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There has been an update in Tottenham Hotspur's pursuit of Roma defender, Roger Ibanez…

What's the latest on Ibanez to Tottenham?

According to Italian outlet Roma Giallorossa, the Lilywhites are said to have 'intensified' their contacts with the Serie A side regarding a deal for the 24-year-old, with the report suggesting that a bid for the Brazilian could be imminent.

The piece goes on to add that while Jose Mourinho's side are looking to recoup a fee of around €35m (£30m) if they are to cash on the former Atalanta man this summer, an offer of around €30m (£26m) could well be enough to help reach an agreement.

The report also notes that while London rivals West Ham United are also keeping tabs on the centre-back, it is Spurs who are currently leading the race for his signature, with new boss Ange Postecoglou said to be an 'admirer' of the two-cap international.

Should Tottenham sign Roger Ibanez?

It does appear that defensive recruits are something of a necessity for the aforementioned Postecoglou ahead of next season, particularly with The Telegraph only recently reporting that the likes of Clement Lenglet, Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez are all facing uncertain futures at N17.

That need for change has come following a rather disastrous campaign for the club which saw the north London outfit ship 63 goals in the top flight, ensuring they ended the season with the sixth-worst defensive record in the division.

Amid that desperate need to improve an evidently shaky backline, it does appear that long-serving skipper Hugo Lloris is likely to be on his way, with the 36-year-old Frenchman having notably made four errors leading to goals in the league in 2022/23 – the most of any player in the Premier League.

While the veteran asset is not yet out the door, the recent speculation is that Spurs are already closing in on a possible replacement, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that talks are "ongoing" regarding the bid to bring Brentford's David Raya to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Spaniard has warranted that interest after recording the most saves (154) in the division in the most recent campaign, ensuring he could be just the man that Postecoglou needs in the sticks to improve the club's defensive woes.

The ex-Celtic boss could improve the spine of the team even further with the addition of Ibanez, with the "outstanding" talent – as hailed by journalist Josh Bunting – having sparkled at the Stadio Olimpico of late after his part in Roma's surge to the Europa League final.

A player who is something of a rock at the back, the 6 foot 1 ace notably ranks in the top 3% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for interceptions made, as well as in the top 18% for tackles made, showcasing his ball-winning prowess.

The one-time Fluminense man notably averaged four tackles and interceptions combined per game in 33 Serie A outings in 2022/23, with that a far superior record to the likes of Dier (2.0), Lenglet (2.2) and Sanchez (2.0).

That stellar statistical record would appear to indicate that Ibanez could be the centre-back upgrade that Postecoglou's side are desperately in need of, with it no doubt exciting to imagine the improvements that can be made with the Brazilian – and the aforementioned Raya – lining up in the defensive ranks next term.

When 49ers Enterprises took over from former Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani, it brought a dramatic period in West Yorkshire to an end – a period during which the Whites finally returned to the Premier League after well over a decade away.

That return to the Premier League – and the battle to stay in it – saw plenty of transfer business at Elland Road as they battled to stay afloat. Some of it was exceptional, but some of it really, really wasn’t.

Football FanCast has taken a look at the worst of Radrizzani’s tenure to see where things eventually went wrong.

6 Dishonourable mention: Weston McKennie

We just have to give a quick shoutout to McKennie. Leeds signed him on loan from Juventus in January 2023 in an attempt to save their season, but the American flopped wildly. It was so bad that fans were letting him know just how out of shape he was as they said goodbye at the end of the season.

There was a clause in the loan contract, however, that would have made it permanent for £34m, and the only reason that’s not happening? The relegation. A bizarre situation where fans would prefer McKennie was topping this list as an all-time bad transfer. Instead, he’ll depart. Bullet dodged. Sort of.

5 Hélder Costa – £15m

Leeds signed Hélder Costa from Wolves back in 2019, initially on loan. And his inclusion in this list is perhaps a bit harsh – Costa did play a role in their eventual promotion that season.

However, the deal became permanent in July 2020 for around £15m, per the Mirror. Once permanent, Costa struggled and never truly got to grips with the Premier League – only three goals in 25 appearances. He’s now spent the last two seasons off on loan, first with Valencia and then Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.

