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Taking to Twitter, Canadian sports reporter Matthew Scianitti has made a Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving in-form Lille star Jonathan David.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye striker…

As explained by reliable reporter Alasdair Gold, signing a striker is one of manager Antonio Conte’s four main priorities for Spurs as he seeks to begin the N17 rebuild.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Many names have been linked with a potential, namely Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic as the most prevalent target, but other, more obscure forwards can’t be ruled out.

In terms of quality, there are few options in greater form than Ligue 1 sensation David, who is already drawing comparisons with superstar Luis Suarez.

Making a Twitter claim, TSN sports journalist Scianitti has shared some news involving the his countryman and Spurs.

The Latest: David ‘open’ to Spurs possibility…

He claims that the Canada star is now on Tottenham’s radar as they join the ever-growing list of clubs eyeing a move.

While it is ‘unlikely’ David will be leaving before January 31, the player hasn’t yet got a particular destination in mind as is ‘open’ to all possibilities – including Spurs.

“Add Chelsea & Tottenham to teams interested in Jonathan David, @TSN_Sports has learned,” he explained.

“Barcelona & Man United still interested too, adding to Arsenal, Liverpool & Real Madrid reports.

“Jan move unlikely. David hasn’t narrowed his list, he’s said to be “open” to every possibility.”

The Verdict: Major coup…

If the 22-year-old were to narrow down his options to Tottenham, there is little arguing he would be a major coup.

Scoring a brilliant 16 goals already this campaign, David’s international record with Canada is equally as impressive – having netted a sublime 18 goals in 24 caps (Transfermarkt).

Valued at around £45 million by Transfermarkt, there is little wonder he could command such a hefty fee, with commentator Maximiliano Bretos branding David ‘phenomenal’ for his exploits on the world stage.

In other news: Spurs edge closer to first January signing as Conte personally eyes ‘massive’ £15m man, find out more here.

This weekend sees Liverpool continue their push for the Premier League title with a tough clash against West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday evening, with the Hammers just two points behing Jurgen Klopp’s side in the table.

Looking ahead to the match in east London, it seems as though the Reds have been handed yet another injury issue which Klopp will need to work around when considering his starting XI against the Irons.

What’s the news?

Speaking ahead of the match against David Moyes’ side, Klopp revealed that Curtis Jones suffered an eye injury in training which kept him out of the club’s midweek Champions League win over Atletico Madrid and will also rule him out of Sunday’s clash. That will surely have a lot of Liverpool fans fuming given the likely accidental nature of the injury on this occasion, on top of the fact that he struggled with a muscle injury he picked up on international duty in October.

So far this season, Jones has made nine appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists in the process and proving himself to be useful midfield option for Klopp, especially in an attacking sense.

Additionally, the 20-year-old has averaged 1.2 shots at goal per game in the Premier League so far this season, as well as an impressive passing accuracy percentage of 94%.

This shows why he will be a big miss for the Reds on Sunday, especially considering that West Ham have conceded fewer goals (11) than the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton prior to today’s fixtures, so Jones’ prowess in the final third of the pitch could have been vital for Liverpool on Sunday.

His absence will also be a big miss for the Reds considering that they have the likes of Naby Keita and James Milner also ruled out with hamstring injuries, leaving Klopp with few midfield options at his disposal when selecting his starting XI.

Those other absences could’ve presented Jones with the perfect opportunity to firmly cement a starting berth in Liverpool’s midfield. Instead, he can only watch on tomorrow evening, which will surely come as a real frustration for him and for Reds fans.

In other news: Forget Salah: FSG must strike a deal with LFC’s “important” machine, Klopp loves him

Crystal Palace must move for Everton midfielder Tom Davies as new manager Patrick Vieira aims to complete the overhaul of his engine room at Selhurst Park.

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, the Eagles are monitoring the 23-year-old’s situation at Goodison Park ahead of a potential offer.

The report states that: “A Palace source has told Football Insider that Davies is on their radar going into next year and his situation at Everton will be monitored.

“Intriguingly, Davies is out of contract in the summer of 2023 and there has been no progress in talks over an extension.”

Patrick Vieira needs him

Palace replaced several ageing campaigners with fresh faces over the summer following Roy Hodgson’s departure, including two central midfielders.

Conor Gallagher arrived at Selhurst Park on a season-long loan from Chelsea and has already made a huge impression in south London, while Will Hughes is yet to make an appearance following his switch from Watford.

Despite the acquisition of the duo, Vieira may still feel the need to freshen up his options in the centre of the pitch, given the profiles of his alternative choices.

