European giants have now made a move to sign "strong" Celtic player

A European giant has reportedly made their move to sign a Celtic player this summer and are awaiting a response.

Celtic transfer rumours

The Hoops and Brendan Rodgers are now in pole position to seal another Scottish Premiership title ahead of Rangers, however, away from the pitch, plans are already being made ahead of the transfer window.

It is believed that those at Parkhead want a new goalkeeper, winger and striker, with a replacement for the retiring Joe Hart at the top of the agenda.

Celtic have dream £110k-p/w transfer target they'd love to sign this summer

Brendan Rodgers’ side would have to break their transfer record to sign him.

ByBen Browning Apr 11, 2024

In regards to specific targets, a number of shot-stoppers have been linked with moves to Celtic, such as Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher, Trabzonspor's Ugurcan Cakir, Sunderland’s Anthony Patterson and Werder Bremen's Michael Zetterer.

There could also be some outgoings in Glasgow, though, and it looks as if one player may have received an offer.

Lazio make Rocco Vata move

According to reports from Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Lazio have now made a move for Celtic youngster Rocco Vata. It is claimed that they are awaiting a response over a potential cut-price transfer which could come at the end of the month or the beginning of May, with Vata currently set to be a free agent at the end of May.

Rocco Vata and Daniel Kelly

Vata, who is still just 18 years of age, can play in a variety of attacking roles such as on either wing or as a second striker.

He’s scored 12 goals in 15 Lowland League games during the current campaign, while also making three senior appearances under Rodgers. In fact, Vata scored his first senior goal back in January in the 5-0 Scottish Cup win over Buckie Thistle.

The teenager appears to be catching the eye in Italy, and he also received praise from Rodgers back in pre-season, who called Vata "strong" and "quick".

“I remember Rocco as a young player when I was here last”, said Rodgers. “He’s developed physically. There are aspects of his game that he needs to work on to make the next jump but his attitude is good. “He’s strong, quick, he wants to score goals. There is lots of development he needs, if he’s willing to do that.”

Meanwhile, captain Callum McGregor said earlier this year: “He’s showing really good promise in the academy. He’s scored a few goals for the B team, which is great.

"That’s what we want, to be pushing as many academy products on as we can, trying to expose them to the first team as much as we can as well and getting them to that level where they can step into the team.

“Rocco has been around the first team since pre-season and he’s done great so hopefully he can recover from his injury. It’s great to see the guys coming, pushing and training with the first team.”

His long-term future in Scotland appears to be in doubt, though, following the update regarding Lazio's move, making this one to watch over the coming weeks.

Early Hundred ticket sales have 'surpassed expectations' – ECB

Initial allocation of men’s Finals Day tickets sells out within 24 hours, with total sales passing 100,000

Matt Roller14-Feb-2020The ECB has claimed that initial sales for the Hundred have “surpassed expectations”, with an initial allocation of men’s Finals Day tickets selling out within 24 hours of the priority window opening on Wednesday.Around 75,000 tickets were sold in the 24 hours after that window opened, on top of the 25,000 that had been purchased by county and MCC members in an earlier priority period. An ECB press release pointed to the fact that over two thirds of tickets were sold to under-45s, in an attempt to demonstrate that the new competition has succeeded in appealing to a younger audience.There are limited tickets available for the Hundred’s opening game between Oval Invincibles and Welsh Fire at The Oval, while season-ticket packages have sold out at Lord’s. A handful of season tickets remain available for The Oval.ALSO READ: Scheduling clashes set to reduce overseas player availability for the HundredECB chairman Colin Graves suggested in December that an occupancy rate of 60-65% was the minimum expectation, and that anything above that mark would represent a success for the competition. The governing body has previously denied downplaying attendances at the T20 Blast, the existing short-form tournament contested by the 18 counties, and tickets for that competition go on sale at the start of March.While it seems that there will be few problems shifting tickets at the London grounds, games elsewhere could be a harder sell. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, some venues fear that the decision to stage games on every day of the week could cause them problems, although ticket prices are generally lower for games on Mondays and Tuesdays.To take Cardiff as an example, Glamorgan’s seven games at the venue in last summer’s T20 Blast attracted a total attendance of 31,266 – an average of 4,467 at a 16,000-seat stadium – and while the county stressed that clashes with other sporting fixtures in the city and poor weather had affected their crowds, the fact that Welsh Fire’s men’s side will play two home games on Sunday evenings and another on a Tuesday is a cause for concern.The most expensive ticket for a men’s game at Cardiff is currently £22. Men’s fixtures at Lord’s and The Oval are the costliest, with the most expensive tickets currently priced at £35. That figure will rise after April 22. Tickets for children aged 6-15 are £5 each, while children under five are free with an adult. All standalone women’s fixtures have a maximum ticket price of £10.”We are pleased the competition has been met so positively by sports fans,” Sanjay Patel, the Hundred’s managing director, said. “Our ambition is always to grow cricket and bring new audiences into the game.”Our priority will now be in managing the strong demand for tickets alongside our desire to see large numbers of young families attending. Despite a busy summer sport schedule, the Hundred is clearly being viewed as an unmissable summer event.”

