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BBC journalist Alex Howell has now confirmed some exciting Tottenham Hotspur transfer news involving Udinese left-wing-back Destiny Udogie.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites keep busy…

The Lilywhites and head coach Antonio Conte have been seriously attacking the transfer market this summer with six major signings having already been confirmed.

Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet and Djed Spence have put pen to paper on moves to N17 with there being reports of more in the pipeline.

Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo, like Udogie, has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in the last few weeks and it appears the latter man is certain to join Spurs after Fabrizio Romano revealed a fee had been agreed during the week.

The Latest: BBC reporter says done deal

Indeed, as now backed by the ever-reliable BBC via their reporter Howell, there has indeed been an exciting Udogie development with the north Londoners reaching a full agreement.

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The journalist confirmed (via Twitter):

“Tottenham have agreed a deal to sign defender Destiny Udogie from Udinese. The left back will be loaned back to his club before joining up with Spurs next season.”

The Verdict: Great move…

A player with vast potential, members of the media have certainly been quick to point out the 19-year-old’s ability since the links to Spurs popped up.

Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig has highlighted Udogie’s ‘superb technique’ and ‘footwork’ for a player of his stature whilst Islington Gazette reporter Josh Bunting has claimed the defender is ‘incredible’.

The Italy Under-21s international certainly comes with a glowing reputation already and sporting director Fabio Paratici may have just sealed an absolutely brilliant addition at N17 – not to mention a possible future star.

Arsenal are looking at Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby as Mikel Arteta aims to improve his options out wide.

What’s the news?

That’s according to BUT! Football Club, who claim that Arsenal are keen on Diaby, despite Bayer Leverkusen officially saying he isn’t for sale, although a bid of €70m (£59m) could be enough to begin negotiations.

Having already spent £45m on Gabriel Jesus and £32m on Oleksandr Zinchenko in this transfer window already, another big money signing might be unrealistic, but if Arteta could negotiate for a slightly lower fee, a move could happen.

Diaby could be Arteta’s own Salah

Arsenal remain interested in Villarreal star Yeremy Pino and it’s clear that Arteta wants to add another winger to his squad and continue the side’s impressive transfer window thus far.

With 19-year-old Pino being considered a rising talent, the Gunners boss might be tempted to pursue a deal for Diaby, who is slightly more experienced, scoring 46 goals and registering 51 assists in 193 club career matches. He has also represented France eight times at senior level, proving that the winger has what it takes to shine at the highest stage.

Diaby is statistically and stylistically most similar to Liverpool winger Mohammed Salah according to FBref’s player comparison model.

Both players contributed heavily from the wing to their own team’s league goal tally last season, with Diaby (13) and Salah (24) ranking second and first for league goals in their respective teams.

Diaby has the slight edge when it comes to crosses per match, with the player attempting 2.7 crosses to Salah’s 1.4 and this is backed up by Diaby’s 12 Bundesliga assists.

The Frenchman also just edges Salah in terms of take-on success last season, although the stats are extremely similar, with Diaby winning 43.41% of his take-on attempts compared to the 30-year-old with 42.74%.

These stats prove that the two are extremely similar and if Diaby continues his upward trend so far, he could be a huge asset to Arsenal and have a similar sort of impact that Salah did at Liverpool when he joined in 2017.

The 23-year-old has been dubbed “electrifying” and his pace would cause problems to many a Premier League defender.

If Arteta can negotiate an acceptable price for the winger, then a move is a no-brainer.

A claim has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s interest in Ross Barkley in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that the England international is one of a number of players that the Tyneside club have had their eyes upon.

The reporter has stated that the Magpies are willing to do business at the right price if they think a player will improve their squad.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think we can expect some progress. Both Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi have been looked at, so have Broja and Barkley, so Newcastle are just open to any good deals that are potentially out there that could boost their push for top seven.”

Potential Willock upgrade

Newcastle could land themselves an upgrade on Joe Willock in the middle of the park by securing a deal to sign Barkley this summer.

Both players are technical central midfielders who like to join in with attacks, with the aim of contributing at the top end of the pitch.

