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Following last summer where they failed to sign anyone, Tottenham once again saw no new arrivals in the transfer window last month.

The north London club, however, did seem to be interested in signing a new striker with Harry Kane out injured if latest rumours are to be believed.

The Breakdown

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham made an approach for Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic which, unsurprisingly, was rebuffed with the west London outfit uninterested in doing business, especially at the £27m fee reported.

And with the 24-year-old leading the club’s survival push, it is not hard to understand why. In 26 Premier League games, he has managed to find the back of the net on 10 occasions while his all-round centre-forward play has been top-notch, making Tottenham’s interest make some sense.

That being said, Mitrovic does not come without baggage with the Serbia international’s discipline having often come into question in the past, while a reported bust-up with former team-mate Aboubakar Kamara (Sky Sports) can be seen as another red flag.

Considering that, bringing in the Fulham man may not have been worth it in the end. Fernando Llorente has also sparked into life in recent weeks, giving Mauricio Pochettino a solid alternative to the injured Kane.

Mitrovic is certainly a good No.9 who could have added something to this Tottenham side but, given some of his history, plenty of supporters are likely to be delighted with his failed transfer and might actually see it as a bullet dodged.

Former Spurs number one Paul Robinson has backed Tottenham to sign Chelsea star Andreas Christensen, according to reports by Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Spurs interested in Christensen

According to The Daily Star, Spurs are competing for the signing of Chelsea defender Christensen. The 25-year-old could be available on a free transfer in 2022 as his contract is set to expire next summer.

The Denmark international has played 11 times in the Premier League this season under Thomas Tuchel, and he currently leads the Blues in one statistic, offsides won – averaging 0.8 per game.

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Football Insider previously reported that Chelsea had made a breakthrough in contract negotiations with the player. However, an agreement is still yet to be finalised and with January fast approaching, Christensen will have just six months left on his deal.

The Daily Star reports that Tottenham would be interested in signing the 6 foot 2 defender, if a contract extension cannot be agreed upon.

The Latest: Robinson loves the move

As per Football Insider, ex-Spurs goalkeeper Robinson has heaped praise on Christensen following his former club’s interest in the player, further claiming that a deal would “have to be” on a free transfer as Chelsea and Spurs “do not do business.”

“Historically, they just do not do business so it would have to be on a free transfer in the summer.

“Christensen is a top, top player though. A top centre-half.

“When you look at his age and where he is at in his career. He probably needs a move and a fresh challenge.

“I’m not sure how it would work going from Chelsea to Tottenham. I’m sure he is a strong enough player and a strong enough character to get the fans on side very quickly though.”

The Verdict: Ideal but unlikely

It is reported that a £140,000-per-week deal was ‘practically agreed’ in August, which would have seen the defender almost double his current £80,000-per-week salary at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham could be an interesting prospect for Christensen as Antonio Conte has experience managing the Dane, who he described in late 2017 as Chelsea’s ‘best surprise’, but if the Blues are happy to double his wages it appears unlikely he will jump ship.

Former Chelsea teammate Cesc Fabregas has also previously hailed the player’s talents, describing him as ‘very underrated’, so Tottenham would be foolish not to try their luck in convincing him to cross London, but this one feels rather ambitious.

Aston Villa will be looking to end another January transfer window with a healthy number of new additions to their squad after bringing in the likes of Calum Chambers and Lucas Digne on permanent deals as well as loans for Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen.

With deadline day now underway, it seems as though the Midlands club may have a challenge on their hands to keep hold of one of their current players rather than looking at bringing any more new ones in.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Athletic, Newcastle United are keen on signing Villa left-back Matt Targett before the January transfer window deadline.

Villa signed the full-back during the 2019 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League side Southampton in a deal worth a reported fee of around £11m.

Gerrard’s big mistake

Since then, the 26-year-old has gone on to make 89 appearances for the Midlands club across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing five assists along the way, highlighting how much of a key figure he has been for the Villans.

However, with the club bringing in Digne from Everton earlier this month for £25m, who has since taken Targett’s place in the team with two league starts under his belt already, it’s easy to see why the Englishman has now been linked with a late move away from Villa Park.

While a move away from Villa could be beneficial for Targett if he would be guaranteed regular game-time, it would be a calamity for the club to let him go halfway through the season in case Digne were to get injured and they ended up needing to rely on the £15.3m-rated defender to fill in.

Even though he may have been demoted to being Digne’s backup in recent weeks, it’s safe to say that Villa manager Steven Gerrard would still very much rather have Targett remain in his squad for the remainder of the season based on his useful defensive attributes. It would be a big mistake to let the 26-year-old leave and join another Premier League club, especially if Villa end up needing him at any point.

