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Graham Roberts wants Nuno Espirito Santo to make Milan Skriniar his first signing as Tottenham Hotspur’s head coach.

Nuno was appointed as Spurs’ new chief on Wednesday, finally bringing chairman Daniel Levy’s frustrating search for Jose Mourinho’s successor to an end.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach will be looking to return the north London club to the Champions League after a disappointing campaign which saw them finish seventh in the Premier League, which was only enough to secure a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Among Nuno’s priorities will be improving Spurs’ defensive record, having conceded more goals than arch-rivals Arsenal.

Skriniar, who played in all three of Slovakia’s group stage fixtures at Euro 2020, made 39 appearances last season and proved integral as Inter won the Serie A title for the first time since 2010.

The central defender has been attracting interest for a number of years and Spurs’ new director of football, Fabio Paratici, is reportedly keen to broker a deal.

Roberts, who won the UEFA Cup and FA Cup during his career at White Hart Lane, feels 26-year-old Skriniar would be a statement first signing from Nuno.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Roberts said: “I would take Skriniar as Nuno’s first signing. That would be lovely.”

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have ben left slamming the display of Ianis Hagi in their game away at Lyon in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening.

The Romania international was largely an anonymous figure on the pitch, recording fewer touches (30) than his own goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin before being hauled off by Giovanni van Bronckhorst just after the hour mark for Juninho Bacuna (SofaScore).

Hagi failed to record a single shot on target, dribble, key pass, accurate cross or long ball in the entire match, and was also guilty of giving up possession seven times (SofaScore), in what was a frustrating evening individually for the midfield player.

It means that he is yet to score under the new manager, while he has only managed one assist (Transfermarkt), and will no doubt want to improve on his recent performances.

Rangers fans slam Hagi

These members of the Ibrox faithful slammed his performance on Twitter, with one Light Blues supporter even going as far as to claim that he was a ‘let-down’:

“Hagi was a let-down tonight”

Credit: @DefNotJKen

“Hagi angry about coming off he’s been anonymous”

Credit: @redviper84

“Hagi vastly underperforming tonight, great to see rolling subs for a change though”

Credit: @lnheritant

“Hagi has been very poor under Gio so far imo”

Credit: @EveryOtherSatu1

“Hagi and Roofe are terrible footballers. Doing nothing out there tonight.”

Credit: @Robertc_12

“Hagi frustrating yet again.”

Credit: @RABERTO55

In other news, find out what off-field news has Gers gushing here!

After an impressive 5-1 win over Club Brugge in midweek, Manchester City are back in Premier League action this weekend with a trip to face Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday evening, with the Seagulls fourth in the table just one place and two points behind Pep Guardiola’s side.

On the chalkboard

Looking ahead of the match against Graham Potter’s high-flying side at the Amex Stadium, one City player who we feel should definitely be in the starting XI on Saturday evening is Ruben Dias.

After coming on as a substitute in the second half of City’s previous Premier League match against Burnley, the 24-year-old centre-back played the full 90 minutes in their hefty midweek win in Belgium.

During the match against Brugge, he made five tackles, three interceptions and four clearances, as well as winning five out of his eight ground duels and racking up an average passing accuracy ratio of 90%. Those returns ultimately earned him an impressive overall match rating of 7.2/10, making him the third-highest rated City player who started the game according to SofaScore.

This game saw Dias, who has been described as “fantastic” by Jose Mourinho, show why he is so important to the Premier League champions and why he should be in the starting XI against Brighton at the weekend to possibly terrify their attacking players.

City signed Dias back last year from Portuguese club Benfica for a reported fee of £65m. In his debut season in England, the £67.5m-rated defender (according to Transfermarkt), made 32 appearances in the Premier League which earned him the Player of the Season award, an impressive feat considering it was his first campaign in the division.

With City knowing that defeat tomorrow would see Brighton leapfrog them in the table, as well as potentially losing ground on Chelsea and Liverpool, Guardiola must include the imperious 24-year-old in his starting XI on the south coast.

