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One of Tottenham Hotspur’s managerial targets before the arrival of Nuno Santo has spoken about Italian sporting director Fabio Paratici in a recent interview this week.

And it’s not going to go down well with the supporters…

What’s the word?

Spurs spent several months trying to find a successor to Jose Mourinho after he was sacked in mid-April and held talks with several different names, including Chelsea’s former title winner Antonio Conte and even their former manager Mauricio Pochettino.

However, ex-Roma head coach Paulo Fonseca was inches away from being appointed as the new Spurs boss before Paratici was hired.

He had verbally agreed on a two-year contract but the move broke down as the former Juventus chief wanted to go in a different direction to what chairman Daniel Levy and Steve Hitchen were planning.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the Portuguese revealed:

“The agreement was done. We were planning the pre-season and Tottenham wanted an offensive coach. It wasn’t announced but we planned pre-season players.

“But things changed when the new managing director arrived and we didn’t agree with some ideas and he preferred another coach.

“I have some principles. I wanted to be coach of the great teams but I want the right project and a club where the people believe in my ideas, my way to play, and this didn’t happen with the managing director.”

Fans won’t be happy

This damning revelation could not have come at a worse time as the north London outfit have struggled for form in recent matches.

After three straight 1-0 victories to kickstart the 2021/22 league campaign, Nuno and his side have lost 3-0 in back-to-back Premier League games and drawn 2-2 across both the UEFA Europa Conference League and the Carabao Cup.

Indeed, the numbers suggest that things have been much, much worse than they appear.

According to The Athletic, Spurs have the lowest expected goals (xG) of any team in the English top-flight (4.42) after the first five matches of the season. They are also second-lowest for total number of shots and have created just two big chances.

It would appear that Fonseca’s claim about a more defensively-minded coach is ringing true, on the evidence we’ve seen so far.

That will not go down well with the Spurs faithful, many of whom were never behind the appointment of Nuno and are very much still against it amid recent performances on the pitch.

This won’t do the atmosphere around the club any favours heading into this weekend’s north London derby.

AND in other news, Nuno handed huge dilemma by 5 ft 9 Spurs “machine” who was “bossing it” against Wolves…

Arsenal are now on the verge of completing a deadline day signing…

What’s the word?

According to renowned Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners have agreed on a deal to sign versatile Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.

“Takehiro Tomiyasu to Arsenal, agreement reached and here we go! Personal terms agreed and Bologna will receive €20m plus €3m add ons,” he tweeted.

“Medical during the afternoon and then official announcement. Here-we-go.”

Here we go!

Heading into the final day of the summer transfer window, it was widely believed that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was seeking the addition of a new right-back, even despite the multitude of options at his disposal.

However, the long-serving Hector Bellerin appears to be on the way out, whilst Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been left upset after his move to Everton fell through. That would have left just Calum Chambers and Cedric Soares for that one spot and given their defensive issues so far this season, that’s a worrying prospect.

Tomiyasu is a hugely exciting signing and one that could solve this problem, especially as he can play both right-back and in the middle. And we know that the Spaniard likes to sometimes go to a back-three, so this move makes a ton of sense.

The £18m-rated Japan international featured at the Tokyo Olympics this summer and has previously been described as a “true warrior” by fellow Bologna defender Mitchell Dijks.

Last season, the Bolgona star averaged 1.5 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 2.9 aerial battles won per league game, via WhoScored, which shows he’s quite the physical threat.

By comparison, Cedric, who has started two of the Gunners’ three Premier League fixtures has only managed 0.5 interceptions per game and is yet to win an aerial battle, per WhoScored.

It’s clear that Arsenal will be getting a signing in a much-needed position and that should give a small glimmer of hope to the Emirates Stadium faithful heading into the international break.

The Gunners would also be beating arch-rivals Spurs to his signature, so that should give them something extra to shout about, too.