4 Daniel James – £25m

James was a sizeable signing for Leeds, joining from Manchester United at the end of the 2021 summer transfer window for £25m. He’s a player they’d wanted for a while and things initially looked good.

But then Radrizzani made the wildly unpopular decision to sack Marcelo Bielsa the following February. James then never fit in under new boss Jesse Marsch and was sent out on loan just a year after arriving. He subsequently spent the season finishing 10th with Fulham while Leeds went down.

3 Brenden Aaronson – £25m

Aaronson is only 22 and could still go on to become a fantastic player. He may well go on to be a brilliant signing for Leeds. The problem, though, is that the American arrived at the start of last season as their big summer signing.

Paying £25m for a player who then struggled is bad. It’s even worse when your entire team struggles to the point of relegation. It’s just not a good look for the club when that player is 22 and moving from the Austrian Bundesliga.

If Leeds had made a less risky signing, it really could have been enough to keep them up.

2 Georginio Rutter – £36m

Leeds needed help in the January transfer window. You can argue all day where they needed that help but a new striker undoubtedly could have made a major difference. They went out and paid a club-record £36m for Rutter from Hoffenheim – an enormous risk, given he had two goals in 15 games by that point in the season.

It was a disaster. Rutter played 273 minutes in total – so barely the equivalent of three full games – and failed to score once. He did register an assist, but splashing out £36m for one assist isn’t exactly value for money.

The really worrying part about this one, though, is that Radrizzani didn’t want to make the signing. Per The Athletic, he favoured a loan move with an option to buy. It was the 49ers Group – which is about to take over 100% of Leeds – that pushed for the big permanent deal.

1 Jean-Kévin Augustin – £25m, sort of.

If the Rutter deal scares fans at all, they can rest easy that it’s almost impossible for any subsequent transfer to be worse than Radrizzani’s worst. The Augustin debacle is an all-timer.

Leeds signed the Frenchman on loan from RB Leipzig in January 2020. There was an option to buy him permanently for £17.7m, per Bild, but that option became an obligation if the West Yorkshire club were promoted at the end of the season.

Now, Leeds were promoted, of course, but then tried to argue that they hadn’t been. See, ‘end of the season’ is the key phrase here because they argued that June 30th was the end of the season as per the contract. In the year of the pandemic, however, the season was delayed and the club technically weren’t promoted by that ‘end of the season’. The promotion came in early July, so they sent him back to Leipzig without triggering the clause.

Leipzig took that to court, though, saying that Leeds quite clearly earned promotion that year and needed to pay for Augustin. They won that case – forcing Leeds to actually pay more in a breach of contract suit – a sum of £25m, per the Athletic.

Leeds, then, paid £25m for a player they didn’t actually buy. The kicker is that Augustin played a total of 48 minutes for the club, making every facet of this a disaster.

Manchester United have the opportunity to put the cherry on top of a fantastic season by winning the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium this afternoon in a monumental clash with local rivals Manchester City.

The Red Devils have already won the League Cup this season and qualified for Champions League football with a third-place finish in the Premier League, and now Erik ten Hag can improve his first season further by sealing the domestic double by beating Pep Guardiola to the trophy and ruin City's chances of a treble-winning season.

Indeed, the Dutch coach will be under no illusion that it will be an easy task for his team with Man City in unbelievable form of late and an opportunity in their minds to perform an outstanding achievement, one that, ironically, Man United were the last to complete back in 1999.

In terms of injuries, Ten Hag has his fair share to deal with as Lisandro Martinez, Marcel Sabitzer, Antony and Anthony Martial will be unavailable for selection, with the latter the most recent to fall victim to fitness issues ahead of the huge fixture this afternoon leaving the centre-forward role considerably weakened.

Having said that, the Red Devils still boast a squad capable of delivering high quality at Wembley today and after beating Guardiola's impressive side back in January, Ten Hag will surely look back on how his team performed in the victory many months ago to find inspiration for his starting eleven.

One player who put on a fantastic performance in the 2-1 win over City was Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and it could be the perfect opportunity to unleash him once again at Wembley.

Will Wan-Bissaka start in the FA Cup Final?

The talented right-back has revived his career at Old Trafford this season under the guidance of his new manager and could now be a vital asset in keeping the attacking threat quiet this afternoon, or more specifically Jack Grealish.