In other news: Lange must seal late Villa swoop for “massive” £29k-p/w machine, Gerrard would love him…

A major update has emerged on Rangers’ chances of bringing a key transfer target to Ibrox this month…

What’s the talk?

According to Danish outlet BT, via Inside Futbol, Belgian side Club Brugge are set to land Gers target Andreas Skov Olsen from Bologna, although it remains to be seen whether they are prepared to sign him permanently or just on loan until the end of the season.

This comes after a report claimed that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side had made an offer to sign him on a permanent basis, with the Scottish champions now poised to miss out on his services.

Van Bronckhorst will be gutted

Van Bronckhorst will surely be gutted by this news, as it suggests that he will not be seeing Olsen in action for the club this season, with Ross Wilson headed for a blunder by missing out on a deal for the Danish attacker.

The youngster is a promising talent with a wealth of experience already under his belt and could have been an excellent addition to Van Bronckhorst’s squad. He has shown sparks of life in Serie A with Bologna but has failed to truly explode in the Italian top flight, with two goals and four assists in 18 league starts since the beginning of last season.

Olsen has also scored five goals and provided three assists in 10 World Cup qualifying matches for Denmark at senior level. This shows that he has the quality to regularly deliver goals and assists on the international stage.

Van Bronckhorst will be gutted that it seems as though he will not be able to enjoy coaching the 22-year-old in the Premiership this season, particularly given the issues they have had in the Dane’s favoured position on the right flank.

Ianis Hagi and Scott Wright have played out wide for Rangers this season and have just three league goals and no assists between them. This suggests that there is scope for the Gers to improve their options in that area of the pitch, and Olsen could have done exactly that.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst will be frustrated that they are set to miss out on Olsen, and it represents a blunder from Wilson. However, there is still time to go in the transfer window, so the Ibrox supremo has an opportunity to target a different player to come in and improve the side.

AND in other news, “Rangers keen”: Jordan Campbell drops exciting transfer claim that’ll delight GVB…

As an update emerges from Spain, it appears that Tottenham manager Antonio Conte may have  been dealt a blow over wing-back Sergio Reguilon.

The Lowdown: Galacticos buy-back clause…

Tottenham signed the Spanish defender in September 2020 from Real Madrid in what was seen as a real coup by chairman Daniel Levy and former transfer chief Steve Hitchen at the time.

However, the Galacticos and their president Florentino Perez insisted that a €40m (£33m) buyback clause be inserted into the deal in case they wish to re-sign their former player. Sporadic reports have since claimed that it remains an option for Real Madrid, and one that they may well consider before the re-purchase option expires in June.

In an update, news outlet ABC bring the latest development out of Spain.

The Latest: Reguilon the ‘safest bet’…

According to their information, Real Madrid are yet again pondering the buyback clause for Reguilon in the summer as the clock ticks towards its expiry.

It is believed that Los Blancos’ manager Carlo Ancelotti wants a new left-back, and the Spurs defender is the ‘safest bet’ for Real Madrid as they now earmark both him and RB Leipzig’s Angelino as possible targets.

The Verdict: Blow for Conte…

The wing-back has enjoyed a decent amount of playing time under Conte when fully available, with some critics suggesting that Reguilon was the ‘biggest winner’ during the Italian’s first month at Tottenham (90min).

Seemingly tailor-made for Conte’s three-man defence formations, the naturally attacking full-back has been tipped to become a big player for Spurs after the 52-year-old’s arrival. Speaking to Football Insider at the end of last year, Noel Whelan raved over Reguilon, calling him a ‘quality player’ whilst tipping him to become ‘absolutely pivotal’ as a left wing-back.

Still only 25, the former Sevilla defender was voted La Liga’s best left-back in 2019/20 after an impressive loan spell at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.

As Real Madrid consider activating the buyback clause, it’s safe to say that losing Reguilon would come as a blow for Spurs and Conte.

In other news: Major boost for Conte as Sky Sports share great news for Spurs fans out of N17, find out more here.

Aston Villa striker Keinan Davis is set to join Championship club Nottingham Forest on loan with the January transfer window now open.

What’s the story?

According to Birmingham Live, Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has confirmed that the 23-year-old is on his way for a medical at the City Ground ahead of a loan move to Steve Cooper’s side.

Davis has only managed one Premier League appearance for the Villans this term, coming off of the bench for 11 minutes against Southampton in what proved to be Dean Smith’s final game in charge of the West Midlands side.