AND in other news, Arteta suffers gutting Arsenal transfer blow as Edu heads for another ghastly mistake…

Manchester United enjoyed a wonderful summer transfer window, adding significant strength to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-team squad, but one target who escaped their grasp may leave them with some regrets.

What’s the story?

New football director John Murtough brought the likes of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford in his first few months in the role, although his failure to secure the signature of Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni could be his first mistake.

According to reliable journalists Jonathan Shrager and Duncan Castles, United were interested in the highly-rated 21-year-old and even made contact with his representatives over a potential move.

However, nothing came of the Red Devils’ interest, and they instead decided to pursue a move for Ronaldo after the five-time Ballon d’Or winner suddenly became available.

Solskjaer will be gutted

Much was made of Solskjaer’s apparent desire to move away from his trusted double-pivot consisting of Scott McTominay and Fred in favour of a single holding midfielder over the summer, allowing him to play a more attacking lineup.

Nevertheless, despite several high-profile names being linked with a move to the 20-time English champions, a new engine room operator failed to arrive in the red half of Manchester.

It’s left their Norwegian tactician tinkering with his central midfield options once again in the opening weeks of the new campaign, with pairings of McTominay and Fred, Nemanja Matic and Fred, and Paul Pogba and Fred all featuring with varying degrees of success.

McTominay’s injury forced Solskjaer into the experiments, but his lack of trust in a single pivot is also a large reason why so many varieties in the centre of the park have already been fielded.

Although seven points from a possible nine in the Premier League points to a solid start for United, their largely underwhelming displays against Southampton and Wolves have provided cause for concern.

The midfield was a particular problem and further accentuated their need for an external solution to their issues in that area of the pitch.

And by signing Tchouameni, Murtough could have fixed them. As per WhoScored, Tchouameni averaged a whopping 3.5 tackles per league game in 2020/21, by far the highest tally amongst his team.

The France international also made 1.7 interceptions, the joint-highest total when compared to his teammates, and he not only dominated proceedings on the ground but in the air as well, winning 67% of his aerial duels.

Tchouameni’s domineering displays have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including current Monaco teammate Cesc Fabregas, who praised the youngster.

“He has the potential to be a complete midfield player,” the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea maestro wrote on Twitter. And now his compatriot and United star Pogba has lauded his talents.

“He’s not a boy, he’s a man. It’s a pleasure to play next to him, he provides a lot, plenty of energy, technical quality and extraordinary physicality. I hope to play plenty of games together and always be on his side,” the World Cup winner said.

Therefore, Solskjaer will be gutted that Murtough failed to secure Tchouameni’s services, leaving him spending another year trying to solve United’s midfield with players who don’t quite fit the mould.

And, in other news…Forget Pogba: Man Utd gem with 3.7 shots per game led the way with superb August 

West Ham United have seemingly turned their attentions elsewhere after a move for Kurt Zouma collapsed this week…

What’s the word?

According to the Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser, the Irons will push ahead with plans to sign Fiorentina colossus Nikola Milenkovic, who has been linked with a move to the London Stadium regularly throughout the summer.

Moyes and co have been left frustrated as Zouma’s switch to the London Stadium fell through over personal terms, which has now moved the focus back onto the Serbia international.

The 23-year-old has just one year to run on his current contract in Florence and is thought to be valued at around £14m. Central defence is currently the Scot’s top priority.

Ferdinand 2.0

In Milenkovic, the Hammers could discover their next Rio Ferdinand – a towering and commanding presence in the heart of defence, and one with bags of potential.

At 6 foot 5, the 23-year-old would become one of the tallest centre-backs in the Premier League, which would leave Moyes with a physical specimen capable of impacting the game at either end of the pitch.

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Indeed, across the course of his short career to date, Milenkovic has scored 16 goals for club and country, whilst last season, he averaged three aerial duels won, 1.4 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per league outing.

The £22.5m-rated defender has drawn comparisons with one of Ferdinand’s former teammates, Nemanja Vidic, with whom he formed a formidable partnership to clinch five league titles, three league cups and a Champions League.

