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Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has shared a potential boost for Tottenham Hotspur as they target Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.

What's the latest on De Zerbi to Spurs?

The Italian, who has been a brilliant successor to former Seagulls manager Graham Potter, is rumoured to be a serious contender for the Spurs job after Antonio Conte's departure. Cristian Stellini took charge of his first game as interim boss on Monday night, squandering a one-man and one-goal advantage to eventually draw 1-1 – with Lucas Moura also sent off late on.

It was hardly the dream start for Stellini and assistant coach Ryan Mason with chairman Daniel Levy reportedly at work on finding Spurs' next permanent manager in the background. The likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique, Julian Nagelsmann and even former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane are believed to be targets.

In-work managers are also on the agenda, with Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner and Feyenoord's Arne Slot being eyed from abroad. Closer to home in the Premier League, reports have suggested that Brentford's Thomas Frank and De Zerbi are attracting Levy's interest.

The latter man is on Tottenham's managerial shortlist with reliable outlets claiming he is a serious option. Now, as per Sky reporter Di Marzio, the north Londoners have may just been handed a boost in their pursuit of De Zerbi.

Speaking in the Sky Sports 24 studios, via FC Inter 1908.it, the 43-year-old is indeed 'on the list' at Spurs, and despite interest from Italy, Di Marzio claims he only wants to stay in England – thereby putting Tottenham ahead of suitors from Serie A.

He explained:

"De Zerbi is also on the list, who is doing very well at Brighton. I say for those who dream of him returning to Italy: apart from having a €13m release clause to release him, I don't think he wants to return to Italy. I think he wants to continue in the Premier League."

Should Tottenham appoint De Zerbi?

The attack-minded boss ticks many boxes for Spurs, not least his proven experience in the English top flight, brilliant work on a limited budget and growing reputation.

Brighton are currently challenging for Europe with only Arsenal, Man City and Spurs scoring more league goals than De Zerbi's side.

Jamie Carragher has also hailed the tactician's 'unbelievable' work and Brighton's free-flowing possession-based footballing philosophy.

If Spurs cannot get their hands on more prestigious candidates like Nagelsmann or Pochettino, De Zerbi stands out as a phenomenal candidate.

Barcelona took a giant leap towards a first La Liga title since 2019 with a dramatic victory in El Clasico, and fans were quick to single out one of their main superstars for praise.

Xavi’s side secured a 2-1 victory over their bitter rivals Real Madrid at the Camp Nou, as Franck Kessie’s last-minute winner helped complete a turnaround.

Sergi Roberto found an equaliser after an unfortunate own goal from Ronald Araujo had given the visitors an early lead before the Ivorian midfielder secured all three points, and the Blaugrana recorded what was a deserved victory.

The win meant that they moved 12 points clear at the top of La Liga, and look set to go all the way and win what would be their first league title since the departure of Lionel Messi.

The winning goal could not have happened without a magical piece of play by veteran striker Robert Lewandowski. The 34-year-old is not in his best form, with just one goal in his last six league games, but despite not scoring on the night, he played an instrumental role in Barcelona’s victory.

With time running out, the Poland star cut inside from the left wing, before pulling off an audacious backheel pass to youngster Alejandro Balde, who set up Kessie to finish.

It was the kind of outstanding skill that Barcelona fans have grown accustomed to seeing over the years, and it was a move that showed why they are worthy of top spot in the league. The best of the reaction can be found here.

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante is poised to sign a new contract until 2026, with an option of an extra year, according to a report.

The Lowdown: Kante targeted

It has recently been reported that both Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing Kante, with the midfielder’s current contract set to expire at the end of the season.

The same report claims that Chelsea have been hesitant to table a new contract to the Frenchman due to his repeated injury issues, however it now appears as though he will be spending the next few years at Stamford Bridge…

The Latest: Set to stay

According to a report from Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), the 31-year-old is poised to sign a new contract to keep him at the club until 2026, with the club retaining an option to extend it by an extra year.

The last few details still need to be ironed out, but the player himself is said to be ‘happy’ about the way things have progressed, as he was always prioritising remaining with his current club.

The Verdict: Great news

The Paris-born ace has endured a difficult season, having made just two appearances in the Premier League because of a hamstring injury, however when he is back to full fitness, it will be a real boost for Graham Potter.

