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Gianluca Di Marzio has dropped an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s reported interest in a move for Lautaro Martinez.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by FcInter1908 (via Sport Witness), the Sky Sports Italia journalist revealed that, following earlier reports suggesting that Antonio Conte has made the Inter Milan centre-forward one of his priority targets in the summer transfer window, there is a very good chance Fabio Paratici does make another move for the 24-year-old at the end of the current campaign.

Speaking about Spurs’ interest in the Argentina international, Di Marzio said: “Who will Tottenham go to if they qualify for the Champions League? Surely Antonio Conte wants another striker.

“We know that, even before he arrived in London, Fabio Paratici had tried to take Lautaro Martinez, but then Inter sold Lukaku and could not sell both.

“I expect a possible Tottenham offensive for him. Then it is true that he has renewed, but it is possible that Tottenham could present themselves again and we’ll see what kind of offer they might present.”

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Spurs supporters will love Di Marzio’s update

With backup and competition for Harry Kane having been something of an issue for Tottenham in recent years, with the club’s last permanent signing of a centre-forward being Fernando Llorente back in August 2017 – who subsequently left Spurs for Napoli just two years later – the suggestion that Paratici could pursue a deal for Martinez this summer is sure to be an update the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful will love.

Indeed, the thought of the £63m-rated Argentine and Kane linking up in a front two in north London is an incredibly exciting one – not to mention being a duo that would somewhat replicate Conte’s devastating attacking two during Inter’s Scudetto-winning campaign under the 52-year-old.

Last season, in the Italian manager’s preferred 3-5-2 formation, Romelu Lukaku and Martinez scored 41 goals and registered 17 assists between them in the league, with Lukaku averaging an incredibly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.32 and Martinez averaging a 7.17 rating – ranking the duo as Conte’s first and third-best performers in Serie A respectively.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the prospect of Kane – who himself has scored 12 goals, provided six assists and averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.29 in the Premier League this season – taking the place of Lukaku in this tandem will be a thought that terrifies defenders up and down the country.

And, with it being reported that Inter will be willing to listen to offers beginning at €70m (£59m) for the €125k-per-week (£105k-per-week) striker this summer, a deal for Martinez is one that Daniel Levy could very much afford to sanction.

AND in other news: Conte can finally axe “horrendous” liability as Spurs plot talks for £17m “revelation”

A worrying report has emerged this week as West Ham struggle to find that elusive new striker addition…

What’s the word?

According to Daily Mail journalist Matt Hughes, the Irons have held talks with as many as seven different strikers last summer without completing a single deal in a bid to find a direct replacement for Sebastien Haller, who left in January 2020.

It’s thought that forwards at other clubs are reluctant to move to the London Stadium due to the form of Hammers talisman Michail Antonio. The 31-year-old’s prolific performances have effectively made him undroppable and that means David Moyes cannot find the right man to provide backup.

The Scotsman believes he is in need of a new striker to bolster their chances of Champions League qualification, with his side sat third in the Premier League standings, having also advanced into the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Recipe for disaster

This stunning development is sure to leave much of the West Ham faithful absolutely worried heading into 2022.

The east Londoners cannot afford to rely solely on Antonio for the remainder of the season as one injury could seriously curtail their progression as a club.

It’s no secret that the former Nottingham Forest star has fought with his fair share of niggles, knocks and injuries since arriving from the City Ground in 2015. In fact, he has not started more than 24 league games in any of the last four Premier League seasons, that’s 14 games missed per campaign.

The prospect of playing 14 games, for example, without a solid backup is certainly troubling.

Antonio has already missed one league outing this campaign but that was through suspension and Moyes arguably lacked his explosive work rate and goalscoring nature as they were defeated 2-1 by Jesse Lingard’s Manchester United.

If this problem rumbles on past the January transfer window, it’ll be two years with just the one 31-year-old striker and that would be inexcusable from the club’s recruitment team.

However, as evident above, it’s not entirely their problem and it could be rather tricky to find a viable solution, perhaps leaving Moyes with the need to utilise the club’s academy system instead but that’s just as big a risk if they aren’t ready for the massive step up into the men’s game.

This latest report has to be cause for concern for the London Stadium crowd.

AND in other news, West Ham could sign new Jermain Defoe in “prolific” £10.8m-rated goal machine…

Paddy Kenny thinks Everton have a chance of pulling off ‘an unbelievable deal’ for Real Madrid’s Isco. 

