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Spurs are planning for life with Harry Kane despite an intense summer of speculation, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano this week…

What’s the word?

The Italian journalist delivered a fresh update on the England international’s current situation and the general feeling behind-the-scenes at Hotspur Way, with the January transfer window soon on the horizon.

Speaking on his ‘Here We Go’ podcast, Romano revealed:

“Tottenham are really planning with Harry Kane now.

“The atmosphere around Harry Kane is relaxed now. It’s not a fight like it was earlier in the summer.

“Let’s see what is going to happen next summer, but as of right now, the situation is really relaxed around Harry Kane, and for Manchester City, there is nothing going on with Kane now.”

Fans surely buzzing

For club and country in 2021/22, the 28-year-old talisman has been horribly out of sorts, having yet scored in the Premier League this term. The reasons for his poor form are somewhat explainable but they are not 100% fact.

Perhaps the failed move to defending champions Manchester City has played its part, or the fact that he barely had a pre-season following Euro 2020, or it could even boil down to Nuno Santo and his tactical system.

But he’s certainly not kicking up a fuss publicly and he did commit to the club in an announcement on social media after returning on the pitch earlier in the season.

However, this latest update should provide a major source of encouragement that the situation in the summer will not boil over into January, meaning Nuno and Spurs can continue business as usual heading into 2022.

It also means that Kane will, at least, see out the current campaign, in which he will undoubtedly turn his form around and that should please much of the Lilywhites faithful who will love the fact that their star man is here to stay.

The long-serving youth product has found the net at least 24 times in every season since 2014/15, so there is nothing to fear just yet.

It has also only been five league starts for Kane so far this term, whilst he has bagged six goals across European and domestic cup competitions.

If everything is good behind-the-scenes as Romano claims, then it’s surely a matter of time before the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium crowd see their leading man firing on all cylinders once again.

AND in other news, Spurs handed quadruple squad boost ahead of Newcastle clash…

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has confirmed a major injury blow before tonight’s Premier League game against Leeds United at St James’ Park.

What’s the story?

The Magpies find themselves inside the relegation zone heading into tonight’s game against Marcelo Bielsa’s side, and Steve Bruce will be desperately hoping for a bit of respite.

However, they will have to do so once again without their main man up front, with the Newcastle boss confirming that while Callum Wilson has made good progress on his injury, he’s not quite ready to make an appearance just yet.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Bruce said of the 29-year-old: “We’re not going to put a time on it. He’s making good progress. Unfortunately, he’s not made it.”

Fans will be gutted

The former Bournemouth striker has been a rare shining light for Newcastle over the past year or so and marked his debut campaign for the Magpies last season with 12 goals in just 26 Premier League games despite struggling for consistent action through injury.

This season has also seen him start off well, netting twice in the opening three fixtures, and it’s no surprise that he’s the man on whom Newcastle rely to lead the line and score their goals. In fact, Joe Willock was the only other player in their squad to score more than four times in last season’s Premier League.

The £19.8m-rated Wilson has earned rave reviews in his time playing in the Premier League, with Eddie Howe, his former manager at Bournemouth, particularly fulsome in his praise of the centre-forward.

The ex-Cherries boss said: “He is an outstanding player with unique attributes for us. He has that ability to run in behind and he’s got the work ethic off the ball and, of course, he knows where the goal is.”

The fact that Wilson will once again be missing from action tonight is a body blow and big setback to Newcastle, and Magpies fans will surely be gutted at seeing him missing a game from which they desperately need a win to get their season going.

Meanwhile, Bruce must drop this player tonight…

Derby County are set to receive a further EFL imposed nine-point deduction.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a recent report by John Percy for The Telegraph, with the journalist revealing that, after the Rams were hit with a 12 point deduction for entering administration, Wayne Rooney’s side will shortly be handed a further nine-point penalty for the club’s breaching of EFL financial rules.

It is also reported that the league’s governing body are set to impose a business plan on the Championship side, which the club’s administrators will have to follow resolutely in their operations going forwards, or else face being hit with further sanctions by the league.

Fans will be livid

Considering the fact that Derby’s recent 12-point deduction saw them plummet to the bottom of the Championship table, the additional nine-point penalty could all but confirm the club’s relegation to the third tier of English football come the end of the current campaign – something which will have left their fans feeling livid.

