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Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has already received one almighty boost this summer…

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable Dan Kilpatrick of the Evening Standard, talismanic striker Harry Kane is eyeing up a new contract at Spurs and is thought to be very “happy” with the direction the club is going in.

“Harry Kane is happy at Spurs and open to signing a new contract,” the reporter tweeted alongside an accompanying article.

It’s thought that the England international will push for fresh talks when he returns for pre-season training after some time off. He still has two years to run on his current £200k-per-week deal.

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Big boost

This will come as massive news to not just the Lilywhites faithful but also the Italian head coach.

Speculation over Kane’s future has always been a sticking point in recent times, having failed to join Manchester City during last summer’s window. Meanwhile, Liverpool have now also been mooted with interest in the Spurs striker.

The £90m-rated forward, who turns 29 in July, would surely be seeing out his career in north London should he sign a fourth long-term extension.

Spurs recently announced a £150m cash injection from owners, the ENIC Group, so Kane can clearly see there is an ambition to back Conte during the upcoming transfer window, where a left-sided centre-back and a backup or alternative to himself will be high up on the priority list.

Kane ended the season on 17 Premier League goals, despite only finding the net once before his arrival in November. He hit 27 across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

“I am happy. I am happy for him because we are talking about a world-class striker,” Conte claimed after their rampant 5-1 win over Newcastle United last month.

“He deserves the best because he’s a great worker, hard worker. This is not normal because usually the players that have talent many times don’t like to work hard because they have talent.

“In my career I didn’t have great talent [so] for this reason I worked hard. What I liked about him from the first time was his ability. He was a big example for his team-mates.”

That glowing endorsement alone goes to show exactly why the 52-year-old manager will be absolutely delighted by Kilpatrick’s big reveal. Heading into next season, in the Champions League too, Conte will be bolstered by having his main man committed for the long run.

AND in other news, Paratici now plotting Spurs bid for “deadly” £21m talent, he’d be “perfect” for Conte…

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Moussa Diaby heading into the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), PIF are preparing a bid to bring the Bayer Leverkusen maestro to Tyneside ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the 22-year-old has been made a priority target for the Magpies, who are set to battle it out with Tottenham and Arsenal for his signature.

It has previously been claimed that the Bundesliga outfit could demand as much as £75m for the attacker, although it remains to be seen how much the Premier League clubs are willing to offer.

Better than Allan Saint-Maximin

Eddie Howe can land an upgrade on Saint-Maximin by bringing his compatriot to St James’ Park in the coming weeks or months.

Diaby has enjoyed a sublime season in Germany, showcasing his ability to score and create goals from a wide position. He has proven that he can make a big impact in the final third on a consistent basis, something with which the Magpies attacker has struggled during his time at the club.

For all of his exciting dribbling and direct play on the left flank, Saint-Maximin often leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to his end product. In 35 Premier League appearances this season, the attacker produced five goals and five assists from almost 11 expected goals and assists (xG and xA) combined, underperforming on his xG by 0.66.

It was a solid return from the former Nice wizard but hardly exceptional due to his underperformance and lack of consistency throughout the campaign, averaging a goal contribution every 3.5 matches.

Meanwhile, Diaby accumulated roughly 19 xG and xA combined in the Bundesliga and ended the campaign with 13 goals and 12 assists as he overperformed in both statistics. He averaged a goal contribution every 1.28 games for Leverkusen as he delivered in the final third on a consistent basis.

His current team-mate Kerem Demirbay previously hailed the 22-year-old’s qualities, saying: “He’s not only very quick but also a very clever player and you don’t see that very often in the Bundesliga.” 

The French phenomenon’s impressive statistics duly suggest that he would be an upgrade on Saint-Maximin for Newcastle. Diaby has been more clinical in front of goal and created a higher quality of chances for his team-mates, while he is also three years younger than the Magpies maverick, which suggests that he has the potential to improve even further.

Howe will now be hoping that PIF can work their magic and get a deal done for Diaby this summer…

AND in other news, PIF “are interested” in NUFC deal for “cold” £27m tank, he can be Howe’s own Varane…

Amongst a whole host of Premier League clubs, Newcastle United are interested in signing New York City striker Valentin Castellanos, according to 90min.

The Lowdown: Hot property

The 23-year-old became one of the hottest properties in North America after he won the Golden Boot in Major League Soccer last year, having scored 19 goals in 32 regular season appearances.

The Argentine then went on to net three times in his team’s play-off outings, firing the New York outfit to MLS Cup glory.

The Latest: Man City pass up chance

According to a report by 90min, New York City’s parent club Manchester City have passed up the chance to bring Castellanos to the Etihad Stadium.

Instead, it is claimed that Pep Guardiola’s side have recommended the forward to a number of Premier League clubs, and Leeds are thought to be the most interested.