Chelsea bar another player! Trevoh Chalobah exiled from first-team facilities as Blues look to offload defender in repeat of Conor Gallagher treatment

Trevoh Chalobah has reportedly been barred from using Chelsea's first-team facilities as the club tries to negotiate his exit.

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Chalobah left out of US pre-season tourHomegrown defender linked with transfer exitChelsea man barred from first-team facilitiesWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , the 25-year-old has been kept away from the first-team building at the club's Cobham training ground – bar training with the Blues' development squad. Therefore, until he finds a transfer exit, the defender must spent time away from Enzo Maresca's side.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

This is the second time in a matter of weeks that a Chelsea academy player has been jettisoned from the first-team squad. Midfielder Conor Gallagher got similar treatment as he nears a move to Atletico Madrid. Incidentally, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa are reportedly keen on signing Chalobah – who was left out of Chelsea's pre-season tour to the United States earlier this summer.

DID YOU KNOW?

Chalobah, who turned down the chance to join Nottingham Forest last year, made 17 appearances for the Blues last term and finished the campaign as a regular under former boss Mauricio Pochettino. This looks to be the end of 17 years for the player at Chelsea.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Chalobah, whose contract at Stamford Bridge runs until the summer of 2028 and includes an option to extend for another year, will likely be the subject of a lot of transfer speculation while the summer window remains open until August 30.

MLS Power Rankings: Lionel Messi's Inter Miami clinch playoffs, Marco Reus' makes bold LA Galaxy debut, RSL underwhelm

Who's hot, who's not? GOAL ranks all 29 teams across Major League Soccer

The 2024 MLS field is more open than ever. There's a clear hierarchy atop both the Eastern and Western Conferences, but outside the top five teams, it's open season for playoff qualification.

Inter Miami just secured their playoff berth, the first team in MLS to do so this season. But now, with just eight matchdays left in the campaign, who will follow suit?

Reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew just claimed the Leagues Cup after a thrilling victory over LAFC. Meanwhile, Real Salt Lake were dealt a brutal hand at the weekend, with a loss to the San Jose Earthquakes.

Elsewhere, 2023 Supporters' Shield winners FC Cincinnati are soaring, while there are a handful of contenders who are unexpectedly creeping up: LA Galaxy, Colorado Rapids, New York Red Bulls – and yes, they're back: the Seattle Sounders.

With 26 matchdays complete, which club leads the pack, and who is falling short of expectations? GOAL presents the latest MLS Power Rankings.

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USA Today Images29Nashville SC ⬇️

Not good, Nashville. Another game, another loss at Geodis Park. They fell 2-0 to Austin FC, and their struggles on all ends of the pitch once again continued. With the Eastern Conference generally underperforming, though, they're still in the playoff hunt.

Advertisement28D.C. United ⬇️

Seven goals were scored in the first 48 minutes of their match with FC Dallas at the weekend. Unlucky for DC, though, they were on the trailing end of four of them.

They're bottom of the Eastern Conference due to criteria points at the end of the weekend, but still just two points out of a play-in game for the postseason. If Christian Benteke can continue his scoring heroics, with the Belgian tied atop the Golden Boot race with 17 at the moment, nothing is impossible.

27St. Louis City SC ⬇️

City held a 4-2 lead over the Portland Timbers at the weekend, but collapsed and ended up with a 4-4 draw. That's not to say it wasn't an exciting match, but rather, a disappointing close from the boys in red.

City are 10 points out of contention for a spot in the postseason, they can't really afford hiccups like their result at the weekend as the campaign closes out.