The former Sheffield United and Leeds United goalkeeper was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

According to a report from Mundo Deportivo last week, Isco is facing an ‘untenable situation’ at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid are keen to sell him in January in order to prevent him walking away for nothing when he reaches the end of his contract come June.

And so it’s down to the player to decide whether he’ll leave mid-season, with Everton one of his ‘more likely’ destinations.

Isco was limited to just eight La Liga starts last season in Zinedine Zidane’s final season at the helm, and new boss Carlo Ancelotti has only picked him for two of the first eight top-flight fixtures (via WhoScored).

The 29-year-old, who’s valued at £16.2million by Transfermarkt, has made 342 appearances for Los Blancos, scored 52 goals and provided 56 assists.

The latest

Kenny was effusive in his praise of Isco despite his struggles for gametime in the Spanish capital.

He thinks the player’s previous experience of working with Rafael Benitez could give Everton an ‘edge’ if there proves to be a battle for his signature.

“I think if this one comes off, it would be an unbelievable deal,” he said.

“You don’t play all those games for Real Madrid over the last ten years without being an absolute superstar.

“He is a talented player, someone I’ve always looked up to as a fantastic midfielder. What a player.

“If there is an opportunity to sign him, he’s someone the fans would like to see play for them.

“Benitez managed him when he was at Real Madrid too, which could give them a bit of an edge.”

The verdict

The parallels with the James Rodriguez are hard to ignore.

James was also 29 when he swapped Madrid for Merseyside, having fallen down the pecking order.

The Colombian did show his quality on the pitch, but his wages soon become a real problem for Everton.

Isco’s £225,000 pay packet should force the Toffees to think twice, especially when they compare his extensive injury history to that of Rodriguez.

In other news, Greg O’Keeffe offers his insight on reported Donny van de Beek interest.

According to reports by Voetbal24 (via SportWitness), West Ham are a ‘serious candidate’ for Club Brugge star Hans Vanaken, who is expected to make a Premier League move if he wins the Belgian Golden Shoe.

The Lowdown: Vanaken having a fantastic season

Attacking-midfielder Vanaken signed for Brugge in 2015, having already spent five seasons playing in Belgium – first at Lommel United, then at KSC Lokeren.

The Belgium international is currently having a fantastic campaign in the Jupiler Pro League, having scored five goals and producing two assists.

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He has also performed on the European stage, scoring three times and assisting once in six Champions League games this season – drawing international attention.

The Latest: Vanaken linked with the Hammers

The Hammers have long been linked with the midfielder, having previously been rejected by the player following a £15 million bid. Vanaken cited that if he were to move to the Premier League, he would want only want to do so to win trophies.

However, according to a report by Voetbal24 (via SportWitness), if Vanaken is able to bring home the Belgian Golden Shoe, it is expected that he will move to the Premier League, with West Ham now once again considered a serious candidate.

This arises after a previous report Voetbal24 (via SportWitness) claimed that the move was no longer out of the question despite the previous rejection.

The Verdict: A fine addition for David Moyes

The attacking-midfielder could prove to be a fantastic addition to David Moyes’ side, who have struggled for goals recently, with Michail Antonio failing to score in his last seven Premier League games.

Former teammate Onur Kaya has said that Vanaken has the technique of a much smaller player – he is 6 foot 5 – and believes that his friend ‘has his place at 16 of the 20 Premier League clubs’.

Current teammate and former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has even claimed that Vanaken is a better finisher ‘than Roberto Firmino’ and that he is of a ‘comparable level to Mo [Salah]’.

It seems that the Belgian beast could be the perfect fit for West Ham as an alternative goalscoring option playing off Antonio, so fans will surely hope to see this deal cross the line.

Former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor believes ex-Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner would be a “poor” choice for Celtic as the club’s next manager.

Wagner to Parkhead?

The American tactician was recently sacked as the boss of Bundesliga side Schalke after going 18 games without a win, which spanned a timeframe of eight months (via ESPN).

Wagner accumulated a points-per-game average of just 1.20 from 40 games in Germany – the worst of his career. While he guided Huddersfield to the Premier League, his record with the Terriers was 1.23 points a game from 154 outings (Transfermarkt).

With Neil Lennon walking away from Parkhead following his unsuccessful pursuit of 10-in-a-row, Agbonlahor urged the Hoops to steer away from Wagner, who was one of the first names to pop up as a target (Daily Record).

