valued at around £1m, having enjoyed a breakthrough campaign for his current side last term.

The Halifax-born gem scored five goals and provided eight assists in 39 league games for Fleetwood in the 2021/22 campaign, having only made his senior debut for the club last September.

The next Bowen?

Having risen through the ranks at non-league Hyde United before being plucked by Fleetwood last summer, the emerging prospect could well follow a similar career trajectory to current Irons star Jarrod Bowen.

The 25-year-old also started his career lower down the footballing pyramid at Hereford United before flourishing in the second tier at Hull City, eventually netting 54 goals and providing 14 assists in 131 games for the Tigers in all competitions.

That form sparked the attention of David Moyes and co, who forked out a relatively sizeable £20m to prise him from the Championship in January 2020. That deal has since proven to be a masterstroke, as the fleet-footed forward has gone on to become an integral figure at the London Stadium.

Now reportedly worth somewhere in the region of £75m, amid interest from fellow Premier League side Liverpool, the £80k-per-week forward has netted 26 goals and registered 21 assists in 102 games across all fronts for West Ham so far, notably chipping in with 12 goals and ten assists in the top flight alone last term.

That form has not only attracted interest from the Premier League’s elite; it has also seen him earn a long-overdue international call-up for England’s recent UEFA Nations League games, with the £37.8m-rated star having an outside bet of earning a place in Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad in the winter.

As Bowen continues to rise, the fears of losing him will no doubt increase. However, the Irons could well find his heir apparent in Lane, with the fellow left-footer – who has been dubbed “terrific” by David Dunn – seemingly possessing the talent to follow in the 25-year-old’s footsteps.

Who knows, should GSB manage to secure what would be a bargain deal this summer, they could have another £75m-valued talent on their hands in a few years’ time.

AND in other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

West Ham United are reportedly edging ever closer to confirmation of the signing of Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd, in what would be their first arrival of the summer window.

What’s the word?

According to 90min’s Toby Cudworth, the Morocco international is now all but set to make the move to the London Stadium, with the journalist writing on Twitter about the current situation that: “You never know with #WHUFC…but Nayef Aguerd deal close to completion. Should be the first major signing of what David Moyes hopes will be a busy transfer window.”

As per the attached article, the Hammers are now ‘putting the finishing touches’ on the deal to bring the 26-year-old to the Premier League, with the centre-back having been a ‘long-term target’ for David Moyes and co.

The report suggests that the deal could be worth as much as £30m plus add-ons to prise the 19-cap, left-footed gem from France, despite previous rumours that the fee was closer to just £13m.

Moyes delighted

After weeks of speculation, it would appear that the east London outfit have finally got their man, with manager Moyes no doubt delighted to have got up and running in what could prove to be a vital window for the club.

While there remains a number of areas in need of bolstering – particularly central midfield – securing the signing of a new central defender will seemingly solve one problem position, with the defensive ranks having been severely stretched last term.

The long-term absence of veteran Italian Angelo Ogbonna through injury left the former Everton boss with little depth at the heart of the defence, essentially relying on Craig Dawson and Kurt Zouma to perform both domestically and in Europe.

With Issa Diop also falling out of favour under the Scot – having made just ten league starts last term – there were few chances for the Hammers boss to rotate his side, with injuries and suspension at times forcing full-back Aaron Cresswell to feature in a centre-back role.

The addition of Aguerd then will go some way to easing the burden on both Dawson and Zouma, with the former Dijon man likely to provide quality competition to that pair, having shone in Ligue 1 in recent seasons.

The 2021/22 campaign proved particularly impressive for the £10.8m-rated gem as he managed ten clean sheets in his 31 league outings, averaging four clearances, 0.9 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game, while also winning a solid 62% of his total duels.

Not just a reliable rock at the back, the £8.9k-per-week colossus – who joined his current side for as little as €4m (£3.4m) two years ago – is also comfortable playing out from the back, ranking in the top 16% for pass completion and the top 10% for attempted passes among those in his position across Europe’s big five leagues.

That all-round quality will seemingly be well suited to the rigours of life in English football, with Moyes undoubtedly delighted to have managed to snap him up so early in the window.

IN other news, “A chance…”: Ex drops exciting West Ham transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Aston Villa had been linked with a move for Roma star Henrikh Mkhitaryan in recent weeks but the Armenia international now looks set to join Serie A rivals Inter as he targets Champions League football.

What’s the word?

Villa had been named as one potential destination for the former Manchester United and Arsenal man this summer, with the 33-year-old available on a free transfer with his Roma contract set to expire later this month.

However, journalist Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed that he will be swapping Rome for Milan, as he tweeted:

“More on Henrikh Mkhitaryan deal. He’s set to sign a two-year contract with Inter, he wanted Champions League football so he decided to refuse AS Roma proposal. Inter Deal completed, medical tests and official statement pending. Here we go.”

Villa supporters will be gutted

Although Mkhitaryan’s spell in the Premier League didn’t live up to expectations, following his impressive form for Borussia Dortmund prior to his move to Old Trafford, he could have been a solid addition to Steven Gerrard’s squad.

Since joining Roma from Arsenal in 2020, the experienced midfielder has gone on to make 117 appearances for I Giallorossi, in which he has contributed an impressive 29 goals and 28 assists.

Gerrard might boast a number of attacking-midfield options including Philippe Coutinho, Emi Buendia and Jacob Ramsey, but Mhkitaryan would have added some real versatility and quality to the Villans’ attack and considering he was available on a free transfer, it would have been a no-brainer for the Midlands club.

After Arsenal signed him in 2018, Arsene Wenger was extremely complimentary of the Armenian, saying:

“Henrikh is a very complete player. He creates chances, he defends well, he can absorb distances and he’s very committed as well.

“I must say he’s a player who has all the attributes.”

While he might have lost a yard of pace in the four years since, he was still a key player for Jose Mourinho’s Roma last season, averaging an impressive 6.99 rating from WhoScored for his performances in Serie A after notching five goals and six assists.

Therefore, Villa fans should be gutted that their side wasn’t able to entice Mkhitaryan to Villa Park.

And, in other news… Aston Villa can form dream duo with free transfer swoop