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USA Today Sports26San Jose Earthquakes ⬆️

An incredible 2-0 victory over RSL has them in high spirits. However, their Spring and ealy summer campaign put them in a hole that seems too deep to dig out of. Even with their impressive performance on the road in Utah, they still sit 17 points out of a play-in game for the postseason.

Finishing season in Abu Dhabi 'has to be considered' – Surrey chairman

Richard Thompson says ECB and counties will have to be “creative” in staging fixtures

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2020Surrey chairman Richard Thompson says that the possibility of finishing the county season in the UAE “has to be considered”, after ESPNcricinfo revealed that Abu Dhabi Cricket will offer the ECB its facilities to use between October and January.Abu Dhabi has avoided the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic so far, with infection and death rates low following a strict lockdown, to the extent that much of the UAE could return to work as early as next week.ALSO READ: Abu Dhabi to offer ECB use of facilities in order to extend English seasonThe Sheikh Zayed Stadium – which has previously staged Pakistan internationals, IPL and PSL games, and multiple county pre-season tours – has two support ovals alongside it, creating the possibility that several games could be played in a single day. The ground is broadcast-ready in terms of equipment, and costs could be reduced since it is effectively state-run via a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s programme, Thompson said that stakeholders in English cricket needed to be “creative” in finding ways to stage games, with all professional cricket in England and Wales on hold until at least July 1.”We’re in extraordinary times, and extraordinary times call for extraordinary decisions,” Thompson said. “I don’t know how this will play out, but if that’s a possibility it’s clearly something that’s got to be considered.”Abu Dhabi have made it clear that they could host matches if the season were to be extended. There are some challenges there, because you’ve got the T20 World Cup in Australia and some T20Is and ODIs that England should be playing in India around that time, but Abu Dhabi and Dubai are very well known to English cricket.”A lot of pre-season matches have been played there, a lot of other matches have been played there, so if the season had to be extended, Abu Dhabi I know have made this offer to the game, that if the season needed two months to finish the competitions, then they could potentially host it. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility.”Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, said that there had been “multiple” offers to potentially take English cricket overseas in the coming months.”It’s not limited to Abu Dhabi,” he said. “We’ve had informal offers from multiple boards as far away as New Zealand and Australia about hosting ECB cricket. Everything is on the table. The discussion around the FTP, the T20 World Cup, the IPL… there’s a huge number of moving pieces and our winter is already congested. We don’t have enough knowledge right now but it’s fair to say there will be changes to the FTP.”While the costs of flying squads to the UAE and putting them up in hotels would be significant, counties are used to travelling overseas for pre-season tours – the majority of which were aborted this year due to the pandemic. Surrey travelled to Dubai for pre-season in 2018 and 2019, and were due to return this year.And there is a growing acceptance at the ECB that it will be difficult to stage any cricket in front of paying spectators this summer. The UK’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty said this week that it was “wholly unrealistic” to think a return to normal life would be possible any time soon, with some form of social-distancing measures likely to continue beyond the end of the English season and into 2021.”I’d rather [T20 Blast games] were staged in this country purely because of the gate receipts, but then if social distancing exists for another six to 12 months, and if it’s behind closed doors, then frankly it doesn’t matter,” Thompson said.”Broadcasters are crucial to this. No governing body wants to breach an agreement with the broadcasters, so as long as it can deliver the product, it doesn’t matter where it delivers it from.”Obviously there’s a significant cost to ship 18 counties to one location and play a tournament that way, but if that’s the only option – and I would say the Abu Dhabi option would only be looked at if there is no possibility of playing in this country – then you’ve got to be creative.”

Southampton can strike gold selling dud who’s worth more than Armstrong

Southampton will hope the intense pressures of the Championship playoffs don't end up getting the better of them when push comes to shove, with just one regular game left of the second-tier season before all the drama gets underway.

Russell Martin will want a response from his Saints group away at Leeds United this coming weekend, who they could even face off against at Wembley in a playoff final down the line, having been lacklustre throughout the 1-0 loss they suffered to Stoke City last match.

Regardless of whether or not promotion is sealed come the end of May or Martin's men have to make do with another season below the top-flight, there will be plenty of activity in and out of St. Mary's this summer which could include one forgotten flop potentially leaving for good.