Club captain Luka Milivojevic is 30 years old, James McArthur is 33 and Cheikhou Kouyate is 31, combine those ages with the fact that Gallagher may not return for a second spell next season and it’s easy to understand why Davies is needed.

The former England Under-21 international would bring energy, youthful legs, and a tenacity to the midfield that has been lacing in south London in previous years.

Under former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, Davies played a bit-part role during 2020/21 but did put in several standout displays, catching the eye of the Italian tactician against Manchester United.

“I think, first of all, Tom is a really professional player, really focused on what he is doing,” Ancelotti said. “He has a strong sense of belonging to this club, and this is also really important.

“The only thing I said to him is to simplify his work and his style of play. He plays in a position where tactically you have to be really focused. Watching the game against United, I think tactically; he was perfect.”

However, the youngster appears to have slipped down the pecking order under Ancelotti’s successor Rafael Benitez. Davies has only featured in 17 minutes of Premier League action in Everton’s opening six fixtures the current campaign, throwing his future at the club into doubt.

Therefore, chairman Steve Parish must swoop for Davies, providing Vieira with a long-term solution to his engine room conundrum.

And, in other news…Palace can repeat Olise masterclass by signing 26y/o beast, he’s got a “great future” 

There was no sign of Lucas Digne in the Everton squad for Monday night’s Premier League clash with Arsenal. 

The French defender had started all but one Premier League game prior to the Gunners’ visit to Goodison Park, but even though he wasn’t injured, Rafael Benitez made the ‘significant decision’, in the words of The Athletic’s Greg O’Keeffe, to leave him out entirely.

What’s going on at Everton?

Everton finally ended an eight-game winless run stretching back to September courtesy of Demarai Gray’s stoppage-time effort, but before the match, a report from The Athletic revealed discontent within the Toffees’ camp.

Some players apparently feel constrained by Benitez’s style of play, and one ‘key figure’ even described it as ‘ugly football’.

Digne had seemed happy

Digne signed a contract extension as recently as February, committing to the club until 2025.

The 28-year-old’s estimated transfer value now stands at £31.5m, according to Transfermarkt.

Could it be form-related?

The Frenchman’s form has tailed off this season, as shown by the drop in his average WhoScored rating from 7.08 to 6.8/10. His expected assists per 90 have also slipped from 0.2 to 0.13 (via Understat).

Fan feed The Toffee Blues relayed news of Benitez’s call, and here’s what supporters made of it, with some fearing a repeat of how James Rodriguez abruptly left Goodison Park earlier this year after being frozen out by the Spaniard.

These Everton fans express Digne fears

“He’s consolidated power and first chance he gets he takes retribution on a player…this is going to end very badly…”

Credit: @peterabbit68

“Pushing all the good players out, James, Digne, be DCL and Richarlison next.”

Credit: @JoeBazooooka

“Benched yes I’d understand more so but fully dropped from the squad…”

Credit: @tutes24

“If he goes it will be a massive miss and a surprise that a lot of fans won’t miss him till he’s gone.”

Credit: @SheepFlavour

“We are getting the full Benitez experience. Consolidating his power and pushing quality players he doesn’t like out”

Credit: @MarcC856

“James part 2”

Credit: @pombomalvado

In other news, many Everton fans have reacted to the club’s post-Brands plan

Mohamed Elyounoussi has endured a torrid run of form with Celtic recently, which suggests that he won’t be capable of making an impact at Southampton next season, so manager Ralph Hasenhuttl should consider axing him in the summer.

The Norwegian joined the Scottish Premiership side on loan for the second successive season during the summer but after a promising start, the 26-year-old’s form has dropped significantly and he now finds himself on the fringes of the first-team squad.

The winger has 13 goals in all competitions for the Bhoys this season but has now failed to score in any of his last 10 appearances, having found himself relegated to the bench for six of those following a 2-1 home defeat against St Mirren, before being restored to the starting line up for the 0-0 draw with Dundee United at the weekend – a result which saw Rangers secure the title.

Therefore, it is difficult to see the 26-year-old returning to Southampton and forcing his way into Hasenhuttl’s plans, as since signing for the South Coast club from FC Basel in 2018, he has managed no goals and no assists in 19 appearances.

Although his confidence might have been boosted earlier in the season when he was scoring goals fairly regularly, this latest run of form suggests that his goalscoring fortunes are unlikely to turn around anytime soon.

Considering Hasenhuttl has the likes of Moussa Djenepo, Nathan Redmond and Stuart Armstrong available as wingers in his squad, as well as Nathan Tella coming through, it is difficult to see where Elyonoussi would fit in.