When asked by Football Insider whether Wagner would be a good fit for Celtic, he said: “Not really, no. I think he was poor at Huddersfield and had a poor record.

“I think Celtic fans would be angrier at that appointment than Kennedy.

“I think Celtic are going to take their time and wait for the right manager who has got the right vision for the club and a manager who knows he doesn’t have millions to spend and knows he has to get more out of the squad he’s got.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Wagner’s record is far from pretty, which makes it difficult to disagree with what Agbonlahor is saying here.

Sky Sports’ Jim White previously suggested that Steve Clarke, Rafael Benitez and Roberto Martinez are all candidates to inherit Lennon’s position. In our view, these three would be better options than Wagner.

With Dominic McKay taking his seat as the club’s new chief executive in the summer, there is huge pressure on his shoulders to select the right man for the job and regain the Scottish Premiership crown at the first time of asking.

In other news, Celtic approach ‘fantastic’ manager as Hoops source emerges.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson has touted an exit for West Ham United ace Fabian Balbuena after a Hammers source claimed he is ‘more likely than not’ to leave when his contract expires at the end of June.

Balbuena, who briefly forced his way into David Moyes’ starting eleven alongside Angelo Ogbonna at the back end of last year, has since had to watch from the sidelines as summer signing Craig Dawson takes his mantle.

Both Dawson and Issa Diop appear to be the favoured natural centre-back choices as Ogbonna continues his recovery from injury, and with no new contract offer on the table for Balbuena, Robinson is expecting his exit.

West Ham exit touted by Robinson

A West Ham source, speaking to the same outlet, also claims that he is more likely than not to exit upon his contract expiry – prompting Robinson to drop his take on the Paraguayan.

“I think he will leave this summer, he is too far gone into his contract now,” explained Robinson.

“If it hasn’t been sorted by now it does not look very likely.

“His exit would give David Moyes another space in the squad and more wages to be able to manipulate a squad and a side that he wants.

“It takes managers time to get the squad that they want. There is always a demand on instant success but that is not always possible. If you give manager’s time it pays dividends.”

Transfer Tavern take

Lauded as ‘brilliant’ by journalist Sam Delaney for his run of form in the side late last year (U Irons podcast), it is unclear whether we will see that again from Balbeuna this season or in future as his contract runs down.

In other news: West Ham lead this race for this defender, find out more here.

After a disappointing season for West Brom, currently 13th in the Championship, Steve Bruce has given an update on Andy Carroll’s future at the club ahead of the transfer window.

What’s the latest?

In an interview with Express & Star, the Baggies boss has confirmed that talks have been scheduled to make a decision on the striker’s future and whether his stay will be extended at the club or not.

Bruce confirmed:

“He has done well since he has been here and it’s great to see him fit. I’ve always said, when fit, Andy Carroll is a threat.

“I think it’s important in the next week or so that we sit down and make those big decisions which are never easy. We’ll see what develops.”

Time to go

Carroll was initially brought into the club to fill a gap in the striker role for West Brom after a freak hamstring injury to January signing Daryl Dike on his first full debut for the Baggies and has had an adequate impact on the side.

The £720k-rated star who was hailed “powerful” by former boss Alan Pardew, has delivered three goals in 15 appearances, scoring a goal in each of the two victories West Brom have picked up in their last six games, but with players returning from injury the striker has fulfilled his purpose and it is now time to go.

Dike returned to full team training last month but is yet to make an appearance in the team since he picked up his injury, and Bruce is hoping that he will be able to have a good summer working on his match fitness to reprise his star role as the striker in next season’s charge for promotion back to the top-flight.

With that in mind, keeping hold of 33-year-old Carroll doesn’t make sense in the club’s pursuit to rebuild and recharge for a chance to get back into the Premier League next season, and should be looking to invest in the future of the team, rather than prolonging the contract of a player who is nearing the end of his career.

West Brom needs to reflect on the nightmare season they have had in the Championship and re-evaluate what needs to be done to ensure they don’t find themselves in the same position again this time next year.

It is really important to keep moving forward in the best interests of the team, and accepting Carroll was a short-term solution and moving him on this summer could be the right decision.

AND in other news: Bruce can finally axe “lazy” flop as West Brom plot bid for “superb” 19 y/o sensation

Southampton moved up into third place after a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates on Wednesday night, but they will perhaps consider themselves unlucky not to pick up all three points.

