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According to a report by TUTTOmercatoWEB, Tottenham Hotspur now want Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci and that interest can become ‘something more’ in the next few weeks.

The Lowdown: Spurs on the defensive chase…

The centre-back position has been touted as a main area for improvement this summer, with targets already being identified by Tottenham.

Indeed, as per Alasdair Gold, Nikola Milenkovic and Joachim Andersen are on the list, and there is also a belief that Merih Demiral is being eyed by Spurs.

Regardless of who they want to bring in, Tottenham will need to adopt a sell-to-buy policy this summer before any signings are made amid financial constraints.

The Latest: Spurs now want Bonucci…

As per TUTTOmercatoWEB, another defender has now entered the radar of Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy.

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Italian colossus Bonucci, who has been playing at the highest level for over a decade now, is still a regular for Juventus despite being 34 years old. Indeed he started 24 Serie A matches for the Old Lady last season and has now been called up to Italy’s 26-man Euro 2020 squad by Roberto Mancini.

As a result, Tottenham are now interested in Bonucci, and that could transform into ‘something more’ over these next few weeks.

The Verdict: Quick fix…

While Bonucci is a proven defender and could do wonders as part of a Tottenham backline, Levy and co should arguably be looking for a more long-term solution.

The £180,000-per-week powerhouse, standing at a lofty 1.9m (6 foot 3), has the physicality to impress in England, but the longevity is another matter entirely. At 34, Spurs could maybe hope for one or two more elite seasons from the defender before he inevitably declines.

The Lilywhites may have missed the boat for Bonucci but there is no doubt he would have been a sensational signing a few years ago. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, a known admirer of the 102-cap Italy legend, previously dubbed him an ‘exceptional player’ when speaking to the English press (Manchester Evening News).

Despite Bonucci’s vast experience and top-level success (nine Serie A titles), we believe Spurs should be looking elsewhere for defensive reinforcements this summer.

In other news: Telegraph journalist shares news with ‘superlative’ manager keen to join Spurs, find out more here.

Sunderland have received a massive injury boost ahead of the Black Cats’ upcoming play-off semi-final.

What’s the latest?

According to a statement posted on the club’s official website, both Charlie Wyke and Aiden McGeady – who each missed the fixture against Plymouth Argyle last weekend – look ready to return to action ahead of the Northampton Town clash this Sunday, while the longer-term absentees of Tom Flanagan and Conor McLaughlin are also in contention for the weekend.

When discussing the current state of the Sunderland squad, Johnson said: “Aiden and Charlie could possibly get minutes on Sunday. Conor is under consideration. Flanno has that week to 10 days’ training behind him, so I would say he’s 50/50 for Sunday.”

Huge boost

While the upcoming fixture against Northampton is important in determining exactly where Sunderland finish in the top six of the league – and subsequently deciding who they will be facing in the play-off semi-final – the news of a number of players returning to the side in time for the play-offs is likely to leave Johnson very encouraged.

While Wyke and McGeady had only missed one game, their return to full fitness is likely to be vital to any success the Black Cats may have in the play-offs, as the duo rank as the club’s first and second-best performers respectively in the league this season according to Sofascore.

Meanwhile, the return of centre-back Flanagan and right-back McLaughlin is likely to be just as welcome for the Sunderland boss, as the availability of the two returning players will free up both Luke O’Nien – who has been operating from the centre of defence – and Max Power – who has been deployed at right-back – to take up their more natural positions in midfield.

As such, all of the returnees are likely to delight Johnson and Sunderland fans alike, as they could all play a significant part in helping the club to achieve promotion this season.

In other news: Forget Wyke: Lee Johnson may have found Sunderland ace’s heir in gem who could be worth £10m – opinion

According to Il Messaggero (via Sport Witness), Tottenham have made contact with Paulo Fonseca in regards to becoming their next manager.

The Lowdown: Spurs continue search

Tottenham are continuing their search for a new manager after Jose Mourinho was sacked as boss by Daniel Levy last month, with links to the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Erik ten Hag coming and going, as names like Graham Potter and Brendan Rodgers still repeatedly crop up.

