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Tottenham Hotspur have been given the green light to seal one of their mooted summer transfer targets this weekend…

What’s the word?

The north London outfit have been linked with a sensational return for Christian Eriksen, who has just been named on Brentford’s release list, despite manager Thomas Frank being hopeful of him extending his stay at the Bees.

According to the BBC, the Danish playmaker is yet to decide where he will be playing next season, with Spurs, Everton and Manchester United keen on his signature.

Brentford had offered him a new long-term extension earlier this month, as per Sky Sports, but this latest update leaves the Lilywhites now free to negotiate his return.

Summer bargain

Bringing Eriksen back to Hotspur Way without costing owners, the ENIC Group, a penny would be a very shrewd decision indeed.

The 30-year-old maestro left N17 for Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan in January 2020 and Spurs have suffered for creativity ever since, and now with the Italian in the dugout in the English capital, a reunion could make a lot of sense.

Earlier in the season, Conte dubbed Eriksen “dangerous.”

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Players like Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli all failed to fill the void left behind by Eriksen, so much so that none of the trio saw out the end of the 2021/22 campaign at the club – the latter even being sold permanently.

The former Spurs and Brentford man still remains one of the best attacking midfielders across Europe.

As per FBRef, he ranks amongst the top 1% of his positional peers for assists (0.38 per 90), expected assists (0.35 per 90), and shot-creating actions (5.08 per 90).

Only Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski are close to matching his returns, both averaging an xA of 0.25.

There’s no doubt that Erisken remains a favourite around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and it’s easy to see why given former manager Mauricio Pochettino’s past remarks.

“He is so special and we always call him Golazo, because he is capable of scoring unbelievable goals. The recognition from us is massive. It is true he is so quiet, so calm. He is a very relaxed person but he loves football,” he once claimed.

Eriksen is currently valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, so to sign him for nothing is certainly something of a steal.

It could well be time to bring the Dane back home, the place where he delivered 69 goals and 90 assists across 304 appearances.

Sporting director Fabio Paratici must now move after being given the green light to do so following his release from London rivals Brentford.

AND in other news, Conte now eyeing Spurs swoop for “aggressive” £42.5m-rated brute, he’s Bastoni 2.0…

Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could make a shock move to Manchester United this summer, according to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook.

The Lowdown: Ox set to leave

The 28-year-old looks highly likely to leave the Reds before the start of next season, having dropped way out of favour under Jurgen Klopp, despite being hailed as ‘fantastic’ by Rio Ferdinand.

Oxlade-Chamberlain didn’t play a single minute of action in the last couple of months of 2021/22, suggesting there is no future for him at Anfield.

The midfielder’s current deal expires next summer, meaning this is the last chance for Liverpool could receive a good amount of money for his services.

The Latest: Journalist makes shock claim

According to talkSPORT‘s Crook, United are ‘contemplating’ making a shock move for Oxlade-Chamberlain, as they look to bolster their options moving forward.

If the Reds are willing to accept an offer of £10million, it is claimed that their bitter rivals would attempt to sign him.

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The Verdict: Surely not?

It would be a huge shock if Oxlade-Chamberlain opted to join United this summer, given the rivalry that exists between the two clubs throughout history.

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His legacy would be tarnished by doing such a thing, as Michael Owen has shown in the past, while Liverpool will also surely be looking for more than £10million for their player.

Oxlade-Chamberlain will almost certainly leave this summer but expect to see him at a different Premier League club than United, with former side Southampton also mentioned in the report.

In other news, James Pearce is thrilled by a piece of Liverpool transfer news. Read more here.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has been left impressed following the appointment of Dan Ashworth as Newcastle United’s new sporting director.

The Lowdown: Ashworth joins Newcastle

Newcastle have now announced the appointment of highly rated Dan Ashworth as the club’s new sporting director, after the 51-year-old resigned from his technical director role at Brighton back in February.

Ashworth joined the south-coast club in 2018 after a successful stint as the Football Association’s technical director, where he led various England age groups to international triumph with wins at three tournaments in 2017.

Since arriving at Brighton, the former FA man has helped establish Graham Potter’s side as a mainstay club in the Premier League.

The Latest: Downie’s verdict

Taking to Twitter, Downie shared the news of Ashworth joining Newcastle, and the Sky Sports reporter gave his verdict on the appointment, claiming:

“Feels like Dan Ashworth is as good an appointment as Newcastle could make for their Sporting Director role. Time will tell, but going by his past work this feels like a bold & clever piece of business. Also been a while since I wrote/said “with immediate effect.” #NUFC”

The Verdict: Great appointment

According to The Guardian, Amanda Staveley’s PIF-backed consortium identified Ashworth as a key figure when they completed their takeover last October.