The Englishman is yet to feature under new boss Gerrard, having been an unused substitute in four of the seven games the former Rangers boss has taken charge of, who stated that the loan is what Davis ‘needs.’

Moreover, the former-Villa youth player has been demoted to the U-23s on occasion this term, making three appearances, in which he scored three goals.

Last month, the 23-year-old spoke to The Beautiful Game Podcast about a loan move, saying: “Obviously, it depends what the club wants to do but I’d want to play a more consistent run of games.

“For a player like me, still quite young and finding ways to play… Going back down to the Championship, I don’t see that as a backwards step at all.

“Me and my agent will go around to the different clubs to meet them and I will choose. It’s not like you’re getting pushed anywhere or something like that. You do have a say.”

It appears that the club Davis has chosen is Nottingham Forest who sit ninth in the Championship after a revival under manager Steve Cooper, who replaced Chris Hughton in September.

Villa fans will be buzzing

Aston Villa fans will be glad to see the striker get a loan move to the Championship which will hopefully see him get a run of games and pick up some form to restore confidence.

The move makes sense for both parties. Davis isn’t getting a look in and still needs to develop by playing games as he is still just 23-years-old, he’ll get games at Forest.

Moreover, if the loan is a success, Villa will either get a better striker back in the summer that they can use or they’ll be able to cash in and receive an increased transfer fee should Gerrard decide to move Davis on permanently.

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side continued their impressive league form under the 52-year-old manager on Sunday afternoon, sealing a 3-0 win against Norwich City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a result which sees Spurs climb to fifth-place in the Premier League standings.

And, while the club’s overall performance was perhaps flattered by the final scoreline, there were nevertheless a number of extremely encouraging individual displays turned in by some of Tottenham’s starting XI, none more so than by 21-year-old central midfielder Oliver Skipp.

Skipp lived up to Conte’s prediction

Speaking after the England U21 international’s impressive performance against Brentford on Thursday, Conte heaped a considerable amount of praise on the shoulders of the young midfielder, stating:

“He could become a top midfielder, but he has to continue to work. He has this will, this desire to become an important player for Tottenham for the present and for the future. He played with great intensity, great passion; with heart, with soul.”

And, just one game later, Skipp could well have already lived up to his manager’s prediction, as the academy graduate turned in a dominant display against the team with whom he spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch on Sunday, the £17m-rated man made two interceptions, two clearances and blocked one shot, as well as completing 100% of the dribbles he performed.

The youngster also enjoyed 62 touches of the ball, completed 94% of his attempted passes and had two shots at the Norwich goal, with these returns seeing him earn a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.1.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick was also clearly impressed with the £25k-per-week midfielder, stating of Skipp in his player ratings: “Improving with every game under Conte, particularly in possession. A lung-busting run from his own half to the edge of Norwich’s box was particularly impressive, although some of his tackling was equally eye-catching. Helped make Son’s goal.”

As such, while the youngster still undoubtedly has much developing left to do at the highest level of the game, on the back of his performance against Norwich, Skipp may well have already lived up to Conte’s claim that he can be a top midfielder.

In other news: 67% duels lost: “Special” £17m-rated Spurs dud may have blown his chance with Conte

Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey is set to leave Italian giants Juventus this month with West Ham United amongst an array of clubs interested in securing the Welshman’s signature.

What’s the latest?

Juventus manager Max Allegri has confirmed that Ramsey is on his way out of Turin, stating: “Aaron’s not with the team as he’s set to leave the club.”

The 31-year-old has been neglected entirely this campaign, playing just 112 minutes of football for the Old Lady so far this season.

In fact, the midfielder’s move to Serie A after 11 years at Arsenal hasn’t materialised the way in which both parties would’ve hoped, with Ramsey making 70 appearances for Juventus across two-and-a-half seasons, scoring and assisting six goals.

Eurosport initially reported last month that West Ham were interested in signing the former Gunner with the Turin club looking to offload their fringe players with Newcastle, Arsenal and Everton the other named suitors interested in bringing the 31-year-old back to the Premier League.

West Ham must swoop for Ramsey

With ambitions of finishing in the top-four, David Moyes’ side will need reinforcements this month to give themselves a realistic shot at qualifying for the Champions League.

The Hammers are sat in fifth and are only one point off of fourth-placed Manchester United, however, the Red Devils have a game in hand whilst sixth-placed Arsenal have two and seventh-placed Tottenham have four.

A mixed run over the festive period has seen the east London outfit slip, meaning that Champions League qualification is currently out of their hands and will require an impressive run of form during the second half of the Premier League season.