Unfortunately for Southampton, his contract there is set to expire in 2023, so they should look to cash in on him rather than keeping him on their books for another two seasons.

The Austrian manager wasn’t really backed to make signings in the winter transfer window, perhaps as a result of the financial impact of the current viral outbreak, and therefore, if he wants to rebuild his squad this summer, then he may need to axe some of the deadwood in his squad.

Elyounoussi is valued at £10.8 million by Tranfsermarkt so holds some decent value, and therefore, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is one of the first players out of the door during the off-season, as unfortunately, he has been a flop for Southampton in his time with the club.

And, in other news… Southampton signing £36m-rated beast would be shades of Graziano Pelle

Gary Mabbutt has told Football FanCast that he would welcome Luka Modric back to Tottenham Hotspur with “open arms”.

The Real Madrid midfielder has gone from strength to strength since leaving Spurs in 2012.

Since then, he has won La Liga twice, the Champions League four times, and captained Croatia to the World Cup final in 2018. He also became the first player to break the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly on the Ballon d’Or, winning the individual award in the same tournament as his country’s appearance in the final.

He has been with Real for nine years at this point, but Spurs still hold an affection for their former player.

They signed Modric for £16.5m in 2008 from Dinamo Zagreb, the team they play in the Europa League last-16, and Spurs’ official Twitter account posted a tweet with Modric’s best bits ahead of the game.

Gareth Bale, of course, made a sensational return to Spurs from Real in the summer, joining on loan, and Mabbutt would love to see the same happen with Modric, who earns £210,000-a-week.

Sport Witness carried a report from Spain in December claiming that Spurs boss Jose Mourinho had been in contact with Modric over a possible return.

And while Mabbutt is unsure if it will actually happen, he admits he would love to see the midfielder back in north London.

He said: “I’d welcome him back with open arms.

“I don’t think that is the current situation of where he is though. He was with us before Christian Eriksen and I thought Christian was a great player for us.

“At Spurs, we’ve always been a club that if we see a player that’s available, that we believe could actually enhance the good players that we have, then we will be interested in those players.

“Whether, when push comes to shove, we can actually get those players remains to be seen.”

Modric has a contract that expires at the end of the season so he could well be available if he does not put pen to paper.

It remains to be seen if Spurs will try to bring the 35-year-old back, but he can certainly play!

Liverpool have reportedly agreed on personal terms with Benfica star Darwen Núñez ahead of possibly signing the striker this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to sources online (via Sports Illustrated), his agent Jorge Mendes has been turning down offers from other potential suitors as the player wants to join Liverpool with terms already agreed upon verbally.

The Uruguayan is rated at £36m and after a great season has attracted interest from several top clubs. He currently earns £31k-per-week at Benfica which would rise to £60k-per-week if he joins the Reds.

Klopp will be buzzing

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be delighted with the news that Núñez is reportedly one step closer to a move to Anfield. The Reds have much-improved squad depth this season which has been one of the reasons they have reached the latter stages of every competition.

The club are still on for the quadruple, having already lifted the Carabao Cup, and they are now in the final of the FA Cup, the semi-final of the Champions League and the title is going down to the wire.

However, it’s never too early to start planning for the next campaign and Núñez would be the perfect addition. The 22-year old has an outstanding goal scoring record this season with 25 league strikes in 26 appearances

The “special” striker’s form hasn’t been enough to propel Benfica to the league title as they currently sit third in the table with no guarantees of Champions League football next season.

If they don’t qualify for Europe’s premier competition then it makes it even more likely that Núñez will want to depart the club, and with Merseyside seeming like the most likely destination, it shouldn’t be long before we see him in the Premier League.

When you compare him to Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane, the three players who usually play through the middle for Liverpool, he has a much better goal per 90-minute average at 1.25.

The player closest to him is Jota on 0.70. Whilst the Premier League is undoubtedly a much tougher division, we don’t think it would take long for him to adapt, and with the number of chances Liverpool create it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get close to those numbers.

AND inN other news:  Forget Bobby: Liverpool can give Efc nightmares by unleashing their “new Luis Suarez”…

After finally picking up their form, Celtic head into the Old Firm clash against Rangers on Saturday afternoon with a bit of wind in their sails.

Neil Lennon’s side have racked up six wins on the bounce in all competitions, and know that only a win will be enough to really get them back involved in the Scottish Premiership title race.

And whilst the Hoops have been in such good form, the Celtic boss should consider making one big change: bringing in Mohamed Elyounoussi.

The Norway international had been in great form in recent weeks, bagging five goals in just three league games. But after netting against Kilmarnock earlier this month, the winger has found himself on the bench for the previous three matches, playing a grand total of 17 minutes.