However, if the Whites are to secure the 23-year-old’s signature, they will need to fend off interest from Newcastle, West Ham and Everton, all of whom he has been linked with in the recent past.

The Verdict: Great signing

When compared with positional peers across the MLS over the past year, Castellanos’ attacking threat really shines through, as he ranks in the 98th percentile for shots, non-penalty expected goals and total touches in the attacking penalty area (via FBRef).

With Newcastle keen on bringing in a striker to St James’ Park, the Argentine could be the perfect option, given his goalscoring record and low market value of £10.8m.

New York City boss Ronny Deila has described the attacker’s progress as “unbelievable”, and at just 23 years of age, there could still be much more to come from the clinical marksman, making this a very exciting prospect for Magpies fans.

In other news: Craig Hope drops exciting Moussa Diaby transfer update

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur have received an official bid for Steven Bergwijn from Ajax, with ‘talks’ now ongoing regarding the winger’s N17 exit.

The Lowdown: Bit-part player

The Dutchman originally made the switch to the Premier League when he joined the Lilywhites in a £27 move from PSV Eindhoven back in 2020, and during his two years in north London has made 83 appearances to date.

The 24-year-old’s current contract with Spurs isn’t set to expire until 2025 after penning a five-year deal on arrival, but it’s been recently revealed that he is open to a move away from the club during the upcoming window following frustration at a lack of game time, and it appears as though there has been a huge development involving his future in the capital.

The Latest: Romano confirms Bergwijn bid

In a new post on his personal Twitter account, Romano confirmed that Tottenham are open to Bergwijn’s departure, with work to seal his exit already underway. He wrote:

“Tottenham have received an official bid from Ajax for Steven Bergwijn, as per @telegraaf. The proposal is now confirmed – Bergwijn would be ready to agree personal terms with Ajax until June 2027.

“Tottenham are open to sell him this summer, talks now ongoing.”

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The Verdict: A Return to the Netherlands

Since Antonio Conte’s arrival in November last year, the 18-cap international has only made four top-flight starts, so it’s no shock to see that he wants to make a move to a club where he will more than likely be guaranteed regular playing time.

The former Inter boss has already started his squad rebuild ahead of the start of the new season, with goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini confirmed to be leaving Spurs.

Bergwijn has already previously admitted that he would at some point love to make the switch to a club back in his native Netherlands, so this could prove to be a deal written in the stars.

In other news… a reliable journalist has revealed that Spurs are in contact with a club over a potential move for one of their summer transfer targets.

Liverpool are no exception – agents have become more and more important as football has progressed into the big-money game that it is today, and hold influence in the corridors of power at every Premier League club.

Decades ago, they were little more than an afterthought, but nowadays they’re often the key figures who can make or break a deal. The fact we know the names of certain agents should tell you everything about how much the industry has changed.

It’s not uncommon for one agent to bring a group of players to one club, either. Look at Wolverhampton Wanderers, for example. Eight of their current first-team players are represented by Jorge Mendes’ agency, Gestifute.

The fact is, a player’s agent can now play a major part in a transfer, whether the footballing world likes it or not. As money becomes more and more of a factor, too, their influence may just keep growing.

As revealed by TransferMarkt and Andrew Beasley of the Liverpool Echo, below are all of the known agents of every Liverpool player…

Every Liverpool player’s agent

Alisson Becker – Neis World Sports

Caoimhin Kelleher – ICM Stellar Sports

Loris Karius – Sports eXcellence Group

Adrian – Bahia International

Virgil van Dijk – Wasserman

Ibrahima Konate – ICM Stellar Sports

Joe Gomez – Wasserman

Joel Matip – ASBW Sport Marketing

Nat Phillips – Murdock Sports Group

Sepp van den Berg – Key United

Rhys Williams – ICM Stellar Sports Group

Ben Davies – CAA Base Ltd

Andy Robertson – PLG

Kostas Tsimikas – Prosport International

Trent Alexander-Arnold – PLG

Neco Williams – Wasserman

Fabinho – Gestifute

Naby Keita – ROOF

Curtis Jones – Wasserman

Thiago – The Player Management

Jordan Henderson – Wasserman

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – Colossal Sports Management

James Milner – Sami Sport-Marketing Agentur

Sadio Mane – ROOF

Luis Diaz – Nomi Sports

Takumi Minamino – Sarcle Co. Ltd.

Sheyi Ojo – Elite Project Group Ltd

Ben Woodburn – ICM Stellar Sports

Mohamed Salah – Ramy Abbas Issa

Diogo Jota – Gestifute

Roberto Firmino – ROGON

Divock Origi – DLF

As you can see, there is quite the mix of agencies that represent Liverpool players. The main two seem to be Wasserman and ICM Stellar Sports, however, who represent the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

The most controversial agent in the squad is Ramy Abbas Issa, who represents Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian international’s agent often takes to Twitter to aim subtle digs and drop contract hints. In doing so, he has not gained any fans in the red half of Merseyside.