Barkley only played 180 minutes of football in the Premier League for Chelsea last term but registered one goal and created nine chances – a rate of 4.5 per 90 minutes.

The £96k-per-week gem was once lauded by Magpies legend Alan Shearer whilst on loan to Aston Villa, with the retired striker saying: “Ross seems to have found a system that suits him and a manager who wants to play him. This is exactly what he needs.

“He now needs to find the consistency that has been lacking in his game because this is a crucial stage of his career. Ross has been spoken about in glowing terms since he was very young but he is 27 now and needs to deliver on that potential.

“At his best he is a match-winner and Villa is a great platform for him.”

Barkley played 1,586 minutes during that spell and created 42 chances – 2.39 per 90 minutes – whilst also chipping in with three goals from midfield.

Willock, on the other hand, played 2,059 minutes for the Magpies in the 2021/22 campaign and provided 17 key passes (1.33 per 90), scoring two goals.

On the defensive side of the game, both players lost more than half of their individual duels in those seasons, which suggests that neither of them particularly excels off the ball, which explains why the quality that they offer while in possession is vital.

Whilst neither player is a defensive machine in midfield, the statistics suggest that Barkley would offer a lot more to Howe’s team in terms of creativity. He and Willock are similar when it comes to scoring goals but the Chelsea man’s chance creation appears to be at a much higher level than the current Magpies ace, and that is why he could be an upgrade on the ex-Arsenal youngster.

This summer was always going to be one of change for Leeds United after surviving relegation by the skin of their teeth last term.

Players were going to come and go during Jesse Marsch’s first transfer window in charge but it’s arguably their most exciting signing who is proving to be the biggest joy to watch so far.

When Raphinha left Leeds it would have had many around Elland Road fearful for how the season could play out, especially with Patrick Bamford still not up to speed from a fitness point of view.

However, club-record signing Rodrigo has finally come to life, scoring four in his first three games, and his new partner in crime, Brenden Aaronson has also come to the party early on.

He was cruelly robbed of a goal on the opening weekend as it went down as an own goal but during the club’s famous 3-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday was a lot more fortunate.

The American was one of the stars during a remarkable victory and it was the attacking midfielder who opened the scoring.

He harried Edouard Mendy in the Chelsea goal before robbing him of the ball and tapping it into an empty net. It will be the easiest goal during his Leeds career but arguably, he will never work harder for one either. It was the epitome of not only his style of play, but also the clubs.

It was a first Leeds goal for Aaronson and he didn’t stop there, as he won four defensive duels, completed two tackles and registered two key passes, via SofaScore.

He did lose possession of the ball 17 times, but that was indicative of the risks he was taking, rather than a constant stream of misplaced passes.

Despite finding the back of the net, it was his pressing that caught the eye the most and it wasn’t a surprise to see him working so hard. Indeed, before today’s game, the 21-year-old was only beaten by fellow new signing, Tyler Adams, for distance run by Leeds players this term – 22.2km.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if he racked up another 10km after this mammoth performance, one that drew praise from a plethora of journalists.

Reporter Yaw Ampofo Jr labelled him the “ultimate pressing machine” while the Athletic’s Adam Crafton said he was “completely relentless” in his running.That appraisal seemed to be a common theme in the media with MLS writer James Nalton saying his “work off the ball is unrivalled.” Fellow Major League Soccer expert Chris Smith, meanwhile, said of Anderson’s game that he was “absolutely everywhere” on his way to making five ball recoveries in the first half alone.It is a long season and the young American will have to ensure he doesn’t burn out with the rigours of the Premier League in mind. However, he has been a breath of fresh air to this Leeds side and if he continues to put in performances like that, he will quickly become a fan favourite.It was a relentless display by the entire Leeds team, but Aaronson certainly stands out compared to his teammates.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Hakim Ziyech to north London this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Gianluca Di Marzio, with the Italian journalist revealing in a recent article that, after Manchester United agreed a reported €100m (£84m) deal to sign 23-year-old winger Antony, Ajax are now closing in on their own deal to bring the Chelsea midfielder back to the Johan Cruijff ArenA.

