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Tottenham Hotspur boss Nuno Santo is reportedly at risk of being sacked after their recent poor form continued over the weekend…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun’s Paul Jiggins, the 47-year-old head coach is already fighting for his job despite only being appointed around 90 days ago.

It took the Lilywhites 72 days to find a successor to Jose Mourinho but it’s thought that the Portuguese replacement is under serious pressure following Spurs’ 3-1 defeat at Arsenal in Sunday’s north London derby.

Nuno admitted that he was to blame for their embarrassing outing at the Emirates Stadium and that’ll do him no favours with the fanbase either already against him or starting to turn now.

Nuno out?

Indeed, there were many around N17 that were completely opposed to the appointment of the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss, as relayed by talkSPORT back in June.

Spurs started the season with three successive 1-0 victories but they suffered their third straight heavy defeat, having gone 3-0 down to their arch-rivals midway through the first half.

It means the Lilywhites have conceded three goals in each of their last thee league games as their defensive issues only compound further woe to Nuno and the squad, who have already been struggling to find the net at the other end of the pitch.

Before the north London derby, Spurs sat last for expected goals (4.42 xG) and second-last for total shots (46) from their opening five matches, as per The Athletic.

Now that they have leaked as many as 13 goals in their last five in all competitions, the Portuguese boss has even more problems to keep him up at night.

Social media and radio phone-ins were very much anti-Nuno as the pressure continues to mount rather rapidly.

It’s a stark contrast to August, when the Spurs boss clinched the Premier League’s ‘Manager of the Month’ award after an unbeaten start to the new season.

“It doesn’t feel like the right fit – he’s got to win over the Spurs fans and I’m not so sure he can,” claimed former Premier League forward Chris Sutton to the BBC. He wasn’t first choice or second choice. Last season his Wolves team were on the decline and the Spurs fans were never going to like his brand of football.”

On the above evidence, it’s clear that several fans would be pleased to see Nuno gone as this latest Hotspur Way development has emerged – whether that happens anytime soon certainly remains to be seen but there aren’t many who are behind the man in the dugout.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Lloris: £27m-rated Spurs passenger badly betrayed Nuno vs Arsenal…

Tottenham Hotspur legend Graham Roberts insists that the club may be stuck with Serge Aurier, as no club is likely to buy him this summer.

The right-back has not made a single appearance for the club this season and was largely absent from pre-season, until the friendly against Chelsea.

Aurier has yet to be included in a competitive squad by Nuno Espirito Santo, with Japhet Tanganga seemingly the first-choice right-back in the squad after his impressive performances against Manchester City and Wolves.

Matt Doherty is his back-up in the squad, and Aurier had confirmed earlier this summer that he had reached an agreement to leave Spurs, with PSG seemingly interested in taking him back to France.

However, they have since signed Achraf Hakimi from Inter Milan, seemingly ending any chance of Aurier returning to the French capital.

And Roberts believes he may just run down his contract at the club, which runs until 2022.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “But who’s going to buy him? The problem you’ve got is Paris Saint-Germain were going to buy Aurier, so they kept saying.

“Well, they’re nowhere near him. What football club is going to buy him? I think we’re going to be stuck with him and we’re just going to have to see his contract out.”

Alan Hutton has now given a reason why Glasgow Rangers decided to let Cedric Itten go out on loan in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Itten leaves

The Ibrox faithful announced on Transfer Deadline Day that Itten has joined Bundesliga club Greuther Furth on loan for the rest of the 2021/22 season.

He had already played in four games in total over all competitions this campaign before his move to Germany.

The Latest: Hutton on Itten

Speaking to Football Insider, former Light Blues right-back turned pundit Hutton has claimed that Itten was allowed to go out on loan because Alfredo Morelos ended up staying:

“It was a bit of a curveball, not one I saw coming.

“Obviously his first season was difficult, there were no fans, he didn’t hit the ground running.

“There was loads of competition upfront as well. When called upon he did well.

“Whenever I saw him play he added something a little bit different to that Rangers side.

“It’s a strange one but I think it’s down to Morelos staying. Obviously if he went, they would have needed someone to come in.

“The fact he stayed gave Gerrard a bit of leeway to send someone out on loan to give him game time, that’s what he needs.

