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Tottenham Hotspur correspondent and reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has now shared an update on the club’s pursuit of Southampton star James Ward-Prowse.

The Lowdown: Spurs in chase…

As reported by credible outlets, Spurs and head coach Antonio Conte have a firm interest in the Saints star this summer who has long been admired in north London.

The Athletic recently backed that he is a target for the Premier League giants as club chief Fabio Paratici scours the market for fresh central midfield additions.

However, it is also believed that Ward-Prowse’s club could make life difficult in prising away their star player, with Gold now sharing what he knows on the situation.

The Latest: Gold shares Ward-Prowse update…

According to the reliable football.london reporter, Spurs actually ‘came close’ to agreeing a deal for the Englishman but didn’t ‘pull the trigger’.

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As such, with Ward-Prowse now quadrupling in value, Gold claims it cost around £45 million for the north Londoners this time round.

He explained:

“In terms of James Ward-Prowse, he’s someone Spurs have liked for a long time and I understand they came close to agreeing a deal for him a few years back but did not pull the trigger. Now he’s worth almost four times his value from back then. You’re looking at around £45m and I’m not sure whether Spurs spend that sort of money in that central position when other areas are a priority. Admittedly he does bring some qualities that others don’t have, not least with those set pieces.”

The Verdict: Return with a bid?

It wouldn’t hurt to test Southampton’s resolve with a formal offer, even despite the challenge in taking Ward-Prowse away from St. Mary’s.

Described as ‘sensational’ by former Spurs striker Darren Bent, the 27-year-old stood out as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s key asset by some distance in the top flight over 2021/2022.

According to WhoScored, he finished the campaign as their top goal scorer, averaging their highest match-rating per 90 with the most key passes in the final third to boot.

Homegrown and able to contribute to fixing their quota issue in that respect, whilst an uphill battle, a move for Ward-Prowse may be worth the attempt at least.

In other news: Alasdair Gold also suggests £122,000-per-week ‘genius’ is open to joining Tottenham! Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering a move for Allan Saint-Maximin this summer, according to football.london journalist Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: Making a big impression

The Frenchman made his Premier League entrance in 2019 when he put pen to paper on a six-year deal with Newcastle following his departure from Nice. He has gone on to become a standout performer in Eddie Howe’s starting XI, having made 93 appearances for the St James’ Park club to date.

Even though the 25-year-old still has four years remaining on his current contract, his scintillating form has seen him catch the eye of the Lilywhites. After a fresh update, it seems that Spurs appear to be seriously monitoring the forward ahead of a potential switch.

The Latest: Spurs considering Saint-Maximin move

In Gold’s latest piece for football.london, it is claimed that Tottenham are ‘weighing up a move’ for Saint-Maximin after making a huge impression in the English top flight.

The report stated that Spurs’ director of football Fabio Paratici is a ‘big admirer’ of the player, with the north London club viewing the Newcastle ace as someone who could ‘boost’ Antonio Conte’s attacking options ahead of the start of next season.

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The Verdict: Bergwijn replacement?

With Steven Bergwijn’s exit seeming imminent, Spurs will need to find a suitable replacement for the Dutchman in the final third, and the former France under-21 international could well be the ideal candidate to take the 24-year-old’s place.

The £28.8m-rated Newcastle dynamo, who was hailed as a “next level” player earlier this year by Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards, scored five goals and provided five assists in the Premier League this term (as per Transfermarkt), with only Callum Wilson (eight) netting more often for Howe’s team.

Whether or not Saint-Maximin would be a regular starter under Conte if he were to make the move to N17 is unclear, but he is definitely a highly-rated talent who can produce the goods at top-flight level. He is someone that Spurs should strongly consider adding to their ranks if the price is right.

In other news… a transfer insider has revealed that Tottenham are now seriously ‘going after’ one of their long-term targets

The Athletic have now shared a Tottenham Hotspur update involving Villarreal star Pau Torres as transfer chief Fabio Paratici casts his net far and wide.

The Lowdown: Spurs chase new centre-back…

The Lilywhites are certainly eager to sign a new left-footed central defender for manager Antonio Conte after the Italian guided them to a top-four Premier League finish and Champions League qualification.

There are many, many names to have been considered or weighed up by Spurs in the last few weeks, including Alessandro Bastoni, Josko Gvardiol, Marc Guehi, Gleison Bremer, Stefan De Vrij, Clement Lenglet and Torres (GiveMeSport).

Sharing news on the latter man, The Athletic have made a promising suggestion.

