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Journalist Pete O’Rourke has shared some news on Tottenham and their proposed attempts to tie down striker Harry Kane.

The Lowdown: Kane deal expiring…

Much like manager Antonio Conte, the future of Spurs superstar Kane has been subject to many reports and intense rumours these last few months.

The England international has entered the final 16 months of his deal in north London with major clubs like Man United and Bayern Munich all watching his situation closely.

Kane looks set to be one of the hot topics at Tottenham heading into this summer as chairman Daniel Levy and co reportedly attempt to keep their crucial player beyond 2024.

The Latest: O’Rourke shares Kane update…

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, reporter O’Rourke has shared an update on Spurs and their aim to agree a contract extension with Kane.

He explained:

“Talks are ongoing between all parties to see if this can be agreed. I’m sure Harry Kane, ideally, would like to stay at Spurs, but he needs to see that his ambition is matched by the club.

“He wants to be winning trophies at this stage of his career, but I think he’d be the biggest signing Tottenham could get if they could persuade Harry Kane to stay at the club long-term.”

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The Verdict: Get it done…

Despite Tottenham’s links with another world class forwards, there is a very compelling argument to be made that Kane is simply irreplaceable.

The 29-year-old currently stands out as Spurs’ best player by average match rating in the Premier League – scoring an impeccable 18 goals and two assists in 26 league games (WhoScored).

Kane also contributes to the Lilywhites attack far beyond just scoring goals, having clinched the Playmaker of the Year award in 2020/2021 alongside his Golden Boot.

This motivated serious interest from Man City, who tried to sign him for Pep Guardiola at the time – backing his real quality.

As Kane will only have one year left on his deal come the summer, big clubs could see an opportunity to sign him for a cut-price – making the agreement of an extension seem more and more crucial.

Like O’Rourke said, it could indeed be the ‘biggest signing’ Spurs could make.

Southampton’s proud position among England’s elite is in danger of shattering like glass, with the Saints bottom of the Premier League and without a manager for the second time in four months.

What’s new regarding Southampton’s manager hunt?

Jesse Marsch was recently relieved of his duties at Leeds United, with the Whites boasting just four league victories all season and consequently just one point above the relegation zone.

However, according to The Athletic, the 49-year-old may be handed a swift reintroduction to the Premier League stage, with Southampton reported to hold a “long-standing interest” in the American which pre-dates Sport Republic’s initial arrival at St Mary’s 13 months ago.

With Nathan Jones sacked after just 14 matches in charge, the Saints need to find the perfect replacement in short time, currently rooted to the foot of the table and four points from safety.

Is Jesse Marsch the right fit?

Jones achieved success at Luton Town, but seven defeats from sense of alienation with much of the fanbase, left him with little chance of replicating his good fortunes from Kenilworth Road.

Despite excelling in domestic cup competitions, beating Manchester City in the Carabao Cup and through to the last 16 of the FA Cup, where fourth-tier Grimsby Town await, the Saints are probably in their most precarious position since returning to the top flight in 2012.

After Ralph Hasenhuttl lost his place at the helm earlier this season, Jones was duly snapped up from the Hatters, but league progress has been devoid of substance on his brief watch, so Sport Republic must get the next appointment right.

Failure to appoint a suitable replacement would likely result in relegation in the new owners’ first full season in charge, despite spending roughly £128m since the summer.

While it did not quite work out for Marsch at Leeds, there were promising signs of a good team spirit during his tenure, and his dismissal after less than a year in the job is not wholly indicative of his calibre, or indeed his suitability for the project at St Marys.

The aforementioned report from The Athletic suggests that Marsch would be a good fit for this Southampton team, with his philosophy holding semblance to Hasenhuttl’s due to their shared former affiliation with the Red Bull sporting project in central Europe.

Daily Echo correspondent Alfie House took an optimistic view on the prospective appointment, tweeting: “If Jesse Marsch is to be the next Southampton manager, I think the personnel is there to suit him.”

