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According to 90min, amid all the noise surrounding pre-summer talks for Paulo Dybala, it appears Tottenham Hotspur have made contact to sign another superstar forward in Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Nunez in demand…

Touted by reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano as one of the ‘big name’ players who could be on the move this summer, Benfica’s star striker is apparently attracting interest from across Europe and the Premier League.

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As well as Spurs, north London rivals Arsenal, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and West Ham are all harbouring an interest in Nunez, who could leave for £65 million this summer (90min).

This is significantly less than his release clause, which is estimated to be over £100m, and 90min believe that the Lilywhites are already making their first moves for the player before July 1.

The Latest: Spurs in contact…

While the links to Dybala are hotting up, according to 90min’s information, Tottenham are also in contact with Nunez’s representatives to find out what sort of agreement is possible to back manager Antonio Conte with the forward’s signing.

The report adds that Nunez himself is ‘ready to move’ this summer and a switch to England is very much ‘in his sights’.

The Verdict: Promising target…

While it will require a hefty investment on Tottenham’s part, the 22-year-old has been in scintillating form for Benfica this season, leaving little wonder why they are set to demand a hefty fee.

He’s racked up a quite incredible 20 goals in 22 league appearances over 2021/2022 with his young age and versatility across the forward line coming as yet more incentives for Spurs to attempt a move.

As Spurs officials allegedly make contact, this could be an indication that the club have real ambition to satisfy Conte.

In other news: Paratici sets sights on ‘phenomenal’ £100m man who Spurs have been offered before! Find out more here.

Norwich City’s hunt for a man to replace Daniel Farke in the Carrow Road dugout has hardly been a frantic affair.

However, after a few days of talks, it looks as though they’re closing in on a successor.

What’s the word?

Norwich decided to sack their former German boss last weekend, just hours after they picked up their first win of the campaign.

The timing was odd but Stuart Webber and the senior officials in Norfolk had already made up their mind before that match took place.

The likes of Russell Martin and Dean Smith have both been mooted as potential candidates but one name who has consistently been linked is that of Frank Lampard.

He reportedly held conversations with the club earlier this week and according to talkSPORT, he’s even set to be appointed.

Those sentiments were repeated by journalist David Freezer, who took to Twitter on Thursday afternoon to issue the following claim:

“Looking increasingly likely that the next NCFC head coach will be a Premier League legend with 106 England caps – but with plenty to prove as a manager. Lampard has seemed to be leading the way from the start, could well provide the inspiration factor for this City squad,” he said.

Fans buzzing

As Freezer states, the former England international is a coach with plenty to prove.

He was sacked from his last job with Chelsea so his stock has fallen somewhat following a promising spell with Derby County in the Championship.

The 43-year-old tactician is yet to win a trophy during his managerial career but there is far more to his methods than generating success like that.

After all, Norwich don’t need a manager capable of winning trophies – that simply isn’t the focus. Instead, they need an individual capable of developing the playing squad and sustaining their Premier League status.

Of course, the Romford-born coach has no experience of a relegation dogfight but as Freezer’s previous claim says, he could be the inspiration factor that the Canaries need.

He is a much-hailed man within the football world with Scott Parker even describing him as “unbelievable.”

Indeed, it’s not difficult to see why that’s the case. Despite under a transfer ban, he took Chelsea to Champions League football in 2019/20 and still played a vital part in the team winning that very competition a season later, albeit Thomas Tuchel did see the job over the line.

But it’s his ability to transform young players – most notably Mason Mount – that should leave Norwich supporters buzzing about his potential appointment in Norfolk.

They only have four players over the age of 30 – two of which are goalkeepers – while they have 13 first-team members under the age of 23.

With that in mind, he could be devastating when armed with the likes of Billy Gilmour, Andrew Omobamidele, Josh Sargent, Max Aarons and Christos Tzolis.

This Norwich side has plenty of potential and if Lampard can inspire those young players, among others, it could be game-changing in their bid to stay in the division. As a result, supporters should be delighted that they appear to be on the verge of hiring him.

AND in other news, Lamps could find his new Tomori at Norwich in gem dubbed the “young Rio Ferdinand”…

A big twist has emerged on Rangers’ search for a new manager, regarding former Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Dutchman is ‘one step’ away from taking over at Ibrox to replace Steven Gerrard in the dugout.

The report claims that he is the favourite for the position, following Sky Sports’ claim that Gio van Bronckhorst has held positive talks with the club.

This marks a remarkable twist in the saga with a new coach suddenly leapfrogging previous candidates to become the favourite.

Elation

Rangers fans will surely be over the moon with this update as it suggests that Koeman could be Gerrard’s replacement at Ibrox. The experienced Dutch coach recently left Barcelona and is available as a free agent, with this report now claiming that he is on the verge of accepting the job to compete for the Premiership title this season.