“There is a player in there, he’s a finisher. He needs to play games, I think it’s a good move.”

The Verdict: Right move

There is no doubt that Itten still has a lot that he can offer, as Steven Gerrard even went as far as to dub him as a ‘superb’ player when he is given his chance in a press conference back in February.

The Switzerland international has scored six goals and made a further three assists in 42 matches in total across all competitions under the Liverpool and England legend (Transfermarkt).

However, given that he already has four strikers to choose from in the squad at the moment, including Morelos, the 24-year-old needed to go out on loan in order to get more regular game time under his belt.

In other news, find out which Ger this Premier League manager wanted to sign here!

Italian football expert Conor Clancy has rubbished claims that exciting Sassuolo playmaker Jeremie Boga would be interested in joining Crystal Palace this summer.

Patrick Vieira has been keen to add a host of promising youngsters to his squad since succeeding Roy Hodgson as the Eagles’ manager last month.

The likes of Marc Guehi and Michael Olise have already joined in big-money moves, while Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher has completed a loan move after impressing at West Bromwich Albion last season.

Vieira is looking to strengthen his attacking options ahead of the transfer window closing later this month and Palace have held a long-standing interest in 24-year-old Ivory Coast international Boga.

The creative midfielder – who made one Premier League appearance during his time with Chelsea at the start of his career – impressed for Serie A side Sassuolo last season, racking up four goals and two assists in 28 appearances. He also averaged an impressive 3.2 dribbles per game (via WhoScored).

Should Boga depart Sassuolo, Forza Italian Football editor Clancy feels he would snub a move to Selhurst Park.

He told Football FanCast: “I don’t think Boga should be making a move to a club that’s not playing in Europe.

“He is a Champions League level player, so I don’t know why he would go to somewhere like Crystal Palace.”

Former Aston Villa and England striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has tipped Leeds United to win away to Manchester United this weekend.

The Lowdown: A new season begins

After a long summer, the Whites return to Premier League action on Saturday lunchtime with a mouthwatering game on offer.

Leeds make the trip to their bitter rivals, looking to get their campaign off to a flying start as well as avenging last season’s 6-2 defeat at Old Trafford.

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The Latest: Pundit makes bold claim

While the hosts will be the understandable favourites to pick up all three points, Agbonlahor told Football Insider that he could see Marcelo Bielsa’s side pulling off a huge result:

“Having a more competitive pre-season than a lot of teams is a brilliant plan for Bielsa. If I was a manager, I’d want to test my team against the best. You’re gonna get more out of it if the opposition is harder.

“That is gonna stand you in good stead for playing Man United away in the first game of the season. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Leeds go and beat them on the first game of the season.

“Anything can happen on the first game. Not all teams are as fit as each other and it’s gonna be a boiling hot day. So I fancy Leeds to be in a better position to win that game than Man United because of their pre-season.

“So it really wouldn’t surprise me if they went and beat them at Old Trafford.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-12/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”] The Verdict: Victory would feel huge

After last season’s ninth-place finish, expectations are high going into 2021/22 and a win on Saturday would only increase that feeling, given the magnitude of the occasion.

Bielsa will hopefully adopt a fearless approach against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, showing the same attacking football and endless pressing that were on show last season.

A win, or even a draw for that matter, would feel like a statement, showing that last year’s performance wasn’t a one-off and suggesting another top-half finish could be on the cards.

In other news, Bielsa is thought to be frustrated about Leeds’ quest to sign one player. Read more here.

Newcastle United are reportedly in talks to sign Mario Lemina in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Lemina impresses

Despite Fulham getting relegated from the Premier League down to the EFL Championship at the end of the 2020/21 season, Lemina had a fine individual campaign while on loan there from Southampton.

The Gabon international won no fewer than 4.5 of his duels per game in the top flight, and also averaged 2.2 tackles and 1.1 interceptions a match (Sofascore).

The Latest: Lemina talks

As per The Daily Mail, the St. James’ Park faithful have revived talks with the Saints over signing Lemina in a deal worth in the region of £4m, and hope to reach an agreement later on this week.