One man who arguably disappointed for the Saints was captain James Ward-Prowse. The England midfielder was unable to make the most of his numerous corners during the game, whilst his passing was not as reliable as usual.

As per SofaScore, the 26-year-old lost possession on 20 times during the 90 minutes, which was the worst of any Southampton player who started the game.

Whilst the midfielder was heavily involved, having 116 touches of the ball, he failed to make a single key pass, when Ralph Hasenhuttl was perhaps relying on him to be a creative spark for the South Coast club, as they struggled to break down the ten-man Arsenal team in the second half.

Ward-Prowse was able to complete 83 of his 91 passes during the game, resulting in an accuracy rate of 91%. He was wasteful when he had the ball in promising positions.

The Southampton man, who earns £45k per week with the club, is usually reliable with his crossing, but of the 12 he attempted at the Emirates, only two were accurate.

He also won just three out of eight of his duels during the game, suggesting that he was second best to the Arsenal players on several occasions during the game.

Teammate Jan Bednarek suggested earlier this month that Ward-Prowse has “the best delivery in the league”, but he was unable to showcase that on Wednesday night, which will be frustrating for the South Coast club who arguably deserved to win the game.

Therefore, it can definitely be argued that Hasenhuttl won’t be too happy with his captain’s performance against the Gunners, and he will need him to be much better when his side take on Manchester City at St Mary’s on Saturday if the Saints are going to take all three points from that game.

And, in other news… Southampton handed huge transfer boost in pursuit of winger likened to Lionel Messi

A number of Liverpool fans have been heaping praise on Harry Wilson following his superb hat-trick for Cardiff City over the weekend.

The 24-year-old has suffered a frustrating Reds career to date, only making two senior appearances for the club. Wilson has found himself loaned out a number of times, with Jurgen Klopp unable to promise him regular playing time at Anfield.

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The Wales international is currently plying his trade at Championship side Cardiff for the 2020/21 season and he was at his influential best on Saturday afternoon, scoring three of their goals in a 4-0 win away to Birmingham City, with each of his efforts coming from outside the penalty area.

It means that Wilson now has seven goals and 11 assists to his name in the league this season before returning to Liverpool in the summer and possibly taking part in pre-season with Klopp’s first team squad.

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Liverpool fans want Wilson to stay

It remains to be seen whether Wilson has a future on Merseyside, but these Liverpool fans took to Twitter to call for him to stay at Anfield next term.

 “Harry Wilson hat-trick Future at LFC”

Credit: @LFCSlimbo

“He should be playing PL football”

Credit: @50ShadesOfHendo

“Absolute quality from the Liverpool loanee”

Credit: @empireofthekop

“Why all this talk on purchases when we can purchase one less as we have this guy”

Credit: @_Pontificator_

“Tbh, this guy should be given a fair chance. He has been performing admirably anywhere we loan him”

Credit: @JuniorTolulope

“Should at least give him 1 season”

Credit: @BiekoDaniel

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting positively as the Reds eye up a key summer move. Read more here.

Leicester City should repeat the trick that they successfully used in 2018 to sign Ricardo Pereira with a move for Robin Gosens.

The Foxes have been linked with a switch for the Atalanta full-back in recent days, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that he is their “main option” should Jon Rudkin elect to sign a left-back this summer.

However, the East-Midlanders reportedly face competition for the £31.5m-rated German international, with Manchester City having also been linked in the past.

With current Leicester defender Pereira also being linked with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur ahead of his move to the King Power Stadium nearly three years ago, the Foxes swooped by securing a deal early.

The Portuguese international, who was signed from FC Porto, was announced as a Leicester City player on the 19th May 2018 – just six days after the final Premier League fixture of the season.

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Whilst he did not officially sign his Foxes contract until the following month due to international clearance, the early deal allowed the East-Midlanders to steal a march on their rivals and sign Pereira.

He has certainly been a welcome addition at the King Power Stadium since, making 86 appearances for the club and winning the Player of the Season award in his debut campaign.

So, with Gosens interesting a number of clubs around Europe, it would certainly be useful for Leicester to tie up a deal relatively early, especially with the UEFA European Championships set to take place this summer, an event which could make any transfers later in the window a little more difficult to complete.

Having successfully completed the deal to bring Pereira to the club in 2018, Leicester should certainly take inspiration from that and beat the competition to the signature of the Atalanta man.

AND in more news, find out which former Tottenham starlet Leicester must also secure in the summer…