Supporters would surely love to see him in the dugout as he has an impressive C.V spanning a number of years, whereas van Bronckhorst is still in the early stages of his own coaching career.

The 46-year-old won an Eredivisie title with Feyenoord and averaged 2.03 points per game across 136 league matches for the Dutch club in four seasons, whilst he also spent a short spell in China.

Koeman, meanwhile, has managed 342 Eredivisie games and averaged 2.06 points per match. This included time with Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV and Vitesse and he won three league titles in that time. He has won nine trophies in his career as a head coach, showing that he knows what it takes to win silverware – with more experience in the game than van Bronckhorst.

The ex-Barca man has also experienced coaching in Britain. He finished seventh, sixth and seventh in three full seasons with Southampton and Everton earlier in his career which shows that the 58-year-old has proven himself in multiple countries with several clubs. Van Bronckhorst’s C.V, however, is based on his four years at Feyenoord in his home country.

Therefore, fans will surely be over the moon with the prospect of Koeman becoming the club’s new manager. With all due respect to van Bronckhorst, Koeman has a better background, as shown by his managerial statistics, and could be a terrific appointment for the club as he has a track record of success over a prolonged period of time. It is now down to Ross Wilson to ensure that he can get a deal over the line that would surely elate supporters.

AND in other news, Time’s up: GVB could become an instant hit at Rangers by axing £1.8m-rated dud…

With six goals scored and none conceded in their two previous games against Arsenal in the Premier League and FC Porto in the Champions League, Liverpool are in a good position to take on Southampton at Anfield in their next league match at the weekend.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Jurgen Klopp could select in his starting XI to take on the Saints, one player that should definitely be in the team on this occasion that didn’t start in midweek is Jordan Henderson.

Despite not starting the match against Porto on Wednesday night, Henderson still managed to impress in the 27 minutes of action he got in the second half after he replaced goalscorer Thiago Alcantara.

During his cameo, Henderson managed to highlight what a useful midfield option he is for the Reds in an attacking and defensive regard.

As well as providing the assist for Mohamed Salah’s goal, Henderson managed to complete 17 passes with one cross and long ball and even have one shot at goal.

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Henderson also managed to help his side keep a clean sheet on the day by winning five of the six duels he was involved in and complete two tackles, ultimately earning himself an overall match rating of 7.3/10 from SofaScore, which is higher than the likes of Tyler Morton and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who started the match managed to get.

It’s been the same story for Henderson in the Premier League this season as well with an average of 1.4 key passes per game and 1.4 tackles per game under his belt.

With this in mind and the fact that he managed to have a rest by not playing the whole game, Henderson, who has been labelled an “athletic” player by former Reds captain Steven Gerrard, should definitely be in the starting XI to face Southampton, who he could absolutely terrify with his attacking prowess, defensive capabilities and ability to control the tempo of a game.

Looking beyond the Southampton clash, if Liverpool can keep the £18m-rated midfielder fit and playing regularly throughout the rest of the season, he will undoubtedly play a big part in their push for the Premier League title.

In other news: Fewer touches than Alisson: Liverpool dud who won just 35% duels wasted his big chance – opinion

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, ex-Tottenham captain Gary Mabbutt has challenged Harry Winks to keep proving himself to win back his place in Jose Mourinho’s side.

Winks has fallen down the pecking order in recent months, and hasn’t started a Premier League game since the draw with Fulham back in January.

The England midfielder had been a regular during the early parts of the campaign, although the excellent form of both Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Moussa Sissoko has seen the Spurs graduate restricted to mainly outings in the Europa League in recent months.

Winks came back into the side for a brief period around Christmas, but with Mourinho recently opting for just two central midfielders in a more attacking-minded set-up, his last few appearances have all come in the FA Cup and Europe.

And when speaking exclusively to FFC, Mabbutt has revealed what Winks must do in order to start playing regularly again. He said:

“I mean, when Harry first got in the side, I did an interview with Harry and I said he could be a future captain of Spurs, and last year against Wolves he was made captain for that game.

“Players have to look at where they are and have to move on from there, see what parts of the game that could be improved and keep working at it. And that is it. You don’t get to be a professional player and play your first game in the Premier League and you made it, it never works that way.

“Every single game you’re out there and you have got to prove yourself. It’s not like, you’re say a top singing star in the world and suddenly you have 20 hits and then 40 years later you get on stage and everyone’s cheering you for those 20 hits you had 40 years ago.

“As a footballer, you make your debut in the last game you played, in the next game you play you’ll be lambasted. Every single game you have to go out there and you have got to prove yourself.”

