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Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Weston McKennie to north London in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that, following Fabio Paratici’s interest in the Juventus midfielder in the summer, the Italian is once again keen on a move for the 24-year-old in the upcoming winter market.

The report goes on to state that, with Massimiliano Allegri’s side needing to raise around €22m (£19m) in order to make Leandro Paredes’ temporary switch from Paris Saint-Germain a permanent move, the Serie A outfit could be willing to sacrifice the USA international in January.

A further report by TuttoJuve also touches upon the fate of both McKennie and Paredes, with it being claimed that, should the former’s performance levels not raise prior to the World Cup this winter, I Bianconeri will look to sell the midfielder for around €20m (£17.5m).

Kulusevski 2.0

Considering the fact that Paratici has enjoyed a great deal of success in bringing Juventus’ unwanted players to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium previously – with both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur highly impressing after their respective moves from Turin to north London – McKennie could well be the sporting director’s next great find from his former club.

Indeed, with the £43.5m-rated talent being incredibly versatile – having played in no less than eight positions over the course of his career, including centre-back, wing-back, defensive midfield, central midfield, attacking midfield and even centre-forward – it is clear that the American would be an extremely useful player for Antonio Conte to be able to call upon at Spurs.

It is also clear that McKennie is a very forward-thinking player – something that Tottenham currently lack in midfield – with FBref ranking him in the top 8% of midfielders in Europe for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 16% for non-penalty xG, the top 7% for touches in the opposition penalty area and the top 4% for progressive passes received over the last 365 days.

However, the £54k-per-week man also works extremely hard in a defensive capacity, with FBref ranking him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe for clearances per 90, as well as the top 7% for blocks, the top 9% for interceptions, the top 8% for aerials won and the top 16% for tackles over the past 12 months.

As such, with McKennie being incredibly hard-working, extremely flexible positionally and impressive going forwards, it is not difficult to see why Alasdair Gold stated his belief that the 34-cap international would “tick a lot of boxes” for Conte, as the “outstanding” – in the words of David Wagner – American could well be Paratici’s next Kulusevski-esque find from Juve.

Reporter Dean Jones has been reacting to the rumours regarding Wolves and Julen Lopetegui.

The Lowdown: Lopetegui speculation

Wolves have been on the hunt for a new manager for a week now after deciding to part ways with Bruno Lage. Reliable reporter John Percy stated that Lopetegui was one of two top targets from Molineux chiefs, with the 56-year-old since losing his job at Sevilla.

Wolves were set to step up their pursuit of Lopetegui following his dismissal in Spain, and Jones has given his thoughts to a potential move.

The Latest: Jones reacts

In a story shared on Saturday, Jones, talking to This is Futbol prior to Sevilla parting ways Lopetegui, said that ‘there’s a lot to consider’ for Wolves as they weigh up the possibility of bringing Lopetegui to the Midlands, labelling it as a potential ‘gamble’.

“Lopetegui, obviously he’s got his own position to weigh up right now.

“Might be a bit more of a gamble, I would say.

“So yeah, there’s a lot to consider there.”

The Verdict: Shrewd target?

Lopetegui likes to play an attacking 4-3-3 system and left Sevilla with 90 wins from 170 games, a relatively successful period where he won the Europa League during the 2019/20 season.

Yes, his side have struggled this season and he doesn’t have experience in the Premier League, however, neither did Nuno Espirito Santo or Lage when they arrived in the Midlands.

Lopetegui does have plenty of experience across Europe, though, so he could prove to be a smart target, so it will be interesting to see if they manage to bring him to England.

Everton remain unbeaten in their last five Premier League games and finally picked up their first three points last weekend when they hosted West Ham United at Goodison Park.

Frank Lampard will be delighted that his team is starting to gel and work well together, improving upon the disastrous campaign in the league last season that left the side in a difficult relegation battle, and there is no doubt the new signings made this summer have made a huge difference.

With James Tarkowski and Conor Coady forging a formidable centre-back partnership and Neal Maupay working well in the front line alongside Anthony Gordon, the future is looking bright for the Toffees, and a comfortable finish in the top flight is looking more achievable than it ever has over the last 18 months.

One newly acquired player who has been making a huge impact in the centre of the pitch is Amadou Onana, with the midfielder becoming the positive presence Lampard desperately needed to improve the quality of play in the midfield.