With the spectre of relegation lurking just around the corner, Southampton CEO Martin Semmens will be anxious to get this appointment right, and Marsch could implement a high-octane, vertical emphasis which could excite the club’s hierarchy, with imposing January signing Paul Onuachu perhaps one to ostensibly prosper from such a setup.

Hope can also be taken from Marsch’s initial impact in Yorkshire; a run of ten points from his first six games ultimately proved pivotal in Leeds surviving relegation on the final day of the 2021/22 season. Under his management, Southampton could look to emulate the bounce which came in tandem with his arrival at Elland Road.

The Saints must act swiftly and with conviction if they are to salvage their season and repel the imminent and looming threat of relegation. By hiring Marsch, Hasenhuttl’s once-prosperous tactical blueprint – now dusty and neglected in Hampshire – could be utilised once again.

West Ham United have ‘no plans’ to sign a new defender in the remainder of the January transfer window, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: West Ham facing issues in defence

He recently told GIVEMESPORT that Kurt Zouma is set to miss ‘a few games’ with an injury, having already been absent for five matches this season with a knee problem, while Craig Dawson was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers for £3.3m.

Consequently, David Moyes is left with limited options in defence, one of whom is Thilo Kehrer. The German has not quite hit the ground running since arriving for £10.1m last summer, with journalist Paul Brown last month claiming that the 26-year-old looks ‘a yard off the pace’.

The Latest: No signings planned

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sheth detailed that West Ham will not enter the market for a new defender unless they receive another injury setback before the transfer deadline.

The reporter said: “I think West Ham are comfortable just now with the options that they have in central defence.

“If any of the injuries that they do get within the next six days or so are worse than first feared, then I think they’ll go into the market, but no plans do, as far as I’m told at the moment.”

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The Verdict: Right decision?

While Kehrer may have struggled at times in a West Ham shirt, Angelo Ogbonna has stepped up the plate after being given increased game-time in recent weeks, helping the Irons to keep a clean sheet in the recent 2-0 victory against Everton by making 15 clearances, the most of any player on the pitch.

Also, Nayef Aguerd has found his stride after finally shaking off the injuries which ruled him out for 21 matches earlier in the campaign, with Moyes describing him as ‘fantastic’ in the wake of his display against the Toffees.

As such, there is no real need for West Ham to add to their defence, with the options currently available to Moyes proving themselves to be more than capable, while Zouma is also set to come back into the frame soon.

Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka is likely to stay at the club in January, says Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Wan-Bissaka situation

Wan-Bissaka suffered a terrible start to the season with him only appearing for four minutes before the World Cup break, which came in the Premier League back in August.

This led to the Manchester Evening News claiming West Ham United’s potential interest in taking the Englishman on loan back in December.

The Mirror also reported Wolves’ interest in Wan-Bissaka, with it looking ominous just weeks ago that the 25-year-old wouldn’t be finishing the season at Old Trafford.

The Latest: Romano’s comments

However, Wan-Bissaka’s situation looks to have gone full circle at United, with him starting the last five league games in the absence of Diogo Dalot.

And Romano has recently revealed on his YouTube channel that there now looks to be a change of heart from Erik ten Hag.

He said: “On the right-back situation, there is an important update, and it is about Wan-Bissaka.

“Aaron Wan-Bissaka has now a very good chance to stay at Manchester United.

“You remember in November, in December, he was available on the market after a very difficult first part of the season. Now, the feeling is the opposite: it’s for Wan-Bissaka to stay at Man United.

“Man United, at the moment, are focusing on Wan-Bissaka as the player to create competition to Diogo Dalot, who is of course the owner of the right-back [position] at Manchester United.”

The Verdict: Set to stay

Wan-Bissaka will surely now stay in Manchester, with his displays in place of the injured Dalot something of a renaissance for the 25-year-old, who had looked down and out under the Dutchman.