Elsewhere, PLG represent Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson, with the England international’s brother Tyler being on the agency’s board.

Nottingham Forest are about to make their long-awaited return to the Premier League and will be looking to add depth to their squad to compete in the top flight with a new transfer target revealed.

What’s the latest?

According to the German news outlet BILD, Nottingham Forest are one of the clubs interested in signing Schalke and Cercle Brugge loanee Rabbi Matondo.

As per the report, Cercle Brugge did not exercise their option to purchase Matondo on a permanent move this summer as salary negotiations failed.

Nottingham Forest are named alongside two other Premier League clubs, Brentford and Leeds United, in the report as interested parties.

Cooper’s very own Sancho

Steve Cooper could unearth his very own Jadon Sancho by signing fellow Welshman Matondo this summer, as the 21-year-old has followed a similar path as the Manchester United star.

Both Sancho and Matondo rose through the Manchester City academy before making the move to the Bundesliga to develop their craft and now the Forest manager can facilitate the Schalke winger’s opportunity to play in the Premier League just like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did for Sancho.

The £3m magician who was dubbed “electrifying” for his pace by Ryan Giggs was sent on a season-long loan deal to the Belgian Pro League and has made impressive strides showing glimpses of his potential whilst playing for Cercle Brugge.

Matondo scored nine goals, delivered two assists and created four big chances, taking 2.9 shots and winning four duels on average per game, proving he has the capabilities to be effective in attacking play and dangerous for his opponents.

Nottingham Forest will need to take all their opportunities to score as many goals as possible in their first season back in the Premier League to ensure they don’t suffer a similar fate as the likes of Norwich City and Watford who bounced straight back into the Championship after being promoted last season.

With that being said, the signing of Matondo could be the perfect opportunity for Cooper to add some depth to his attacking threats in the squad ahead of next season to ensure they can compete and remain in the top flight for years to come.

AND in other news: Bad news: NFFC have now held transfer talks that’ll leave Cooper scrambling

Manchester City are reportedly willing to let Raheem Sterling leave the club during the current summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post, journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano had this to say on the matter.

He said: “Raheem Sterling, Chelsea top target as reported last Tuesday. Man City want around €55/60m – approach for €25m & add-ons turned down. Chelsea will be back with new bid soon – as Man City are open to let him go.”

City signed the winger back in the 2015 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League club Liverpool in a deal worth £49m.

Since then, the Englishman has made 339 appearances for the Citizens in which he’s scored 131 goals, delivered 95 assists and won numerous domestic trophies along the way.

Guardiola will be gutted

His latest season at the Etihad Stadium saw the former Liverpool attacker find the net 17 times and provide nine assists in 47 appearances across all competitions.

This shows just how much Pep Guardiola relies on him and how useful he can be in an attacking sense, which is why it could be a big blow for City to lose him this summer.

With the Spaniard sharing his praise for the winger earlier in their previous season for his efforts on the pitch, it’s clear that the City boss knows how crucial he can be for the team.

In fact, after coming on as a substitute in the second half of City’s final Premier League game of last season against Aston Villa, the England international provided the assist for Ilkay Gundogan’s first goal that eventually led to the home side overcoming a 2-0 deficit to secure the title in dramatic fashion.

This further highlights how Sterling can step up and deliver for his side when it matters.

With Chelsea now reportedly after the winger, allowing a player of his calibre and experience to leave for a club that will presumably be looking to take the Premier League title off City could be a big mistake from them.

The best way forward for City would be to change their current stance and convince the 27-year-old to continue his journey with the Citizens and keep helping them win titles.

In other news: Man City now eyeing swoop for “unbelievable” £50m star, he can be Pep’s new “warrior”

West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh say ‘lots of talks’ have been held as GSB eye a ‘very clever’ signing for David Moyes.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye striker move…

After the arrival of Nayef Aguerd in a £30 million deal from Rennes, the Hammers are reliably tipped to carry that momentum long into the summer amid ‘very busy’ times at the club.

As backed by Sky journalist Dharmesh Sheth, Moyes and the club are seeking at least six new additions as they gear up for what will be a very intriguing 2022/2023 Premier League season.

The east Londoners narrowly missed out of Europa League football for next campaign and this may have come as a warning sign for West Ham who wish to keep chase with England’s elite.

The Latest: Insider shares ‘lots of talks’…

As per insider C&H, sharing a message from their source, it is believed that ‘lots of talks’ are being held through agents for one forward.

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Indeed, according to their information, Chelsea striker Armando Broja is indeed Moyes’ top target amid these regular discussions with intermediaries and the 20-year-old is open to joining the club.

