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Tottenham Hotspur are hoping to tie down Hugo Lloris to a new contract in the coming weeks.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent report by Charlie Eccleshare for The Athletic, in which the journalist revealed that, despite being tempted by a move to AS Roma this summer, the goalkeeper is now keen to extend his stay in north London.

Eccleshare added that Antonio Conte is also eager to tie down the France international to a new deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the 34-year-old’s current contract set to expire at the end of the season. That means the shot-stopper can discuss terms with foreign clubs regarding a free transfer from January 1.

However, the journalist then claimed that there is a quiet confidence at Spurs that they will be able to reach an agreement with Lloris, with negotiations regarding a fresh deal expected to intensify in the coming weeks.

Paratici must avoid disaster

Considering just how important Lloris has proven to be for Spurs this season, not to mention over the past nine Premier League campaigns, it would undoubtedly be something of a disaster for Fabio Paratici to allow the 34-year-old to depart north London on a free transfer next summer.

Indeed, over his 14 Premier League appearances this term, the £8.1m-rated shot-stopper has kept six clean sheets, as well as making 2.9 saves per game. These returns have seen the Frenchman averaging an impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Spurs’ sixth-best performer in the top flight.

Conte is also a huge fan of the £100k-per-week 34-year-old, stating after Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Brentford last week: “I just arrived. I’ve only been here a month. At the moment, of course, we have several situations to resolve. Hugo Lloris is the captain of this team. He is the captain of the France team too. We’re talking about a world-class goalie.

“We will have time to talk about him. I consider him an important player for Tottenham, for his experience and because he is first and foremost a good goalkeeper. He has played for many years with Tottenham and he is still invested in this club.”

As such, with Lloris very much appearing to be an important part of Conte’s first-team plans at Spurs, Paratici simply must do all he can to ensure that the 34-year-old does indeed put pen to paper on a new deal with the club in the coming weeks, or else the shot-stopper may be tempted by an intriguing offer come January 1.

In other news: Conte could save Spurs millions by unleashing “quality” 18 y/o gem who has “great feet”

Leeds United will need to pay a club-record fee if they are to secure Ben Brereton Diaz this month…

What’s the word?

That’s according to TEAMtalk, who claim that Blackburn Rovers want to see more than £30m before they would even consider selling their leading talisman.

The 22-year-old only has six months to run on his current contract but it’s believed the Lancashire outfit have an option to trigger a one-year extension.

Several teams have enquired over the possibility of signing the Chile international before the January 31st deadline, including the Yorkshire giants, West Ham United, Brighton and Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

United paid a record £30m to Manchester United for Daniel James in the summer. Meanwhile, only three players have commanded a larger fee when transferring out of the Championship – Nathan Ake (£41m), Ollie Watkins (£33m) and Moussa Sissoko (£30m).

Bielsa needs him

Given the fact that Rovers can keep him until the summer of 2023 without any fuss, it seems likely that Leeds will need to spend big bucks to land a player that Bielsa is noted to be really keen on.

And ultimately, he’s someone that the Argentinian head coach badly needs.

As we’ve seen throughout the bulk of the 2021/22 campaign, Bielsa and his squad have sorely missed top goalscorer Patrick Bamford, with the England international regularly facing time on the sideline through injury.

Only five other teams in the Premier League have scored fewer goals than United this season and no player aside from Raphina (eight) has found the net more than twice.

Diaz, meanwhile, is having a standout and breakthrough year for Blackburn. He has bagged a whopping 20 goals in just 25 appearances in the Championship this campaign, adding to his seven goals and five assists last term.

As a result of his fine form, the 6 foot 1 frontman has been dubbed a “goal machine” by The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, whilst his manager Tony Mowbray has regularly waxed lyrical about his star at Ewood Park.

“Brereton with the ball at his feet is an extraordinary talent,” he once told reporters (via LancsLive). “He’s a wonderful footballer who can dribble with both feet, take people out of the game.”

In another interview, this time with the club’s official website, he said: “Brereton’s like a beast now, and he can score goals. I see it every day in training. He’s a brilliant lad and all our lads absolutely love him.”