They report that negotiations took place amid claims that Brighton wanted £5m in compensation to release him from his contractual obligations, and now a deal has been struck.

With the perseverance and money involved for Newcastle to get their man, this is clearly a great appointment for the North East club, who is highly rated due to his impressive CV in the sport.

As a result, Newcastle will now be able to start making moves in the transfer market with their focus set on next season’s competition.

In other news: Newcastle United: Magpies target Hugo Ekitike ‘told’ he can leave Reims

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could well prove to be the deciding factor in any move for Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the respected insider suggested that Arteta’s links to the forward – having previously worked under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad as assistant manager – may well help tempt the 25-year-old into a move to north London.

Amid reports linking the 54-cap international to the Emirates, O’Rourke revealed that both the Gunners boss and their Brazilian contingent could have an impact on the move going ahead: “I think the opportunity to work under Mikel Arteta again would be a big factor in any decision from Jesus and there’s quite a few Brazilian players at Arsenal as well, which would maybe make it easier for him to settle in if he were to leave the Etihad for the Emirates.

“Arsenal are going the right way under Mikel Arteta, I think it’s fair to say, so I’m sure it’s something that he would definitely consider if Arsenal do follow up their interest.”

This latest claim follows centre-back Gabriel teasing a move for his compatriot to join him at the club, with a new striker seemingly on the agenda despite Eddie Nketiah nearing a contract renewal.

Supporters buzzing

That update from O’Rourke will only get pulses racing among Gunners supporters, with Jesus an ideal fit to solve their centre-forward woes, particularly with experienced marksman Alexandre Lacazette looking set for a departure.

In truth, while it had been a turbulent last 18 months or so prior to his eventual exit in January, former skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has no doubt left a notable void in Arteta’s squad, with the Gabon international having scored 68 Premier League goals during a four-year spell at the club.

In the most recent campaign, the squad’s highest scorer was Bukayo Saka with 12 goals in all competitions, although only two other players got into double figures, with that shortage of goals potentially proving costly in their failure to secure a top-four berth.

That is where the City gem comes in, with the £45m-rated hotshot having scored 13 goals and registered 12 assists across all fronts in the 2021/22 season for the title winners, notably bagging four in a brutal dismantling of Watford back in April.

As well as offering versatility, having featured on either flank or through the middle during his time in England, the 5 foot 9 speedster also offers a wealth of experience when it comes to lifting silverware, including winning four league titles in just the last five seasons.

In what remains a youthful squad in north London, adding a player of such elite calibre could well prove a real masterstroke, with supporters set to be ecstatic at managing to pluck such a gifted asset from a Premier League rival.

Although it is perhaps a worrying thought that City are so well-stocked that they are potentially happy to cash in on a player who has scored 95 goals in 236 games for the club since his £27m arrival back in 2016, it would remain a coup for Arsenal nonetheless.

Having fallen short in their bid to secure Champions League football for the first time since 2017, the club – and its supporters – will no doubt be optimistic that Jesus can finally get them over the line next term.

IN other news, Vieira 2.0: Arsenal gifted chance to sign “top-class” £25m ace, he could guarantee UCL…

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Nathan Collins to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claimed that a recruitment source has revealed that Victor Orta is looking to add a new centre-back to Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad this summer, with the Whites’ sporting director believed to identified the 21-year-old Burnley defender as a target.

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The report added that Newcastle United are also keeping an eye on the situation of the Republic of Ireland international, while further reports suggest that Collins is likely to have a relegation release clause written into his contract at Turf Moor, which will theoretically make a deal easier for Orta to get over the line.

Ian Harte 2.0

Considering the sheer amount of potential that Collins – who joined Burnley in a £12m deal only last year – quite clearly possesses, it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be interested in a move for the 21-year-old this summer.

Indeed, over his 19 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, the £7.2m-rated talent was imperious in the heart of the Clarets’ backline, helping his side to keep five clean sheets, in addition to making 1.3 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and 4.3 clearances and winning 5.8 duels (at a success rate of 63%) per game.

The £10k-per-week defender also impressed going forwards, scoring two goals and creating three big chances for his team-mates, as well as taking 0.8 shots and making 0.3 key passes per match.

These returns saw the player who James Tarkowski dubbed “exceptional” average a very impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.08, ranking him as Burnley’s second-best player in the top flight.

Furthermore, according to FBRef data, Collins also ranks in the top 12% of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the top 8% for npxG, the top 12% for shots, the top 6% for xA, the top 3% for npxG+xA, the top 8% for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for touches in the opposition penalty area over the last 365 days.