Hailed as ‘outstanding’ by members of the media, the 53-time France international is most well-known for his defensive attributes, ranking in the 86th percentile for interceptions and 91st percentile for blocks per 90 over the past year.

This would make Kante a fantastic option playing alongside the more attack-minded Enzo Fernandez in the engine room, and Potter will be hoping he can return to full fitness in March, as expected.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale could be set to face an exodus of first-team players from Ibrox unless he and Ross Wilson act fast to tie them down to long-term deals.

The likes of Ryan Jack, Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent are out of contract at the end of the campaign and are valuable assets for the club who can’t allowed to be let go for nothing.

Others such as Steven Davis, Allan McGregor and Scott Arfield may be released come the end of the campaign, which would lower the wage budget and give Beale the chance to fill his squad with younger talent.

The majority of decisions seem fairly straightforward, but with Filip Helander also out of contract, that could give Beale the biggest headache in terms of whether or not to offer him a new deal.

Will Filip Helander be offered a new contract by Rangers?

The latest update on the Swedish centre-back from Football Insider claims that he is not expected to play for Rangers again, especially following Beale’s announcement that the 29-year-old will miss another three months of the campaign.

He hasn’t featured at all this term due to an injury he suffered at the tail end of 2021/22, and with the player earning £14k-per-week, it represents a colossal waste of money for someone who is now unlikely to play until next season.

It marks a low point for the Swede, who was amongst the club’s finest players when he was fully fit, and he formed an excellent duo with Connor Goldson when the Ibrox giants strolled to the Premiership title two years ago.

In that season, Helander received a Sofascore rating of 7.1/10 across 22 appearances, averaging 63.4 touches per game while making 1.7 tackles, 2.2 clearances and 0.7 interceptions per match.

He won an impressive seven duels per game at a success rate of 68% and was only dribbled past 0.4 times per game, displaying his physical presence and keeping 13 clean sheets during his 22 matches.

This led to interest from Premier League club Aston Villa last year as Steven Gerrard looked to reunite with the player, yet his latest injury woes would make a transfer to the English top flight now seem unlikely.

Beale has described the Swede as a “big asset to Rangers”, but following the recent injury update, Helander’s four-year association with the club appears to be over.

However, despite missing 109 matches for the Light Blues, his performances during the title-winning season will surely be remembered well by the Ibrox faithful.

Tottenham have cast their eyes on FC Porto star goalkeeper Diogo Costa with club officials sent on recent scouting missions.

The Lowdown: Lloris time ending?

Spurs number one Hugo Lloris has arguably been on the decline over this Premier League season and some reports claim the north Londoners are eyeing long-term replacements.

The 36-year-old is also thought to have picked up an injury and could miss around six to eight weeks – potentially indicating that Spurs may want to add an alternative to their goalkeeping department in case of future setbacks for the player.

It is believed that the Lilywhites have been on the hunt for possible Lloris successors in recent months with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Leeds’ Illan Meslier seen as possible transfer targets.

New names appear in the press on a consistent basis with news emerging on another potential target.

The Latest: Spurs cast eye on Costa…

According to a recent report by 90min, Spurs have cast their eye on Costa of Porto – sending club officials on recent scouting missions to watch him in action.

They are joined in their interest by Chelsea and Man United, who are also thinking about a shake-up in their goalkeeping departments.

The Verdict: Could be huge…

The 23-year-old has been tipped to become a real star by both members of the media and legendary former goalkeepers.

Porto’s star in-between the sticks has already broken numerous records – becoming the first keeper to save a penalty and assist a goal in the same Champions League game.

Costa also became the first keeper on record to save three penalties in a single Champions League campaign from 2003/2004 onwards.

As the Portuguese giant continues to make a name for himself, exploits from the player haven’t gone unnoticed by Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas – who’s already branded him ‘big’ whilst backing Costa to become a ‘phenomenon’ (Twitter).

Meanwhile, presenter and pundit Jack Collins has called him ‘absolutely exceptional’ at ‘pretty much everything’ – all while making a case that Costa should be included in the ‘best goalkeepers in the world’ category (Twitter).

Indeed, if Spurs decide to take their interest further, he could be worth efforts to sign him.