Indeed, with the latest deduction seeing the club fall to -11 points, 15 behind Nottingham Forest in 23rd and 18 behind Peterborough United in 21st, Derby’s fate would very much appear to be sealed unless Wayne Rooney masterminds what would undoubtedly be the greatest escape of all time.

However, perhaps more concerning for those involved with the Rams are the various predictions surrounding their current financial state, with one source stating to The Athletic that the club’s chances of surviving liquidation are 50/50, while another claimed that they could not see a way out for Derby.

As such, perhaps a scenario in which the Rams find themselves playing their football in League One next season is actually quite a desirable outcome, as the other possibility is simply unthinkable for Derby fans.

In other news: Fresh report emerges on Derby County’s chances of liquidation, fans should be worried

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted negatively to a report suggesting that the Reds are still keen on re-signing Phillipe Coutinho this summer.

The Brazilian enjoyed a superb spell at Anfield between 2013 and 2018, scoring 54 goals and registering 45 assists in 201 appearances.

However, he opted to join Barcelona in January 2018  in a move which irritated many Reds supporters in terms of the way he went about pushing through the transfer.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Since then, the 29-year-old has had a forgettable time of things, failing to impress at Barca and even being loaned out to Bayern Munich.

According to Mundo Deportivo [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Liverpool have ‘probed’ Barcelona about bringing Coutinho back to the club this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-10/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans don’t want Coutinho back

It isn’t an update which has gone down too well with some Reds fans, with these Kopites taking to Twitter to deride the latest links with the Brazilian.

“I highly doubt this happened. The little snake burnt his bridges”

Credit: @DarthMoaner

“No we haven’t lol”

Credit: @playmaker

“I’m happy with Elliott and Jones than us signing Coutinho”

Credit: @Ponnusudesh

“This comes around every few weeks, it’s not happening. Klopp doesn’t want Coutinho”

Credit: @EESX1LFC

“Absolutely no chance whatsoever, that ship has sailed”

Credit: @frankfrance12

“It’s not 1st April!!!”

Credit: @osprey23

In other news, one Liverpool player is close to completing a move elsewhere this summer. Find out who it is here.

According to Roker Report, Sunderland are closing in on the signing of Ron-Thorben Hoffmann on loan from Bayern Munich.

The Lowdown: Sunderland busy

The Black Cats have made the most of this transfer window, bringing in no less than seven new players with ten others departing (Transfermarkt), successfully rebuilding the squad who fell just short of promotion last time out.

In the final few hours of the window, they may end up doing some more business.

The Latest: Hoffmann on the radar

As per this latest claim from Roker Report, Sunderland are looking to capture the services of Hoffmann on a temporary basis.

The Stadium of Light outfit will be looking to sign him on loan with an option buy.

The report details that the ‘towering’ 6 foot 4 youngster has become a target after talks were halted with Vito Mannone.

The Verdict: Clever target

Capturing 22-year-old Hoffmann could be a fantastic piece of business for Sunderland. At the moment, Lee Johnson only has Lee Burge in terms of senior goalkeepers with experience, although Anthony Patterson has been promoted to the senior squad.

Although without an appearance for 30-time Bundesliga champions Bayern’s senior outfit, he has played 49 times for their second side. Even if he was signed to play a back-up role at first, it could be a clever piece of business from the north-east side.

In other news, Sunderland fans were livid with this former player’s comments.

Derby County have reportedly registered their interest in signing Manchester United midfielder James Garner, according to The Athletic (Wednesday 11th August 2021).

What’s the story?

The Rams had problems heading into the 2021/22 Championship campaign, with Wayne Rooney struggling for senior depth in his first-team squad.

Derby named a youthful substitutes bench during pre-season and their season opener against Huddersfield Town, but they have added some much-needed depth to their team in recent weeks.

However, they’re seemingly keen to continue to strengthen, with The Athletic claiming that Rooney is keen on raiding his former club for a potential agreement with James Garner.

Garner spent the 2020/21 season on loan with Nottingham Forest, and his short-term future at Old Trafford remains ‘up in the air’ heading into the new Premier League campaign.

‘Next Michael Carrick’

Garner spent the first half of last season on loan with Watford but found regular minutes hard to come by with Xisco Munoz’s side, who already have a considerable number of options in their midfield, which limited Garner’s game time.