This is sure to come as a gutting blow to Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici, as the Italian duo have been reported to be extremely interested in launching their own move for the 29-year-old this summer – who is believed to be keen to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge due to a lack of game time under Thomas Tuchel.

Conte’s dream signing

With it being well known that Conte is hoping to add a new forward-thinking midfielder to his Tottenham squad prior to the closure of the summer transfer window later this week, it is not difficult to see why Paratici would be interested in a move for Ziyech over the remaining days of the current market.

While it is true that, following his £33m move to west London back in the summer of 2020, the Morocco international has somewhat failed to cement a regular spot in the Chelsea first team – starting just 29 Premier League fixtures over the last two years – the 29-year-old has previously shown that when given the chance to, he can make a massive impact within his side.

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Indeed, over his 21 Eredivisie appearances in his final campaign with Ajax back in 2019/20, the £25.2m-rated forward was in breathtaking form, scoring six goals, registering 12 assists and creating an enormous 23 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 4.2 shots – 1.5 of which hit the target – making 3.9 key passes and completing 2.6 dribbles per game.

These metrics saw the £100k-per-week talent average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 8.20, not only ranking him as Erik ten Hag’s best performer in the league but also as the best player in the Dutch top flight as a whole that season.

For reference, should Ziyech have achieved these returns at Tottenham last season, he would have ranked third for goals, second for shots and shots on target and first for assists, big chances created and key passes in the league, while his average match rating would have also seen the 40-cap international rank as Spurs’ best performer in the top flight.

Furthermore, with the 29-year-old being adept at playing from left, central, right and attacking midfield, as well as on either wing and as a support striker, he would also appear to be something of a perfect fit for Conte’s tactical setup at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – allowing the Italian to switch between a 3-4-3 and his favoured 3-5-2 formation.

As such, while it is true that age isn’t exactly on the Moroccan’s side, it is nevertheless evident just how perfectly the player who Elliot Hackney labelled “unreal” would suit the 52-year-old’s requirements of a new midfielder – leading us to believe that, should Paratici manage to steal Ziyech away from Ajax’s pull in the coming days, he could well have landed Conte’s dream signing.

Southampton are closing in on the signing of Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Arsenal, Pete O’Rourke reports.

The lowdown

Fresh off the back of their 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Tuesday night, the Saints have been active on Deadline Day.

They are finalising an agreement with Marseille over centre-back Duje Caleta-Car, who will cost between £12m and £15m (via Jacob Tanswell).

Maitland-Niles, who spent the second half of last season on loan at AS Roma in Serie A, could follow him through the door at St Mary’s.

The Englishman is out of contract at the end of the season, although Arsenal may not see it that way as they have the option to extend the deal by a further 12 months.

The latest

O’Rourke took to Twitter to share the news on Maitland-Niles, with Southampton moving a step closer to completing the deal.

Sharing a link to a corresponding article for Football Insider, the journalist tweeted: “Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles is undergoing a medical at Southampton ahead of finalising his move to St Mary’s”.

The verdict

One of the biggest assets that Maitland-Niles will bring to Southampton is his versatility. As per Transfermarkt, he has played 20 or more games in six different positions over the course of his career.

Principally a right midfielder, he can also play as a right-back, left-back, left midfielder, defensive midfielder and central midfielder.

Indeed, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta once said that ‘he has a huge talent where he’s versatile enough to adapt to almost any position on the pitch’.

The £52,000-per-week man may also offer composure, with The Athletic’s James McNicholas once describing him as ‘ice-cold’, so this looks like a clever swoop from the Saints, assuming there are no last-gasp hitches.

Newcastle United were strongly linked with a move for Joao Pedro this summer, and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club’s failed pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to Chronicle journalist Ciaran Kelly, Newcastle talks were “moving well” with the Watford forward, but they were unable to complete a deal before the transfer window shut.

Kelly tweeted:

“Joao Pedro talks were ‘moving well’ at one stage but, crucially, ‘not closed’ before change of profile.”

Dream Almiron heir?