Last month, French football expert Julien Laurens heaped praise on the £33.5m Everton dynamo, comparing him to World Cup winner Paul Pogba:

“He’s a very exciting player, a midfielder who can play pretty much all across the midfield. For me he’s a great box-to-box because he’s powerful, he’s good on the ball, he’s tall, he’s strong, he will drive the ball very well.

“He’s very much like a (Aurelien) Tchouameni, or a Paul Pogba, but he’s got more of a defensive mind as well.”

That defensive mind has had a huge contribution to the Toffees’ ability to go unbeaten in the Premier League over their last five outings as he’s made 2.8 tackles, won 1.2 interceptions, completed 1.7 clearances and won six duels per game so far. Thus, Lampard will be thrilled he finally has a midfielder he can truly rely on to leave everything on the pitch in his performance.

Thanks to the signing of Onana, the Everton boss can finally ditch out-of-favour Allan with speculation that the £21m Brazilian dud could be about to make his exit from Goodison Park over the coming days and weeks.

Lampard spoke out in his pre-match press conference over the weekend about the midfielder’s exclusion from the team over the season so far:

“You have to make those decisions sometimes. We’ll see over the next week or two.”

The £120k-per-week midfielder who was dubbed “slow” by Gabriel Agbonlahor doesn’t appear to have any chance of getting back into this team after Lampard acquired the services of Onana and James Garner this summer, and now the team are performing with stability this season without Allan it is looking like his days are numbered.

With that being said, Lampard has a big decision to make on the Brazilian’s future at the club as he is not only one of the oldest members of the squad at 31 years old, but also one of the highest earners and if he is not in the manager’s plans he has to go.

Newcastle United are believed to have made contact regarding a deal for West Ham United defender, Harrison Ashby.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies have spoken to the east London outfit regarding a move for the 20-year-old, with manager Eddie Howe keen on a new right-back recruit following the recent ACL injury to Emil Krafth.

The report suggests that the Tynesiders are interested in signing the young full-back as a result, with the 5 foot 10 menace facing an uncertain future at the London Stadium with just a year left on his current deal.

Howe would love it

As mentioned above, the northeast side have suffered a real blow with Krafth likely to be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, leaving Howe with little cover for first-choice full-back Kieran Trippier on the right of the defence.

Although the former Bournemouth boss does have Javier Manquillo to take on that role of understudy to the former Atletico Madrid man, the Spaniard appears somewhat surplus to requirements at present, having failed to feature so far this season.

In fact, the former Liverpool man has made just 13 appearances since the 44-year-old took charge back in November – only eight of which have come from the start – with that a sign that he is clearly not a trusted presence at St James’ Park.

The Newcastle boss would then simply love the chance to bring in a young and “fearless” talent – as he has been described by West Ham podcaster Sam Delaney – in the form of Ashby, with the Milton Keynes-born ace seemingly an ideal fit to support the aforementioned Trippier.

Although the 5 foot 10 starlet is currently behind the likes of Vladimir Coufal and Ben Johnson in the pecking order under David Moyes – making just six senior outings to date – he has caught the eye at youth level, having been dubbed a “tremendous prospect” by Scotland U21 coach Scot Gemmill.

With three goals and nine assists in just 36 games for West Ham’s U21 side, the one-time Chelsea academy asset has proven himself a real potent threat from his full-back berth, with Howe likely to enjoy the chance to nurture his talent over the coming years.

It may not be the most high-profile deadline day capture, although Ashby could prove to be a real gem of an addition in the near future.

Sheffield Wednesday are the front-runners to sign Swansea City youngster Kyle Joseph this summer.

The Lowdown: Owls keen on new signings

The Owls’ League One season is underway but that doesn’t mean Darren Moore’s business in the transfer window is necessarily done yet.

The manager himself has publicly admitted he’s still keen on making additions in the attacking third of the pitch, in order for Wednesday to have enough firepower throughout the squad.

And a new update suggests an exciting young player could be heading to Hillsborough before deadline day ends on September 1.

The Latest: Wednesday linked with Joseph move

According to Wales Online, the Owls are ‘battling it out’ with Oxford United for the signing of Joseph.

The 20-year-old will be allowed to leave on loan, and the two sides name-checked are the ‘front-runners’ for a deal.

The striker scored four times and added two assists in 13 League One starts on loan at Cheltenham last season.

The Verdict: Strong squad option

Joseph could be an ideal signing for Wednesday this season, coming in as someone who can provide strong competition for the likes of Lee Gregory and Michael Smith.

His form at Cheltenham last season is proof that he can shine in England’s third tier, and he could give the Owls that extra piece of class in attack as he looks to prove to his permanent employers he has what it takes to be a serious player in the senior game.

