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Tottenham Hotspur have scheduled a new round of talks with Valencia over the sale of winger Bryan Gil, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown

After a busy summer in the transfer market, managing director Fabio Paratici is now looking to offload players who are excess to Antonio Conte’s requirements.

The likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Joe Rodon have all left the club on loan, whilst Steven Bergwijn and Cameron Carter-Vickers also sealed their permanent exits from Hotspur Way earlier in the summer.

Elsewhere, attention has now turned to Gil, who has been receiving interest after spending the second half of last season on loan in La Liga.

The Latest

Romano has shared an update on the Spaniard’s position at the club, revealing details of a possible move away from north London.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist claimed: “Tottenham and Valencia have new round of talks now scheduled for Bryan Gil deal. Negotiations in progress as all parties want to get the deal done next week. #THFC”

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The Verdict

Having arrived at Spurs last summer in a deal worth £21.6m, with Erik Lamela heading the other way to Sevilla, the 21-year-old has failed to establish himself as a core member of the Tottenham first-team.

The Spain under-21 international has played just 20 games for the Lilywhites, only nine of which have come in the Premier League (all off the bench), totalling a meagre 85 minutes in the division.

Having made 17 appearances for Valencia during his short stint at the club, a return to Spain seems to be in the best interests for the youngster, who has been dubbed a ‘very exciting’ player by ESPN editor David Cartlidge, as he has a lot of potential to fulfil.

Therefore, with game-time looking scarce under Conte (he’s yet to feature this term), this could be the ideal scenario for Gil’s career.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are still in talks to sign Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic, reports reliable journalist Liam Keen.

The Lowdown: Striker search

It has been widely reported the Wanderers are looking to bring in a forward addition ahead of the September 1 deadline.

In a recent press conference, manager Bruno Lage admitted his team are still on the hunt for an attacker, having claimed: “We want more solutions. We are in the market and we’ll try to find a different striker, a different profile to Raul.”

With Molineux chiefs also thought to be working on a deal for promising midfielder Boubacar Traore, a goalscorer is surely next up on the agenda.

The Latest: Keen’s news

Keen has shared an update on Wolves’ striker search, confirming the name that the club are working hard to secure.

In his article for the Express and Star, the reliable journalist revealed that Lage has refused to discuss Wolves’ interest in Sasa Kalajdzic, despite the fact that the Midlands outfit have continued to negotiate with Stuttgart over a potential move for the Austria international.

Speaking about their striker search, Lage added:

“Raul is very good in the dynamic and arrives in the box, and we want a different profile. That’s the only thing I can say now, we are looking for that.”

The Verdict: Get it done

With 6 foot 7 Kalajdzic towering over Jimenez, the Bundesliga forward certainly adds an alternative option and play-style to Wolves’ limited squad.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the Austrian ranks in the 94thpercentile for aerials won, whereas the Mexico international comes in at the 65th percentile.

Praised by German pundit Marcel Reif for being able to do “crazy things in the air”, Kalajdzic would add an aerial threat to the Wanderers’ frontline for years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur’s £60m summer signing Richarlison has become an instant hit with the supporters around north London.

When he’s yours, you love him… when he’s not, that’s better off unsaid.

On Wednesday night, the Brazilian attacker proved to be a game-changer with two moments of magic inside just two minutes after he headed home goals to secure a 2-0 win over Marseille to kickstart their Champions League campaign.

The 25-year-old did put in a potentially more impressive display against Fulham in the Premier League over the weekend but he wasn’t rewarded with that elusive goal, though he did provide an assist for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s opener in what was his first start for the club.

That also took his total to two assists, having teed up Harry Kane to score the winner against Nottingham Forest in a cameo from the bench just a couple of weeks ago.

Now with four direct goal contributions from 257 minutes – one every 64 minutes, the former Everton gem has effectively played himself into being undroppable, leaving manager Antonio Conte with the toughest of decisions.

Is it the out-of-sorts Heung-min Son that gets the axe or maybe Dejan Kulusevski, who himself has been pretty much undroppable since his move from Juventus back in January, having scored or assisted 16 goals from just 27 appearances?

Both players played a pivotal role in Spurs’ 3-2 win over this weekend’s would-be opponents Manchester City in February, with the South Korean providing two assists and the Swedish winger bagging a goal and laying on a further assist too.

Truthfully, however, Son is horribly out of form and is simply nowhere near his best, having managed just the one assist from 579 minutes so far this season.