On the above evidence, it could be a wise and shrewd investment, even if it’ll cost chairman Andrea Radrizzani another club-record fee

AND in other news, Orta could save Bielsa millions with Leeds’ rarely-seen £8.4k-p/w “runaway train”…

Transfers expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed the latest information regarding Wolverhampton Wanderers’ pursuit of signing young Portuguese forward Chiquinho.

What’s the story?

According to Romano, Wolves are close to making the 21-year-old winger their second signing of the January transfer window.

The transfers expert tweeted: “Wolves are closing on Chiquinho deal with Estoril, final details to be completed next week. Portuguese striker’s set to join on a permanent move for €3.5m fee plus €1.5m add ons.”

Valued at £900k by Transfermarkt, is set to depart Primeira Liga side Estoril, who are flying in the Portuguese top-flight this campaign as they currently sit sixth, and join up with his fellow countryman Bruno Lage at Molineux.

The Portuguese youngster has scored four goals and provided six assists in 18 appearances across all competitions in what has been his breakthrough campaign in top-flight football after Estoril were promoted last season.

According to The Athletic, the 21-year-old is set to be part of Wolves’ first-team group. Moreover, the West Midlands club have done business with Estoril before, signing defender Toti Gomes from the Portuguese outfit in September 2020 who was handed a shock debut on Saturday in the 3-1 win over Southampton.

Wolves fans will be buzzing

Although not a household name, Chiquinho offers a great deal of potential and, for a small fee in today’s market, the deal appears low risk, something that will no doubt delight supporters.

Wolves have become a hub for Portuguese talent with the likes of Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Jose Sa and Nelson Semedo some of the names who hail from Portugal that have been lured to Molineux in recent years as well as former manager Nuno Espirito Santo and current boss Bruno Lage.

The 21-year-old mainly operates as a left-winger but is flexible and can also play on the right-hand side of a front-three, ideal for Wolves who tend to operate with a 3-4-3 setup.

Compared to the other wingers in Lage’s squad, Chiquinho would boast the most league goals so far this season, although the Premier League is a significant step up from the Portuguese top-flight. Currently, Adama Traore is the only wide man to have netted in the league this campaign.

There have been murmurs of the Spaniard departing Molineux in the near future and therefore the Portugal U21 international could prove to be a long-term replacement.

Moreover, Lage is yet to welcome back the injured Pedro Neto, who has been out since April with a serious knee injury.

He may be an unknown name, however, the stats back up the suggestion that Chiquinho could be an exciting prospect for Wolves. Seeing a Portuguese talent excel at Molineux isn’t unheard of.

In other news – £33k-p/w Wolves gem, who created two big chances, stars in victory over Southampton

Many Aston Villa fans hailed Morgan Sanson for his substitute performance in Saturday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool. 

Villa travelled to Anfield looking to make it four wins from five under their new manager Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard, of course, was returning to the venue where he spent the almost the entirety of his professional career, winning 11 major honours.

The 41-year-old made one change to the team that beat Leicester City 2-1 last time out. Matt Targett came back in at left-back, with Emiliano Buendia benched and Ashley Young moving up to the wing.

Recapping Sanson’s afternoon vs Liverpool

Sanson watched on from the sidelines until the 57th minute, when he replaced Marvelous Nakamba.

He earned a SofaScore rating of 7.0 for his cameo, having excelled on and off the ball.

The Frenchman won six of the eight ground duels he contested and also completed 100 per cent of his dribbles (3/3).

Sanson has now been called upon from the bench in Villa’s last three matches, and will hope to earn his first start of the season against Norwich City in midweek.

These Villa fans applaud Sanson

“Sanson very very good when he come on I think.”

Credit: @jarod3n

“Thought Sanson was class when he came on too. Wasn’t scared to take some touches and play”

Credit: @olliebaxter97

“Wanna see more of Sanson… would like him to start games, believe he can really help us in midfield. I’m sure he possesses the quality.”