In other news: Signed for £1.8m, now worth £25.2m: MCFC struck gold with ace who’s “fundamental” to Pep

Glasgow Rangers have reportedly now made a big transfer decision on Amad Diallo.

The Lowdown: High hopes

There were high hopes for when Diallo first walked into the door on loan from Manchester United, as sporting director Ross Wilson described it as a ‘really exciting signing’ when he first arrived.

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He managed to score on his debut in the 3-3 draw away at Ross County in the Scottish Premiership back in January, but has not managed to score or assist since (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Transfer decision

As per Football Insider, a source from Ibrox has revealed that Diallo will now be let go ‘at the first opportunity’ as his bright start fades away.

There are currently ‘no plans’ to extend his deal until next season, or attempt to make it into a permanent one.

The Verdict: Shame

It is a shame that Diallo’s move to the Teddy Bears has not quite worked out how they would have hoped, and so it is the right decision to let him go back to the Red Devils.

There is no doubt that the 19-year-old is a promising talent, but he has just not been consistent enough in a Light Blues shirt, and so needs to move on somewhere else.

Nonetheless, Giovanni van Bronckhorst might as well keep him in the squad for now as an option, until his immediate future gets resolved.

In other news, find out what ‘massive blow’ has now emerged for Gers here!

Leeds United are tracking FC Koln defender Timo Hubers ahead of a possible summer swoop, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Hubers profiled

The 25-year-old has established himself as a regular in the Bundesliga over recent months, starting 12 of the last 13 league games for Koln.

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His contract runs until 2023, and the 6 foot 2 centre-back appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high £2.7m Transfermarkt valuation.

He was named as a substitute against Jesse Marsch’s RB Leipzig earlier in the season, and it seems as if the new Leeds manager could be working with the German next season.

The Latest: Leeds interest on Hubers

The Daily Mail shared a transfer story on Hubers on Monday, name-checking Leeds with an interest.

Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham are also tracking the defender, who could be on the move for just £6m over the coming months.

The Verdict: Defensive shake-up?

The Whites have had a season to forget when it comes to goals conceded, shipping 68 in 31 games, so Victor Orta and Marsch could be interested in shaking up the club’s defensive ranks.

Neither Marcelo Bielsa nor Marsch have had a settled centre-back pairing all season, with recent reports suggesting that Robin Koch could be on the way out in the summer.

Should that be the case, Hubers could be viewed as a possible replacement, with the aerially strong Koln brute also capable of covering at full-back and in a holding midfield role.

In other news: ‘Bad news from Elland Road…’ – Big Leeds injury update now emerges on Joe Gelhardt

Sunderland and Elliot Embleton’s representatives have started talks over a new contract at the club for the midfielder, according to Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith.

The Lowdown: Emerging talent

The 22-year-old has become a key figure in the Black Cats’ squad this season after helping Blackpool earn promotion to the Championship last term with two goals and four assists in 21 appearances while on loan at Bloomfield Road.

This season, the midfielder has already contributed to five goals (two goals and three assists) in eight League One games as Lee Johnson’s men sit top of the table, but his contract is set to expire at the end of the current campaign.

The Latest: New contract

According to Smith, who was talking on a Q&A for the Sunderland Echo, Embleton’s contract situation is a priority for the club.

The journalist said: “Elliot Embleton is the obvious priority and Sunderland have already made moves to start that process. Krisjaan Speakman is understood to have started talks with his representatives and at the moment, there seems to be a will on all sides to get that done.

“It’s by far the most important contract to get sorted at this stage, both in terms of protecting a real asset and also in retaining a player who has quickly become central to Lee Johnson’s plans.”

The Verdict: Needs to be done

Embleton showcased his talents last season for Blackpool and has continued his fine form into the current campaign since moving to the Stadium of Light. The midfielder has completed 81% of his passes and, as highlighted above, been a regular source of goals in terms of scoring them or setting them up, quickly justifying why the Wearsiders wanted to bring him in.

The left winger has formed a good partnership with Alex Pritchard and Aiden McGeady in Johnson’s 4-2-3-1 formation and has been a strong factor as to why they sit top of the table early in the campaign. Hopefully club and player can quickly come to a satisfactory resolution in contract talks, thereby securing his future at Sunderland for another few years.