Armel Bella-Kotchap's transfer to Southampton

Joining for £10m in the summer of 2022, alongside fellow expensive signings in the form of Kamaldeen Sulemana and Romeo Lavia, it's fair to say Armel Bella-Kotchap hasn't ever lived up to the hype that surrounded him when joining two years ago.

Bella-Kotchap had only made 26 appearances in total for the Saints before he was pushed out on loan to PSV Eindhoven this campaign, where injuries have unfortunately plagued his up-and-down spell in the Netherlands with just six matches notched up.

Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap.

Still, regardless of his ineffective spell in the Eredivisie to date, the Saints will look to sell on the underwhelming centre-back for a healthy profit this coming transfer window if reports are correct.

Fabrizio Romano has stated that the Saints are looking for a figure in the £17m ballpark to get rid of their forgotten 22-year-old, even with his career not going to plan on loan with PSV or when he was still trying to make an impression on the Southampton masses.

Any potential suitor coming in for Bella-Kotchap will take a risk on the 6 foot 3 defender knowing what he could be capable of shining again if handed another chance, with former Saints boss Ralph Hassenhuttl describing the Germany U21 international as a "monster" when he first signed on the dotted line in England after starring in Germany with VFL Bochum.

Southampton will just want to accelerate a permanent move away for Bella-Kotchap very soon if they can get anywhere near that reported £17m price tag, knowing that the new bumped-up valuation is three times more than what star man Adam Armstrong is worth in Martin's ranks.

Southampton's highest valued players in 2024

According to Football Transfers, Armstrong – despite bagging 20 goals this season as Southampton's top-scorer – has a far lower valuation of £5.4m compared to Bella-Kotchap.

With this new £17m price-tag next to his name, Bella-Kotchap actually becomes the highest valued asset in the Saints camp despite struggling to ever settle on the South Coast – beating Gavin Bazunu to the top of the list just, with the injury-stricken goalkeeper worth £300k less at £16.7m.

1. Gavin Bazunu

£16.7m

2. Taylor Harwood-Bellis

£10.6m

3. Shea Charles

£10.4m

4. Sekou Mara

£9.6m

5. Kamaldeen Sulemana

£9.2m

The ex-Bochum defender is also worth more than the young quartet below Bazunu when scanning the table above, making the Saints a potentially reasonable profit even if his time in England hasn't gone to plan whatsoever.

Armstrong's value could well go through the roof if the former Blackburn Rovers man does add to his glittering 20-goal total in the playoff matches to come, however, with Bella-Kotchap just watching on from the Netherlands as his parent club battles away to try and make an instant return to the Premier League.

There might well be some temptation on Southampton's end to give Bella-Kotchap another shot at redemption, but with the potential to make £7m profit on a dud who could struggle anyway back in the top-flight, the Saints would be foolish not to cash in.

Southampton teen could be their perfect replacement if Che Adams leaves

Southampton could get over Che Adams leaving easier by unleashing this young starlet.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 16, 2024

Kopa Trophy 2024: Lamine Yamal, Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho lead nominees for Ballon d'Or's best young player award

Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Pedri have previously won the prize, but who will pick it up this year at the ceremony in Paris on October 28?

It's not just the men's and women's Golden Balls that will be handed out the Ballon d'Or ceremony, as a swathe of new prizes have been added to the roster by co-organisersFrance Footballand UEFA in recent times. One of those is the Kopa Trophy, which is awarded to the best player under the age of 21 from the previous season.

The 2023-24 campaign saw a number of youngsters thrive at the highest level, with some of the defining moments of the year provided by players who are only just making their way in the game.

Previous winners of the Kopa Trophy include Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Pedri and Gavi, and with the award voted for by previous Ballon d'Or winners, it is regarded as one the biggest any young player can win.

We will have to wait until the ceremony in Paris on Monday, October 28 to find out who will walk away with the 2024 prize. But for now, here is the shortlist of nominees:

Getty ImagesPau Cubarsi (Barcelona)

Cubarsi has developed into one of Barcelona's most important defenders. He is just 17, but already has 28 first-team appearances under his belt, as well as six caps for Spain. He is tied to Barca until 2027 and one has to think they will hope to extend that.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAlejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)

United's next great hope, Argentina international Garnacho already has six caps, and he is just 20. In 2023-24, he developed into a key player under Erik ten Hag, scoring 10 goals in all competitions – including in the FA Cup final win over Manchester City – and becoming the club's undisputed first-choice right-winger.

gettyArda Guler (Real Madrid)

Guler lit up Euro 2024 with Turkey as they embarked on an unlikely run to the quarter-finals. One goal and two assists in the tournament followed an injury-hit season in which he scored six La Liga goals for Real Madrid in just 10 games. A dazzling technician, Guler has marked himself out as a playmaker to watch.