The Portuguese has already found himself a new position at AS Roma (bloomberg.com) however, replacing the outgoing Fonseca, who is seemingly set to draw plenty of interest in the summer.

The Latest: Spurs eye Fonseca

With Fonseca now out of work, it seems Spurs are interested in giving him the reins in north London, with reports in Italy (via Sport Witness) claiming Levy and co have actually made contact already.

They are not the only clubs eyeing him, though. Both Benfica and Zenit St. Petersburg have been mentioned alongside him, while the report claims he would prefer to stay in Italy for his next role.

The Verdict: Good target

Fonseca has done a relatively good job with the Giallorossi. This term, they reached the semi-finals of the Europa League before losing 8-5 to Manchester United on aggregate. However, with them sitting seventh in the Serie A table, Roma are unlikely to be playing in European competition next season.

Perhaps more impressively however, he made his name with Shakhtar Donetsk before making the switch to Roma, transforming them into Champions League regulars.

He averaged 2.37 points per game across three years with the Ukrainian outfit (Transfermarkt), helping them win the top flight title on three separate occasions.

He even earned big praise from Pep Guardiola when the two met in the Champions League in 2017 (The Times) with the Spaniard admitting he and his coaching staff were blown away by their play style – Shakhtar were victorious in one of the two clashes with the Premier League champions that season.

He could be a very good outside candidate for the Lilywhites.

In other news, Levy wants this Champions League winner at Spurs.

Former Newcastle United star Keith Gillespie believes that Mike Ashley will be satisfied with a 17th-placed finish for the club next season, in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

The club looked to be in serious danger of dropping out of the Premier League just a few weeks ago, but eight points from their previous four matches has seen them move eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Nevertheless, Gillespie believes that Newcastle’s owner is fine with the club repeatedly surviving by the skin of their teeth.

In a way it’s lucky that Steve Bruce’s men got those points on the board as they now face Arsenal, Leicester City and Manchester City, before bringing the curtain down on their campaign with clashes against Fulham and Sheffield United.

And Gillespie thinks that Ashley is currently reaping what he has sown, with their current struggles a result of a general lack of investment in the squad at St James’ Park, and he insists the owner has absolutely no ambition, but he remains hopeful the club will progress, potentially under a new manager.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, the former Magpies winger said: “Absolutely. That is an owner of a club with no ambition, happy to finish 17th every year. That’s not what fans need.

“Newcastle are a club that have experienced Champions League football in the past. They’re a million miles away now. You just want an owner to come in and push the club forward because the club is stood still, going backwards at times.

“They haven’t invested in the squad as well, like other clubs have. If you don’t do that, you’re going to fall behind and you’re going to be in relegation battles.”

According to Football Insider, Tottenham have entered the race to sign Max Aarons.

Spurs eye Aarons

The 21-year-old recently earned promotion back to the Premier League with Norwich City.

According to this report, the Canaries agreed with the right-back last summer that he could depart in one year’s time. Everton are also interested in Aarons, with Norwich looking for a fee of £30m to part ways with the youngster.

Worth it?

Aarons has been virtually an ever-present this season for Daniel Farke’s side, playing 44 matches in the Championship out of a possible 45 (Transfermarkt). During that time, he has managed two goals and four assists, while former England under-21 manager Aidy Boothroyd called him “outstanding” last October (The Pink Un).

However, Tottenham already have plenty of options at right-back. Serge Aurier has had his problems, but he has shown promise this season and illustrated his attacking threat with two assists against Sheffield United on Sunday. Matt Doherty, meanwhile, was only signed from Wolves last summer – even if he has failed to nail down a first team spot, he still deserves time to do so.

For £30m, Aarons’ signature would represent a significant outlay, and those funds could be put to better use elsewhere.

In other news, this Champions League winner is interested in managing Tottenham.

Aston Villa must surely make a move for Norwich starlet Max Aarons this summer after a major transfer update on his situation.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks and months have suggested that Dean Smith’s side are one of a number of clubs interested in signing the England U21 international, and now there has been a major update on his future.