Speaking to ESPN FC, Mozzart reporter Dejan Stankovic claimed: “Milenkovic is better than Vidic with the ball at his feet, and he is much calmer on the field. He is the most talented centre-back Serbia have had since Vidic, and they definitely have one thing in common – both are fearless.”

This would suggest that the Fiorentina ace is more of a ball-playing animal, like Ferdinand, but also has the scary aerial ability of Vidic. A very intriguing and exciting option to have at Moyes’ disposal.

According to his former Partizan coach Ivan Tomic, “Milenkovic has [the] physical characteristics of a beast,” which only reinforces the point above. “He reads the game well, plays the ball, and should have a great career ahead of him, he said via Mozzart.

For just £14m, this would be an absolute steal.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee reveals “frustrating” West Ham transfer update…

Mark Warburton has dropped an update on the state of his Queens Park Rangers squad ahead of their Championship fixture this Saturday.

What’s the latest?

In comments given following QPR’s penalty shootout victory against Leyton Orient in the Carabao Cup earlier this week, the 58-year-old revealed that both Luke Amos and Ilias Chair would be rejoining first-team training following their respective injuries, and could be available for the trip to Hull City on Saturday.

However, the manager also cited concern that a number of players, including Stefan Johansen and Charlie Austin, will struggle to maintain fitness as a result of the club’s busy schedule.

Warburton said: “We’re looking at this crazy schedule we face over the next seven to 10 days, which no one can explain to me.

“We’re looking at players. Ilias Chair not being available [for Orient], Stefan, looking after him, Charlie Austin, looking after him, so it was doing what we had to do.

“We’ll have a training group [on Thursday] of about six. The likes of Stefan, Jordy [de Wijs], Chris Willock, Dom Ball – those guys. Luke Amos is with us. Ilias Chair back in training. We’ll work with a small group and do what we have to do.”

Fans will be buzzing

While it is indeed true that QPR have a hectic schedule coming up, playing four games – starting with the Hull clash – over the space of 10 days, the news that Amos and Chair are back in training will undoubtedly have fans buzzing.

Indeed, with Amos having not played for the Rs since suffering a cruciate ligament rupture in October 2020, his return is sure to be a big boost for Warburton. The 24-year-old is a fantastic option in defensive midfield -he had the club’s best tackles per game average (2.2) last season despite his sparse involement – as well as being an extra body which the manager can call upon in order to rotate his squad over their busy schedule.

Meanwhile, the return of Chair is also a significant plus for the 58-year-old, as the attacking midfielder – who has not featured for the club so far this season due to a recent illness – was one of the Rs’ most impressive players in the club’s 2020/21 campaign, scoring eight goals, registering four assists and average a SofaScore match rating of 7.04 – ranking him as QPR’s fourth-best player last term.

As such, while the QPR manager may be unhappy with the Championship fixtures already coming thick and fast, it is undeniable that the return of two key midfielders is a welcome boost for the manager, who will be hoping his side can secure their first Championship victory of the season at MKM Stadium on Saturday.

In other news: Warburton drops claim on “excellent” QPR gem which will be music to the ears of fans

Celtic are interested in signing Nathan Byrne this summer according to a fresh report.

What’s the talk?

Via the Daily Record, the Hoops have identified the Derby County right-back as a potential signing to bolster their defensive options this summer.

The report claims he has been singled out by the scouting department as a player who could be a good addition to the group, but Ange Postecoglou has not given the green light as of yet.

Ange needs him

Postecoglou needs Byrne this summer following Jonjoe Kenny’s return to Everton after his loan spell with the club during the second half of last season.

The Toffees full-back was brought in after Jeremie Frimpong joined Bayer Leverkusen in January and Byrne could finally be the ex-Man City man’s replacement ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Frimpong averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.86 in the Scottish Premiership last term for the Hoops, providing one goal and two assists; this highlights what Postecoglou is missing in his squad. Byrne, meanwhile, achieved a score of 6.81 in the Championship for Derby, failing to score but providing four assists for his teammates.