Over 19 Premier League appearances, the £90k-per-week ace – once dubbed a "monster" by CBS presenter Aaron West – has won 55% of his duels and tallied up an 84% pass completion rate, as well as averaging 56.2 touches, 1.2 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and 1.8 clearances per game, proving that he is a huge defensive presence on the right flank.

His undeniable ability to stump high-quality attacking opponents was proven in the league victory over Man City where he comfortably completed 100% of his ground duels (7/7), accurately completed 100% of his long balls, successfully executed all three of his dribble attempts and won four tackles during his 90-minute performance.

In fact, Wan-Bissaka has a 50% win ratio over the 12 occasions he has faced the Sky Blues in the past and has only lost five times, whilst his positional peer Diogo Dalot has only appeared once and lost, making the former Crystal Palace titan the more experienced option for Ten Hag today.

With that being said, it will be important to start strong defensively to ensure they are not punished by the likes of Grealish and Wan-Bissaka could be the experienced and dominant presence to ensure the Man City star doesn't cause problems early into the clash at Wembley.

West Brom are interested in signing Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury this summer, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

The Lowdown: Big signings needed

The Baggies endured a 2021/22 season to forget, finishing 10th in the Championship and seeing their promotion push slowly disintegrate.

Steve Bruce now has a crucial summer transfer window ahead of him as he looks to bring in proven players who can ensure that his are among the favourites to return to the Premier League next year.

An intriguing transfer rumour has already emerged in that respect, as West Brom eye up reinforcements from the top flight.

The Latest: Choudhury interest confirmed

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Nixon gave a simple three-word verdict to confirm that the Baggies are interested in snapping up Choudhury from Leicester.

When asked about West Brom’s chances of signing the 24-year-old, the reporter succinctly replied that Albion are “having a go”.

The Verdict: Ideal summer addition

Choudhury has become a bit-part player for Leicester, only making four Premier League starts this season, so a fresh challenge could appeal to the player who was previously hailed as ‘great’ by his team-mate Harvey Barnes.

Although that would mean him dropping down a division, West Brom have plenty of Premier League clout in recent years and he could see them as a future top-flight team again, especially if he can have a big influence at The Hawthorns.

The fact that his current Leicester deal expires next summer acts as a further boost for the Baggies, as the Foxes could be happy to let him leave in the forthcoming months instead of losing him on a free transfer in 2023.

In other news, West Brom are reportedly keen on signing another player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Dan Ashworth is reportedly now ‘looking’ at signing both Ismaila Sarr and Moussa Diaby for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Down to business

After confirmation that he has now started his role as Sporting Director at St James’ Park, Ashworth seems to be getting down to business straight away.

The Tyneside club have already been recently linked with moves for the likes of Yannick Carrasco and Diogo Costa, and they will be expected to strengthen their squad significantly with the influx of cash from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The Latest: Double swoop

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has revealed that Newcastle are now ‘looking’ at the possibility of signing both Sarr and Diaby this summer.

He outlined: “Newcastle United looking at Watford’s Ismaila Sarr as well as Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby. Sarr has 2 years left on his contract – Watford will consider “sensible offers”.”

The Verdict: Depends on Saint-Maximin

Signing both wingers will likely depend on the future of Allan Saint-Maximin at Newcastle.

The Frenchman has been linked with a move away this summer, but he could still be persuaded to stay put by Eddie Howe.

Nonetheless, should the 25-year-old depart, both Sarr and Diaby would be exciting signings for the Magpies. The former possesses freakish speed and Premier League experience, while the latter has enjoyed an outstanding season at Leverkusen, scoring no fewer than 17 goals and supplying a further 14 assists across all competitions, mainly operating from the flanks (Transfermarkt).

Sarr would likely come cheaper given Watford’s relegation to the Championship, but either of them would help bolster the squad at St James’ Park.

In other news, find out which ‘superb’ colossus Ashworth is also eyeing here!

Liverpool are reportedly one of the main contenders to sign Benfica striker Darwin Nunez during the summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Record (via Sport Witness), the outcome of tonight’s Champions League final could have a big say on what Nunez’s next step is to be, as both Liverpool and Real Madrid are in the mix to sign the striker.