As such, should Orta indeed manage to get a deal over the line for the Irish defender with a clear eye for goal this summer, the Spaniard could well have unearthed Leeds’ next Ian Harte, the Irish left-back who scored 37 goals and registered 15 assists over his 280 appearances for the Whites. That is sure to be an incredibly exciting prospect for the Elland Road faithful.

AND in other news: Orta can unearth his next £60m talent as Leeds now plot bid for “unbelievable” target

Reputable journalist Alan Nixon has dropped a claim involving Blackburn Rovers defender Darragh Lenihan. 

The lowdown: Lenihan at Blackburn

Signed from Belvedere FC in the Republic of Ireland in 2011, Lenihan has come through the youth ranks at Ewood Park and has amassed 252 senior appearances for the club.

Out of contract in the coming weeks (Transfermarkt), the 28-year-old has previously been linked with a sensational move to the Premier League, with as many as five clubs believed to be taking an interest in him.

As the end of the 2021/22 English campaign closes in, it appears that the Irishman’s future in Lancashire remains in serious doubt…

The latest: Nixon drops Lenihan transfer claim

Taking to Twitter in response to a Blackburn supporter questioning whether a new deal could be forthcoming for the twice-capped ace, Nixon was quick to suggest that prospective suitors could come again.

He succinctly stated that there is “a lot of interest in Lenihan …”.

The verdict: Huge loss

Already set to lose manager Tony Mowbray, the sight of club captain and talisman Lenihan also moving on to pastures new would be a significant blow to Blackburn supporters.

During the season, the ‘man mountain’ (as Mowbray called him following a resounding 4-0 victory over Birmingham) scored three times and provided one assist in 41 Championship outings.

Overall, the Dublin-born centre-back earned an impressive 7.11 Sofascore rating in the league, making 1.5 interceptions, completing 4.1 clearances and winning eight duels on average per game.

If the mooted interest turns into something more tangible and a player of such importance leaves Rovers for free, it would be an undoubted loss to the squad, and whoever replaces Mowbray in the Ewood Park hot seat may have a tough task finding a reliable replacement for Lenihan.

Aston Villa have suffered an injury setback heading into their final two Premier League matches of the season.

Defender Ezri Konsa was injured during a tussle with Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta during the 1-1 draw which impacts Villa’s chances of securing a top-half finish this season.

Steven Gerrard will be gutted and he spoke after the match about the injury: “We’re concerned about Ezri, normally, someone like him wouldn’t come off the pitch unless there was a problem,” said the Villa manager.

He added: “We’ll send him for an MRI scan, I’ll be extremely surprised if he plays again this season.”

Bad news for the club, who arguably need all their key players fit and firing to secure that top half finish the manager desperately wants.

Gerrard has played Konsa alongside Tyrone Mings at the heart of the Villa defence since arriving from Rangers in mid-November, however, it is no secret the manager is looking to add some defenders to the squad next season.

Konsa only has an average WhoScored rating of 6.43 this season, ranking him a lowly 18th in the Villa squad. Although he does win on average, two aerial duels per match, placing him fourth on the list whilst also completing 86.4% of his passes, ranking him at seventh.

With that in mind, losing him for the final few weeks of the campaign is likely to represent a significant blow to the manager.

After all, the ex Gers boss said of him earlier this season, saying: “He’s been outstanding for me, obviously the red card [against Leeds] was frustrating for him and us because he is an important players.”

Having been at the club since 2019, the 24-year-old has shown brief glimpses of his potential, although it looks like this may not be enough to convince Gerrard to stick with him next season with the player linked away. An exit, however, would be a surprise given the praise from the Liverpudlian previously.

Hopefully, the injury isn’t as bad as first feared and Konsa can have a solid pre-season ahead of what could be the side’s most important season in years.

AND in other news, Lange plotting Villa swoop for “fearless” 87-goal monster, he’s even better than Watkins

Liverpool are interested in signing “entertaining” Napoli winger Hirving Lozano this summer amid reports that Napoli are winning to sell the player.

Reports from Italy (via El Futbolero) said the Reds are ‘monitoring’ the situation of the winger with a view to making a move for him ahead of next season.

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Reports in La Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Get Italian Football News) also confirm that Lozano could be sold and that the Napoli president is willing to listen to offers for him. He is rated at £31.5m but is contracted at the club for another two seasons so might fetch a higher fee.

The 26-year-old joined the Italian side in 2019 from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and has impressed greatly since. He’s made 113 appearances for the club in total and been directly involved in 39 goals.

He told Mexican TV last year that he would like to play for a club “stronger” than Napoli with it seeming as though he has ambitions to win more silverware. However, this season Napoli have been in a title race and currently sit third in Serie A just five points off the top of the table Milan.