In other news, Sunderland have received a boost ahead of this weekend’s game with Portsmouth. Find out more here.

Ipswich have had a less than ideal start to their new season, with a draw and a loss from their first two competitive matches.

The Tractor Boys were held to a 2-2 draw by Morecambe on the opening day of the League One campaign, twice going behind in the match. They then bowed out of the Carabao Cup with a 1-0 defeat at home to Newport County, with a trip to Burton Albion now on the horizon for Paul Cook’s side.

Burton beat Shrewsbury 1-0 in their league opener last weekend before being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Oxford United on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

On the Chalkboard

Although Ipswich scored twice against Morecambe, a couple of the players in Cook’s attacking line-up failed to make their mark. Wes Burns (6.4) and Joe Pigott (6.5) registered unimpressive WhoScored ratings and were not directly involved in either of the goals, and that could tempt the Blues boss into a change for this weekend’s match.

The former Wigan manager should unleash Louie Barry for his League One debut for the club, having been an unused substitute against Morecambe. He is a versatile forward who is capable of operating on either flank and down the middle, which means that Cook could bring him in for Pigott or Burns, depending on which role he believes is best for Barry, as the pair were unable to stamp their authority against Morecambe.

Former England international and Ipswich academy product Darren Bent has backed Barry to score ‘many goals’ for the Blues. He told Football Insider: “He can go and show what he can do, get some first-team experience. It’s just a perfect move to go and show Dean Smith what he is capable of.

“So it makes sense to go out on loan to League One and prove yourself. He can get himself into the first-team next season.

“Barry needs to focus, work hard, train hard. I’m sure if he does all that then he will score many goals.”

Bent clearly feels there is a talented player in Barry and the Ipswich boss seemingly agrees. Cook called the 18-year-old an ‘exciting’ player upon his arrival from Aston Villa on loan and his unpredictability could hold the key for Ipswich.

Given Barry’s inexperience at first-team level, Burton may not know what to expect from him, and that could give him the element of surprise in the game, potentially allowing him to flourish. He scored 19 goals in 25 youth team appearances for Villa last term, but it is now down to him to turn up against Burton and prove that he can do it at senior level.

If he can come good and surprise the opposition, he could be a real game-changer for Ipswich. The teenager could come in and contribute with a goal from out wide or through the middle and help the Tractor Boys get their first win of the season. Worth the gamble? We think so.

AND in other news, Ashton could land next Chambers for Ipswich with deal for beast with “football brain”…

Writing for 90min, journalist Tom Gott has made a claim involving Tottenham and Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij as he shares an interesting update.

The Lowdown: de Vrij edging closer?

As per numerous recent reports, the Netherlands international is certainly a name on the radar of new Spurs boss Antonio Conte as he plots an overhaul at N17.

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De Vrij shined as a ‘key part’ of the Italian’s 2020/2021 Scudetto-winning side and claims over this past month have hinted that both the manager and player could reunite at Spurs.

Calciomercato.it listed the 29-year-old as one of many Serie A stars being watched by Conte whilst Fichajes, perhaps dropping the most exciting rumour of all, believe it is slightly more advanced.

The Spanish outlet say he is edging ‘closer and closer’ to Tottenham as their manager seeks to solve a ‘severe’ problem in the middle of his defence.

The Latest: de Vrij ‘may relish’ Conte link up…

Writing for 90min, sharing news of Newcastle’s newly-found involvement in the saga of de Vrij’s future, has also made a Spurs claim.

The Magpies have apparently been offered the chance to sign him as both Everton and Tottenham continue to eye a move, but Gott believes the latter team could have one crucial attraction for de Vrij.

Indeed, as explained in the piece, Inter’s colossal centre-back ‘may relish’ a reunion with Conte and there’s also the added ‘bonus’ of Spurs not being in a relegation battle when compared to Newcastle.

The Verdict: Get it done?

We believe Tottenham may well be ahead of their Premier League rivals in the race for de Vrij and managing director Fabio Paratici would be remiss not to take full advantage.