That saw him briefly return to Old Trafford with Manchester United, before going on to sign for Nottingham Forest, who gave him first-team games at the City Ground.

Garner repaid that faith shown in him by Chris Hughton, by turning out with a number of strong performances for the Reds, as they finished 17th in the Championship table.

The midfielder had an average Whoscored rating of 6.98 for Nottingham Forest last term, which put him top of the list of their best performers from last year’s campaign.

Garner averaged two tackles per game, as well as an average of 1.7 interceptions per game, which shows that he can offer the ideal protection to a Derby County defence that is yet to keep a clean sheet in all competitions this term.

Forest are believed to be keen on re-signing Garner on a temporary basis this summer, although they’ve been joined by Derby County in the race to land the 20-year-old’s signature.

Garner was once labelled as ‘the next Michael Carrick’ by Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, after the midfielder came on as a substitute against Crystal Palace during the 2018/19 season.

“I believe he’s got the chance to have a great future, he knows we believe in him, we’ve got great faith in him as the next Michael Carrick.”

Derby County could be in the market for another midfielder in the near future, with Graeme Shinnie being linked with a move to League One side Ipswich Town before the summer transfer window reaches a conclusion.

So, it makes perfect sense for the Rams to use Rooney’s contacts at Manchester United for a potential deal to sign Garner, as he’s shown that he can perform to a more than good enough standard in the second-tier of English football.

He’ll be keen to further his development with a loan move elsewhere, and if Derby can offer him regular game time, then you would imagine they’ll have a good chance of landing his signature.

However, competition to strike a deal to sign Garner is fierce and the Rams will have to do all they can to convince him to sign for the club this summer.

Wayne Rooney’s side are set to take on newly-promoted Peterborough United in their second match of the 2021/22 Championship season, in what could potentially be a tricky test against Posh at London Road.

AND in other news, this star could be set for a Derby County exit…

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a potential blow in their bid to bring Liam Delap to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Kris Temple, who revealed in a post on Twitter that Bournemouth are actively pursuing a deal for the Manchester City forward, who could be available on a season-long loan deal.

Previous reports had claimed that West Brom were also in the running for the 18-year-old striker, however, there appears to have been little to no movement regarding a deal for the England U19 international in recent days, suggesting that the Cherries may well be leading the race for the starlet’s signature.

Fans should be worried

With Ismael recently revealing that he is still searching for signings in the summer transfer window, although also claiming that he will not be rushed into completing any deals, there would appear to be a very real danger of the Frenchman missing out on the signing of the Manchester City youngster this summer, unless he pulls his finger out rather quickly.

Indeed, with Kenneth Zohore being Albion’s only real option as a classic number nine – a player who spent last season out on loan –  it would appear as if Ismael is indeed in need of greater depth up front if he is to have any hope of securing an immediate return to the top flight with West Brom this season.

And, considering the sheer amount of potential the 24-goal Premier League 2 Player of the Season appears to possess, with football scout Jacek Kulig dubbing Delap a “phenomenal” talent, it would seem as if the £5k-per-week 18-year-old’s signing would be a very smart piece of business for Ismael to get done this summer.

However, with Scott Parker’s Bournemouth side clearly also being extremely interested in a deal for the youngster, and with the Baggies manager appearing rather lackadaisical about getting his transfer business done, The Hawthorns faithful would be well within their rights to be worried about their club missing out on Delap’s signing this summer.

In other news: Lost possession 24x: £1.8m-rated West Brom lightweight badly let Ismael down vs Luton

Queens Park Rangers manager Mark Warburton has agreed to sign a new deal at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by West London Sport, who claim that the QPR manager has agreed to put pen to paper on a new one-year deal with the Championship side.

The report goes on to state that Amit Bhatia had been looking to offer Warburton improved terms following an impressive second half of the club’s 2020/21 campaign, with the Englishman expected to sign the new contract before the start of the new season.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering the progress QPR have made under Warburton, the fact that the 58-year-old looks set to remain in charge of the Championship side for the foreseeable future is sure to have left fans buzzing, with his expected re-signing being something of a masterclass by Bhatia.

Indeed, taking over an Rs side that had been languishing in the bottom half of the second tier table for a number of years after their relegation from the Premier League in 2014/15, the former Glasgow Rangers manager has overseen steady growth at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, securing a 12th place finish in his debut campaign, followed by a ninth-place finish last time out.