The bonus of a loan move is that if Joseph proves to be out of his depth at Hillsborough, Wednesday won’t have wasted too much money on him, and perhaps they can even negotiate a permanent deal if the opposite happens and the youngster thrives.

Everton are closing in on a deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Everton interested in Gueye

Last Thursday, the Italian revealed that the Toffees had made an approach to sign the 32-year-old midfielder. The journalist reported that the Senegal international was ‘one of the names’ on Frank Lampard’s list, but talks were only in the early stages.

PSG reportedly want to sell Gueye this summer, making a potential return to Goodison Park much more likely than one would otherwise suspect.

The Latest: Romano’s update

Romano has shared a fresh update on Everton’s pursuit of Gueye.

Taking to Twitter in the early hours of Monday morning, the reliable journalist claimed: “Everton are closing on Gana Gueye deal with Paris Saint-Germain. Final details will be discussed this week, clubs now negotiating permanent deal. #EFC

“Lampard wants Gana Gueye, now optimistic after talks opened last Thursday”

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The Verdict: Hope he comes back

Having made 107 appearances for the Toffees, a Premier League return for the Senegal midfielder could end up being the best move for both him and Everton.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the midfielder ranks in the 98th percentile for pass completion, the 94th percentile for pressures and the 93rd percentile for tackles.

Despite being dubbed a ‘quality’ player by former PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino, the 32-year-old started just 18 games in Ligue 1 last season, coming on as a substitute on eight other occasions.

Therefore, if Gueye wants to continue featuring at the highest level, a move to Everton would likely guarantee regular football in the English top-flight.

Furthermore, with Lampard looking to add experience to the Toffees’ midfield, this could be a good move for all parties involved.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has delivered his verdict on the speculation surrounding the future of Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha. 

The lowdown: Zaha linked with Palace exit…again

Seemingly perennially linked with a move away from Selhurst Park ever since returning from an abortive spell at Manchester United, the Ivory Coast international is now into the final 12 months of his contract in southeast London and could be facing an uncertain future with the Eagles.

The 29-year-old is yet to enter negotiations with the Palace board over a new deal, and the club’s hierarchy are fearful of losing a player who has directly contributed to 156 goals in 429 Eagles appearances for nothing next summer.

Following a recent report from TuttoMercatoWeb claiming that Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma were interested in signing Zaha this summer, one well-informed onlooker has had his say on the influential forward’s future…

The latest: ‘Name popping up’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke suggested that Patrick Vieira will be ‘desperate’ to retain the services of the 28-cap Ivorian at Selhurst Park.

He said: “It wouldn’t be a transfer window without Wilfried Zaha’s name popping up as he gets linked probably every summer.

“But Vieira will be desperate to keep him, he’s trying to build something at Crystal Palace right now and Zaha is one of the more experienced players at Selhurst Park, while he’s got all of the younger players around him as well.”

The verdict: Fingers crossed

Finishing the 2021/22 season as the top scorer for Vieira’s side with 15 goals (along with two assists), almost twice as many as Conor Gallagher in second, Zaha’s continued importance at Selhurst Park remains abundantly clear.

Now perhaps seen as the club’s stalwart, having one time been their rising sensation, the skilful winger – who was once dubbed as an ‘incredible talent’ by former Palace owner Simon Jordan – will be looked upon to nurture the likes of Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and new summer signing Malcolm Ebiowei to develop further.

In that case, to avoid losing such a talismanic figure without an incoming transfer fee, chairman Steve Parish, sporting director Dougie Freedman and the rest of the Palace board should be doing everything in their power to tie down the £34.2m-valued star to fresh terms.

Celtic look set to potentially miss out on securing a summer move for Brazilian midfielder and reported target Vinicius Souza.

What’s the news?

According to journalist Fraser Fletcher, Celtic are set to lose out on the signing from Lommel with PSV Eindhoven and Betis wanting to sign the player.

He revealed: “Vinicius Souza at Lommel will be moving on soon. His new club to be revealed shortly. Many want him PSV and Betis and others. Celtic not close to deal as it stands.”

Last season saw the 23-year-old spend a loan spell with fellow Belgian club KV Mechelen, in which he showed how much of a capable midfield player he is.

Celtic fans will be gutted

As the Hoops are dealt a blow in their bid to sign the talented Souza, their supporters will no doubt be gutted as he would have added a great deal to the Parkhead ranks.