The Latest: The Athletic make Torres claim…

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According to their information, Torres is still a target and ‘might see Tottenham as a more attractive destination’ this year after he turned down Paratici’s approaches in 2021.

He’s apparently not a ‘priority’ when compared to the club’s other targets but still ‘ticks all the boxes’ he did 12 months ago.

The Verdict: Make the move…

Reports of a potential swap involving midfielder Giovani Lo Celso could sweeten the deal and we certainly think Torres is one of their best options and a real alternative to Bastoni of Inter Milan.

According to WhoScored, the Villarreal mainstay averaged their joint-highest rate of successful aerial duels per 90 and second-most clearances – marking himself out as a real presence under manager Unai Emery.

Called a potentially ‘world class’ signing by Spurs insider John Wenham, Torres would come with a similar price tag to Bastoni and Paratici could bypass negotiations by triggering his £55 million release clause.

It’s a move which surely must be considered before pre-season.

In other news: ‘Very recently’ – Tottenham hold talks over signing ‘one of the top strikers in England’! Find out more here.

Everton appear to be plotting a triple swoop early on in this summer’s transfer window that will delight Frank Lampard.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown, who spoke to GIVEMESPORT regarding Everton’s potential swoop for Chelsea trio Armando Broja, Conor Gallagher, and Levi Colwill this summer.

Speaking about their transfer activity, he said:

“All three are 100% on the radar, but Gallagher might be out of reach because I’m pretty sure he’s going to get a chance at Chelsea next season.”

Lampard will be buzzing

This news will certainly please the 44-year-old, as he aims to utilise his Chelsea connections in order to improve his squad which struggled majorly last season, just avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

Broja (£19.8m rated), Gallagher (£22.5m rated) and Colwill (£4.5m rated) would cost the club a pretty penny if they moved to Goodison during the transfer window, with their combined value totalling £46.8m, the money that Chelsea will expect is a lot higher.

Although it seems as though the move for Gallagher might be the least likely of the trio if Lampard manages to land both Broja and Colwill, it will be excellent business.

The 20-year-old striker has scored nine times last season, proving his worth in the Premier League with Southampton, and could be a great addition to an attack that clearly stagnated, with Richarlison the only Everton player to hit double figures all campaign (11).

The defence is also a massive issue for the Toffees, with the club conceding 66 goals in the league alone last season, the fifth-worst total. Colwill could be a cost-effective solution to the problem.

The 19-year-old shone at Huddersfield on loan last season as they lost the Championship playoff final to Nottingham Forest. He ranked fourth in the squad with a SofaScore rating of 6.97, while also winning 2.9 aerials per match, which would rank him second in the Everton squad.

Sealing a triple deal from Chelsea might be unrealistic despite their interest, but two out of three wouldn’t be bad.

AND in other news, Moshiri plots Everton bid for “dangerous” £72k-p/w “real talent”, he’s another Anthony Gordon…

Andy Appleby has in the last 48 hours delivered six very encouraging words on the Derby County takeover saga.

The Lowdown: Appleby submits Derby bid

The League One side went all the way back to square one earlier this month after it was announced that preferred bidder, Chris Kirchner, had withdrawn his offer to buy the Rams due to not being able to meet a financial deadline set by Quantuma.

As a result of this, the administrators have now gone back to the drawing board to try and find a new candidate to take over at Pride Park, with Mike Ashley and Steve Morgan just two of the names in the frame.

Despite their interest, it was the former County chairman himself who made the first official move after submitting a bid last week, and he has now dropped a big update on where his saga with the club stands.

The Latest: Appleby’s six-word update

Speaking to Crain’s Detroit Business (as quoted by Derbyshire Live), Appleby wasn’t keen to give too much away, but suggested that negotiations were moving in the right direction. In a promising six-word message, he said:

“It’s down to the final strokes.”

The source also claims that the American is ‘optimistic’ about his offer and that he expects to learn the outcome ‘this week’, leaving supporters with just days to wait.

The Verdict: Exciting

The Derby takeover has been a never-ending saga and one that fans, alongside all associated with the club, will want to be over as soon as possible, and after this fresh update, it sounds as though the Rams might hold a little bit of hope after all.

Appleby already spent seven years with the Midlands outfit, having been chairman from 2008 to 2015, so it comes as no surprise to see that he is eager to do everything within his power to stop his former club from entering liquidation.

He is up against some very strong competitors, but this would suggest that he is currently the leading contender to be the one to complete the takeover, and what a fitting way it would be for him to make his return.

