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According to The Telegraph, Tottenham are interested in making a £25m move for on-loan Fulham defender Joachim Andersen this summer.

Spurs eye Andersen

Andersen has spent the season on loan at Craven Cottage from Lyon, and has made 25 appearances in the Premier League (Transfermarkt).

Now, it seems Spurs are eager to take him to north London. Lyon are said to be looking for a fee of £25m to part ways with him on a permanent basis.

Interesting move

On the surface, there would be little to suggest Andersen would be a good signing for Jose Mourinho. After all, Fulham are 18th in the table and are looking at relegation back to the Championship if they are unable to turn things around in the coming weeks.

However, it must also be pointed that Fulham’s backline has performed considerably better than those around them. They have conceded 41 times in 30 matches so far – better than six other sides in the top flight (Sky Sports). In the six games Andersen hasn’t played in the top flight, Fulham have shipped 14 times, showing a clear improvement with the Denmark international in the side. Former Cottagers man Tony Gale even called him “absolutely sensational” last month (fulhamfc.com).

A fee of £25m may well be a bargain for Daniel Levy and co, especially given he is just 24 years of age and now has Premier League experience to boot. This would not just be an investment for the here and now, but also for the future.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this broadcaster’s comments.

Charlie Austin has described Patrick Bamford’s omission from the England squad as “football snobbery”, likening it to his own experiences. The Athletic’s Phil Hay had previously claimed the striker will have been ‘extremely disappointed’.

Bamford is enjoying a superb season for Leeds United, arguably the star man for the Whites.

The 27-year-old has scored 14 goals in 29 Premier League appearances in 2020/21 to date, also chipping in with six assists for good measure.

It was hoped that Bamford’s excellent form would see him earn an England call-up for the current internationals taking place, but Gareth Southgate opted not to pick him.

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Austin sticks up for Bamford

It seemed a harsh decision, considering the striker’s influence at Elland Road, and Austin was one of those left frustrated by it.

Speaking on talkSPORT, the on-loan QPR marksman drew parallels with his own experiences at international level, claiming there is a bias towards the bigger clubs:

“I think that goes against a lot of people.

“That’s going against Patrick Bamford right now, because that’s football snobbery. It’s just the way it is. Sometimes faces don’t fit.”

Transfer Tavern take

You have to wonder if Bamford will ever get picked if he can’t earn a call-up currently, considering he is one of the league’s most in-form attacking players.

Ollie Watkins is having a good season in his own right, but for him to be picked ahead of the Leeds man – he has 10 goals and three assists in comparison – doesn’t make a huge amount of sense.

In other news, one Leeds player is believed to be attracting significant interest from other clubs. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa look set to move on two longstanding scouts in a major reshuffle behind the scenes, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Villa’s major spending plans

Villa spent over £90m during the current campaign on five permanent transfers, and it looks as if another spending spree is on the way at Villa Park.

Owners Wes Edens and Naseef Sawiris have pumped around £400m into the club since taking over in 2018, and according to Football Insider back in March, they will spend big this summer in a bid to keep hold of club captain Jack Grealish.

The Latest: Friday meeting planned

According to Football Insider, Mick Brown and Alan Wood are set to leave the club.

A Villa source revealed that both Brown and Wood have been told to attend a meeting at the club’s Bodymoor Heath training headquarters on Friday.

The report described the likely parting ways of Brown and Wood as a surprise, with the pair working on potential signings under sporting director Johan Lange.

The Verdict: A bold move

It’s safe to say that Villa’s spending during the 2020/21 campaign has been a lot better than their 2019/20 business.

The likes of Ollie Watkins, Matty Cash and Emiliano Martinez have been revelations under Dean Smith, although the loan signing of Ross Barkley hasn’t really worked out.

However, a number of the arrivals in the 19/20 season have either been injured for large parts of their stay or struggled on the pitch – Wesley Moraes, Tom Heaton, Mbwana Samatta, Bjorn Engels and Jota spring to mind.

It seems as if Villa have their heart set on an off-field revamp, though, which could have real significance to Lange going forward.

In other news: Villa keen on Premier League international, many fans are delighted, find out more here. 

Get German Football News editor-in-chief Daniel Pinder believes that RB Leipzig star Marcel Sabitzer would be an excellent signing for Tottenham Hotspur, and has told Football FanCast that he could be a long-term replacement for Christian Eriksen.

Spurs sold Eriksen to Inter Milan in January of last season, banking £16.9m as his contract ran down, but they have yet to truly replace the Denmark international.

