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Tottenham Hotspur are tracking Harry Souttar ahead of a potential swoop, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Stoke Sentinel claim that the north Londoners have previously sent scouts to watch the Australian colossus, with former manager David Pleat even taking in a game at the bet365 Stadium.

However, if Spurs’ interest is genuine, then they will be facing competition from one of their Premier League rivals after Everton were linked to the young centre-back this week.

The Sun’s Alan Nixon claimed Toffees assistant Duncan Ferguson was sent to watch the 22-year-old ahead of a possible move to replace Yerry Mina, though it remains to be seen exactly how much he could command.

Transfermarkt currently value Souttar at just £3.6m, whilst ex-Potters star Mike Pejic believes he’s worth in excess of £20m.

“If I had been in a Premier League club, I would have bid £20m this summer because who knows what it would cost to get him now. I was delighted when the transfer window shut and he was [still] at Stoke,” he told Football League World.

Dawson 2.0

Souttar could well be the next big thing from the Championship, and that’s not just because he stands at a whopping 6 foot 5 inches.

Once described as a “Rolls-Royce” by Stoke legend Ryan Shawcross, the Aussie defender has been compared to a whole host of names, ranging from Harry Maguire to Alan Hansen, and even Virgil van Dijk.

Tottenham’s most recent signing from the English second-flight, Joe Rodon, is yet to hit the ground running in N17 but he has shown enough glimpses of promise to be encouraged.

But perhaps Souttar could step up to be their next Michael Dawson – arguably their best signing from below the elite level when he arrived in 2005 from Nottingham Forest. He won the League Cup, was named captain and picked up caps for England during his time at White Hart Lane.

Two of the 22-year-old’s former managers have spoken glowingly about his credentials.

During a loan stint at Fleetwood Town, Joey Barton dubbed him “outstanding” whilst Martin O’Neill told local press:

“He’s a player blessed with great natural attributes. Obviously his height but also he’s got good game intelligence and he’s a great user of the ball as well. That’s something which I think will set him apart from the other defenders in this league.”

Indeed, those words still ring true today.

He’s averaging 2.1 interceptions and 1.8 tackles per game in the Championship this season, via WhoScored, which goes to show just how smart he is when his side are out of possession and of course, his towering physical presence is a major plus too, managing 4.6 aerials won each outing this term.

Spurs must continue to monitor Souttar’s situation, especially with other Premier League teams in the frame for his signature. In him, sporting director Fabio Paratici, chairman Daniel Levy and co could well discover the next Dawson to grace the pitch in north London.

AND in other news, Spurs fans will be buzzing as Nuno Santo contract news emerges…

A major decision has been made that will affect Rangers and Giovanni van Bronckhorst significantly in the Premiership next season.

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports have reported that VAR will be introduced in the league after the World Cup later this year, which means that it will be in use from December onwards.

41 of the 42 Scottish Professional Football League clubs, including Rangers, voted in favour of the equipment being brought in, although it will only be used in the Premiership and Championship sides will not benefit from it.

It will, however, be used for the Scottish Cup semi-finals and final for any side who makes it there to experience, with the system set to cost £1.2m-per-season.

Neil Doncaster, who is the chief executive of the SPFL, said this about the introduction:

“I believe this was the right decision and that VAR will help referees to ensure tight decisions are more often the right ones and will support a higher standard and more consistent level of decision-making.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will be relieved

The Gers head coach will surely be relieved by this call as it means that his team will not drop any points due to refereeing errors.

This should, in theory, mean that the vast majority of decisions are correct and in line with the laws of the game, in terms of the major calls in matches. Therefore, this is a huge boost as Rangers will not be cursing their luck with officiating and blaming problems out of their control for results.

Van Bronckhorst will be able to go away from each and every match knowing that the result, whether it is a win, draw or loss, is down to his team’s performance and not because of a refereeing error.

Back in January, the Gers held talks with the SFA over the standard of officiating of their clash with Aberdeen as they found eight separate issues with decisions in that particular match.

There was also uproar after a clash with Dundee United earlier this year as Rangers were denied a clear penalty and both Charlie Mulgrew and Ryan Jack escaped red cards.

These decisions can have a huge influence on matches and that is why van Bronckhorst will be buzzing that VAR is being brought in.

It will be a big boost to his side as they will not be stripped of calls that should be going their way, whilst they will need to be at their best to ensure that they are not punished for it at the other end.