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BackpagePixKarim Konate (Red Bull Salzburg)

Konate is fast becoming one of the most impressive strikers in Europe, and one has to think it is only a matter of time before he gets a big move. He scored 20 goals last season and also registered eight assists for Salzburg. Still 20, he is also an Ivory Coast regular and was part of their triumphant Africa Cup of Nations squad in 2024.

West Brom could drop Thomas-Asante to unleash "amazing" gem

Much like their play-off semi-final opponents, West Bromwich Albion enter into the lottery of the playoffs overjoyed at picking up a final-day victory in the Championship.

Both the Saints and Baggies had lost their last three second-tier clashes before the winning feeling thankfully returned, with Carlos Corberan's men beating Preston North End with eventual ease 3-0.

Despite the emphatic scoreline swinging in West Brom's favour come full-time, Brandon Thomas-Asante had a torrid afternoon as the main man up top for the home side and could find he's dropped for the first playoff game today.

Brandon Thomas-Asante's season in numbers

This could be looked at as a rash call by the Spaniard if he goes ahead with this major alteration, considering the ex-Salford City striker is West Brom's top-scorer this season in the league with 11 strikes.

Yet, his recent displays have been those of a centre-forward bereft of confidence and frustrated with his ineffectiveness in front of goal rather than one who boasts such a tag.

Before his poor day at the office against Preston, Thomas-Asante let his teammates down with a reckless red card against Sunderland after two ill-judged tackles crunched both Jack Clarke and Daniel Ballard in quick succession.

Restored to the XI against Ryan Lowe's men to see what he was made of before the playoffs were confirmed, Thomas-Asante went missing for large spells against the Lilywhites with just 25 touches of the ball managed from a forgettable 85 minutes.

Minutes played

85

Touches

25

Accurate passes

5/7

Shots on target

0

Big chances missed

2

Duels won

4/13

Stats by Sofascore

The lacklustre 25-year-old's display in the otherwise impressive 3-0 win will make Corberan really reconsider his striker's place in the starting lineup for the forthcoming playoffs, having missed two big chances against Preston to add further gloss to the win on top of completing just five accurate passes.

Josh Maja could well benefit from a last-minute centre-forward change, with the injury-prone attacker back in and amongst his manager's plans at the best possible time with both of the Southampton clashes coming thick and fast.

Why Josh Maja should replace Thomas-Asante

West Brom fans might be initially bemused by the decision to bring Maja back in for such a high-stakes contest, considering the ex-Sunderland man has been largely out of action since December before being given a five-minute cameo against Preston.

When given more minutes earlier in the season, Maja – who was openly described as being an "amazing" talent by Thomas-Asante himself – was showing promising signs of being a Championship-capable striker before injury disaster struck.

Scoring 15 of his 17 Black Cats goals in League One, the forgotten 25-year-old would have been overjoyed to net only his third-ever career strike at Championship level for West Brom when Leicester City strolled into town in December.

Only needing 15 minutes to score against Enzo Maresca's title-winners, with just four touches managed before sucker-punching the Foxes with a goal, Corberan could be tempted to throw Maja into the deep-end today to see what he's like over the span of a full game.

Scoring a brace in a recent U21 fixture for the West Midlands outfit too, Maja will want to keep firing on all cylinders after his return from injury with a starting spot against the Saints.

This could be a change that takes Southampton by surprise, on the way to West Brom utilising home advantage to pick up a big win before travelling down to the South Coast ready to protect a lead.