The North East club tried to sign him last month, offering players in exchange, but Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team were keen to cash in on a player with just a year left on his current deal at St. Mary’s.

The Verdict: Sign

Lemina has plenty of experience of playing in the Premier League, and at 27 years of age, is about to enter his prime years as a footballer.

While his £64,000-per-week wages may prove to be a stumbling block, to sign him for just a £4m fee could certainly prove to be a bargain, given that he is currently valued at £9m by Transfermarkt.

Nonetheless, he would be a welcome addition as another handy option for Steve Bruce in the centre of midfield, where his options will be looking very thin if a deal for loan favourite Joe Willock cannot be completed.

In other news, find out what promising takeover claim Steve Wraith has issued here!

Southampton’s hopes of signing Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong this summer have been handed a boost after Watford saw their latest bid rejected.

What’s the word?

Southampton have been heavily linked with a move for the 24-year-old striker throughout the summer window thus far and have reportedly seen two of their own bids rejected, one of which included Michael Obafemi as part of a proposed swap deal.

However, Watford are also seemingly keen on adding the former Newcastle United man to their squad following their promotion back to the top flight and they recently saw a bid of £15m plus Andre Gray rejected by Tony Mowbray’s side.

The Sun claimed that, due to Newcastle having a 40% sell-on clause, Blackburn are looking for £25m to sell their star striker this summer, despite him having less than 12 months left on his contract at Ewood Park.

The Lancashire club are playing a risky game and, if they cannot sell him this summer, they risk losing him for nothing at the end of the 2021/22 season, so perhaps they will eventually lower their asking price.

Should Southampton bid again for Armstrong?

Given that Ralph Hasenhuttl has regularly suggested that Southampton will target players around the £10m mark this summer, it seems unlikely that the Saints board would sanction a £25m move for Armstrong, especially when he has minimal top-flight experience.

However, the former England under-21 international has been “brilliant” for Blackburn in recent years, hitting 28 goals in the Championship last season alone. He could be an excellent addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad for the future, especially if Danny Ings leaves either this summer or next following the news that he has rejected a new deal with the Saints.

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Therefore, following the news that Watford have had a bid rejected, Saints vice-chairman Martin Semmens should really look to accelerate a potential deal with Blackburn and seek to negotiate the price down, or else they risk losing out on one of their top targets for the summer.

In other news… Southampton set to miss out on their next Mane as reports emerge.

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a blow in their attempts to bring Trevoh Chalobah to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by the Express & Star journalist Joesph Masi, who revealed in a post on Twitter that a number of Premier League clubs have joined the race for the Chelsea midfielder.

It had previously been reported that the 22-year-old looked on course to complete a switch to the Championship side in the summer transfer window, however, in Masi’s latest article for the Express & Star, the journalist claims that Brentford, along with a number of other top-flight teams, are now also in the race for the former England U21 international.

Ismael will be livid

Considering that it very much looked as if West Brom had a deal for the defensive midfielder all but done, the fact that a number of other sides are now also reported to be in the race for the Chelsea youngster is sure to make Valerien Ismael livid.

Indeed, during a loan spell at FC Lorient, Chalobah proved that he boasts a considerable amount of talent, so, in all honesty, it is unsurprising to learn of interest in his services from the Premier League.

Over his 29 Ligue 1 appearances for the Ligue 1 side last season, the £3.15m-rated man made an average of 2.4 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.9 clearances and won an impressive 5.2 duels per game.

The player Paul Lambert dubbed a “complete” midfielder also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.5 shots and making 0.3 key passes in each league appearance.

These returns saw the £12k-per-week man earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.87, ranking him as Christophe Pelissier’s joint fourth-best performer in the top flight of French football.

As such, getting a deal over the line for Chalobah this summer would have undoubtedly been a fantastic signing for Ismael, particularly considering the fact Chelsea are willing to let the midfielder leave for free, as well as the Frenchman’s current lack of options in the middle of the park at Albion.

However, with Brentford now firmly in the race for the youngster, the 45-year-old Baggies boss will have his work cut out in convincing the 22-year-old of a move to the Championship rather than the Premier League this summer.

