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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly looking to sign Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij, according to reports from Italy. 

The Lowdown: Spurs’ defensive issues

This season has seen the north London club concede 29 goals in total across all competitions. With the likes of Eric Dier, Cristian Romero, Davidson Sanchez, Clement Lenglet and Ben Davies as his main defensive options, Antonio Conte has not seen his team be particularly strong at the back. 

However, it appears as though he has identified a player to bring in during the upcoming January transfer window to help strengthen his side in that regard. 

The Latest: Spurs keen on De Vrij

According to a recent report from Calciomercato, Conte is eager to add the defender to his ranks at Spurs in January. 

The report adds that Fabio Paratici could look to offer Sanchez to Inter to try and get them to part ways with De Vrij. 

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The Verdict: No-brainer for Spurs 

Across the Dutchman’s 12 Serie A appearances this season, he has made more clearances (37) and interceptions (24) than any other player at the San Siro. He also has the joint-second highest number of tackles made in the defensive third of the pitch (nine), further highlighting how difficult an opponent he can be for opposition attackers.

In addition, Inter have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their three Serie A games in which the 30-year-old – who has been called a “monster” in the past by former Lazio defender Mauricio, has not featured.

Bearing in mind how Conte’s side have only kept four clean sheets across their 15 Premier League games this season, having someone like De Vrij, who will be in action for the Netherlands during the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, could be just what the Lilywhites need to stop leaking goals. 

If an opportunity to sign the £117k-per-week Inter colossus comes up in January, Spurs and Paratici should do all that they can to secure his signature, even if it means allowing Sanchez to go in the opposite direction.

West Ham expect to lose Declan Rice to a Champions League side next year, regardless of where they place this season.

The Lowdown: Constant improvement

Having earned the role as the Irons’ skipper at the tender age of 23, Rice is clearly valued in more ways than one. His emergence into stardom has been sensational, and he has continually improved specific parts of his game.

For instance, last season, he struggled to create chances from midfield and was arguably too conservative in his approach play.

He ended the season with just 24 chances created, and has almost matched that with just 15 games played, ranking as the Hammers’ second-most creative attacking threat this season with 19 chances created, leading the charge for most assists with two.

The latest: Expected to leave

According to a report from Football Insider, sources expect West Ham’s £62k-per-week talisman to depart the London Stadium, with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2024.

Whilst the Hammers have the option of another 12-month extension according to the report, as the piece states, the next couple of windows represent the last realistic chance of securing a favourable fee for the England World Cup star.

The Verdict: True sentiment

Whilst West Ham will be doing everything they can to keep hold of Rice, ultimately he is destined to depart the side in search of Champions League football, having stated his goals in an interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap.

He may not achieve that at the London Stadium, which is why he will inevitably seek pastures new. Ultimately, West Ham will want to keep him as long as possible, but the report reflects true sentiment in the fact that his price tag will dwindle down with each window that passes by.

Next year could well be the year.

A claim has emerged regarding Tottenham Hotspur and their interest in signing Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni next year…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Carlo Garganese has claimed that the central defender is likely to be on the club’s radar heading into the summer transfer window in 2023.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “They were pushing for him last summer when Tottenham were looking for centre-backs, they wanted a left-sided centre-back and they ended up going for Lenglet, but we don’t know if that’s going to be a long-term solution there.

“I’m sure he’s on their list, he was definitely on their list this summer, obviously there’s still a way to go before next summer but I’m sure he’s still on there.”

It was reported, by Gazzetta, that Inter are looking for a fee in the region of €60m (£52m) to allow the Italian international to depart the San Siro, although it remains to be seen whether or not Spurs are willing to match that.

Lenglet upgrade

Antonio Conte bolstered his defence in the previous summer window by swooping to sign French defender Clement Lenglet on loan from Barcelona until the end of the season.

The former Sevilla enforcer has endured a difficult start to life in London as he has struggled for game time and hardly set the world alight when he has made it onto the pitch.

Lenglet has started seven Premier League games for Spurs this season and averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.67, whilst winning 64% of his individual duels.

This comes after he averaged a score of 6.67 and won 44% of his battles in 21 appearances for Barcelona in the Spanish top-flight last term.