Everton have found themselves falling into yet another relegation battle following a string of awful performances and manager Frank Lampard will be feeling the pressure as the club continues to struggle in the Premier League.

The Toffees are now 19th in the league table after collecting just 15 points from their first 19 games and failing to seal a single victory since October last year, something that must drastically improve over the second half of the season if they are to have any hope of retaining their top flight status this summer.

The powers at Goodison Park must find any opportunity they can over the remainder of the January transfer window to strengthen the attacking threat with new additions as Everton have only tallied up 12 goals which is the second-worst scored in the Premier League so far.

Richarlison’s exit and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury issues combined with next to no impact made by summer signings Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil over the campaign so far has all contributed to Everton’s demise and will continue to hinder the squad if something doesn’t change imminently.

One player who has been linked this week with a move to the blue side of Merseyside is Hull City striker Oscar Estupinan who has been lighting up the Championship with his form in front of goal.

Over 24 league appearances, the Columbian goal machine – who was hailed “brilliant” by his head coach Liam Rosenior – has scored 12 goals, delivered one assist and created two big chances, as well as averaging 2.1 shots on goal and 3.4 duels won per game whilst currently the second top goalscorer in the entire Championship.

The 6-foot striker’s current form isn’t just something that has sprung this season as Estupinan has scored 87 goals and registered 18 assists over his career so far with a goal contribution every 138 minutes – an output that would be hugely valuable to Lampard.

Estupinan has a reported transfer valuation of (€6m) £5m which would fit perfectly into Everton’s budget due to financial constraints and if he could continue his goal-scoring form it would surely offer the team the goal contributions they desperately need to survive this season.

With that being said, the signing of Estupinan could be a masterclass from majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri if the striker can find the back of the net for Everton consistently and would surely get Goodison Park rocking again to eliminate the hostile atmosphere at the club that has been created by poor performances.

Tottenham Hotspur ‘will insist’ on signing Sporting Lisbon right-wing back Pedro Porro for a cut-price fee, according to reports from Portugal.

The Lowdown: Tottenham targeting Porro

The Daily Star reported last week that Spurs were closing in on the signing of the 23-year-old, with a deal expected to be completed soon, after Antonio Conte is said to have been chasing him for some time.

However, the deal seemed to hit a roadblock, with the Daily Mail reporting that Spurs were not prepared to shell out the £40m release clause said to be included in his contract, and they still appear to be unwilling to match that valuation.

The Latest: Sporting unwilling to sell Porro

As reported by Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness), Tottenham still consider the £40m fee to be excessive, but they are insisting that the transfer is done for a lower price, given Conte’s desire to have him in the squad.

However, Sporting are unwilling to sell the Spaniard, as not only do they not want to lose him midway through the season, they are also in a healthy financial situation, so they have no need to cash in on him.

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The Verdict: Pay the price, Levy

While £40m is a considerable sum to pay, it is an amount which befits the quality of Porro, who would offer plenty to Conte’s side in an attacking sense.

Hailed as a ‘baller’ by journalist Jack Collins, the 23-year-old has a phenomenal 12 goal contributions in 21 games so far this season, averaging more than one every other game. Emerson Royal, Spurs’ current option in the right wing-back position, has weighed in with just one assist in 20 matches throughout the campaign.

Given his age, Porro still has plenty of time to develop his game in a defensive sense as well, so the proposed £40m fee really isn’t that much when you take that, combined with his current ability, into account. Therefore, Daniel Levy and the Tottenham recruitment team should raise their bid for the 23-year-old in the coming days.

The Daily Mail’s northeast reporter Craig Hope has revealed that Jonjo Shelvey has not had his one-year contract extension activated at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Contract expiring

The 30-year-old’s contract at St James’ Park is set to expire next summer, with the option of a one-year extension.

The midfielder has recently been ruled out for up to eight weeks with a calf injury and had also struggled with a hamstring problem earlier this season.

The Latest: Extension not activated

Taking to Twitter, Hope has revealed that Shelvey’s one-year extension on his contract has not been activated amid his latest injury setback, which suggests that he could leave Newcastle once it expires.

The journalist tweeted: “Jonjo Shelvey now facing 6-8 weeks out with calf injury. As far as I understand, his one-year contract extension has not yet been activated.”

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The Verdict: Time to go?