There is no doubt that Newcastle United are on the up following their huge takeover in 2021, and have started their new Premier League campaign fantastically going unbeaten in their first four games of the season, but strengthening the forward line was something the club were clearly keen to address.

With striker Callum Wilson prone to picking up injuries, the club acquired the services of talented striker Alexander Isak this week to make sure they are fully covered in the striker role whilst the Magpies goal machine recovers from yet another problem.

However, there was also an opportunity to add depth and quality even further to the wider positions in the team, something that the club were unable to do after failing to get a deal over the line for the versatile Pedro.

Despite predominantly playing in the centre-forward role, the young talent has also featured in both winger positions for Watford, and his versatility is something Howe could’ve capitalised on by bringing him in to the squad at St James’ Park.

The Newcastle boss could’ve even landed a dream Miguel Almiron heir if he could continue to develop the £30m ace’s talents in the wider positions, which could have set up the Magpies front line for years to come.

Pedro has scored 15 goals and delivered seven assists over his 80 appearances for Watford so far, and despite being relegated last season with his current club he is shaping up to become a player with huge potential with many attributes that are perfect for playing in a winger role.

According to FBref, the young forward has Antoine Griezmann and Richarlison as stylistic matches over the last 12 months, and ranked in the top 2% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for blocks, interceptions and dribbles completed, ranking in the top 15% for progressive passes and tackles.

With that being said, Pedro is displaying his clear capabilities to become a very talented forward across the front three positions and it won’t be surprising if Newcastle make another approach either in January or next summer.

Tottenham Hotspur could make a move for Andreas Skov Olsen…

What’s the word?

According to Danish sports magazine Tipsbladet, the north London outfit are closely monitoring the Club Brugge star and have even sent scouts to watch his progress.

It’s thought that the Denmark sensation ‘dreams’ of a move to the Premier League, where teams may need to pay attention after his display in their 2-0 win over France this international break.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen exactly how much Skov Olsen would command, particularly as he only joined the Belgian giants in a £6.3m deal from Bologna back in January.

Bye-bye Moura

The 22-year-old gem is primarily a right-midfielder or winger, so you’d imagine that any potential move for him spells trouble for Lucas Moura, who has only featured in 12 minutes of action this season.

Skov Olsen, however, has been in fine form, having provided Brugge with six goals and three assists from just 12 outings across the Jupiler Pro League, Champions League and Belgian Super Cup.

Earlier this month, Football Insider revealed that Moura, who was once described as a “nightmare” to train against by teammate Eric Dier, is keen to explore his options when his contract expires at the end of the season after the likes of Newcastle United and Aston Villa registered interest in the summer.

Well, manager Antonio Conte could finally ditch the long-serving Brazilian by signing Skov Olsen in January as he’d represent a better long-term option on the right flank.

The young dynamo was part of the Denmark side to reach the semi-finals at Euro 2020 and has been described as “a real creative force” and “a crowd-pleaser” by legendary midfielder Brian Laudrup to the Daily Mail (via The Sun).

Moura, who cost Spurs around £23m from Paris Saint-Germain in 2018, is surely facing an unlikely future at Hotspur Way, given his age and poor form since that night in Amsterdam.

Instead, Conte could benefit from Skov Olsen’s exploits as the versatile wide man has proven to be a solid playmaking option, averaging 0.26 assists and 3.00 touches in the opposition’s box per 90, which sees him rank amongst the top 6% and 10% of his positional peers respectively, via FBref.

So, if the opportunity arises in any upcoming transfer window, then sporting director Fabio Paratici must look to make the Danish star one of his next signings at the club.

On the above evidence, he’d be a mighty fine replacement for the ageing Brazilian.

AND in other news, Levy masterclass: Spurs ransacked £16m for “inconsistent” flop now worth just £2.7m…

Tottenham Hotspur saw a number of their first-team stars take to the international stage on Friday, with Son Heung-min scoring a spectacular free-kick in South Korea’s 2-2 draw with Costa Rica, Harry Kane and Eric Dier playing the full 90 in England’s 1-0 Nations League defeat to Italy, Rodrigo Bentancur featuring in Uruguay’s 1-0 loss to Iran and Yves Bissouma getting a second-half run-out in Mali’s 1-0 victory over Zambia.