The left-footed Frenchman suits the outside centre-back role in Conte’s three-man defence but his statistics indicate that he is not performing to a high level in that position, which was also the case for his parent club in 2021/22.

Whereas Bastoni, who Conor Clancy once dubbed a “phenomenon”, has been in strong form for Inter since the start of last season and has the potential to be a big upgrade on Lenglet for Tottenham.

The Italian international, who is also naturally left-footed, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.10 and won 60% of his duels across 31 outings in the Serie A last term, whilst he is averaging a score of 6.87 in the current campaign.

Bastoni, 23, is also four years younger than the current Spurs defender and this means that he has more potential in the long-term, as he is a player Conte can work with over time to develop and hone his skills.

Therefore, the Inter star, who has been described as “dominant” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would be a big upgrade on Lenglet. Their respective performances over the past 18 months and their age gap indicate that Conte would be far better off with the Italian enforcer in his squad for the 2023/24 season.

Bruno Lage made a number of questionable transfer decisions at Wolverhampton Wanderers during the summer but perhaps none have been as harmful as letting Romain Saiss leave on a free transfer.

The experienced defender made 206 appearances for the Old Gold during a six-year spell at Molineux, contributing 15 goals and three assists in that time.

He was a regular in Lage’s side last season, featuring in 31 games in the top flight, so it was something of a surprise when he was allowed to leave on a free transfer after the two parties failed to agree on a new contract.

Saiss would join Besiktas, where he has made 11 appearances in the Turkish top flight, averaging a solid 6.65 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

However, it is his displays at the World Cup with Morocco that hammers home just how big a mistake it was by Lage to let him go during the summer – a decision that surely played a big factor in him losing his job at Molineux.

The “Moroccan Maldini” has performed superbly in all three of the Atlas Lions’ group games, as they spectacularly topped a group containing Belgium, Croatia and Canada to set up a round-of-16 game against Spain next week.

A goal from Saiss helped Morocco beat Belgium 2-0 last week and he was solid once again at the back as they eased past Canada on Thursday to secure top spot.

Only six players at the World Cup have averaged more clearances per game than the former Wolves man, which emphasises just how important he has been in Morocco’s stellar defensive efforts, as they have shipped just one goal in the tournament thus far.

Much has been made about the lack of leaders in Wolves’ dressing room following the exits of key individuals such as Saiss, Conor Coady and John Ruddy during the summer.

There is no doubt that the 32-year-old was a “leader” at Molineux and considering he is starring at the World Cup, while Coady is unlikely to feature for England, it seems clear that Wolves have massively missed having the Moroccan in their side so far this season.

Should Julen Lopetegui fail to amend Wolves’ defensive issues after the World Cup break, which have played a big part in them being bottom of the Premier League, then Lage’s decision to let Saiss go will look even worse.

Liverpool are nowhere near appointing a new director of football at Anfield after being shocked by the resignation of Julian Ward, according to a fresh update.

The Lowdown: Ward’s shock resignation

Last month, the Reds were rocked by the news that Ward would step down from his high-profile role at the club once this season is done and dusted.

He only replaced Michael Edwards in the job earlier this year and was seen as a key figure for years to come, particularly in terms of player recruitment.

Ward’s exit means that Liverpool are on the lookout for a replacement, although it appears to be slow progress currently.

The Latest: Replacement far from sorted

According to Football Insider journalist Wayne Veysey, ‘no appointment is close’ for the Reds, having been ‘taken aback’ by the timing of Ward’s departure with no succession plan in place.

Former Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal man Sven Mislintat is one name who has emerged as a possible candidate but the report states that Liverpool are ‘not in talks’ with him.

This follows the resignation of a number of key figures at the club, like Ian Graham, the club’s director of research.

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The Verdict: Choppy waters at Anfield

It certainly feels like a rocky period at Liverpool after years of such seamless work, with everyone pulling in the same direction on and off the pitch for so much of Jurgen Klopp’s time in charge.

The possibly imminent sale of the club by owners FSG has clearly affected the stability at Anfield and Ward’s exit suggests that all is not well at the moment, having been described as ‘incredible’ by Klopp in the past.