And, with Warburton having been tasked by the club’s hierarchy with replicating Brentford’s model of developing players into saleable assets while also achieving impressive results on the pitch, it would be hard to argue that the 58-year-old has not fulfilled this task.

Indeed, along with the club’s improving league position, the Rs have also sold homegrown talents Eberechi Eze and Bright Osayi-Samuel for considerable fees, as well as fellow academy product Ilias Chair now being valued at £3.6m – with QPR slapping a €15m (£13m) asking price on the 23-year-old’s head.

And, following the signings of promising youngsters such as Andre Dozzell and Sam Field this summer, along with the additions of the experienced heads of Charlie Austin and Stefan Johansen, we would not bet against Warburton continuing this upward trajectory in west London once again next season.

In other news: Imagine him & Dozzell: Bhatia could seal QPR masterclass with “special” £7k-p/w dynamo

An exciting transfer claim surrounding Arsenal’s plans has emerged this week…

What’s the word?

According to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners will push ahead to complete a move for Ben White following the loan departure of William Saliba.

“Paperworks signed for William Saliba to OM from Arsenal on loan until June 2022, done and confirmed. Arsenal priority now will be working to complete Ben White deal with Brighton after personal terms agreed,” he tweeted. “And Lokonga official announcement, expected soon.”

The North London giants have already had two bids knocked back for the Brighton and Hove Albion defender and as per the Daily Star, the club have since returned with a third offer of £48m plus £6m in add-ons.

It’s thought the South Coast outfit want £50m upfront.

Exciting update?

Having already completed one transfer this window, bringing in Nuno Tavares from Benfica for just £6.8m to provide valuable competition to Kieran Tierney at left-back, it appears that Edu Gaspar and Mikel Arteta’s business is far from complete.

Now that Euro 2020 is over, Arsenal can look to get a deal for White over the line as the 23-year-old was part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad, even though he did not feature at the tournament.

Plenty of the Gunners faithful have been rather excited over the prospect of securing the Seagulls centre-back.

As relayed by football.london, one supporter claimed he would look good in an Arsenal kit amongst other responses, whilst many went wild in response to one of White’s tweets.

This latest claim from Romano will only ramp up expectations and excitement a little more. He even goes as far as suggesting that the club are close to sealing a second summer signing too, which is further encouraging news.

If Brighton want £50m, then Edu must convince KSE to stump up the funds, it’ll certainly create a positive atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium heading into the new season, where the Gunners will have to improve on their failings last term.

AND in other news, Edu could sign Arsenal’s next Fabregas in “special” £26m-rated star…

West Ham United could be about to ramp up their transfer plans in the near future…

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, manager David Moyes has a meeting scheduled with the board this week to discuss likely transfers and targets.

It’s thought that the two parties will decide which central defensive and midfield options to make a bid for and this is duly expected to speed up their business significantly ahead of next month’s deadline.

Football Insider have previously reported that GSB would put money aside for a new centre-back, whilst there could also be a consideration for Mark Noble’s retirement next year.

Moyes to make moves?

Plenty of uncertainty has started to creep around the London Stadium in recent weeks and that’s largely because of their lack of activity in the transfer market up until now.

Euro 2020 has been and gone, and kick-off against Newcastle United on the opening day of the new season is less than a month away, but the Hammers have not brought in a single new player this summer.

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By comparison, Arsenal have already made two additions, whilst Manchester United have made a mega-money splash for Jadon Sancho.

Moyes certainly needs reinforcements right across the pitch if he’s to get the east Londoners contending at the top end of the table once again, especially as they are facing the prospects of a 50-plus game season thanks to their qualification to the Europa League.

Right now, the 58-year-old just does not have the strength in depth to remain competitive across all competitions. For example, an injury-prone Michail Antonio is still his only senior centre-forward, and first-choice midfield duo Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek only have Noble behind them in the pecking order.

Similarly, Fabian Balbuena will need to be replaced at the back.

Therefore, if Ex’s latest claim is to be believed, West Ham are likely to start making their move in the transfer market, and that should appease many of the anxious Irons faithful.

AND in other news, Moyes risks making West Ham disaster as transfer update on £75k-p/w “monster” emerges…