Indeed, he looks better than ever at Old Trafford, with an incredible goal-saving tackle in his last outing against Crystal Palace seeing the recipient of the last-ditch attempt – former teammate Wilfried Zaha – say (as quoted by The Sun): “Any other player [and we could’ve won it at the end]. As I’m running through I had a look back, a little look back, and I thought oh my god it’s Aaron.

“He’s the only one that can do the scoop tackle. It was a great tackle and I can’t say anything else about it.”

Ultimately, with Dalot injured and no return date set (as per MEN), Wan-Bissaka’s chances of leaving look minuscule at present, and the defender himself has probably had a change of heart given his minutes and form of late.

Everton being linked with a move for Hertha Berlin forward Dodi Lukebakio is an ‘interesting one’, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Reinforcements needed

The Toffees currently find themselves in the Premier League relegation zone after a poor first half of the season, with attacking reinforcements evidently needed should Frank Lampard want to avoid the drop.

The Merseyside outfit have reportedly identified the Belgian as an ideal target, and with just 18 months remaining on his contract in the Bundesliga, a potential move to Goodison Park could be on the cards.

The Latest: ‘Interesting’ Lukebakio links

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones reacted to reports linking Lukebakio with Everton and admitted that it was good to see Farhad Moshiri looking at a different profile of player than what the Toffees already have in the building.

He said: “In terms of Lukebakio, it’s an interesting one, and it’s actually nice to see and hear of Everton thinking outside the box a little bit.”

The Verdict: Townsend replacement?

Andros Townsend hasn’t featured since March 2022 after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury, so Lukebakio would be the perfect replacement whilst Everton await his return.

The Nike-sponsored player has posted 11 goal contributions in 16 appearances across all competitions for Hertha this season and is a versatile attacker with the ability to operate at centre-forward as well as out wide (Transfermarkt).

Everton are in desperate need of prolific new arrivals given their precarious position, and the potential acquisition of Lukebakio would surely increase their chances of maintaining their top-flight status come the end of the campaign.

Leeds United continue to be linked to a host of talent with the January transfer window fast approaching, as Victor Orta looks to bolster a squad which lies just two points above the Premier League relegation zone.

The Whites have endured a tumultuous season offering little consistency, but they have recently shown a proficiency in front of goal which could increase their survival aspirations.

Adding Atletico Madrid’s Matheus Cunha to that fold could be the final piece in unlocking Jesse Marsch’s philosophy.

The Brazilian has been touted with plenty of Premier League clubs of late, but despite Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly remaining the favourites to land the 23-year-old, links with a move to Elland Road persist alongside the likes of Everton and Aston Villa.

Having nearly signed for Manchester United in a £42m move last August, it seems that Cunha may now have to settle for a club lower down the league.

Marsch could play a big role in the deal, given how he had worked with the player at RB Leipzig earlier in his career.

By acquiring the 23-year-old, Leeds could actually get their own version of World Cup star and Atletico team-mate Antoine Griezmann, who has proven that an attacking midfielder can offer far more than just offensive prowess to a team. FBRef even note the 31-year-old in Cunha’s ‘similar players’ metric.

The Frenchman has almost redefined his role in Qatar, with his defensive duties playing an integral role in Didier Deschamps’ system. As such, he has facilitated the success of forwards Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe, more than earning his 7.80 average rating from Sofascore.

Whilst providing three assists, in total Griezmann has created seven big chances alongside making 3.5 key passes per game. This is accompanied by his impressive match average of 1.8 tackles and one interceptions (via Sofascore).

A quietly brilliant creative presence, Cunha offers signs that he could emulate this role alongside Marc Roca and Tyler Adams at Elland Road.

Whilst ranking in the top 2% for assists among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues in 2022, outlining what he can offer going forward, he also ranks in the top 4% for tackles and interceptions, as well as the top 1% for blocks (via FBRef).