Derby journalist Ryan Conway once praised the development he has made in an attacking sense. He said:

“Again, Nathan Byrne was excellent again, really, really good – and out there, he was very vocal out there as well.

“What has been so pleasing about Nathan is when he first came to Derby, he was much more of a defensive-minded right-back. His final product and his attacking qualities weren’t great; they were okay, but he was much more of an accomplished defender than he was an attacker.

“As the season’s gone on, Nathan’s got really, really good at getting quality crosses into the box, and he did that again [against Millwall].”

This shows that the Englishman could be an apt replacement for Frimpong and be a solid addition to Postecoglou’s team. He is a reliable defender and proved that with his 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game for the Rams in the second tier of English football.

He also offered plenty of attacking threat down the right.

The £11k-per-week dynamo has racked up 14 assists in the past three seasons combined, showing that he can get forward from defence and put in quality crosses to aid the attack. Therefore, Celtic must ensure that they get a deal done for the full-back.

AND in other news, Postecoglou may be on the verge of his first Celtic howler, fans would be furious…

Brighton are yet to make an offer or an enquiry for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, according to The Athletic’s Andy Naylor.

The Lowdown: Edouard rumours

Edouard, who is now into the final 12 months of his contract, has been linked with a move to the Amex in recent weeks after a reunion with Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City fell through earlier in the window.

Reports on Wednesday went as far as saying the Seagulls made an £18.5m bid for the 23-year-old, which could rise over £20m in the future.

However, according to Naylor, Graham Potter’s side haven’t approached the Hoops for Edouard, let alone tabled a big-money bid.

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The Latest: Naylor clears things up

Naylor, The Athletic’s correspondent for all things Brighton, took to Twitter on Friday lunchtime to share what he knows about Edouard.

He said this, ending his post with a bullish eight-word update.

“Had parked this to avoid repeating myself but, since so many people keep on asking/reporting. Here’s how things stand at the moment with Brighton and Edouard. Not made an offer, not even an inquiry.”

The Verdict: Hoops need to find a buyer

With Edouard’s Parkhead future continuing to drag on, the Hoops appear to be in a tricky situation.

The Frenchman is still reportedly looking to leave Glasgow during the current window, so the Hoops need to find a buyer.

If they don’t, they’ll be left with a player who doesn’t want to be there and to add insult to injury, could then lose him for nothing the following summer, should he agree on a pre-contract agreement with a new club in January.

It’s not ideal that his future is still up in the air on the same weekend of the new domestic season, so Celtic CEO Dom McKay needs to act fast when it comes to Edouard.

In other news: Journalist in Turkey drops transfer development; Celtic now close to signing 5-trophy ace. 

The Rafa Benitez era at Everton hasn’t quite started with a bang but the Spaniard finally has his first signing at Goodison Park under his belt.

They welcomed Andros Townsend to the Toffees on Tuesday afternoon but in the midst of that excitement comes a potentially lusty blow to their ambitions.

What’s the word?

Both James Rodriguez and Richarlison have both been linked with the departure lounge this summer.

The Colombian has attracted interest from AC Milan with the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, meeting with the Italian side.

It’s also been reported that the club’s previous manager, Carlo Ancelotti, wants to bring Richarlison to Real Madrid.

It looked like the former would actually stay but a fresh claim from Eurosport reveals that both are seeking exits from the club this summer.

The heart-breaking news suggests that the Everton pair are looking for moves to Spain.

Huge blow

If Benitez loses two of the club’s most influential players in the same window then it will be a colossal blow to their hopes of finishing in the European places. Consequently, it should also leave supporters rather angry.

James has only been with the Toffees for the best part of 12 months but he made a brilliant impact in Merseyside.

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The former Madrid star was a creative force and also popped up with some important goals. During his first term in English football, he provided six strikes and four assists. On top of that, no player managed more than his 1.7 key passes per match in the Everton side.