The Bhoys desperately need a win against Steven Gerrard’s side, and Elyounoussi has got the kind of game-changing ability to turn things in their favour.

Speaking earlier in the summer after a 6-0 win over KR Reykjavik, Lennon said: “Elyounoussi is, I think rightly the Man of the Match, and the one we should talk about because this guy is a very, very good player. When he came to Celtic last season, he might have tailed off towards the end of last season, but he was excellent when he came in.

“He has an awful lot to offer and that performance will fill Neil Lennon with an awful lot of heart because if he’s back to his best, Elyounoussi is a very, very dangerous player.”

The Norwegian has bagged 12 goals in all competitions this season, and will no doubt be hoping to get the call to start against Rangers. Whether it’s playing him from the left or through the middle, he could wreak havoc on a Gers team who might just begin to feel the weight and pressure of leading the title race.

Mick McCarthy’s star loanee signing at Cardiff City, Harry Wilson, has been tipped to make a move to Scotland this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to the former Rangers defender Michael Ball, who, speaking recently to This is Futbol, claimed that Steven Gerrard’s relationship with the Liverpool winger could see him make a switch from Merseyside to Ibrox in the upcoming transfer market.

He said: “Steven’s got that connection with him. He knows of him, so that personal relationship could be a bonus. The money, we’re not too sure what they have to spend, so it all depends if any players move out as well at Rangers. If [Alfredo] Morelos moves on, the big money that they’ll get would give Rangers the opportunity to bring Harry, and maybe a few others, in.”

Tan must move

While Wilson himself has recently spoken out regarding his desire for a shot at first-team football with Liverpool, in addition to the fact that Mick McCarthy has claimed he believes it would be unlikely that the 24-year-old will return to the club this summer, on top of the winger’s links with a move to teams such as Rangers, there is no reason why Vincent Tan should not put a considerable amount of effort into bringing the Wales international back to Cardiff ahead of next season.

After making the temporary move to the Bluebirds last October, the £14.4 million-rated man was in exceptional form over his 37 Championship appearances, scoring seven goals, providing 11 assists and creating 11 big chances, as well as averaging a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.20 – ranking him as the club’s second-best performer in the second tier.

And, with the £15,000-per-week Welshman’s returns helping the Bluebirds to an impressive eighth-place finish in the Championship standings, there would appear no real reason that, with the addition of a couple of new signings in the summer, Wilson could not achieve his ambition of playing at the highest level with Cardiff – albeit after a season in which the winger could prove to be the difference in the club’s push for promotion.

As such, Tan should be doing all he can to convince Wilson of a move back to the Cardiff City Stadium this summer, as, if the owner really wishes to see McCarthy guiding his side back to the Premier League, Wilson – whom current Rangers coach Michael Beale dubbed as “outstanding” – would undoubtedly prove a crucial part of the 62-year-old’s side.

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans waxed lyrical over the club’s Under-18 side following their 7-1 win over West Brom on Saturday morning.

The Eagles, who also thumped the Baggies 7-1 in the reverse fixture back in March, named a strong line-up for the vital clash. Forward David Omilabu and midfielder Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, both of whom have signed professional deals this season, started for Palace and both netted in a rampant victory.

Palace went behind early on but two goals from Omilabu along with strikes from Rak-Sakyi, Victor Akinwale, Maliq Cadogan, John-Kymani Gordon and Ademola Ola-Adebomi, ensured a big win.

The Eagles sit top of the Premier League Under-18 South table after completing all 24 fixtures and now have to wait on Fulham’s clash with Chelsea next week to see if they will end up in first place. The Cottagers need to defeat their west London rivals in their final game of the campaign to win the league.

Palace fans react

The club shared the full-time score on their official Twitter page just hours before Roy Hodgson’s first team defeated Sheffield United 2-0 at Bramall Lane.

Here is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with one describing the win as ‘unreal’.

“On another level this team! Incredible performance.”Credit: @ClintonDavey”All #ChelseaU18 fans next Sat aren’t we?! Buzzing for our young lads, what a performance!”Credit: @Rich789″Unreal”Credit: @FiachraFurlong”Get in lads! Unreal amount of talent there, everyone put in a shift! Future is very bright”Credit: @kade_bladeSE25″Excellent result and performance. Let’s hope a few of this talented team will progress to become regular starters in our 1st team for years to come.”Credit: @Bacoletplayer”So so good”Credit: @PrideOfSouthLDN

In other news: Many Palace fans fume at update on reported managerial target, find out more here.