The signings of Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele have helped add some guile and hard-running to the midfield but neither of the players are genuine playmakers, as Eriksen was.

Spurs have been heavily linked with a move to sign Sabitzer from RB Leipzig, with the player capable of playing in a wide variety of roles, and Bild, via Sport Witness, report that he’d cost them €42m (£35m).

This season, he has scored seven goals and laid on three assists in 24 appearances in the Bundesliga and Pinder, who is the editor of Get German Football News, thinks he would be a worthy successor to Eriksen.

Indeed, he believes that, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg already in the midfield, he could form an excellent partnership with the Denmark international.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Pinder said: “I think he’d bring a lot to Tottenham. He’s very similar to Christian Eriksen, he’s that sort of player that Spurs have been missing in midfield.

“During his time at Leipzig, Sabitzer played much further forward but this season he’s played deeper, been creating from deep but with that, he’s very versatile, whether it’s central midfield, attacking midfield, winger, he’s even played striker this season, so I think for Spurs he’d be an excellent signing.

“I think he’d slot straight into that starting XI, and alongside players like Hojbjerg I think that partnership could be a decent pairing in the middle.”

In total, Sabitzer has scored 51 goals and laid on 41 assists in 222 appearances.

Writing on Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol has dropped a major behind-the-scenes claim on the European Super League aftermath involving Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy.

Spurs were one of the big six Premier League clubs who signed up to be part of a closed breakaway division alongside Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Sky journalist drops major Levy claim

The plans attracted plenty of backlash and criticism from numerous supporters, as well as popular members of the media, and the protests eventually resulted in all English clubs backing out of the controversial plans.

Solhekol has been covering the aftermath extensively, and he has now dropped a major behind-the-scenes claim involving Levy.

The journalist said that there is a ‘growing feeling’ among the other 14 Premier League clubs that ‘heads must roll’, and they are ‘particularly unhappy’ with the behaviour of Levy as well as Bruce Buck, Ferran Soriano and Ed Woodward.

“Growing feeling among 14 clubs that heads must roll at 6 breakaway clubs,” explained Solhekol on social media.

“14 are particularly unhappy with behaviour of Buck, Soriano, Levy & Woodward. One exec says: ‘Stories saying Ed Woodward resigned because he was against the ESL are laughable. He was involved from day one’.”

Transfer Tavern take

Levy is already under mounting pressure from many Lilywhites fans, with the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust recently calling for him and the board to resign.

Facing a fight on two fronts, another worry for the chairman in the aftermath of Spurs’ involvement in the ESL could be the pressure of disgruntled executives from the other 14 Premier League clubs.

Indeed, this claim that they are ‘particularly unhappy’ with the Spurs chief among others potentially indicates an even more worrying backlash for Levy. Amid the fan protests as well, you could argue his future as Tottenham chief looks more shaky than ever.

In other news: Tottenham manager target would bring superstar to Spurs, find out more here.

Manchester City and Pep Guardiola could be set to receive a huge boost in the coming weeks, after it was revealed that Raheem Sterling is in talks over a new deal with the Citizens.

According to Fabrizio Romano, following the announcement that Kevin De Bruyne had signed a new deal with the club, the Citizens’ next priority is to negotiate new deals with both Sterling and Gabriel Jesus.

The Englishman’s current contract with City is set to expire in 2023, so any extension to that will perhaps see Sterling spend the rest of his career at the top with the Citizens, as he continues to impress following his move from Liverpool.

Since signing from the Merseyside outfit in the summer of 2015, the exciting winger has gone on to make 283 appearances for City, in which he has contributed a superb 113 goals and 86 assists.

Whilst this season has seen him lose his guaranteed starting spot in the starting eleven, he still has 13 goals and 11 assists to his name in all competitions, so is clearly still a hugely important part of Guardiola’s squad.

His recent form, and finishing, has certainly come under scrutiny but his average rating of 7.24/1o in the Premier League so far this season ranks him as City’s fifth-best performer in the top-flight.

There is no doubting that the 26-year-old, who reportedly earns £300k per week, is on a disappointing run of form, with no goals for City in any of his last seven appearances, but it is surely a matter of time before he gets his confidence back and starts finding the net on a more regular basis.

Guardiola is certainly a big fan of the former QPR youngster and was full of praise for him earlier in the season, saying:

“We’ve seen him play on the right, off the left, and as a false nine – you can rely on Raheem every time he steps on the pitch in terms of goals and assists. That’s a remarkable thing. He started as a flair player, now all of a sudden, Raheem gets you those numbers.”