According to The Telegraph (via The EDP), the Canaries are expected to demand a fee of around £30m to part ways with one of their prized assets, with European giants Milan and AS Roma the latest sides to be credited with an interest in the full-back.

Dean Smith would love him

Canaries boss Daniel Farke has spoken glowingly about the £18m-rated gem this season, saying: “Max is outstanding in many topics. I can’t praise him enough for what he has done since his first appearance. You watch some of our games now and the opponents go man-for-man on him. That is crazy for a player who is a full-back but it says a lot about his reputation. He is just a special player and he has an unbelievable future.”

While a record of one goal and three assists in 38 Championship games this season is hardly something to write home about, that just doesn’t tell the whole story of Aarons’ influence on this Norwich side.

As per Whoscored, the full-back ranks fourth in the entire Canaries squad for key passes per game this campaign with 1.3, and his tally of 1.4 dribbles per match ranks him third.

Then, when you factor in that he has played every single minute in the Championship this season, you can clearly see just how much of a reliable and effective performer he is for Farke.

Given his attacking exploits from full-back and the fact he’s one of those players who just plays week-in and week-out, Aarons just seems like the kind of golden signing that Smith would surely love at Villa Park.

Meanwhile, Villa struck gold with this player signed by Suso…

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit and BBC regular Noel Whelan has claimed there will be a ‘lot of worried fans’ ahead of a ‘strange old summer’ for Tottenham Hotspur – going on to claim that the Lilywhites ‘will see the back’ of Harry Kane as well as three other players.

Hugo Lloris, Serge Aurier and Gareth Bale are the other men Whelan believes will depart Spurs after reports emerged recently.

Football Insider reported back in March that Spurs are eager to offload the ‘uncoachable’ Aurier, meanwhile they also believe that Daniel Levy and co will be preparing for the possible departure of Hugo Lloris.

Whelan touts Kane among four Tottenham exits

Bale admitted he is more than likely to return to Real Madrid at the end of his loan spell (The Guardian), and increased speculation has resulted from Kane telling Sky Sports he will consider his future after this summer’s European Championships.

Whelan, reacting to these developments, has touted all four men, including Kane, to leave north London.

“Lloris will be leaving, Aurier will be leaving. We’ll see the back of Harry Kane, Bale too,” he explained to Football Insider.

“There are quite a few other players that will want to leave. It’s going to be a strange old summer for Tottenham. There will be a lot of worried fans out there.

“Harry Kane wanted to see some ambition this year. That’s the only reason he stayed. But that hasn’t come to fruition at all. They’ve made zero progress.”

Transfer Tavern take

Whether or not he is correct in his verdict remains to be seen, but it could certainly be an uncertain window in terms of departures. If all of those players do leave, Levy will have an almost unachievable job to do in replacing them with adequate quality, Kane in particular of course.

Tottenham may need to adopt a sell-to-buy policy following financial problems caused by COVID-19 and it will certainly be interesting to see who could exit this summer.

In other news: Tottenham turn to this unseen Spurs youngster, find out more here.

When Wolves lost Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty last summer, their reliance on Raul Jimenez became even greater.

In 2019/20, the former Old Gold duo combined for 25% of the club’s goals, so losing them was a huge blow. Combine that with Jimenez’s horrific injury in November, and it made life even tougher for Wolves.

The Mexican sustained a fractured skull and without him, Wolves have been left behind by their rivals. They are outside the Premier League’s top half and any hope of securing European football is a distant memory.

Since the Wolves star was sidelined, their forward line has struggled significantly. Fabio Silva has scored just twice all season while Willian Jose is yet to find the net in 11 hours of football for his new team. Signing a new striker should therefore be at the height of Jeff Shi’s priorities when the transfer window opens.

One player who could arrive is Brentford’s Ivan Toney. The Bees have slapped a £30m price tag on his head after Wolves were linked with his services.

On paper, he would be a great addition. After all, he’s a 27-goal forward described as “exceptional” by Peterborough owner Barry Fry.