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After scoring 16 goals in 32 games for Almeria, the 22-year-old joined Benfica in September 2020 in a deal worth a reported club-record fee of €24m (£20.4m).

During his time with the Lisbon club, the Uruguayan has scored 47 goals in 84 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with 16 assists along the way.

Liverpool’s Greatest European Nights! Click here to OWN yours now!

Klopp would love him

This season saw the attacker really blossom into one of Europe’s deadliest strikers, as he found the net 34 times in 41 appearances.

Six of those goals came in the Champions League as Nunez scored against the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool on the two occasions that Benfica faced off against Jurgen Klopp’s side in April.

This shows just how capable the 22-year-old is of playing on the big stage and scoring against Europe’s top teams.

It also makes it safe to assume that Klopp would love to have a young, talented player like the Benfica star, who he recently praised, in his squad who he can improve and utilise in his team for the foreseeable future, especially if the Reds end up losing either Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah in the next year or two.

With 26 goals in 28 games in the Portuguese top flight, the Uruguay striker ended the campaign with the highest performance rating according to WhoScored out of players currently in the league.

Labelled a “tenacious” player and a “predator” in front of goal according to journalist James Dodd, Nunez reportedly has a price tag of £100m.

While this may be a hefty price for Liverpool to pay, the player’s young age and clear attacking talent could make it an investment worth completing for the Merseyside club and FSG.

If Liverpool can overcome Real Madrid in tonight’s final and secure the Champions League trophy, this and the prize money they would get could give them a big boost in their chances of securing a summer move for the Benfica star.

In other news: Bid incoming: Huge Liverpool transfer update emerges, supporters will be delighted

The Liverpool Echo journalist Sam Carroll has been left ‘absolutely gutted’ by some early Everton Team News that has now emerged before Thursday’s action.

The Lowdown: Delph out

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic journalist Patrick Boyland has shared that both Fabian Delph and Yerry Mina are still out injured, and will therefore miss their game at home to Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

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They are already without long-term injury absentees Andros Townsend and Nathan Patterson, while both Jarrad Branthwaite and Salomon Rondon are suspended after getting themselves sent off in the 3-2 defeat at home to Brentford last time out.

The Latest: Carroll reacts

Taking to Twitter, Carroll took particular notice of the news on Delph, claiming that he is ‘absolutely gutted’ the former Aston Villa and Manchester City midfield player will not be able to play a part in the match:

“Never thought I’d say it but I’m sat in work absolutely gutted Fabian Delph isn’t playing tomorrow. He has been vital to recent wins + good performances. Doucoure / Allan + potentially one other really need to step it up a gear or five.”

The Verdict: Blow

It certainly is a blow to be without Delph for this game given some of his recent performances.

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has now backed some big recent transfer claims involving Tottenham Hotspur and Pau Torres of Villarreal.

The Lowdown: Spurs in the mix for Torres?

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte is allegedly setting his sights on the signing of a central defender and has apparently earmarked the Spaniard as a primary summer target.

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Torres has been a mainstay under Unai Emery over the 2021/22 La Liga season, and Tottenham transfer chief Fabio Paratici has actually tried to bring him to the Premier League before, as confirmed by the player himself.

Reports have indicated that Spurs are now confident that they can strike an agreement for the 25-year-old, who wants now wants to leave Villarreal.

Indeed, the Lilywhites hold a serious interest in Torres, as now backed by Sky Sports reporter Bridge.

The Latest: Bridge backs Torres reports…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed that there is ‘no doubt’ that Tottenham are eyeing a move for Torres.

Bridge explained: “He is definitely on their radar – there’s no doubt about that. But he would probably be one of the more expensive options in a long list of defenders they’re looking at.”

The Verdict: Time to advance…

While there are many promising candidates to become a member of Conte’s back three, we believe that Torres stands out as one of the more elite targets.

Spain manager Luis Enrique reveres the defender’s partnership with Aymeric Laporte at international level, perhaps best summed up by his description of the Villarreal titan as ‘sensational’.

As ever, the only sticking point for Spurs is the finances involved, but reports have suggested that the club are confident they can sign him for less than his £55m release clause.