West Ham apparently wish to pay £30 million for the Albania international but whether that proves to be enough will be found out soon enough.

The Verdict: Make the move…

Even though Broja tailed off towards the end of 20/21 on his Southampton loan spell, potentially signing him for £30m could be seen as good business.

He dazzled in all matches against West Ham last season and attracted plenty of praise over the course of his St. Mary’s temporary deal.

Pundit Noel Whelan, speaking to Football Insider, claimed an Irons swoop for Broja would be a ‘very clever’ signing for Moyes and we’re inclined to agree given he is still just 20-years-old and already proven in the top flight.

The summer transfer window is in full swing and Tottenham have been the pacesetters in the Premier League with three incomings wrapped up already.

Yves Bissouma, Fraser Forster and Ivan Perisic have all joined Spurs ahead of the 2022/23 campaign as Fabio Paratici has seemingly placed importance on getting transfers done quickly.

The club’s business may not be done yet, though, as they are still being linked with multiple players in multiple positions.

CalcioMercatoWeb recently reported that Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu is a player on the head coach’s radar as the midfielder contemplates an exit from the San Siro.

The Turkish international could be available for a fee in the region of €30m (£26m) and the report claims that Davinson Sanchez and Gio Lo Celso are options for a possible swap deal between the two teams.

Tottenham’s own Kevin de Bruyne

Conte can find his own version of Manchester City’s Belgian talisman by securing a deal to sign Calhanoglu from Inter this summer.

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In the Premier League last season, de Bruyne – who was named the division’s Player of the Season – produced 15 goals and eight assists for Pep Guardiola’s side. This came after he managed six goals and 12 assists in 25 games the previous campaign.

He is a proven, top-end, performer at this level who can score and assist goals regularly from a central midfield position.

Calhanoglu, meanwhile, is in the same bracket in the Serie A. In 2021/22, the 28-year-old magician scored seven goals and provided 12 assists – creating 2.6 chances per game and 13 ‘big chances’ in total.

His former manager Stefano Pioli, who once lauded him as “generous and exceptional” previously hailed the gem, saying:

“Calhanoglu is a leader of this team. He’s a leader on the pitch, he’s an intelligent player. Lately, we have faced teams that have closed the spaces and therefore, sometimes, I have had to lower him even though I want to keep him high.

“He knows how to marry perfectly with the game of his teammates. I have great respect for him and with intelligent players, you can play great games. He has the qualities to have some more goals.”

These quotes suggest that he is the type of player to make the team tick with his intelligence on the pitch, which has translated into his excellent numbers in the final third.

FBRef list him and de Bruyne as similar players and the statistics back that up as both of them are sublime midfielders who can score and assist at will whilst being the heartbeat of their respective teams.

Therefore, Conte can land his own version of the City superstar, which is why Spurs must sign Calhanoglu from Inter before the end of the window.

AND in other news, Contact made: Spurs eyeing “extraordinary” £80m “tank”, Conte can now forget Bastoni…

Aston Villa have seen numerous new faces arrive in the Midlands during the current summer window.

In addition to securing permanent moves for Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen, the Villans have also brought in Boubacar Camara and Diego Carlos.

However, it seems as though the Villans could be at risk of seeing one of their current players make a move away from this summer.

According to a recent report from Goal, AC Milan have been in talks with Douglas Luiz over a potential move to the San Siro.

Should the Villans end up waving goodbye to the Brazilian in the coming weeks, one figure that has already been linked with a move that could end up being an ideal potential replacement is PSV Eindhoven’s Ibrahim Sangare.

With 173 combined appearances for the Dutch side and his previous club Toulouse, the 24-year-old has scored seven goals and delivered 11 assists in the process.

Last season saw the midfielder play more minutes in the Eredivisie than any other player at his current side, showing just how important he is to them.

In his 29 league appearances, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £21.6m according to Transfermarkt, made more interceptions (72) and won more tackles (64) than any other PSV player.

To compare that with Luiz, in his 34 Premier League appearances, he racked up fewer interceptions (61) and won fewer tackles (43) than Sangare.

Meanwhile, only Cody Gakpo (2.9) and Noni Madueke (2.4) racked up a higher average for dribbles per game than Sangare, which shows just how tricky he can be on the ball as well as being a tough opponent when he’s trying to win the ball back.

His overall performances earned him an impressive season rating of 7.49 according to WhoScored, making him the second-highest rated player at the Dutch club.

By the same metric, this rating would have comfortably made him the highest-rated player in Villa’s squad for their previous Premier League campaign.

All of this backs up why he was labelled as an “extraordinary” player by analyst Aad de Mos and why he’d be a great fit at Villa if they end up selling Luiz this summer.

AND in other news: Reliable journo: AVFC move would be “attractive” for 6ft1 “rock”, Gerrard will love it