He again struggled against the Ligue 1 outfit in midweek, where one of his scuffed shots was greeted by a small chorus of boos from some sections of supporters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Meanwhile, Kulusevski came off the bench to make a considerable impact at right wing-back, which is the sort of versatility and willingness to fight that’ll undoubtedly delight Conte.

Perhaps Son is in dire need of a break, after all, he’s been the mainstay on the left flank for several seasons now.

Richarlison took his opportunity this week as his Champions League debut could not have gone any better, so is he now the first-choice in Spurs’ attack heading into the next few fixtures?

“I have for sure a big decision” Conte explained heading into the weekend. He added that Richarlison’s versatility “is very important because (it means) when you make a change you don’t drop the quality in attack.”

Therefore, the £135k-per-week star – who was dubbed a “goal machine” by podcaster Alimo Philip and a “top talent” by ex-manager Carlo Ancelotti – will surely be amongst the starting lineup whenever Spurs do return to action in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, £21.8m down the drain: £65k-p/w Spurs “weak link” has now ransacked ENIC for 105 weeks…

Wolverhampton Wanderers will get a ‘new mentality’ thanks to their gamble on signing Diego Costa, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Kalajdzic replacement

The Old Gold signed Sasa Kalajdzic in the summer, but after sustaining a serious knee ligament injury against Premier League rivals Southampton at the start of the month, Bruno Lage was forced to re-enter the market for an attacking replacement.

33-year-old free agent Costa put pen to paper on a one-year deal at Molineux, arriving in the Midlands after being released by Atletico Mineiro in January.

The Latest: Costa the gamble

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones was full of praise for Costa and saying he is just the profile of striker that Wolves have been searching for.

“It’s a gamble in terms of what he can bring physically. He hasn’t played enough football for us to really know how he’s going to cope, but this team has absolutely no cutting edge.

“It’s got no instinct for goals and there’s no fight to win, but Diego Costa totally changes that and brings a new mentality to the club and to that starting XI if he gets in it.”

The Verdict: Risk worth taking

Despite Costa not having played competitive football since the New Year, getting him on a free transfer means that this is a move with no risk, and it was one definitely worth taking.

The Spaniard has made an outstanding 258 goal contributions throughout his career (187 goals and 71 assists), and brings a wealth of success having won 13 titles with various clubs, two of those being the Premier League with Chelsea (Transfermarkt).

If Costa can regain even glimpses of his old form, he could go on to become a real force to be reckoned with this season and has the prolific edge to guarantee Wolves a top ten finish come the end of the campaign.

Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is set to undergo surgery on his shoulder this week, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ game-time at Man City

After signing for the Sky Blues this summer in a £45m deal, the former Leeds United colossus has struggled to establish himself as a regular in Pep Guardiola’s plans.

As a result, he has played just 13 minutes of first-team football across three matches so far this season, with two appearances in the Champions League and another in the Premier League.

Phillips was initially included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League games against Italy and Germany taking place later this month, but it now looks like he won’t be involved in either of those matches.

The Latest: Ornstein’s news

Ornstein has shared an injury update on Phillips for The Athletic, revealing the Yorkshire native is set to undergo surgery after struggling with a persistent shoulder issue.

Taking to Twitter in sharing the corresponding article, the reliable journalist claimed: “Kalvin Phillips set to undergo surgery on shoulder injury next week. There is optimism among Manchester City + England staff that the operation will allow 26yo midfielder to return in time for World Cup”.

The Verdict: Needs a quick recovery

Not only does Phillips need a swift recovery to make his return in time for the World Cup later this year, he also needs it so that he can establish himself at the Etihad Stadium and show Guardiola that he is worthy of a place in City’s starting XI.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 26-year-old ranks in the top 1% for pressures, the top 2% for blocks and the top 3% for tackles, illustrating his ability to dominate the midfield whilst playing at the highest level.

Having become a mainstay in the England national team since his emphatic breakthrough at Euro 2020, Phillips will be hoping that he can regain full fitness as soon as possible, so that he can get back playing to the level that he knows he can achieve.

Aston Villa have been host to some outstanding talent in recent years, many of whom Steven Gerrard would love to have in his side.

Jack Grealish is the obvious candidate for a return, having only left last summer, however, the money earned for his departure – a whopping £100m – was too good to ever deny.

One man who would certainly benefit from Gerrard’s system, however, is a prime Christian Benteke, who was exceptional during his stint at Villa Park.