Everton have been linked with a move for Jesse Lingard over the last few weeks and now a new update has emerged that should encourage Farhad Moshiri to step up his pursuit of the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to Football Insider, West Ham United have now submitted an offer to the out-of-contract Manchester United star.

As per the report, sources have told the publication that the Hammers have now offered a lucrative deal for the player, however, Everton and Newcastle United are named as Premier League clubs who have a strong interest in signing Lingard.

Won’t cost Moshiri a penny

Moshiri must ramp up the club’s pursuit of the free-agent now that it has been revealed that West Ham have made a tempting offer for Lingard, as signing the player would be a major coup for many reasons but most importantly financially.

Everton have been reported to be in a sticky situation when it comes to finances, so capitalising on the golden opportunities to sign high-quality out-of-contract players this summer is an absolute must for the club, and Lingard is by far one of the most highly anticipated free transfer this summer.

The £75k-per-week dynamo who was hailed “cold” by Rio Ferdinand has a wealth of Premier League experience scoring 35 goals and delivering 21 assists for Man United in 232 appearances at his boyhood club but has fallen out of favour in the side in recent years.

Due to his lack of game-time at Old Trafford, Lingard made the move to the London Stadium in January 2021 which is where he reignited his career and proved his talents during a short six-month loan spell with the club.

With West Ham Lingard scored nine goals and contributed five assists with a goal involvement every 101 minutes over his 16 appearances, and clearly, David Moyes wants to finally give him his opportunity to return to the club on a permanent deal now that his contract his up.

Lampard will surely be hoping that Everton can hijack the deal as he attempts to improve the squad ahead of the new Premier League season, and Lingard would certainly add a great fresh perspective into the stale attacking threat at Goodison Park.

Moshiri will have a difficult challenge in convincing the player to join the Toffees this summer unless a much more lucrative financial deal is tabled as, unlike Everton, West Ham have European football in the conference league next season alongside a promising seventh-place finish in the Premier League table.

AND in other news: Lampard could land his own Jude Bellingham in Everton swoop for “special” £50m dynamo

Aston Villa could be set to turn their attention towards Lille starlet Jonathan David, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the transfer insider revealed that the Midlands side could potentially make a move for the 22-year-old this summer, having seemingly missed out on (or opted against) a deal for veteran striker, Luis Suarez.

Amid reports linking the Canadian to Villa Park, Crook stated: “We know that obviously, they looked at the Luis Suarez situation. But Jonathan David is somebody that might come onto the radar, I’m told.

“That profile of player might be the path that they go down. So, it’s definitely one to look out for because Aston Villa still have spending power in this market.”

The Premier League outfit are believed to have a longstanding interest in the former Gent ace stretching back to his days in Belgium, although are yet to make an official approach to his current side.

Major coup

Although any deal certainly won’t come cheap – with the highly-rated prospect valued at around £40.5m as per Transfermarkt – should NSWE be able to flex their financial muscle again and bring the youngster to the club it would no doubt represent a significant coup for the ambitious outfit.

Amid problems in attack for Steven Gerrard’s side, with Ollie Watkins top-scoring with just 11 goals in all competitions last term, a move for David would seemingly be a notable solution to those goalscoring woes, with the £35k-per-week marksman having been in explosive form in recent seasons.

Plucked by his current side two years ago, the Brooklyn-born menace has since gone on to score 32 goals and provide five assists in 96 games in all competitions in France, notably bagging 28 league goals across the last two seasons combined.

His tally of 15 top-flight goals last term was only bettered by four players in the division, while the 5 foot 11 speedster also boasts an outstanding record at international level, having scored 20 goals in just 20 appearances thus far.

A key component of the Canada side that has qualified for this year’s World Cup for the first time since 1986, the “fearless” forward – as dubbed by national team coach John Herdman – is currently thriving for both club and country, with a major move to help progress his career seemingly on the cards.

Joining a side that finished in the bottom half of the Premier League last season may appear something of a backwards step, although Gerrard and co are seemingly gearing up for a major assault on the European qualification spots next term, with four major signings under their belt already.

Despite his youth, David could well be the figurehead of that side, while his potential arrival could prove another notable statement of intent from the Villans.

AND in other news, Lange eyeing Villa move for £30m “goalscoring machine”, he’d be their own Darwin Nunez

Crystal Palace look to be closing in on Swansea’s young midfielder Flynn Downes.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Football.London, who notes that Patrick Vieira seems to have beaten out the competition to secure his signature.

Both Wolves and Southampton are referenced as potential suitors, but Palace was the only option.