It is important that Liverpool don’t rush a replacement for him, however, instead bringing in the ideal person to work alongside Klopp and ensure that this great period continues.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been dealt a potential blow in their bid to bring Matheus Cunha to Molineux in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to David Ornstein, with the journalist revealing in a report for The Athletic that, despite the Old Gold having initially looked to be leading the race for the centre-forward this winter, as well as the 23-year-old being keen on a move due to the appointment of Julen Lopetegui, there are now doubts about the Brazil international’s switch to the West Midlands.

The transfer insider goes on to state that, despite Atletico Madrid’s willingness to complete a €50m (£43m) deal with Wolves for the signings of both Cunha and Felipe, there would now appear to be doubts that Wolves are unhappy with paying such an amount for the duo – something that has opened the door for the likes of Leeds United and Everton to move for the striker.

Lopetegui must move

While it is true that Cunha has somewhat struggled for form during his time at Atletico – scoring seven goals and providing eight assists over his 54 appearances for the LaLiga side –  should Lopetegui believe he can help the 23-year-old refind his Hertha Berlin form at Molineux, the argument that the Spaniard simply must move for the striker is an easy one to make.

Indeed, the £26m-rated forward was devastating over his 11 Bundesliga appearances in his first half-season with Hertha back in 2019/20, hitting the back of the net on five separate occasions and providing his teammates with a further two assists – helping his new club secure an extremely respectable tenth-place finish in the top flight of German football that year.

The £49k-per-week attacker once again impressed over his 27 league fixtures in 2020/21, scoring seven goals, registering five assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.3 shots – 1.3 of which hit the target – making 1.8 key passes and completing 3.0 dribbles – the joint second-most in the division – per match.

These returns saw the player who Bruno Labbadia dubbed “special” average a quite extraordinary Sofascore match rating of 7.15, not only ranking him as Hertha’s best performer in the league but also as the joint 26th-best player in the Bundesliga as a whole.

As such, with Wolves in desperate need of a striker who knows where the back of the net is – with the Old Gold having scored a league-low eight goals in the Premier League this term – it would indeed appear worthwhile for Lopetegui to cough up Cunha’s asking price, as his signing could well prove the difference between top flight and second tier football for Wolves next season.

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch has now revealed that the aim is to get Patrick Bamford ‘up to speed’ for Wednesday night’s match against Manchester City.

The Lowdown: Bamford’s injury issues

Bamford was plagued by injury issues last season, suffering problems with his ankle, hamstring and foot, which meant that he only recorded nine appearances across the entire Premier League season.

After missing Leeds’ final three games before the break for the Qatar World Cup with a groin issue, the Englishman flew to Munich for a minor surgery to get it fixed, and now there has been a new update about whether he’ll be in contention to start against Man City…

The Latest: Marsch’s update

Marsch details that illness prevented the 29-year-old from being able to train with the team sooner, but believes that there is a chance that he will be involved in the match on Wednesday:

“So when he got sick, I think it disrupted a little bit his return into training, but we expect that he’ll be back in training as well. Then it’ll be can we get him up to speed for the Man City match but we expect him to be back in training.”

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The Verdict: Good news

It is very good news for Leeds that the striker is edging closer to recovery, and even if he is not available for the next match, it appears likely that he will be involved in the first-team set up before too long.

Gabriel Agbonlahor has previously hailed Bamford as being Leeds’ talisman’, via MOT Leeds News, and his performances in the 2021/22 campaign justify this description, contributing a remarkable 17 goals and eight assists in 38 Premier League appearances.

Injury problems have stunted the former Middlesbrough man’s development considerably, but if he is now able to put those behind him and he is given a consistent run in the team, he is a fantastic option for Marsch to have in the Whites’ attack.

Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero is available for selection for the Premier League meeting with Aston Villa this afternoon.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Evening Standard, Antonio Conte revealed that, after missing Spurs’ 2-2 Boxing Day draw with Brentford as a result of his World Cup-winning campaign with Argentina, Romero will be available for selection for the visit of Villa later on today.

Regarding the availability of the defender, Conte said: “Romero is back, yeah. He’s back and he’s available for the Aston Villa game.”

Conte must unleash Romero

Considering just how important a part of the Tottenham starting XI Romero has become since his initial loan switch to the club last summer, should the 24-year-old be anywhere near full fitness, the argument that Conte simply must unleash the centre-back against Villa is an extremely easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 22 Premier League appearances last season, the £71m-rated talent was in astonishing form at the back, helping his side keep five clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 2.8 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 3.3 clearances and winning 5.9 duels – at a success rate of 62% – per game.