With the 42-year-old currently employing a 4-4-2 formation with a narrow diamond of central midfielders at its core, the Belgian feeding off the deliveries of Lucas Digne and Matty Cash sounds like a scary prospect.

The Frenchman has attempted 31 crosses this season, whilst the Poland international has attempted 21.

If they were aimed at Benteke, they would surely reap higher rewards than they currently are.

Throughout his career in the league, the 31-year-old has scored 33 of his 86 goals with his head. Whilst at his “outstanding” best, he would have thrived in this system.

Especially when he would be paired alongside Danny Ings, with the prolific little marksman the perfect player to feed off a true target man. He averages 5.98 touches in the opposition’s penalty area per 90, which would surely improve if he was employed beside a true battering ram striker.

During his debut season in the Midlands, Benteke scored 19 Premier League goals as his Villa side flirted with relegation.

To be thrust into a side inundated with far more quality would certainly have aided his performances.

Paul Lambert played a blinder when he tempted the powerful striker to sign for his side in 2012, especially given the £7m price tag.

It just remains a shame that he came at a period when Villa were so poor, as they did not finish above 15th during his time there.

However, it is no surprise that the season after he left, the Villains were relegated in a miserable campaign that saw them garner just 17 points as they finished rock-bottom.

Whilst Ollie Watkins deputises well as the larger of the two strikers, it cannot be denied that to have a prime version of what was the quintessential target man enter Gerrard’s team would have set the Premier League on fire this season.

They certainly would not be struggling like they currently are.

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has provided an update on the fitness of Ibrox defender Ben Davies, following their thumping win on Saturday.

What’s the word?

As per The Scottish Sun, the Gers head coach revealed that the summer arrival is not carrying an issue, despite having been withdrawn at half-time in that triumph over Hearts yesterday.

Speaking after that convincing 4-0 win over the ten-man outfit, the 47-year-old said of the centre-back: “Yeah, he was OK. He was on a yellow and of course with all the balls in our backline in the second half, we decided to put James [Sands] on and make sure we were staying with eleven this time.”

That recent outing had seen the £4m addition make his return to the side having been hampered by injury in the early weeks of the new season, having made just four appearances in all competitions thus far.

Real boost

It has been a frustrating start to life in Scotland for Davies to date, with the Englishman struggling for a consistent run of game time due to his fitness woes, with a further concern regarding fellow new arrival John Souttar leaving the Old Firm outfit distinctly short of options in the heart of the defence.

With Sweden international Filip Helander also enduring a lengthy stint on the treatment table, the Gers’ defensive depth has no doubt been tested, with Van Bronckhorst turning to makeshift option James Sands of late, as well 18-year-old prospect, Leon King.

As such, it will be a boost to know that Davies looks to have overcome his recent injury struggles, even if his return to action hadn’t quite gone to plan on Saturday, with an early yellow card seeing him hooked at the break in place of the aforementioned Sands.

His involvement could well be crucial as the Glasgow side prepare to take on Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday, with the £2.25m-rated ace having potential insider knowledge on Jurgen Klopp’s side, having only recently left Anfield to make the move to Ibrox.

While that stint on Merseyside was no doubt underwhelming – as the former Preston North End man failed to make an appearance after signing in February 2021 – he may well have a point to prove when the two sides meet in midweek, with such a hungry asset likely to be a real bonus for the Scottish giants as they look to get off the mark in Europe.

Southampton have produced plenty of high-quality talent that they have been forced into selling when a bigger club inevitably comes calling.

Normally these players will go on to bigger and better things, and for fans at St Mary’s, there is a quiet acceptance of this.

However, when they managed to get £16m for Calum Chambers in 2014 from Arsenal, it seemed like this reputation may have coerced the Gunners into a false sense of security surrounding the young defender.

If all their other exports had been a success, why wouldn’t he be too?

He had featured just 22 times in the Premier League the season prior to his sale at right-back and had not registered a goal or an assist.

Despite that, he had clearly done something which had piqued the interest of Arsene Wenger.

To see a player leave and actually regress must have been a welcome surprise for Saints fans, who are so used to watching their former players dominate the league and Europe.

Across his eight years at the Emirates, he featured just 122 times and contributed to 15 goals. His somewhat disappointing displays forced him out on two loans, neither of which sparked his career into life.

He has since moved on to Aston Villa, where Arsenal finally offloaded their £50k-per-week dud for an undisclosed fee.

Although, with his CIES Football Observatory value now at just €4m (£3.5m), it can be inferred that they recouped little on their initial investment.