Pivotally, it could also bring more from enigmatic winger Adama Traore. The Spaniard was one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League last term, amassing four goals, nine assists and five dribbles per game.

This season, however, he has been off the mark. Traore hasn’t contributed a single goal or assist, something which defies belief when you consider how relentless he was last term.

One reason for his lack of assists could be down to the absence of Jimenez. Therefore, signing a player as prolific as Toney may put the energetic winger on the right track to claiming more assists.

They have the potential to be a deadly combination at Molineux. Both possess the ability to get in behind and they both have eye-catching amounts of pace.

Getting the most from Traore is essential for Nuno Espirito Santo going forward. This season he had the potential to be their leading light but he has been rather disappointing.

Toney could be game-changing, though. You only need to bring his nine assists into the equation to understand that he can bring others into play too.

Shi must pay the big money needed to bring him to the Midlands.

AND in other news, “He’ll be thinking” – Exclusive: Wolves icon Bull makes Nuno admission after “frustrating year”…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, ex-West Ham striker Frank McAvennie has urged his former team to go all out in their attempts to sign Craig Dawson permanently this summer.

The experienced defender, who’s currently on loan at the London Stadium for the rest of the campaign from Watford, made a slow start to life in the capital, but has been one of the Hammers’ standout players in recent weeks.

Dawson wasn’t involved in any of West Ham’s first 11 Premier League games following his arrival, but since breaking into the team and replacing the injured Fabian Balbuena, the on-loan centre-back has ever-present in the league, playing a major part in David Moyes’ team pushing towards Europe.

With Dawson in the side, West Ham have kept six clean sheets in 13 matches, with the on-loan Hornets man adding three goals which have helped his team suffer just three Premier League defeats since Christmas.

And McAvennie has praised the 30-year-old for transforming a Hammers defence that had managed just four shut outs prior to his inclusion.

He told Football FanCast: “The biggest thing for me with West Ham is the defence, it’s solid.

“The biggest signing they will make is Dawson. They have got to get that boy’s name on the paper, he’s been outstanding.

“For £3million for a centre-half like that, he complements the other defenders because the other defenders want to play football and look good, and he just puts his body on the line, gets in front and it’s good balance for the team. That’s the biggest signing that I think will happen this year.”

Liverpool take on Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Sunday evening and will be hoping to end a run of four consecutive defeats in the Premier League by taking all three points against the Blades.

Chris Wilder’s side are bottom of the top-flight having endured a nightmare season, although they have shown that they won’t be going down without a fight in recent weeks, picking up valuable wins against West Brom and Manchester United.

The Reds have found it difficult to break down sides who sit deep and focus on defending, as we saw in the defeats against Burnley and Brighton recently, so they could be in for another tough game at Bramall Lane.

If Klopp wants to set the precedent on Sunday evening, he should consider switching back to a 4-2-3-1 formation, as the midfield, in particular, has been too defensive on several occasions this season, meaning they have struggled to create chances for the wingers and Roberto Firmino.

Here’s how Football FanCast feels the German manager should set his side up against the Blades, with four changes from the side that lost out against Everton last time out…

After the sad news of Alisson’s father’s death earlier this week, the Brazilian should perhaps not feature on Sunday, with Adrian replacing him in goal as Caoimhin Kelleher has also been absent in recent weeks.

There’s one change in the defence, as Nathaniel Phillips starts alongside Ozan Kabak at centre-back, replacing Jordan Henderson who was ruled out until April due to injury.

The switch to 4-2-3-1 means Thiago and Georginio Wijnaldum sit a bit deeper, with Xherdan Shaqiri replacing Curtis Jones in the attacking-midfield role.

Although Klopp labelled the academy ace an “exceptional talent” earlier this season, he hasn’t been at his best in recent fixtures and the Swiss international deserves another chance to impress.

Finally, Diogo Jota makes his return from injury in the attack, replacing the out-of-form Roberto Firmino, in the hope that he and Sadio Mane can take some of the pressure off Mohamed Salah by scoring some goals in this Liverpool side.

And, in other news… Edwards should seal summer swoop for 6 ft 3 CB beast who silenced Messi at 19