However, it was undoubtedly the display of Spurs’ £60m summer signing Richarlison that most caught the eye on yesterday evening, with the forward playing a starring role in Brazil’s 3-0 friendly triumph over Ghana at Le Havre AC’s Stade Océane in France.

Indeed, with Arsenal duo Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli absent from the latest A Sele̤̣o squad, the Tottenham attacker was handed the perfect opportunity to not only prove to Tite he is deserving of a starting spot at the Qatar World Cup later this year, but also to convince Antonio Conte that he should be selected from the off in the North London Derby next weekend Рhaving started just twice in the Premier League thus far in 2022/23.

And, the 25-year-old certainly did his chances of either no harm, twice combining with Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar to bag a first-half brace, affording his side an extremely comfortable 3-0 lead at the break.

His first was an extremely well-taken first-time finish from the edge of the Black Stars’ penalty area, with Richarlison latching on to Neymar’s pinpoint pass that split Daniel Amartey and Alexander Djiku, before cooly slotting beyond Jojo Wollacott into the bottom right-hand corner to double Brazil’s advantage in the match.

His second would come just 12 minutes later, with Neymar once again providing the assist, this time with the £62.5m-rated Spurs sensation turning in the winger’s free-kick with a smartly taken near-post header – coming as a direct result of an exceptional piece of movement by the striker shortly before the ball was delivered.

As such, despite the wealth of attacking talent – such as the aforementioned Jesus and Martinelli, as well as the likes of Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha, Antony, Matheus Cunha and Rodrygo – at Tite’s disposal, the forward who the 61-year-old manager claimed “smells like a goal” after Friday’s victory very much looks to be the front runner for Brazil’s number nine shirt in Qatar.

And, considering just how deadly in front of goal the 25-year-old was for A Seleção last time out, it would appear wise for Conte to take a leaf out of Tite’s book when Tottenham return to Premier League action next weekend, as starting an in-form Richarlison in Spurs’ front three would undoubtedly increase the Lilywhites chances of leaving The Emirates with all three points on Saturday afternoon – a result that would see Conte’s outfit climb above the Gunners at the top of the table.

Tottenham Hotspur have signed some quality talents over the years, however, have often been forced to turn players into stars rather than buy them readymade.

This has been the case with most of their current squad, with Harry Kane and Heung-min Son both rising from relative obscurity to become world-class players.

However, back in 2002, they were nearly the side that snatched a sensational Samuel Eto’o from Mallorca. This would have been two years before he would make his move to Barcelona.

The Athletic reported 18 years after that summer: “Samuel Eto’o was another centre-forward linked at that time with Spurs and other English clubs, but none were willing to take a punt on the 21-year-old, who was then at Real Mallorca.”

The Cameroonian striker obviously did not move to north London, but instead went on to play for a whole host of Europe’s elite. Across spells at the Catalonian giants and Inter Milan, he won three Champions Leagues – cementing his status as a “legend” of the game.

With 362 goals across his career, including 130 goals in 199 games for Barcelona, he truly was a fierce marksman with pace and power in abundance.

Nice one, Son! Show your love for Heung-min Son with this awesome t-shirt! Click here to buy…

Daniel Levy does not often make many big transfer blunders, but this decision, just one year into his tenure, to snub this deal must go down as one of his worst.

Although a strike force of Teddy Sheringham and Robbie Keane at the time was certainly impressive, Eto’o will likely be remembered as one of the finest strikers of his generation.

Even during the twilight of his career, during a small stint at Everton, Roberto Martinez lauded him as an “incredible professional”.

Spurs would have surely managed better than a 10th-placed finish during the 2002/03 season if they had him as part of their squad.

He may not have catapulted them to certain glory, but they would have been far closer to it than the period of mediocrity they suffered whilst Eto’o was busy scoring goals and winning trophies.

It would have gone down as one of the best pieces of business in the club’s history, but instead will be remembered as one that got away.