The 27-year-old has seen his value plummet due to a lack of form and fitness, which has affected his ability to progress. Indeed, he has barely made a name for himself in the Midlands either, featuring on only 14 occasions for Steven Gerrard’s men since arriving last winter.

Journalist Zach Lowy included Chambers in his list of “average players” at Arsenal, seemingly dubbed out of frustration for the fee paid at the time.

He has never truly settled at either right-back or centre-back, which may have contributed to this lack of progression since leaving the south coast.

Regardless, the move represents one of the rare occasions where Southampton did not have their hand forced to sell one of their better players.

Chambers had impressed, but his absence was easily replaceable. Meanwhile, Arsenal will have been left feeling short-changed, as the Saints delight in their added wealth.

Nottingham Forest signed 22 players over the summer including defender Loic Bade on loan from Stade Rennais, and now an update has emerged on the player’s future.

What’s the latest?

According to Foot Sur 7, the Frenchman is not happy with his current situation at Nottingham Forest.

As per the report, it is claimed that Bade’s future at the club is showing no signs of improvement and the player doesn’t seem to fit into Steve Cooper’s plans although there is a £12m option to buy, he could likely return to his parent club.

Cooper could make a huge mistake

There is no doubt that Cooper could make a huge mistake by not giving an opportunity for Bade to prove himself at The City Ground, as their current situation isn’t boding well for their future in the top-flight.

Nottingham Forest are currently one point from being rock bottom in the league table with just five points collected from their first nine outings in the top flight and finding solutions to their clear defensive problems should be the biggest priority for the manager.

The Garibaldi Reds have conceded the second most goals in the entire Premier League (22) with only Leicester City letting in two more than Cooper’s side (24), something that has heavily contributed to their struggle to pick up points so far.

The 22-year-old rising star – who scout Jacek Kulig once lauded as a “complete, dominant and elegant” presence with “huge potential” in the game – has not been seen in a single matchday squad so far, let alone a starting eleven, and it comes as a surprise when you consider his output for Rennes last season.

Over 14 Ligue 1 appearances, Bade delivered one assist and created one big chance, took 60 touches and made 3.3 clearances per game, as well as winning 57% of his duels, completed 80% of his dribbles and tallied up a 90% pass completion rate.

Not only that, the centre-back ranked in the top 20% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for clearances, aerial duels won, progressive carries and pass completion over the last 12 months.

With that being said, Cooper should think twice about passing up on the chance to unleash Bade in the team as his inclusion could spark the defensive improvements that Forest are crying out for in the coming weeks and months ahead to improve their chances of staying up.

Aston Villa are believed to be confident of completing the signing of Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha this summer, according to a new transfer report.

Is Palhinha shining this season?

The £50,000-a-week Portuguese joined the Cottagers from Sporting CP last summer and he has been a revelation at Craven Cottage to date. He has enjoyed an imperious season in the middle of the park, making more tackles than any other player in the Premier League currently (129), with Moises Caicedo (93) trailing behind him in second place.

Not only that, but Palhinha has also averaged 2.1 aerial duel wins per game in the league, as well as chipped in with three goals from the middle of the park. Fulham could do well to keep hold of the 27-year-old beyond this campaign, with a host of big clubs potentially eyeing him up.

Villa are seemingly one of those, as they look to embark upon a hugely effective summer transfer window, allowing Unai Emery to bring in the players he wants.

Could Aston Villa sign Palhinha?

According to Football Insider, the Villans have "joined the race" to sign Palhinha at the end of the season, and they are "ready to compete with a host of European powerhouses for his signature". The reports goes on to claim that Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich are all interested in snapping up the Fulham man.

Perhaps most interestingly, it is stated that Villa "are confident that they can financially compete with the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ and match any offers put forward for him", highlighting the financial power they possess these days.

Palhinha could be an exceptional signing by Villa if the manage to get a deal over the line, given the massive impact that he has enjoyed in a Fulham shirt. His dominant and physical style could help make Emery's side a different beast and it is almost a surprise that the Cottagers managed to sign him in the first place.

He has been hailed as "special" by Sporting boss Ruben Amorim in the past, while Jurgen Klopp described him as Fulham's "connector" earlier this week, which such high praise from top managers further showing what a top-quality footballer he is.

Granted, Villa won't find it easy to compete with Champions League clubs for Palhinha's signature, but acquiring his signature this summer would feel like a major coup, and a sign that they really are going places under Emery.