Mabbutt is spot on here. Things can change quickly in football, and a few positive performances from Winks in the Europa League could suddenly see the midfielder come back into the frame.

Leeds must get rid of Gjanni Alioski in the summer amid a major development over his long-term future at the Premier League side.

What’s the story?

The 29-year-old’s contract at Marcelo Bielsa’s side expires at the end of the season, and as of yet, there have been no talks of Leeds renewing his deal to extend his stay at Elland Road.

Now, Football Insider claim that Alioski has instructed his agent to start finding him a new club ahead of the summer, with his contract situation meaning that he will be able to sign a pre-contract with a foreign club.

Bielsa may be fuming

Former Premier League star Kevin Phillips said earlier this season: “From what I gather, his attitude is good and every club needs a player like that. He is a player who can unlock the door and he has a brilliant work rate.

“When he comes off the bench he can change the game and if you start with him he might be able to produce a bit of magic. Either way he does not moan and every squad needs a player like that. He is a player that they would like to keep. Leeds will want to get him on a new contract.”

And, writing in The Athletic, Phil Hay said: “Opinion about him can be divided between those who see merit in Alioski’s engine and flashes of class and those who question his ability to consistently impact on games. Bielsa’s own assessment of him is clear enough. Only the disciplined survive under Bielsa. When the Argentinian took over at Leeds, Alioski was one of those who comfortably made the cut.”

But while the £55k-a-week earning Alioski has clearly been a favourite of Bielsa’s since he took over at Elland Road – he’s played well over well over 100 games for him –  his disappointing performances this season raise question marks over whether he’s truly cut out for the Premier League.

He was woeful in the 4-2 defeat to Arsenal earlier in February, and that shocking display prompted Bielsa to drop him from the starting line-up for the next game against Wolves – he’s since been named among the substitutes for the subsequent two Premier League fixtures too.

Stuart Dallas has filled in at left-back, while 21-year-old Leif Davis is also waiting in the wings to get a real chance in the first-team. Making a tough call on Alioski and letting him walk in the summer would allow Leeds to move on. It may have Bielsa fuming about losing one of his key players over these past few seasons, but the time is surely right to look to the future.

Mohamed Salah wants more top players to join Liverpool in order to stay put at the club this summer, according to former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie, after he heard a recent claim from the forward.

The Lowdown: Salah’s future still unknown

The 29-year-old’s future has been one of football’s biggest talking points recently, with the Reds superstar seemingly no closer to signing a new deal.

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Salah has matured into arguably the world’s best player this season, tallying up a remarkable goal haul and getting into double-figures in terms of Premier League assists.

His current contract runs out at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, however, meaning there is a risk that they lose him for free next summer or he looks to leave before then.

The Latest: McAvennie reacts to Salah claim…

Speaking to Football Insider, reacting to the Egypt international’s recent message that it’s not all about the money when speaking on his contract, McAvennie claimed that Salah wants Liverpool to show ambition in the transfer market in order to stay:

“If it’s not money, then, my god, what is it? Maybe he wants a sign that more big signings are coming in to help Liverpool challenge.

“But they signed Diaz in January and by all accounts, he is brilliant, Jota too. Liverpool have one of the best squads in the world. The defence is ridiculous.

“Maybe Salah just wants to know they aren’t going to fall behind Man City and really, Liverpool should be making these signings anyway.

“Man City will spend and to keep up with them, Liverpool will have to spend. You just hope something can be agreed with Salah because he is unbelievable.”

The Verdict: A matter of time?

There is undoubted truth in McAvennie’s remarks – Salah is a born winner with high standards – but in fairness to Liverpool, they are already providing him with top-class teammates.

Luis Diaz’s arrival from Porto in January is proof of that and it seems highly likely that yet more renowned players will head to Anfield in the summer window.

We still feel as though Salah will end up signing a new contract but it would be handy if it could be sorted sooner rather than later, due to it acting as a distraction to Liverpool’s quadruple charge. The thought of him leaving is a grim one, considering the legendary Reds career he has forged.

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a shock move for one player. Find out who it is here.

Marcel Brands must seal a January loan move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite after Carlo Ancelotti lauded the turnaround of Yerry Mina’s season.

What’s the word?

Branthwaite smashed into the senior fold as Ancelotti faced an injury crisis at centre-half last season, but took to the top-flight like a duck to water with the Italian left impressed by how the 18-year-old coped with replacing Mason Holgate at home to Aston Villa.

The Carlisle-born teen had only played 45 minutes of Premier League football before replacing Holgate after he suffered a recurrence of a shin problem, yet settled in as if he had played alongside Michael Keane for years.

Ancelotti lauded Branthwaite as being a “fantastic player” for Everton and one the former Chelsea boss felt was calm with the ball yet aggressive in chase of possession. He has, however, been unable to see more from the January arrival after the towering 6 ft 4 prospect tore ligaments in his left ankle against Salford City in the Carabao Cup.