Lozano has played a key part in that success, which is why he’s attracted admirers across Europe. With Napoli having now qualified for next season’s Champions League he could be tempted to stick with what he knows, but the prospect of moving to Liverpool would be hard to turn down.

One player he could turn out to be like is Luis Diaz. Similarly to Lozano, the Columbian was relatively unknown before his move to Liverpool but has since proven more than capable of stepping up to the plate. If Lozano moved to Anfield and was able to do the same, then he would be a great signing for Klopp.

If you compare both players, their statistics read pretty similarly, suggesting precisely why he’s been described as “unplayable” when playing for his country.

Lozano has a higher number of goal creating actions per 90 minutes at 0.65 compared to Diaz’s 0.34, which proves his creative ability. However, the Colombian has a higher number of goals per shot on target at 0.45 compared to 0.26.

Ultimately if Lozano signed he would only improve under a coach as good as Klopp, and his ability to create goals alongside Diaz who can score, could see a greater partnership form.

IN other news: Klopp must finally axe Liverpool “cheerleader” who lost possession every 5 mins on Sat…

Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has tipped Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart to finish his long and distinguished career at Parkhead.

The Lowdown: Hart excelling at Celtic

The 35-year-old joined the Hoops from Tottenham last summer, with Ange Postecoglou seeing him as someone who could aid their Scottish Premiership charge.

Hart has proven to be a superb signing to date, starting 32 league matches and playing a key role in his side topping the table late in the campaign.

The former England stopper’s current Celtic deal expires in the summer of 2024 and it looks likely that he will stay until at least that point.

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The Latest: McLeish makes key claim

Speaking to Football Insider, reacting to news from a Celtic source that the Hoops are on the hunt for a new shot-stopper signing, McLeish claimed that Hart could now see out the rest of his career at Parkhead, given the manner in which he has slotted in there:

“I don’t think he needs the competition. It’s good for the club, of course, but the mentality of Joe Hart means he won’t be affected by someone coming in.

“He’ll be playing for Celtic until he decides to hang his boots up. It’s a big club. Not many come bigger in the world, and the challenge of playing for such a big club has revitalised him. They’ve helped him find his mojo again.

“He’s got a touch of the Allan McGregor genes about him, and I can see him seeing out his career in Scotland.”

The Verdict: Best for all parties

The idea of Hart remaining at Celtic until he calls it a day feels like a no-brainer for all parties, with the Englishman still a force between the sticks, having once been hailed as ‘one of the best goalkeepers in the world’ by legend Gianluigi Buffon.

At 35, he is still far from done as a ‘keeper and his influence for the Hoops can continue to shine through beyond this season, with Buffon himself still playing at the age of 44.

Hart seems to have found a great level of form and confidence again, having lost his way a little in the Premier League, and Postecoglou will be delighted with the impact he has made.

In other news, a financial expert has dropped a key Celtic claim. Read more here.

A big Newcastle United transfer claim has been made on their plans for the summer window…

What’s the talk?

Magpies journalist Mark Douglas has revealed the position that PIF are viewing as their biggest area of improvement ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He Tweeted: “It’s a striker nufc want this summer as a ‘priority’.”

This comes after the Saudi Arabian consortium splashed the cash in the January window to sign Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Matt Targett and Bruno Guimaraes. They are now looking to take the next step and a new number nine is the player they want to bring in to do that.

Eddie Howe will be delighted

The Toon head coach will be delighted with the club prioritising a new number nine as his squad is currently lacking a reliable and consistent striker to find the back of the net in the Premier League.

Callum Wilson scored 12 goals in the 2020/21 campaign and this tally means that you can argue that he is a consistent goalscorer in the top-flight as he hit double figures for the club. However, he has not been reliable in terms of his availability for selection as he started 23 matches that season and has started just 14 times in the current term.

Taking Wilson out of the equation, Allan Saint-Maximin is the club’s top scorer with five goals in the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, Wood – who joined from Burnley for £25m – has only found the back of the net twice in 15 outings in the black and white shirt.

He has not been able to make an instant impact since joining from the Clarets and no one else has stepped up, consistently, to carry the burden in the final third.

The lack of goalscoring quality in the squad is evident and that is why the head coach will be delighted with the prospect of being given a new player to work with next term. Although, the club will need to ensure that they are able to get the right one in as Wood’s dismal record in front of goal proves that paying a big transfer fee does not guarantee anything.

Howe will be keen to assess the potential options that the club can target this summer with the aim of landing the new goalscoring machine for the Toon army to enjoy. As such, it will now be interesting to see who PIF attempt to bring in over the coming months…

AND in other news, PIF now heading for first major NUFC disaster on £55k-p/w colossus who “eats weights”…