With 27 league appearances to his name, the midfielder ended the campaign with more interceptions (64) and more tackles won (66) than any other player at the club.

Souza also racked up the third-highest percentage for shots on target (53.8%) at the Belgian side, which shows just how deadly he can be with the ball going forward.

This shows how much of a well-rounded midfielder he is and why clubs such as Celtic and PSV have been after him.

It also proves how much of a disappointing blow it would to the Parkhead club and their fans, if they were to see him make a move to the Netherlands this summer.

Bearing in mind how the Hoops saw the likes of Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham leave the club last summer and also saw Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic wave goodbye at the end of the previous season, it’s safe to say that the Bhoys could do with some reinforcements in the midfield area.

With the Brazilian being identified as a potential candidate to join Ange Postecoglou’s squad, Celtic will have to look at other midfield options to bring in before their next campaign starts.

Having shown during the previous summer and winter transfer windows, in addition to already securing deals for the likes of Jota, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Benjamin Siegrist and Alexandro Bernabei over the past few weeks, that the club are very capable of being active in the transfer market, this should Celtic fans hope that there will be more signings made in the coming weeks.

While it would be bad news to miss out on signing Souza, it would give the club the chance to move on from the saga and focus on other possible midfield recruits.

AND in other news: Ange can unearth his own Van Dijk as Celtic eye £5.9k-p/w titan who has a “big future”

Aston Villa have ‘no intention’ of parting ways with Danny Ings this summer, Sky Sports report.

The Lowdown: Exit rumours

Ings made the move to Villa Park last summer from Southampton in a deal worth £26.48m. The 29-year-old made 31 appearances in his first season as a Villa player, scoring seven times and registering six assists.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Steven Gerrard would be willing to part ways with Ings this summer to make room for a new marquee attacker, however, that doesn’t appear to be the case.

The Latest: Sky Sports update

Sky Sports provided a live TV update regarding Villa and Ings on Monday afternoon.

They were told ‘in the last few minutes’ that Villa have ‘no intention of selling’ Ings despite rumours of a move to Manchester United or Leeds United, adding that Gerrard sees Ings as an ‘integral part of his squad’.

The Verdict: Good news

Villa are fairly short of centre-forward options, with Ings and Ollie Watkins the two recognised strikers in the Midlands.

Keinan Davis and Cameron Archer spent the second half of last season out on loan in the Championship, so keeping hold of Ings appears to be the correct call.

Gerrard found success in a system using two centre-forwards, so bringing in another striker to challenge Ings and Watkins could be the better decision, and hopefully we will see that come to fruition ahead of Gerrard’s first full season in charge.

In other news: Villa now receive ‘official proposal’ for player with ‘unbelievable’ work rate. 

Journalist Paul Brown has delivered his verdict on the future of out-of-favour Everton striker Moise Kean. 

The lowdown: Flattered to deceive

Signed for £25.1m from Juventus in 2019 (BBC), the Italy international arrived on Merseyside with the world seemingly at his feet having made a successful transition from youth starlet to first-team performer in his homeland.

Following a disappointing debut campaign which yielded just four direct goal involvements in 29 Premier League outings, the young striker was sent out on loan to Paris Saint-Germain, where he appeared to recapture some form with 13 goals in 26 Ligue 1 appearances.

However, after just two more fleeting cameos for the Toffees, the 22-year-old was loaned back to Juventus last September for two years with an obligation to buy, but he now faces an uncertain future…

The latest: Kean’s Everton future in doubt

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Brown dismissed the notion of the 12-cap Italy ace ever returning to Goodison Park.

He explained: “It’s clear he hasn’t got a future at Everton, and I don’t think he wants one either, I think that’s also quite clear.

“The move didn’t work out for him and the man that brought him in, Marcel Brands has gone and it’s a completely different club now.”

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The verdict: Not worth it

Lauded as ‘fearless’ by Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, under whom Kean played at PSG, there is certainly a top-level player waiting to be unleashed in the 22-year-old. However, seemingly unwanted by Juventus, he is now stuttering along in a career which is in danger of stagnating at a very early stage.

During 2021/22 the Italian scored six times and provided three assists in 44 appearances across all competitions, another below-par campaign from a young forward with an abundance of talent.

Couple these on-field struggles when it comes to output with the fallout when replaced by Duncan Ferguson against Manchester United in 2019, and Frank Lampard may be best served to avoid bringing a disenchanted Kean back to Merseyside, even in light of the possibility of losing frontline duo Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

In other news: Frank McAvennie has reacted to this behind-the-scenes Everton development