Credit: @JAS10SG

“Sanson has to start ahead of young Ramsey for me. He’s got some vavavoom about him.”

Credit: @AVFCSims

“Really gutsy effort today. Battled hard and a little unlucky with the pen. Although I’d like to see Sanson finally start ahead of Ramsey. He’s very classy and would love him to take charge of the midfield.”

Credit: @bluesfor

“Sanson is a class above the rest of our midfielders”

Credit: @euanavfc

In other news, Villa have been offered the chance to make this blockbuster signing.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has dropped a worrying update regarding the club’s potential permanent signing of Jota.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Football Scotland, the Bhoys boss suggested that, despite the Benfica loanee’s remarkable form since making a temporary switch to Parkhead this summer, he will not be rushed into activating the club’s €7.5m (£6.5m) option to buy the winger.

Despite initially talking positively about the deal, the uncertainty behind a move is likely to be a cause of concern.

Speaking about the potential of signing the 22-year-old, Postecoglou said: “I know people tend to get really excited. I tend to let those kinds of things happen naturally. Jota is enjoying his football here. He’s loving the club, loving his teammates and the way we play. He loves playing in front of our supporters.

“If that continues and he wants to stay at this football club, then we’ll start those negotiations and come to an agreement. That’s not going to satisfy everyone because people think you should just sign players as soon as they show some potential.

“For me, what’s more important is that we have footballers here who appreciate what they have and Jota is certainly doing that at the moment. I can’t give you timelines.”

Worst-case scenario?

Considering just how impressive Jota has been since joining Celtic, it would not be surprising at all if a number of Europe’s biggest clubs have started to take notice of the Portugal U21 international.

Indeed, over his nine Premiership appearances this season, the £3.15m-rated man has scored four goals, registered four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.9 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the 22-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 7.40, ranking the winger as the eighth-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

The £7.1k-per-week forward has also impressed over his four Europa League fixtures, scoring one goal, providing two assists and creating four big chances for his teammates – returns which have seen him average a SofaScore match rating of 7.55.

Indeed, in recent comments cited by the Daily Record, John Hartson stated his belief that, as a result of these remarkable returns, it is essential for Celtic to tie up the permanent signing of Jota as quickly as possible, or else the Bhoys could see a bigger club land the winger ahead of them.

The former Celtic centre-forward said: “You do it now, you do it now. In January, you do it. He’s made a great impact and although Celtic have first refusal it doesn’t mean you get him over the line.

“They have an option to get him, but his agent and Jota will have the decision whether it will be Celtic or not. You don’t want Jota to be on 20 goals by February and then a Bayern Munich come in and say to his agent ‘we’ll give you £10m if you get him to us.’

“That could happen – a Bayern Munich or a PSG might come in and say, ‘we want this kid, he’s 22, he’s lit the place up at Celtic, he looks dynamite.’ I would recommend Celtic to it as swiftly as they can because he is a very special player.”

As such, should Postecoglou decide against rushing into making the 22-year-old’s temporary deal a permanent move in January, and the Hoops ultimately end up missing out on the signing of the winger, it would undeniably be a huge mistake on the part of the 56-year-old, as well as being an outcome that would leave Bhoys fans severely annoyed.

In other news: Nicholson initiates Celtic talks for “outstanding” 20 G/A dynamo, Ange would love him

As per club insider Claret & Hugh, a West Ham United transfer update has come to light involving boss David Moyes, Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard and owners GSB.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Lingard move…

In what is potentially the worst kept secret of the January transfer window, Moyes has firmly set his sights on Lingard as a top target with multiple reliable sources confirming the club’s interest.

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Both ExWHUemployee and Jack Rosser of The Evening Standard both say that the England international is up there among Moyes’ top transfer agendas for the winter window.

Amid his precarious contract situation, with Lingard’s deal at Old Trafford set to expire at the end of 2021/2022, West Ham could sign him as a free agent in the summer or agree a cheap fee with the Red Devils in January.

The Latest: Insider shares Lingard update…

Sharing some information, insider Claret & Hugh explain that West Ham’s boss is indeed eyeing a Lingard move – going on to say that the Scotsman has personally told owners GSB that he wants to sign the player.