Branthwaite stepped up his recovery with an impressive performance for David Unsworth’s Under 23s as they beat West Ham United 2-1 on Monday, catching the eye with a vital recovery early in the first-half to deny Sean Adarkwa a certain goal.

But the route back to senior football at Goodison Park is blocked, with Ben Godfrey, Holgate, Keane and Mina all securing minutes thus far this term and Ancelotti growing increasingly pleased with the efforts of his Colombian rock.

“I am happy with his level. He is doing better. He had some problems in some games but is now more focused and playing with confidence,” Ancelotti said of Mina, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo.

One door closes, another opens

Mina has been the focus of criticism at times this season, with Ancelotti forced to defend himself from accusations the Italian’s decision to favour Holgate earlier in the term led the former FC Barcelona flop to collapse mentally.

Ancelotti had also questioned the level of Mina’s performances, stating “sometimes he makes mistakes”, but is clearly fond of how the 26-year-old has responded to the situation.

But Mina’s turnaround has closed the door for Branthwaite to worm his way back into the fold, and Everton Director of Football Brands must now see that another opens by securing the 18-year-old a move away on loan this winter.

Branthwaite will struggle to move up the pecking order on Merseyside without seeing those currently in favour sustain any injuries, and will be eager to earn another taste of first-team action than being stuck in the reserves biding his time.

Plenty of sides should show an interest in signing Branthwaite on a temporary deal if Ancelotti and Brands do put his services on the market, as the £1.8m-rated talent has plenty to offer.

Aside from being praised by Ancelotti for his calmness in possession and aggression to snatch the ball back, Dominic Calvert-Lewin also praises the youngster for being one of the fastest men at Everton.

“If it was a flat-out race, 100-metre race, you would have me, Ben Godfrey, probably Jarrad Branthwaite and I probably have to throw Richie [Richarlison] in there,” the frontman told Sky Sports, via quotes by the News and Star.

AND in other news, “Do they need him?” – Exclusive: Pundit rejects Ancelotti’s desire to sign £185k-p/w outcast.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey has claimed that Ross Barkley goes missing far too often during games, which is what lets him down most.

Dean Smith has recently confirmed that Aston Villa currently have no plans to make the Chelsea loanee’s deal a permanent one this summer, with the England international starting his first league game since February in the 2-1 win against Everton at the weekend.

Barkley, who The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has labelled a “liability” in the 1874 podcast, via This Is Futbol, made a bright start to his time at Villa Park with two goals and one assist in his first five games, however, since his hamstring injury in October, he has only played 90 minutes in the league twice – including at Goodison Park.

Speaking on how he expects Barkley to impact games more like Grealish and how he tends to go missing during matches, Howey exclusively told FFC:

“When you’ve got a high-profile player like Barkley, you want him to be really effective during games, a bit like Jack Grealish who always tries to make things happen.

“I think the two of them worked well together but he sometimes goes missing, but there’s absolutely no doubt that he is a quality player.”

The £96,154 per week midfielder burst onto the scene at Everton, which earned him a move to Chelsea, but after just 86 appearances since 2018, his time could eventually be up at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, seems settled on his choice of midfielders in Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount, which leaves no guaranteed space for N’Golo Kante and, of course, Ross Barkley.

Crystal Palace have been credited with an interest in Norwich City star Emiliano Buendia.

And, the latest transfer link has had plenty of Eagles fans talking on social media.

According to Foot Mercato, Palace, Aston Villa and West Ham are all keen on the Argentine, who played a key role in helping the Canaries back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Buendia has scored 14 goals and registered a quite remarkable 17 assists in 38 Championship games this season and was named Championship Player of the Season as a result – that is a goal involvement in over 80% of his appearances, on average.

The report suggests that Norwich don’t intend to part ways with Buendia for anything under €40m (£34.5m).

That figure required could make him Palace’s club-record signing, with that accolade currently standing at £28.08m for Christian Benteke.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared Foot Mercato’s claim on social media on Tuesday evening.

It’s safe to say these Palace supporters were stunned at the links, with one describing it as a ‘dream’.

“Would be amazing but won’t happen”Credit: @CPFCMax03″PLEASE”Credit: @joe_cpfc_01″Absolutely no chance surely, but my god I’d love it. Should have gone for him last summer”Credit: @Phillyconcarne”Not a chance this happens but it’s good to be linked to these sort of players”Credit: @Callum_CPFC_”Can only dream”Credit: @CPFCH10″the things I’d do”Credit: @CPFC_Ollie_

In other news: Palace monitoring West Brom man, plenty of Eagles fans not happy, find out more here.