AND in other news, Sources: Shock Rangers transfer claim emerges that will leave Wilson excited…

Tottenham Hotspur have been offered the chance to sign Mauro Icardi in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that the Paris Saint-Germain centre-forward’s agents have contacted Spurs regarding the possibility of a move to the club in the upcoming winter market.

The report added that PSG are open to parting with the 28-year-old in January, although Sport Witness suggested that Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici’s preferred target for the position is Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Icardi would solve Spurs’ issue

Considering that Conte has only the option of Harry Kane as a natural centre-forward in his first-team squad, it is clear that the position is one in which the Italian must strengthen this winter if he is to realistically give Tottenham a chance of securing a top-four finish this season.

Indeed, with Kane having somewhat struggled for form of late, scoring just one goal over his 12 Premier League appearances, Spurs have often struggled to find the back of the net in the current campaign, with their 13 goals scored fewer than the likes of Newcastle United and Burnley in the bottom three.

As such, while Icardi has found his game-time limited at PSG following the arrival of Lionel Messi this summer, the £31.5m-rated marksman has nevertheless proven in his career that he could well be the solution to Conte’s centre-forward headache.

Indeed, following his initial season-long loan switch to Paris back in the 2019/20 campaign, the £157k-per-week forward demonstrated that he is something of a perfect rotation option up top, bagging 12 goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances over just 20 Ligue 1 appearances – only 14 of which came as starts.

These returns saw the player who legendary centre-back Giorgio Chiellini claimed is “almost impossible to mark” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.04, something which demonstrates the Argentina international’s capacity for having a huge influence on his team’s results even if he is not selected continuously.

As such, should Conte and Paratici indeed go on to seal a deal for Icardi this winter, it would very much appear as if the duo would be taking a massive step towards finally solving one of Spurs’ biggest issues.

In other news: Conte must make “incredible” £60m dynamo his first signing, he’d revolutionise Spurs

Wolves are more likely to sign Lille’s Renato Sanches than Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek next summer, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Wolves linked with midfield duo

Bruno Lage will likely be eyeing up new signings next month and in the summer as he looks to take his squad to the next level.

Wolves have been linked with moves for both Sanches and Van de Beek, with midfield reinforcements seemingly at the top of the manager’s wish list.

A fresh update has now emerged regarding the two players, perhaps making the situation a little clearer.

The Latest: Hatfield provides Sanches update

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield claimed a deal for Lille midfielder Sanches appears more likely than Van de Deek at the moment:

“I still think someone like Renato Sanches is going to be probably higher on the list for Wolves this winter or next summer.

“He offers a little bit more of an all-round game. But, I suppose, if they miss out on him or decide to look elsewhere then van de Beek could be a really good option for them.”

The Verdict: Too injury-prone?

Sanches is a wonderfully talented footballer, as highlighted by him winning the European Golden Boy award back in 2016, but injuries have since plagued his career.

That’s the main thing working against the Euro 2016 winner joining Wolves, with the 24-year-old never starting more than 16 league games in a season.

It could be that Van de Beek is a better option in that respect, having started more than 20 league matches three times in a campaign already in his fledgling career and enjoying a superior fitness record.

In other news, Wolves are reportedly still interested in signing one player. Find out who it is here.

As if the transfer window hasn’t already been an exciting state of affairs for Aston Villa, it could yet end with even triumph and satisfaction for Steven Gerrard and the club’s supporters.

Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne have already arrived but a major name from within the game is now being closely linked to Villa.

What’s the word?

Reports emerged late on Tuesday evening that the Villans had tabled an offer to bring Suarez back to England and as a result of Gerrard, they were ahead of a number of Brazilian clubs in the race to secure his signature.

Now, the Villa boss and Johan Lange have been given further hope of concluding a deal by Spanish football expert, Alvaro Montero, who was speaking live on Sky Sports on Wednesday.

He claimed that Suarez was looking to leave his current employers, Atletico Madrid, and in a captivating four-word claim, suggested that Villa “could be an option” for the veteran striker.

The Uruguayan’s contract expires at the end of the season so there is a chance that the Midlands outfit could sign for free in the summer.

Fans surely buzzing

After the signings of Digne and Coutinho, fans will have rightfully been on cloud nine given their international experience and previous exploits in the game.

However, if you combine that with the potential for Suarez to arrive at Bodymoor Heath in the next six months, supporters will simply be ecstatic.

Of course, the forward is now 34 years of age now and is no spring chicken, but there is no escaping from the fact that he is still a wonderful goalscorer.