The £116,000-per-week star has been labelled a ‘monster’ by former teammate Mauricio whilst pundits from England also hold him in high esteem.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan branded de Vrij a ‘worldbeater’ who could become a Spurs ‘legend’ alongside Cristian Romero in the centre of defence – even drawing a comparisons to Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.

An experienced international with plenty of pedigree, having amassed over half a century of caps, the only red herring to a potential deal could be de Vrij’s age.

Some sectors believe he’s valued at around £40 million, a high price to pay for a player nearing his twilight phase and the end of his contract which expires in 2023.

If Tottenham can whittle down de Vrij’s price tag significantly, it’s certainly a move worth making.

In other news: Conte and Spurs gifted January boost in race to sign ‘explosive’ playmaker who wants to move, find out more here.

A number of Wolves supporters are delighted after Jonny was pictured in training as he continues to work his way back from a serious injury.

Bruno Lage’s side are currently in the middle of the final international break of the year, with the players off representing their respective countries.

Wolves lost 2-0 at Crystal Palace last weekend, bringing an end to a positive run of form, but the hope is that they get back on track when the players reconvene next week for the visit of West Ham to Molineux.

One player who continues to work hard on his injury recovery is Jonny, with the 27-year-old suffering cruciate ligament damage back in April.

On Thursday, Wolves’ official Twitter channel posted a photo of the Spanish defender doing fitness work outside on the training pitch, suggesting that his return is edging closer.

Wolves fans react to Jonny latest

These Wolves fans took to Twitter to show their appreciation for the 27-year-old as he nears a long-awaited return to action, with one supporter describing the pictorial update as “lovely”.

“Amazed and happy by this picture. Technology eh “

Credit: @flipflo36521997

“Another Don back on grass”

Credit: @SmithyWolves

“Lovely. Thing is with Jonny he can easily play right-back too so very good depth for right-back and left-back when he’s back”

Credit: @Alfiewwfc_

“Let’s go!”

Credit: @MrR1g4t

“This is the content we like to see”

Credit: @PortuWolves

“Yes, come on”

Credit: @JonMoss89615310

In other news, some Wolves fans have been gushing over this contract news. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have reiterated that Harry Kane is not for sale this summer, with key figures behind the scenes confident he’ll remain with Spurs, according to The Athletic. 

The lowdown: Report outlines multi-million pound agreement

Spurs forward Harry Kane has previously voiced his intentions (Sky Sports) to leave the club earlier this summer, although a move anywhere is yet to materialise.

Part of that is largely down to Spurs of course wanting to keep him at the club, as well as Kane being away on international duty with England in the European Championships, so a move is unlikely to have been on his mind recently.

However, Manchester City have been keen admirers of striking a deal to sign Kane, with a fee in the region of £100million being quoted over a potential agreement.

The Sun had recently reported that Daniel Levy had accepted a £160million offer from Pep Guardiola’s side, although it doesn’t seem as though that’s the case just yet.

The latest: Senior Spurs figures confident Kane will stay

The Athletic are reporting on Saturday morning that Spurs have taken a ‘dim view’ of suggestions that an agreement to sell Kane had been reached.

That same report also claims that both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City were taken by surprise on that claim from The Sun, with Spurs reiterating that Kane is not for sale this summer.

The Athletic have also revealed that key figures at Spurs are confident that he’ll stay with the London-based club moving forwards.

The verdict: There will be plenty more twists and turns

There are so many conflicting reports, it’s difficult to know which one to believe.

Kane has revealed his intentions for a new adventure away from Spurs this summer, but Nuno Espírito Santo’s side clearly still value his impact in north London over any sum Manchester City could plausibly stump up.

City are always going to be a tempting offer for any player however, both financially and for the position they’re at in the Premier League.

They’re a team who have really impressed under the management of Pep Guardiola, and Kane could be the missing piece in their jigsaw, as they target Champions League glory in the near future.

With that in mind, it’s hard to rule anything out at this stage, and while it seems unlikely Kane would do something as drastic as to try and force a move from his boyhood club, there will certainly be more twists and turns to come.