The Argentina international also impressed in possession of the ball, enjoying an average of 73.8 touches per match, as well as playing an average of 2.6 long balls, 0.3 key passes and completing 51.9 passes – at a success rate of 87% – per fixture.

These returns saw the £165k-per-week defender average a breathtaking Sofascore match rating of 7.15, not only ranking him as Conte’s sixth-best performer in the league but also as the joint 31st-best player in the English top flight as a whole last time out.

It has been a similar story over the 24-year-old’s eight Premier League outings in the current campaign, with the centre-back having helped Spurs keep one clean sheet, in addition to making an average of 2.4 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 2.8 clearances and winning 5.4 duels – at a success rate of 59% – per game.

These metrics have seen the player who MARCA journalist Juan Di Sciascio dubbed a “little animal” average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 6.94, currently ranking him as Tottenham’s joint eighth-best performer in the league.

As such, with Conte undoubtedly hoping to avoid a repeat of Brentford – when Spurs went 2-0 once again, before salvaging a point in the second half – against Villa this afternoon, the 53-year-old simply must reinstate Romero in his back three, as the World Cup-winner is certainly something of a game-changer at the back for Tottenham.

Nathan Patterson was left incensed by a Kevin De Bruyne tackle in Everton’s 1-1 Premier League draw at Manchester City.

The Lowdown: Blues shock City

Frank Lampard’s side faced the reigning league champions on Saturday afternoon, in what looked like a horribly daunting challenge from the off.

Unsurprisingly, City looked likely to be comfortable winners in the first half, creating little but completely bossing the ball, finding the opener through Erling Haaland after 24 minutes.

The Blues struck back through an incredible solo strike from Demarai Gray as the match turned sour, with several yellow cards dished out to both teams by referee Andrew Madley.

The Latest: Patterson left ‘incensed’

One incident that stood out in the first half was a bad challenge by De Bruyne on Amadou Onana, with journalist Joe Thomas taking to Twitter to note Patterson’s reaction to it:

“De Bruyne in the book for a late challenge on Amadou Onana as Everton sought to counter. Patterson incensed by the tackle, which was quite cynical. De Bruyne and Onana were teammates just weeks ago at the World Cup.”

The Verdict: Some fight at last

It was nice to see Patterson show some passion at the Eithad, and after not getting close to Pep Guardiola’s side in the first half, the Blues showed some serious fight after the interval.

Lampard has had faith shown in him by the Everton board and it looks like his players are still fighting for him too, which should grant fans some relief after a shocking run of form.

Newcastle United midfielder Joelinton’s time-wasting in their 0-0 draw against Arsenal annoyed Sky Sports journalist Lewis Jones.

The Lowdown: Emirates draw

Newcastle’s top-of-the-table Premier League clash with Arsenal was filled with the most amount of drama and controversy that you could ever drain from a goalless draw.

The Gunners unsurprisingly controlled the game but were left frustrated with a combination of the Magpies’ staunch defence as well as the dark arts.

A result that sees Mikel Arteta’s side hold an eight-point lead at the top of the table was also enough to see the visitors remain third on goal difference ahead of Manchester United.

The Latest: Jones’ frustration

Early in the second half, Lewis raised the question of whether Joelinton constantly going down was due to a problem he wasn’t ready to leave the field with or a tactical play.

On Sky Sports live commentary of the clash, he said: “To my maths, this is the third time Joelinton has had the game stopped for some sort of problem. For a big lad, he’s very brittle. Or perhaps he’s suffering with a strain of the game-managements?”

The Verdict: Newcastle got what they came for

Eddie Howe’s side have lost only once all season and it’s easy to see why, with their performance at the Emirates Stadium both astute and infuriating, depending on what side you see it from.

The Brazilian was harshly booked just minutes after Lewis’ comment in the 58th minute as he picked up what was the seventh booking of the contest after taking Bukayo Saka out from behind with the Englishman set to burst into the Toon penalty box.

He clearly answered Lewis’ question on commentary as he saw out the rest of the game, with Howe’s side surviving a late VAR check to remain unbeaten since August.