As for their Brazilian winger, only Dominic Calvert-Lewin beat the goalkeeper on more occasions.

Richarlison scored seven Premier League goals before becoming a regular for his national team at the recent Copa America.

Both players provided plenty of help to their top scorer last term and ensured that Ancelotti had a dynamic pairing to work with in the final third.

They worked in tandem nicely together but that could be demolished heading into the 2021/22 campaign.

With supporters given the green light to return to stadiums next season, it will surely enrage those who didn’t get to catch a glimpse of James in Everton colours.

Instead, they will make to make do with watching the likes of Townsend and possibly Demarai Gray.

AND in other news, Rafa could discover Everton’s new Leon Osman by signing “special” 34-cap maestro…

Peterborough United director of football Barry Fry has revealed that Everton have been watching Brentford striker Ivan Toney.

The Lowdown: Everton lagging behind

Although we are creeping ever closer towards the 2020/21 campaign, the Toffees remain without a permanent manager after Carlo Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid earlier this month (Sky Sports).

As such, their transfer plans are yet to really get going, but that does not mean the scouting team haven’t been doing their research.

The Latest: Fry makes Toney claim

Speaking to This Is Futbol, Fry has revealed that Everton have been watching Toney and claimed that the 25-year-old could cost as much as £50m. He said:

“I still think people like Everton and even Chelsea (want him). I know Chelsea are looking at the top range of centre-forwards but I know they’ve watched him and like him and if they don’t get A, B, and C, who knows?

“Then I expect Ivan to go for £40m, £45m, £50m, but now he’s got them in the Premier League, only the top clubs could afford him.”

The Verdict: A lot of money

Toney would seem to be a good purchase for the Toffees. During the 2019/20 campaign he was the top scorer in League One with Peterborough (worldfootball.net), and last season he netted 31 times in 45 Championship games as Brentford earned promotion to the Premier League  (Transfermarkt) – he broke the second tier’s record of 30 goals in a season since it was rebranded in 2004.

However, given that he has made just two appearances in the Premier League during a very short spell with Newcastle more than five years ago, £50m would be a ridiculous fee for Everton to pay. As attractive a proposition as Toney is, the Toffees must be careful not to get carried away and determine whether they would get good value out of this prospective deal.

In other news, many Everton fans were livid over this transfer update.

Southampton reportedly bid for Takehiro Tomiyasu in January but were unable to agree a deal, and with the Japan international now heavily linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, it seems that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side may have missed out on a gem.

According to the Evening Standard, the Saints made an offer for the Bologna man in January and returned the following month to enquire about a potential summer switch, but it was thought that a bigger move was on the cards for the 22-year-old.

It now seems likely that the Japanese centre-back will complete a move to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side this summer, with Spurs in talks with the Serie A outfit over a potential deal for the defender.

Last season saw the youngster make 31 appearances in Serie A for the Rossoblù, contributing two goals and averaging a solid 6.77 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The £18m-rated defender has featured regularly as a centre-back, right-back and defensive midfielder in his career thus far, and given Hasenhuttl’s preference for versatile players at Southampton, it seems clear that he could have been a stellar addition.

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It is no surprise that the Austrian was reportedly keen on the Japan international in January when you consider that he was forced to deploy James Ward-Prowse and Jan Bednarek at right-back in the absence of Kyle Walker-Peters after Yan Valery was sent out on loan to Birmingham.

Tomiyasu could have been a great player to compete with Bednarek and Jannik Vestergaard at centre-back, whilst also covering for Walker-Peters on the right, as he has plenty of experience in Serie A despite being so young.

His performances in Italy earned him the praise of teammate Mitchell Dijks, who said: “He is very strong, a real Japanese warrior.”

After their advances in January and February were rejected, it seems unlikely that Southampton will be able to negotiate a deal for Tomiyasu this summer. If he does join Spurs and become a success, then he will unfortunately be regarded as one who got away for the Saints.

In other news… Hasenhuttl dealt huge Saints transfer blow over “top player” likened to Kante