There is no doubt that Shelvey has been a great servant under Eddie Howe, who labelled the 30-year-old a ‘huge player’ for him having been a regular under the Newcastle boss last season, even being given the captain’s armband on occasion (Transfermarkt).

However, he has picked up far too many injuries over the years, and at 30, his best footballing years are probably behind him now.

Nonetheless, the Magpies can already call upon the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Joe Willock in Shelvey’s position, or alternatively sign another midfielder if they feel that one is needed.

West Ham United could be set to move for one of the World Cup’s breakout stars…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to The Mail, who claimed that the performances of Azzedine Ounahi in Qatar have led to his reported £40m price tag.

His club Angers remain unwilling to part with him for any less than that, with interest from the Hammers, along with Premier League rivals Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, sure to drum up a substantial fee.

However, GSB hold reservations given the supposed gulf in quality between his performances for club and country.

The next step

Having finished in the European spots for the last two seasons, it is clear that David Moyes is looking for ways to continue bridging the gap between his team and the traditional ‘top six’.

The manager’s vast summer overhaul saw an expenditure of £158m, yet their current position of 16th will surely worry him. In order to turn the tide, he needs quality and depth in all areas, and central midfield has been lacking.

Declan Rice has been West Ham’s star man for many years now, shouldering the majority of the defensive burden in the engine room. However, his recent comments suggest that his ambitions might have outgrown the London Stadium.

Moyes will duly need to make a statement of intent in January, and spending £40m to give the captain this partner could be integral in taking that next step.

Such is Ounahi’s pedigree that Ray Parlour touted him for a move to Arsenal as he told talkSPORT (via Daily Mail): “Ounahi, the No.8, he is different class. Would I take him at Arsenal? Definitely!”

His displays alongside Sofyan Amrabat for Morocco have captured the imagination, with the perfect blend of defensive steel and attacking impetus once the ball has been reclaimed. 

The 22-year-old has recorded a 6.97 average rating across the tournament, recording 0.9 shots, 0.9 key passes and 1.3 tackles per game (via Sofascore). Even Jose Mourinho felt implored to praise the midfielder, labelling him “absolutely incredible”.

Although Ounahi’s average rating may be lower for his club, he arguably offers slightly more as his shots per game average increases to 1.6 and his key passes average is 1.2 per match.

For West Ham to place this beside their sensational captain who can also create and defend could be the catalyst for a sustained push for the Champions League places.

Liverpool have long been linked with a move for Ismael Bennacer, and a new update has emerged on the player’s future and the Merseyside club’s continued interest in him.

What’s the latest?

According to Tutto Mercato Web, the AC Milan midfielder is in contract talks with his current club but the player’s demands have not been met.

As per the report, there has been a proposal from the Serie A club of around €3m (£2.6m), although Bennacer is looking for something closer to €4m (£3.4m) whilst Liverpool remain interested, and Jurgen Klopp is credited as a huge admirer.

Klopp needs him badly

The midfield at Anfield has become a pressing concern and it has only been further highlighted by Liverpool’s poor and inconsistent performances in the Premier League this season.

The Reds are currently sixth in the table after 14 games, their worst start to a season in a decade, and there is no doubt that Klopp is in need of players who can come in with a fresh perspective on the pitch to revitalise the team.

Liverpool have many players coming to the latter stages of their careers, with midfielders James Milner and Jordan Henderson well into their 30s, but it’s not just age which isn’t on the midfield personnel’s side.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Milner are all set to be out of contract in the summer, leaving Klopp with very little depth and experience in the heart of his team.

As a result, the prospective signing of Bennacer would be very valuable to Liverpool and could be the difference in midfield which can help the Reds get back to where they belong at the top of the table.

Across 15 Serie A appearances this season, the £36m-valued Algerian – who was dubbed a “complete midfielder” by his manager Stefano Pioli – has scored one goal, registered one assist and created two big chances, along with averaging 2.3 tackles, 61.3 touches and 4.9 successful duels per game.

Bennacer also ranks in the top 6% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for shot-creating actions and tackles, whilst placing in the top 20% for passes attempted, progressive passes and dribbles completed.

With that in mind, if Liverpool are interested in signing the midfielder, it won’t be too easy as AC Milan are clearly keen to secure his future, so a very tempting offer from the powerbrokers at Anfield will be required if they are to make this happen.