In other news: Percy drops transfer update on “quality” £21k-p/w beast, West Brom fans surely buzzing

Crystal Palace have been handed a considerable boost in their pursuit of Schalke central defender Ozan Kabak following his lack of EURO 2020 involvement with Turkey [Der Westen via Sport Witness].

The Lowdown: Crystal Palace eye 2021/22 rebuild

As Crystal Palace get their ducks in a row ahead of 2021/22, many spectators will be intrigued to see how the South East Londoners rebuild, following losing 22 first-team players when they released their retained list in early June [Tribal Football].

Dipping their toe into the transfer window with the acquisition of American midfielder Jacob Montes [SBI Soccer], the Eagles have also been linked with moves for Aaron Ramsey and Ainsley Maitland-Niles in recent weeks.

However, attentions may turn towards the 21-year-old centre-back following fresh developments.

The Latest: Kabak could be sold by Schalke for ‘significantly less money’

Crystal Palace could potentially be handed the chance to sign the Turkey international for ‘significantly less money’ than expected, as Schalke look to cash in on his services due to relegation from the top-flight of German football [Sport Witness].

His wages are ‘too expensive’ to afford for the Gelsenkirchen-based club [Sport Witness], with Leicester City also keeping a keen eye on proceedings.

Schalke hoped that the European Championships could be an ideal platform to raise his value, but he has not featured in the competition [Transfermarkt] as Turkey crashed out without a single point.

The Verdict: Kabak would be an excellent addition to the Selhurst Park fold

Being able to snap up someone of Kabak’s quality for a snip of a fee would surely appeal to the Crystal Palace hierarchy.

The promising defender made 13 appearances on loan at Liverpool in the second half of 2020/21 [Transfermarkt].

Impressively, he also won the most tackles on average per 90 minutes of any Liverpool defender with 2.1, whilst he came second in the entire Liverpool squad only behind Spanish maestro Thiago [WhoScored].

These exploits lead to the stopper being labelled as ‘absolutely incredible’ by Reds manager Jurgen Klopp [Liverpool FC Official].

Looking forward, Crystal Palace should make a beeline to obtain the 6ft 1in man – he has top flight experience, is still young with plenty of time to develop and will now be available for a reasonable fee.

In other news, Crystal Palace fans are ecstatic at a Lucien Favre update.

An update has emerged about defender Eric Lichaj, regarding Sunderland’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to the Sun journalist Alan Nixon, Sunderland are considering a swoop to sign free agent defender Eric Lichaj to bolster Lee Johnson’s squad this summer.

Nixon has claimed that the Black Cats could open talks with the full-back this week as they explore the possibility of signing the out-of-contract veteran. Lichaj left Turkish side Karagumruk last week and is now free to speak with any interested clubs.

He won’t cost a penny

Johnson must ensure that he is able to seal a deal for Lichaj in the coming weeks. Sunderland are in desperate need of a right-back following Max Power’s departure to Wigan and the ex-Aston Villa man could be the ideal solution to their problems. He ticks a few boxes for the Black Cats; he had experience, quality and comes at a low price.

For starters, the money Sunderland will need to pay to bring him to the club will be minimal. He is out of contract and that means the club will be able to avoid lavishing out on a transfer fee as they do not need to negotiate with another side to secure his services. Therefore, from a financial point of view, this could be a shrewd deal for Kristjaan Speakman.

Secondly, he has the quality required to be a solid addition to the team. Whilst at Nottingham Forest, Mark Warburton hailed Lichaj as an “outstanding” defender and explained why he picked the American to play for his side in the Championship.

He told the Nottingham Post:

“Eric is an outstanding one-v-one defender.”

Lichaj was good enough to put in excellent performances in the second tier, which could mean that he is able to thrive at League One level. He may not be able to provide exciting, lung-bursting, runs from the full-back position but he could be a lockdown defender who is able to protect the goal and help Sunderland to keep clean sheets.

The £9.3k-per-week beast is also vastly experienced. He has over 250 Championship games under his belt and has played in the Turkish top-flight as well as the Premier League.

He could bring experience to the dressing room and potentially, be a major help to the younger players in the squad if Sunderland secure promotion to the second tier, as he knows exactly what is required to perform at that level.

AND in other news, Johnson drops update on huge Sunderland transfer blow, fans will be very frustrated…