They had tried to sign him back when he played for Ipswich, noting their long-time interest in the player. Swansea are reportedly demanding £12m for the player.

Vieira will love him

Vieira appears to be crafting quite the versatile midfield, having already secured the signing of Cheick Doucoure, and constantly linked to several other midfielders all with different profiles.

However, with Downes, he is guaranteed a workmanlike midfielder who can graft alongside another of his new signings.

One benefit to signing this Swansea youngster is his reliability, as he featured in 37 Championship games last season. Despite being more of a ball-winning midfielder, he still managed to chip in with a goal and two assists.

This led to his solid SofaScore rating of 6.83, which given the context of his long season and Swansea’s sub-par 15th placed finish, is not bad at all.

Both fans and manager alike have been quick to praise his intelligence and hard work, with Russell Martin claiming: “Flynn was incredible, it’s difficult to single people out, but he does the dirty work perfectly well”, after a man of the match display early in the season.

This dirty work and his overall play is best exemplified in his defensive actions, where he averages 1.3 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 1.1 clearances per game.

Downes is everywhere on the pitch, and in his quest to cover every blade of grass he loves to get stuck into opposition attackers.

With him, Vieira can further bolster his options as the new Premier League season draws near.

After what was a surprisingly impressive season last year, the French boss will want to continue moving forward, and signing young hungry Championship talent is a move proven to work for this club.

He will love it if they can tie down the midfielder and have a repeat of their previous successes.

AND, in other news: Vieira can unearth his next Gallagher as Palace plot bid for “sensational” £20m talent.

Newcastle United have reportedly now joined the chase to sign Carney Chukwuemeka.

The Lowdown: Contract rebel

As per 90min, the 18-year-old has been left out of Aston Villa’s pre-season squad, amid uncertainty over his future in the Midlands.

He is hesitant to put pen to paper on a new deal and only has one year left on his contract at Villa Park.

The Latest: Newcastle ‘join chase’ for Chukwuemeka

Taking to Twitter, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has revealed that Newcastle, alongside Arsenal, have now joined the chase to sign Chukwuemeka.

He tweeted: “Aston Villa’s Carney Chukwuemeka attracting a lot of interest as he considers future. Arsenal and Newcastle latest to join chase.”

Expanding in his latest article for 90min, Bailey adds that both Manchester City and Manchester United have also been keeping tabs on the teenager’s situation, while Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Barcelona are all eyeing up his signature as well.

The Verdict: Get it done

Given that he only has a year left on his deal and is hesitant to sign a new contract, Chukwuemeka could be available for a cut-price fee, as Villa will surely not want to risk losing a player of his talent on a free transfer next year.

He has even been mooted as the ‘next Jude Bellingham’, the 19-year-old on Dortmund’s books who is already a full England international and whose stock is always rising, with his current market value standing at a whopping £72m.

That is high praise indeed, and if Chukwuemeka shows the same kind of development as Bellingham has done, then Newcastle would be getting a real player on their hands if they can win the race for his signature.

Wolves are closing in on the summer signing of dominant Burnley centre-back Nathan Collins, reliable journalist John Percy reports.

The Lowdown: Collins continually linked

With Romain Saiss leaving Molineux after his contract expired last month, it was always important that a new central defender arrived this summer.

A number of players have been linked with moves to Wolves but Collins’ name has arguably been at the front of the queue, following Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League.

Now, it looks as though the transfer is on the verge of being completed, following a fresh update from Percy.

The Latest: Move nearly done

Taking to Twitter on Monday evening, The Telegraph reporter claimed that Collins and Wolves are in ‘advanced talks’ over a move, in what would be a £20.5million capture:

“Wolves are in advanced talks with #Burnley over a £20.5m deal for centre-back Nathan Collins, the Republic of Ireland international. Not done yet, but negotiations progressing well and it’s close. Collins will be the first signing of the summer for Bruno Lage if all is agreed.”

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The Verdict: Superb signing by Wanderers

While Wolves are clearly breaking the bank to acquire Collins’s signature, he has the potential to be a fantastic defensive signing over many years, as he looks set to become the club’s fourth-most expensive addition in history.

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Still only 21, he already has six caps to his name for the Republic of Ireland and has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by former Burnley manager Sean Dyche, averaging 3.1 aerial duel wins per game in the league last season – no Molineux player with more than four appearances made more.

Alongside Max Kilman and Conor Coady, Collins could now complete an all-British back three for Bruno Lage moving forward as he looks to even be an upgrade on the excellent Saiss.