As well as this, the Irons source claims that ‘a move will be attempted’ as a result before the January transfer window shuts its doors.

The Verdict: Get it done?

The Lingard saga has been dragging on since the beginning of the winter window and last summer, yet his numbers suggest that he would be the perfect addition.

Racking up nine goals and four assists in just 16 Premier League starts, being called ‘sensational’ by former Arsenal man Nigel Winterburn, the 29-year-old was electric on loan with the Hammers last season.

His influence going forward would be major boost for Moyes as he aims to keep West Ham in the mix for a Champions League qualifying spot.

However, if this continues to drag on, we believe all efforts should be put towards signing a striker alternative to Michail Antonio.

In other news: Talks ongoing…ExWHUemployee shares promising update out of West Ham, find out more here.

According to reliable Tottenham Hotspur journalist Dan Kilpatrick of The Evening Standard, manager Antonio Conte has now made a player decision ahead of this summer’s transfer window.

The Lowdown: Big summer ahead…

The Lilywhites, currently chasing Champions League qualification, also face a big looming summer transfer window as Conte gears up for his first full season in charge.

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Tottenham have set their sights on a number of top transfer targets already, mainly in defence according to The Athletic, but they may need to offload certain players to boost their kitty.

One of those stars, club record signing and Lyon loanee Tanguy Ndombele, now looks like one Tottenham asset who could be up for grabs as Spurs’ head coach makes a pre-summer decision.

The Latest: Conte makes Ndombele call…

According to Kilpatrick, Conte has no faith in the 25-year-old with his future at Spurs now ‘uncertain’.

Indeed, Tottenham’s manager allegedly ‘sees no future’ for Ndombele at the club, with Lyon also not expected to exercise an option to sign permanently.

The hope now for Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy is his end-of-season performances attract interest from other clubs.

The Verdict: Time to go?

Ndombele, who shined under ex-boss Jose Mourinho at points last season, clearly has bags of ability and Spurs may well be able to attract a fairly substantial sum for his services.

Lauded as ‘underrated’ by pundit Martin Keown last season, West Ham star Declan Rice also revealed that some Lilywhites players believe the France international can be ‘unbelievable’.

The only question marks, as ever, will be centred around his attitude and application and that could prove a major sticking point for clubs interested in making a move.

Ndombele’s possible exit may well be one of the talking points of Tottenham’s summer transfer window and it will be interesting to see if Spurs manage to offload for a decent fee.

In other news: Tottenham eye agreement ‘in the coming weeks’ as they make offer for exciting midfielder, find out more here.

Aston Villa are hoping to furnish Steven Gerrard with a new centre-back and a defensive midfielder in the January transfer window, according to Football Insider. 

The lowdown

The 41-year-old took over from Dean Smith earlier this month, so January will be his first chance to put his stamp on the squad through recruitment.

Villa spent £89.84m in the summer, with £34.5m addition Emiliano Buendia becoming their record signing and Leon Bailey and Danny Ings slotting into their all-time top four purchases.

Their outlay was the fifth-highest in the Premier League, yet they still managed to turn a £24.46m profit after the British record sale of Jack Grealish to Manchester City.

The latest

An Aston Villa source has told Football Insider that NSWE are prepared to sanction “big money” deals in the mid-season window.

Gerrard has identified the two positions he would like to be strengthened, namely centre-back and defensive midfield.

The verdict

When he was at Rangers, Gerrard had expressed frustration at the club’s lack of spending, so you can imagine that he sought assurances that he’d be adequately backed before taking on the Villa job.

Who could he potentially be targeting? Perhaps the centre-back could be reported target Pau Torres of Villarreal, and that would certainly be a big-money deal, with a report from Fichajes claiming that he’s valued at around £42m.

Eclipsing their transfer record once again to snap up the ‘extraordinary’ centre-back would be quite some statement of intent under the new boss.

In other news, Kevin Campbell thinks Gerrard may look to strengthen this position as well