Therefore, it will undoubtedly be a huge boost for City if they can get Sterling to commit to a new deal at the club and perhaps once the negotiations are dealt with, he will quickly get back to his best.

And, in other news… Forget Mendes: Txiki should seal City swoop for 26 y/o dubbed “one of the best”

Carlo Ancelotti should urge Everton to make a move to sign Andrea Belotti in the summer transfer window, amid claims the striker is considering his future with Serie A side Torino.

What’s the word?

According to Corriere Dello Sport, Belotti is refusing to sign a new contract at the Olympic Grande Torino Stadium despite the efforts of President Urbano Cairo.

The 27-year-old is set to enter the final year of his current £68,000-per-week deal in June, but is beginning to show an interest in a move away after six seasons with Il Toro.

Everton were credited with an interest in Belotti earlier this month by Corriere Granata, who claimed the forward also had suitors in Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United plus at least five sides in Italy and a handful from Germany and Spain.

Corriere Dello Sport anticipate AS Roma and AC Milan to make efforts to sign Belotti in the off-season should he leave Torino, where he is the captain of Davide Nicola’s side and has 11 goals and six assists in 26 Serie A appearances this term.

It is noted that Belotti would consider a move to the Stadio Olimpico as he is fascinated by the city of Rome and the work of CEO Tiago Pinto in rejuvenating Paulo Fonseca’s squad, despite the Giallorossi not being expected to have Champions League football next season.

The 32-cap Italy striker is also understood to have a number of friends in the Roma dressing room from the national side, but Pinto will not pursue a deal should Milan present an offer worth €25m (£21.5m) as predicted.

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Pinto will only pursue Belotti under certain conditions, while doubt also remains in the future of Fonseca and potential successors Maurizio Sarri, Julian Nagelsmann or Sergio Conceicao may not be as fond of a move for Belotti as the Portuguese.

Should Everton sign Torino’s Belotti?

Any hesitancy from Roma in pursuing a deal for Belotti should be seen as a huge boost for Everton and Ancelotti, as the Goodison Park natives are likely to be in the market for a new centre-forward this summer and the Italian represents an ideal candidate to target.

The Toffees are not expected to retain Joshua King beyond the short-term contract he signed upon his arrival in the winter transfer market, while claims have arisen that offers will be considered for Cenk Tosun and Moise Kean.

Ancelotti would not be expected to regret letting King – plus Tosun or Kean – leave in the summer if the Italian has Belotti at his disposal, especially if he is available for around a quarter of his €100m release clause (£86.5m) for foreign sides.

Torino boss Nicola lauds Belotti for being a “unique” forward and appreciates the UC AlbinoLeffe product for his “technical qualities but also for his spirit”, which have seen him score 103 goals and provide 25 assists in 219 career Il Toro appearances in all competitions.

Veteran Torino midfielder Tomas Rincon also praises Belotti for his drive and work in harrying opponents, as the 5 ft 11 forward “has given us so much joy with his goals”.

And, former England number one Joe Hart dubbed the forward as “special” and with an “instinct for goals”, while Torino president, Urbano Cairo, hailed him as a “real captain”.

Ancelotti should implore Everton to sign the £36m-rated Belotti in the summer when he waves goodbye to King, and hire a true challenger who can push Dominic Calvert-Lewin to perform at his best and help sustain the Toffees’ European qualifying challenge.

AND in other news, Everton have eyes on a “very good” £3.5m-rated forward available on a free transfer…

UPDATE 1:30 PM: Speaking at his pre-Burnley press conference, Jurgen Klopp said that there is a “tiny chance” of Diogo Jota being fit for the weekend but he will definitely miss the clash at Turf Moor and is still a doubt to face Crystal Palace.

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Liverpool duo Diogo Jota and Ozan Kabak are not expected to play any part in Liverpool’s final two games of the season after picking up separate injuries.

What’s the latest?

Jota is facing a race to be fit in time for this summer’s European Championship after picking up a foot injury in the 4-2 victory over Manchester United in midweek. The Portugal international picked up the problem after Eric Bailly put in a strong challenge on the 24-year-old, and he missed Liverpool’s dramatic win over West Bromwich Albion last time out as a result.

Kabak was also absent from the victory at The Hawthorns and may have played his final game for the Reds following a loan spell with mixed success. Following a shaky start, the Turkish youngster had delivered some strong performances for the Reds, not least in the Champions League against RB Leipzig.