Players question UK government furlough rules after being told not to train

Recreational cricketers return to nets but professionals told to keep away

Matt Roller29-May-2020Furloughed county cricketers have been left frustrated by the specifics of the UK government’s job retention scheme, having been advised by their counties that they should not use net facilities at local clubs despite the fact recreational players are now allowed to.All but two of the 18 first-class counties – Lancashire and Surrey are the exceptions – have made use of the job retention scheme to furlough their players, whereby the government pays an employee’s wages when an employer’s business has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.The ECB issued guidelines two weeks ago permitting recreational cricketers to return to the nets providing they follow a series of health protocols including maintaining social distancing, but counties have warned their professionals that they should not follow suit while they remain furloughed.Under the terms of the scheme, employees are not allowed to do “any works that [either] makes money for your organisation… or provides services for your organisation,” but are permitted to “take part in training”. But it is understood that because the term “training” is considered to take on a different meaning within elite sport when compared with an office setting, counties have their hands tied.Gloucestershire players Ryan Higgins and Ian Cockbain both expressed their confusion about the situation via Twitter on Friday. “Why can’t we train only for the love of the sport? Baffles me,” Higgins said, while Cockbain suggested that players training should not be considered to be different from employees in other sectors furthering their skills through studying or taking exams.Higgins told ESPNcricinfo that he had asked the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) for clarification but had been left with the impression that the issue was a “grey area”. A PCA spokesperson said: “We totally understand the frustration this is causing players and we are speaking to the ECB around some clearer directives”.The reported this week that rugby union clubs had been told by HMRC on Thursday that they would be able to bring players back into a formalised training setting while they remained on the furlough scheme, but ESPNcricinfo understands that the ECB has not received any such guidance.As things stand, counties are planning to take their players off furlough around four weeks before the start of whatever season is possible, with the start date currently pencilled in as August 1, and the ability to bring players back into training without taking them off the scheme would provide a significant financial boost to the county game.The frustration for county players will be felt particularly keenly after England named a 55-man training squad on Friday, which will see those involved taken off furlough before they resume.An HMRC spokesperson said: “Our guidance is clear that furloughed employees can engage in training. But they must not do anything to provide services to, or make money for, their employer or a company linked or associated to their employer.”

Sky pundit praises Paratici after hearing Tottenham could sign £51m star

Ex-Tottenham transfer chief Fabio Paratici, who still advises the club on a consultancy basis, has been praised after news that Spurs are pursuing a £51 million star for Ange Postecoglou.

Paratici role explained as Spurs make summer transfer plans

Paratici's influence at N17 still very much remains, despite his official worldwide ban from football.

Ange told to sell Bissouma and build Tottenham team around £90 million star

The player in question would set Tottenham back a hefty sum.

ByJosh Barker May 5, 2024

The Italian was responsible for bringing in key players like Destiny Udogie, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur to name a few, thanks to his network of contacts in Serie A. Paratici, though, was forced to resign from his post as managing director last year after being slapped with his ban courtesy of FIFA – thanks to his alleged involvement in financial mispractice whilst at Juventus.

Paratici had his ban partially reduced in 2023, though, meaning he can assist Spurs in a limited capacity. Postecoglou has admitted contact with Paratici as the pair, alongside chairman Daniel Levy and the wider Spurs recruitment team, work on summer transfer planning.

Son Heung-min

7.30

James Maddison

7.15

Manor Solomon

7.05

Pedro Porro

7.03

Cristian Romero

7.01

Tottenham are laying the groundwork to sign a new forward with help from Paratici's contacts, according to reports, and the 51-year-old has also received glowing reports on Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori.

It is also believed that Spurs are considering a bid for RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo, who commands a price tag of around £51 million if any interested side wish to make a formal move for the Spaniard.

Postecoglou apparently believes Olmo would slot perfectly into his Spurs system, which is testament to Paratici and Tottenham chiefs after they identified him.

Robinson praises Paratici as Tottenham target Olmo

Speaking to Tottenham News, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has praised Paratici as Spurs eye a move for Olmo this summer, claiming the winger is exactly the calibre of player who they should be going for.

“I think he’s a good player and has attracted a lot of Premier League interest. If Tottenham are in for players like that, that can only be a good thing. You can’t question the Spurs recruitment.

“[Fabio] Paratici’s fingerprints are still all over it, looking at the signings of Van de Ven, Vicario, Bentancur, Kulusevski. It’s rare that Spurs go out and pay a big fee for individuals. They did it with Johnson from Nottingham Forest but that wasn’t a huge fee and with Richarlison for the £50million they paid to Everton.

“But actually, if they’re going to be in the bracket of teams challenging to sign Olmo, it’s an improvement. The Champions League is still there. Looking at Spurs’ games, it is very difficult with games against Liverpool, Burnley, Manchester City and Sheffield United.

“They’ve got it all to do, but the Champions League makes a huge difference to the budget for next season. If they’re in for the likes of Olmo, it’s an improvement and they’re in the right market.”

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