Dubbed an “extraordinary boy” by his former coach Paolo Tramezzani, it is clear that the youngster can pair graft with his quality. This combination helped him to rack up seven goals and seven assists in his debut season in Spain, and a further eight goals and seven assists in his final year in Germany with Hertha Berlin in 2020/21.

He truly is the “magician” that RB Leipzig’s official Twitter account dubbed him.

A consistent creator with the work rate to match, this transfer would mark an incredible coup for Marsch, who could secure his own version of a man who has inspired France’s run to the World Cup final.

Despite links to Maccabi Tel Aviv gem Oscar Gloukh earlier this year, Celtic have not been in contact over a possible transfer, according to journalist Mark Hendry.

The Lowdown: Celtic previously linked with Gloukh

In September, it was reported by the Daily Record that Gloukh was firmly on the radar of Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou, having excelled for Israel at the European Under-19 Championship in the summer with three goals and two assists as his country reached the final.

Now that the January transfer window is fast approaching, Hendry has shared a fresh update on the youngster, who is said to have a £6m release clause written into his contract. 

The Latest: Hendry’s update

Taking to Twitter to issue the update, Hendry has addressed the claims which continue to circulate around Celtic and the 18-year-old Israeli gem.

The reporter tweeted: “For those asking, all I’ve heard on Oscar Gloukh is that Celtic have not been in contact. Things change fast, obviously, but any thoughts that it’s in the works is, to my knowledge, incorrect.”

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The Verdict: Wait and see

The statement of “things change fast” is entirely apt for this transfer rumour. 

Whilst Celtic have seemingly not been in contact for Gloukh, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t plotting a potential swoop for his services further down the line. 

This appears to be a wait-and-see scenario, with the 18-year-old still requiring further development if he is to come to Celtic and be a readymade first-team player.

This is a transfer rumour which could continue well into 2023, with Hendry not completely pouring cold water on the speculation.

Newcastle United are currently flying high following what’s been a remarkable start to the season thus far, although that has not stopped talk of the Magpies potentially bolstering their ranks in the near future, with further quality depth needed to help maintain their current top-four surge.

Recent speculation has suggested that one player who could be of interest to the northeast side is Velez Sarsfield teenager, Maximo Perrone, with the 19-year-old having caught the eye of late as a result of his displays in his native Argentina.

According to reports in the youngster’s homeland – via Sports Witness – the St James’ Park outfit are said to be readying an offer of around €10m (£9m) in order to land the promising midfielder, with the player’s existing deal at his current side set to expire in December 2023.

While something of an unknown quantity to most on these shores, the exciting talent has been attracting attention as a result of his recent displays, having scored three goals and registered two assists in 33 games from his defensive midfield berth at senior level.

Although still somewhat inexperienced in the first-team set-up, the Argentina U20 international has been tipped for big things over the past few years, with former Sarsfield boss Gabriel Heinze stating in 2020 that the club had a “spectacular” asset on their hands in the form of Perrone.

The teen sensation – who was also believed to be attracting interest from Manchester City earlier this year – appears to have the quality to be a success in English football if he is to join Eddie Howe’s side any time soon, with GOAL notably writing of his talents:

‘Tall, left-footed and able to combine positional intelligence and tough tackling with extreme comfort when in possession, Perrone is every bit the modern-day midfielder, while his past life as a forward player means that he has also been able to chip in with some key goals over the course of the campaign.’

The hope would be that the Buenos Aires-born playmaker could form a spectacular midfield partnership with current Newcastle star and fellow South American, Bruno Guimaraes, with the Brazilian ace having shone at the club since his January arrival from Ligue 1 side, Lyon.

Like Perrone, the 24-year-old also has an eye for goal from his midfield role in front of the back four, having scored eight times and provided three assists in just 29 Premier League games to date.