Going by the plethora of reports, now backed by a reliable source, this may well be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: Paratici tables crucial bid as Conte personally pushes for Spurs signing! Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen to sign Youri Tielemans this off-season, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Sun journalist Tom Barclay revealed to GIVEMESPORT that the north London outfit will attempt to secure the Leicester City dynamo amid interest from their local rivals.

“In midfield, they are interested in Youri Tielemans, whether they can get him or not is another thing. But I think a left-sided centre-back for Spurs, in particular, maybe wing-backs on both sides, potentially, are probably bigger priorities,” he said.

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“So, when you’re talking about probably £50 million-plus for Ward-Prowse, that’s a big fee for Tottenham and the way they do things. So, I’d be kind of surprised if they managed to do that, but that doesn’t mean they’re not interested.”

Arsenal have also been linked with a move to sign the Belgium international and The Sun believe they are the front-runners to secure him due to their placing in Europe for next season.

Midfield maestro

The engine room is perhaps amongst the least of Antonio Conte’s concerns heading into next season, considering a backup for Harry Kane and a left-footed centre-back are high on the agenda, but if the Whites can beat the Gunners to his signature, then they cannot afford to turn their nose up at him.

Tielemans would be something of a perfect signing for the Italian head coach as he not only offers steel in his own third but also creativity in the final third.

Paired alongside the more defensively-minded Rodrigo Bentancur – or even Oliver Skipp – the 25-year-old ace could form an excellent partnership heading into next term.

Once lauded as an “outrageous talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, Tielemans delivered nine goals and six assists last season, scoring the all-important winner against Chelsea to secure the Foxes their first-ever FA Cup, and he has since built on that with seven goals and four assists this campaign, via Transfermarkt.

The Athletic’s Rob Dawson has previously praised the Belgian as being a “creator” and has even earned some lofty comparisons to former Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, who is arguably one of the best box-to-box midfielders the Premier League has ever seen.

Currently, the £49.5m-rated maestro ranks as Brendan Rodgers’ third-best player in the English top-flight, where he has also averaged 2.2 tackles and 1.2 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

The midfielder, who former Anderlecht and Sweden midfielder Par Zetterberg believes is a “phenomenon”, would be a very welcome addition to this Spurs squad this summer.

It may not be a priority position but Conte would surely love a player of this calibre, providing goals and assists, as well as defensive stability to his two-man engine room.

AND in other news, Ben Jacobs drops Raheem Sterling-Spurs transfer claim…

NWSE appears to be heading for a big Aston Villa disaster that surely won’t please manager Steven Gerrard.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Aston Villa defender Kortney Hause wants to leave the club in the summer transfer window.

Hause saw a move to Watford fall through in January and appears to be set on a fresh start away from Villa Park.

Steven Gerrard set for defensive crisis

Gerrard has had a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde spell at Villa so far since he arrived at the club in mid-November from Rangers.

He appeared to ignite the spark back into the side following two consecutive wins, however, a bad spell over Christmas and New Year soon brought the team back down and they have faced a fight to sneak into the top half of the table ever since.

With Gerrard’s defence being one of concern, with Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings not exactly setting the world on fire, and the news that Hause wants to leave, the manager faces a semi-crisis.

Mings has averaged a fairly respectable 6.91 SofaScore rating but his performances have seriously dwindled since he began the European Championships last summer in England’s starting XI.

Konsa, meanwhile, has impressed at times but his overall metrics are incredibly disappointing, averaging a rating of 6.74, worse than both Mings and Hause.

The latter, who earns £25k-per-week, has only featured three times under the Englishman and hasn’t even been in the matchday squad for the previous eight games.

His performances earlier in the season led to some praise, however, suggesting he should be part of Gerrard’s plans going forward.

Hause was dubbed “assured” following an excellent performance against Manchester United at the start of the campaign, in which he scored the only goal and it’s a pity he hasn’t been able to convince Gerrard of his merits thus far.

Hopefully, a solid pre-season can do the player wonders and the manager will give him more opportunities.

After all, with Konsa and Mings both linked with moves away too, it would surely be nothing short of a disaster if all three players departed.

AND in other news, Source: AVFC’s “difficult” dud could now leave Villa Park, it’s great news for Gerrard