He has regularly beaten the goalkeeper throughout his career and at the top level no less, scoring 69 Premier League goals, while also racking up a phenomenal 195 strikes during his stay with Barcelona.

Furthermore, Suarez is an incredibly decorated player. This is someone who has won the Spanish top-flight on five occasions, an individual who has won Copa del Rey four times and has also taken home both the Champions League and Club World Cup.

That is quite the honours list and based on experience alone, he’d be a wonderful player to have in the dressing room.

On top of that, his superb ability to make something extraordinary happen out of nothing is almost second to none. He has terrorised English defences before and there is every chance he could do the same in the claret and blue of Villa.

A move still feels unlikely but what a coup he’d be if they could get a deal across the line. Coutinho was a landmark signing but this would surely blow that out of the water, consequently leaving supporters elated with their recruitment team.

AND in other news, Sky Sports journo drops exciting AVFC transfer update on live TV, fans surely buzzing…

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Bayern Munich are lining up a summer bid for RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner, according to the print edition of Sport Bild (via Bayern Strikes).

The speedy striker has scored 13 goals in all competitions thus far this season, per Transfermarkt, and Bayern are keen to reinforce their attack with the signing of the 22-year-old.

It is reported that the German side want to pay roughly €40million (£35m) to secure Werner’s signature and that has led to raised eyebrows among certain fanbases in England.

Indeed, Everton, who currently lack a pure centre-forward under manager Marco Silva, could certainly do with a striker of the pedigree of Werner.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

The striker has 23 caps for Germany and nine goals, and Toffees fans, who saw the club spend £45m on Gylfi Sigurdsson, have called on the club to get involved in the bidding and attempt to gazump the Bavarian giants to the striker.

Aston Villa sporting director Johan Lange could solve the club’s midfield problem by signing Juventus star Weston McKennie in the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent months had claimed that the Bianconeri would be willing to let the USA international go in the summer, with “strong interest” from both Villa and fellow Premier League side Spurs.

While a move failed to materialise before the deadline, journalist Alan Nixon then revealed that Dean Smith’s side will look to make a fresh attempt at signing McKennie in a couple of months.

And now, speaking to GIVEMESPORT amid the speculation linking Villa with a move for the midfielder, The Express and Star journalist Luke Hatfield said: “They definitely need someone who can provide some defensive stability in the middle of the park, but I think they’re trying to find almost that kind of hybrid player. The one who can win the ball back and screen that back four, but then also progress the ball forward.”

Exciting Nakamba upgrade

After months of speculation linking them with a move for the likes of Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, one of the big things that Lange missed for Villa was the signing of a new central midfielder.

In making a move for McKennie, they can rectify that mistake.

Hailed as a “leader” by David Wagner, the American’s performances in the Bundesliga for Schalke earned him a high-profile move to Juventus, where former boss Andrea Pirlo was a big fan of his.

Calling him a “rock”, the Italy icon added: “He’s young and can improve a lot. In my opinion, he’s a midfielder who can play as a No 8 in a three in midfield, right or left. He gets in the box and scores goals but he’s also very good at winning the ball back.

“His role is in a three in midfield as one of the two players on either side of the regista. Last year we played in a different system, so he had to adapt.”

Dubbed as an “outstanding talent”, the £22.5m-rated McKennie is as Pirlo says, a real box-to-box threat. While the end product hasn’t always been there – he’s only scored 11 goals in his short career thus far – all the key elements are: the power, the pace, the tackling and the energy to get up and down the pitch.

As per Whoscored, he has an impressive career average of making 1.3 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, while also managing just a shade under one shot and key pass per match too – a real indication of his all-action style of play.

That’s significantly better than what Marvelous Nakamba has managed in his career, and while the Zimbabwe international might boast slightly better defensive stats than McKennie, he doesn’t come close to him in terms of the ball at his feet.

As Hatfield says, that hybrid midfielder is what Villa are looking for, and McKennie fits that bill to a tee.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has confirmed a major Aston Villa boost before the game against Arsenal on Friday…

Leeds United selling Illan Meslier would be ‘very silly’, former Whites goalkeeper Paul Robinson says. 

The lowdown

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reported last week that Leeds are ‘braced for bids’ for Meslier during the summer transfer window.

As for interested parties, The Daily Star believe Manchester United are intense admirers of the Frenchman, while Mundo Deportivo claim that Barcelona could even make a move.

Leeds signed Meslier from FC Lorient for £5.85million in the summer of 2020 following a successful loan move.