Ramsey has a plethora of Champions League experience, having played in Europe’s elite competition on 78 occasions for both Arsenal and Juventus.

Moreover, during the 11 seasons he was at Arsenal, the Gunners finished in the top-four eight times with the final three seasons seeing the north London club fall short.

The Welshman also has bags of experience at international level, with Wales midfielder Joe Allen describing the 71-cap 31-year-old as “world-class.”

West Ham could also do with another offensive outlet from their midfield with regulars Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek defensive-minded midfielders whereas Ramsey would add creativity to the Irons’ setup.

Valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, the 31-year-old could well be available for a bargain fee and is certainly worth a gamble by the Hammers’ new head of recruitment Rob Newman.

Meanwhile, West Ham could upgrade on Michail Antonio with this striker…

TalkSPORT pundit Danny Mills has given his reaction to the injury news involving Liverpool midfielder Fabinho. 

The lowdown: Fitness scare

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp confirmed earlier this week that he had a fully fit squad to choose from ahead of the trip to face Premier League title rivals Manchester City at the Etihad.

That’s despite concern over the availability of defensive midfielder Fabinho after the Brazilian was involved in a nasty head collision with ex-City ace Nicolas Otamendi against Benfica.

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However, having returned to complete the game following treatment, it appears that the 28-year-old has avoided further complications and will be available for the crucial clash, not requiring concussion protocols.

The latest: Mills reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Manchester City defender Mills was asked for his thoughts after the news of Fabinho’s all-clear, predicting the ex-Monaco star will have a big impact on the outcome.

“It’s a really intriguing game.

“Man City will try and do what they always do. They’ve had to patch up their defence a bit but you expect that to be a bit better with Kyle Walker coming back in and Joao Cancelo going to left-back. They are two outstanding full-backs.

“On the other side, you’ve got Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz. Fabinho is critical for them in the holding role.

“It’s going to be toe-to-toe. It could be one of those games that is a thrilling 0-0. It’s going to be a fantastic game of football it’s just about whether the goals come. Even in great games, goalkeepers have worldies, defenders have worldies.

“There might be half-chances and nearly moments because the defenders are equally as good as the forwards.”

The verdict: Key player

Although many may point towards the attacking prowess in the Anfield ranks, or indeed the defensive solidity provided by Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho’s importance at the base of the midfield cannot be underestimated.

Dubbed the ‘lighthouse’ by coaches on Merseyside, the defensive midfielder has produced 1.5 interceptions and 1.9 tackles on average per game in 38 appearances across all competitions this season (WhoScored).

So often among the first names on the team-sheet, having started 21 Premier League outings this term, if Liverpool are going to prevail against the current table-toppers Fabinho’s presence will indeed be crucial to Klopp’s side.

In other news, ‘Huge’ update emerges involving Liverpool star. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace are trying to sign Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards, according to The Daily Mail’s Joe Bernstein. 

The lowdown

Edwards is a 19-year-old centre-back who’s enjoyed a breakthrough season with Peterborough.

Having only made five appearances in 2020/21, he’s now a regular at London Road, with 10 starts in the last 11 league matches.

The Englishman still has more than three years to run on his contract with The Posh and is reportedly valued at £15million.

That would make him Peterborough’s record departure, ahead of the likes of Britt Assombalonga (£6.2million), Ivan Toney (£5million) and Dwight Gayle (£4.8million).

Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen have established themselves as the first-choice centre-back pairing at the club this season following their summer arrivals, playing 36 and 32 games respectively.

The latest

Vieira sees the prospective signing of Edwards as part of the next stage of the rebuild at Selhurst Park.

They envision him as a ‘big part of their future’, along with 21-year-old Guehi and 25-year-old Andersen.

Palace are to set to battle his fellow admirers Tottenham Hotspur, but their hope is that Vieira’s ‘record in giving young players a chance’ appeals to Edwards.

The verdict

Palace remain one of the older sides in the Premier League when it comes to average age. At an average age of 26.9, they rank 15th in the Premier League, some way short of Arsenal’s benchmark (24.3).

However, this is a marked improvement from last season, when they sat at the bottom of this particular table under Roy Hodgson on 28.8.

Vieira, then, looked to reenergise his team with young talent, and if this report is anything to go by, he’ll be continuing those efforts this summer.

Edwards would be another exciting addition. Peterborough chairman Barry Fry has dubbed him a ‘Rolls Royce’ and is certain he’ll enjoy an ‘outstanding’ career, while Sir Alex Ferguson has apparently urged Manchester United to sign him.

In other news, Palace have also been linked with this Brentford star.