Although such form has unsurprisingly seen the eight-cap ace tipped for a move elsewhere – namely to potentially join La Liga giants Real Madrid – in the short-term Guimaraes could well be the ideal man to help guide the young Argentine, should he make the switch to England.

Having two such talented and dynamic assets dovetailing in the centre of the park could be a hugely exciting prospect as far as Newcastle are concerned.

Tottenham Hotspur have ‘been in contact’ to sign Inter Milan star Milan Skriniar in recent weeks, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Paratici plans emerge…

The Lilywhites, after securing a previously unlikely Premier League top-four finish last campaign, gave manager Antonio Conte their backing in the summer transfer market.

Club owners ENIC green-lit a £150 million equity increase to bolster Conte’s squad with Spurs completing eight major new signings – including a permanent deal for Cristian Romero.

Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie all put pen to paper on moves to north London with the latter of the seven remaining on loan at Udinese for this campaign.

However, a great opportunity has emerged to make another potential signing next year as Nerazzurri colossus Skriniar runs down his current Inter deal.

The Latest: Spurs make Skriniar contact…

Indeed, the north Londoners are now one of a host of clubs taking real interest in the 27-year-old who could leave Inter for nothing next summer.

Sharing the news for 90min and on Twitter, journalist Graeme Bailey calls Skriniar ‘one of Europe’s top central defenders’ and reveals Tottenham’s admiration for the player.

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He claims that Conte’s side have ‘been in contact’ with the player’s entourage ‘in recent weeks’ as Paratici seemingly eyes a real coup for free.

The Verdict: Make the move…

Valued at around £57 million by Transfermarkt, landing him for nothing in 2023 would come as, arguably, Paratici’s best move since being appointed chief director.

Former West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop is certainly in agreement that Skriniar would be an upgrade on Conte’s current defensive crop, calling him a player who would make ‘absolutely perfect’ sense from the Italian’s perspective.

Spurs need world-class additions for their back three if they’re going to reach the levels of a side like Man City and Skriniar seems to fit the bill.

Wolverhampton Wanderers face Leicester City at Molineux on Sunday and given that both sides currently occupy a relegation spot in the Premier League, three points has to be the aim for Steve Davis’ side.

The former Crewe Alexandra boss was confirmed as Wolves’ interim manager until 2023 on Thursday and will be hoping for an improvement from the midweek defeat against Crystal Palace, which consigned the Old Gold to 18th position in the top flight after other sides around them picked up points.

If Davis wants to get the better of Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes, he must aim to exploit one of their biggest weaknesses, which has been defending set pieces.

Last season saw Leicester concede the joint-most goals from set-piece situations in the Premier League with 19 and the Foxes have shown little signs of improvement so far this campaign, shipping five in 11 games this season.

In order to best take advantage of this weakness, Davis must consider restoring Joao Moutinho to his starting side, after the Portuguese maestro was dropped to the bench for the trip to Selhurst Park in midweek.

In November of the 2019/20 campaign, Moutinho was recognised as the most dangerous set-piece taker in the Premier League, creating 13 chances for teammates from corners and free-kicks.

Unfortunately for the Old Gold, they have managed no goals from set-piece situations so far this season, so hopefully Davis will have the squad working on them in training this week, as they need a reliable source of goals given their attacking woes so far this campaign.

In what is sure to be a high-intensity game, Moutinho will also add experience and an air of calm to Wolves’ midfield, so could be crucial to the Old Gold earning a hugely important three points.

Express and Star journalist Liam Keen was full of praise for the veteran midfielder last season after a win against Brentford saying:

“Even in the first half when Wolves really struggled to get into their flow and their rhythm, he was everywhere; he covered every blade of grass. Absolutely outstanding from him today.”

That sort of performance is exactly what is required against Leicester if Wolves want to get themselves out of the relegation zone, and given his prowess from set pieces, Davis would be unwise not to restore Moutinho to his starting line up on Sunday.