He’s made 81 appearances for the club in total, conceding 128 goals and keeping 23 clean sheets.

The latest

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, Robinson said he couldn’t ‘see the sense’ in sanctioning the move, which he believes would force Leeds into the market for a ‘top’ replacement.

“They’d have to find a top, number one goalkeeper so to sell Meslier for whatever they sell him for, they’d have to pay that to replace him,” he said.

“It would seem to be a very silly situation to let him go.

“In all honesty, I can’t see the sense in letting him go.”

The verdict

If Leeds were to sell Meslier, then they could be in for a considerable profit. Transfermarkt value him at £18million, more than three times what they paid in 2018.

He has struggled this season from a shot-stopping perspective, conceding 8.3 goals more than would be ‘expected’ (based on post-shot xG). That’s the worst record in the division by a considerable margin.

But he starred for the Whites in their first season back in the Premier League, winning their Young Player of the Year award, and so they know how good he can be when on form and full of confidence.

Indeed, fellow PL ‘keeper Aaron Ramsdale has named him as his toughest opponent, while Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards has dubbed him ‘excellent’.

In other news, Adam Pope has shared details on Leeds transfer discussions.  

With recent reports suggesting that Aston Villa’s owners will provide sufficient financial backing for Steven Gerrard to do with as he sees fit to improve his squad at the Midlands club during the January transfer window, it seems as though the former Rangers boss has his eye on one player that could add some quality to his side.

According to a recent club-by-club transfer guide from the Daily Mail, Villa are interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen attacker Florian Wirtz this month.

Since joining Leverkusen’s U19 side back in the 2020 January transfer window, the 18-year-old has gone on to score two goals and provide three assists in four U19 appearances before becoming a fully-fledged member of their senior team.

In 68 senior appearances with the German club, Wirtz has managed to bag 17 times and provide 19 assists along the way, showing just how much of an attacking talent he is.

In 20 appearances across the Bundesliga and Europa League so far this season, the teenager has chipped in with eight strikes and 11 assists, which goes to show how valuable he is to Leverkusen and why it could be difficult to secure a deal for him in January.

Labelled as a player that has the “total package” in terms of his playing ability by Germany head coach Hansi Flick, Wirtz, who is currently valued at £63m according to Transfermarkt, has four senior international appearances under his belt, showing how highly thought of he is at such a young age.

Clearly a talented young player, Wirtz is also supremely versatile, with the teenager having played in a number of different midfield and attacking positions during his short career so far.

Taking all of this into account, Villa’s owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens should definitely explore the possibility of securing a deal for Wirtz this month. It’s a move, given his valuation, that would surely blow the Villa faithful away.

With reports suggesting that Villa could look to move on the likes of Trezeguet, Bertrand Traore and Anwar El Ghazi, if either of those players were to leave Villa Park either this month or during the next summer transfer window, this could pave the way for Wirtz to join Gerrard’s side and potentially make his mark in the Premier League.

In other news: Gerrard can finally axe “frustrating” £47k-p/w dud who must never play for AVFC again – opinion

Celtic and West Ham have been linked with a move for Spartak Moscow forward Jordan Larsson, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Larsson profiled…

Larsson, the son of legendary Celtic striker Henrik Larsson, is 24 years of age and can play on the right-hand side or as an attacking midfielder along with his primary centre-forward role.

The left-footed beast has been hailed as ‘strong’ by retired Sweden international Marcus Allback, who also believes he ‘would suit playing for Celtic’.

He still has 18 months left on his contract in Russia, where he has scored 26 times in 76 appearances, but he has now been linked with a move to Parkhead.

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The Latest: Hoops links

The Daily Record shared a story on Tuesday afternoon, citing reports from Aftonbladet who claim that the Hoops and the Hammers are two sides tracking Larsson’s situation.

The report claims that Spartak’s previous asking price was around £13m, but that is now expected to be lower in order to get Larsson off the books.

The Verdict: Other areas a priority?

It would be a great story for the son of one of Celtic’s best-ever players to move to Celtic Park, however, at this moment in time, it seems as if other areas of the pitch need adding to first before a big-money move for Larsson should be explored.

Central midfield appears to be an area where reinforcements are needed, with Ange Postecoglou relying heavily on the likes of Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and David Turnbull this season.

Left-back may also be another position that could do with bolstering, with right-back Josip Juranovic filling in over recent weeks following Greg Taylor’s injury.

In other news: Nicholson may ship out ‘quick’ beast alongside Ajeti in January so Ange can make Celtic signings.