Jurgen Klopp has been unable to call upon the Schalke loanee’s services for Liverpool’s last three outings as he continues to suffer from a muscle problem, and the Reds manager provided an update on the pair’s fitness after Sunday’s memorable encounter.

“Diogo (Jota), I don’t know actually. As I said, it is not too serious, but as always, you have to wait (to see) how it develops, how it heals. It is a little bone in the foot, and we have to see,” Klopp told a recent press conference (via Goal.com).

“I think he will now be in a boot for two weeks or so, and when he gets out of the boot, then the doctors will check how it developed, how far the progress is, so I don’t know that, but of course, it is not a top moment.
“Ozan, no. No for the long-term (injuries), Ozan isn’t in the long-term (injuries), but nobody is coming back, I think.”
Yet another injury setback
Liverpool’s season has been ravaged by injury issues. Season-ending injuries were sustained by Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip relatively early in the campaign, while key figures such as Jordan Henderson, Jota and Naby Keita have also had prolonged spells on the treatment table.
This latest double setback will have Klopp feeling gutted going into what is likely to be a season-defining final two games of the Premier League campaign.
The 2019 European champions are facing a battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League, with just one point separating the Anfield outfit and fourth-placed Chelsea, and the absence of both Jota and Kabak will be a significant blow to their top four hopes.
Jota has bagged an impressive 13 goals in 29 appearances since signing for the Anfield giants, while Kabak has helped steady a shaky defence since arriving in January, with the Reds fielding the inexperienced centre-back duo of Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams in recent games.
Liverpool will have to qualify for the Champions League the hard way after a campaign where it’s felt as if everything has gone against them.
In other news…Title-chasing star is flattered by Liverpool’s interest, Edwards must get a deal done – opinion

Writing on Twitter, club insider ExWHUemployee dropped his verdict when asked about the situation surrounding 2019 West Ham United summer signing Goncalo Cardoso.

Cardoso is currently loaned out to Swiss giants FC Basel on an 18-month loan deal, with the Portugal youth international arguably failing to live up to his promise so far.

ExWHUemployee drops Cardoso claim

West Ham United secured the signing of Cardoso under former boss Manuel Pellegrini as a talent with plenty of promise, with the defender describing himself as an ‘aggressive’ player upon signing for the east Londoners.

However, having not made a senior appearance, it appears his future is up in the air as he continues his temporary spell at St. Jakob-Park.

ExWHUemployee, when asked for the latest, dropped a pretty bleak verdict in regards to the centre-back – with the insider saying ‘I don’t think he has a career at West Ham’.

Transfer Tavern take

The 20-year-old joined on a five-year contract in the summer of 2019 after bursting on to the scene with Boavista, but his career at the London Stadium looks likely to fizzle out with a whimper rather than a bang.

Former Hammers Director of Football, Mario Husillos, believed Cardoso was ready to be with the first team squad upon the player’s arrival, but nearly two years later, his eventual exit appears inevitable.

In other news: Declan Rice claim dropped after West Ham images emerge, find out more here.

Celtic are reportedly keen on the idea of signing up to a British Super League, according to The Sun.

They suggest that the Hoops and rivals Rangers are wanted as part of a British revamp, with plans set to be backed by FIFA, UEFA and the UK Government, a far cry from the backlash the European Super League proposal received from such bodies.

The report claims that Celtic ‘would jump at the chance’ to be involved, with a possible inclusion potentially leading to an increase in interest regarding the Hoops from fans, sponsors and broadcasters.

This comes days after the collapse of the proposed European Super League, which saw six English sides sign up to and then withdraw from the new competition in a matter of days.

Transfer Tavern take

Celtic owner Dermot Desmond hinted over the last 12 months that he’d be open to the idea of a British Premier League, citing Cardiff City and Swansea City’s current inclusion in the English pyramid – the main advantage for the Hoops potentially joining a British Super League would of course be financial.

Celtic picked up £3.35m when they won the Scottish Premiership in the 2019/20 season, whereas Norwich City took a total of £96.5m for finishing bottom in the Premier League the same year.

However, on the pitch, Celtic’s chances of regularly winning trophies and qualifying for Europe, as they do now in Scotland, could be affected.

It’s an interesting proposition, but like with the ESL, we can’t see anything materialising in the near future.

In other news: Fresh Celtic director of football candidate emerges, find out who it is here.