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Tottenham Hotspur’s quest to find a new attacking playmaker should see them turn to James Maddison this summer.

During a recent interview with reporters, manager Antonio Conte hinted at the fact that a no.10 could be high on the agenda during the off-season and the Leicester City gem would surely be an ideal candidate.

Earlier this month, The Sun claimed that Spurs had entered the race – alongside arch-rivals Arsenal – to sign the Englishman, who could be sold by the Foxes in a bid to bolster other areas of Brendan Rodgers’ playing squad.

Maddison is thought to be valued in the region of £60m, as per the report, and he has since been backed as a player that would suit the Lilywhites and the Italian head coach.

“He’s a very intelligent attacking player. He scores goals, gets loads of assists, and he’s a player Tottenham have been crying out for,” former Leeds striker-turned-pundit Noel Whelan told Football Insider.

“They got Giovani Lo Celso after Christian Eriksen left – that never worked out. They’re really missing that midfield player who has an eye for a killer pass.

“He’s proved he can do it in the Premier League by being a very important piece of the puzzle for Leicester.

“I think he would suit Tottenham down to the ground. With that front three in front of him, they could go to the next level with him.”

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Indeed, the north London outfit have lacked that true attacking midfielder to sit in the hole behind the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, and given his experience and current form in the top-flight, there won’t be many better candidates than Maddison.

As per Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old maestro has delivered 14 goals and nine assists across 45 appearances in all competitions this season, averaging a direct contribution once every 126 minutes, which is better than the figures Eriksen put up before his departure.

The Dane scored or assisted every 152 minutes in a Spurs shirt, whilst the bulk of Conte’s creativity has come from the usual suspects – the aforementioned attacking duo, who have combined for 14 assists alone.

Pairing Maddison with the likes of Kane, Son and winter arrival Dejan Kulusevski has got to be a mouthwatering prospect with the Leicester star once being dubbed a “special talent” by The Times’ Henry Winter.

Just like Eriksen, the £45m-rated dynamo could also provide Conte with a major threat from set-pieces, having drawn a great deal of inspiration from one of the best to ever do it, David Beckham, growing up.

An average of 1.4 key passes per game across the Premier League, Europa League and Carabao Cup this season further highlights his creative ability and it’s one that could see Kane and co absolutely thrive upfront.

So, on the above evidence, sporting director Fabio Paratici and Tottenham’s recruitment team would be foolish to not consider the Foxes gem heading into next season.

Just as Whelan suggests, he could be the perfect fit for what Spurs need this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs can complete Conte’s frightening trio with swoop for £33m-rated “absolute beast”…

Leeds United target Lewis O’Brien is to sign a new contract at Huddersfield Town, The Athletic’s Phil Hay reports.Â

The lowdown: Bielsa and Orta impressed

O’Brien’s contract had been due to expire next June, though Huddersfield did have the option to extend it for a further year (via Transfermarkt).

The club’s chairman, Phil Hodgkinson, revealed earlier this month that they received four offers from Leeds during the summer transfer window, the last of which was worth £13million (via BBC Sport West Yorkshire).

One of O’Brien’s former team-mates, Calum Woods, described him an ‘excellent player’ who ‘can actually do anything’ (via Leeds Live), so it’s no surprise to see Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta so interested.

The latest: Blow for Leeds

In a tweet, Hay told Leeds fans there has been a ‘bit of news from elsewhere’.

O’Brien, who Hay confirmed as ‘one of Leeds’ summer targets’ is set to put pen to paper on a new deal with the Terriers ‘today’.

He’ll apparently be committing himself to the Championship outfit, currently seventh in the table, until 2024.

The verdict: Here comes the money

We shouldn’t immediately rule out a move to Leeds just because O’Brien is signing a new contract.

It will increase his price-tag, clearly, but the Whites remain in need of another central midfielder to provide depth behind Kalvin Phillips, and the fact that Orta and Bielsa were keen enough to make four attempts in the summer suggests they won’t just drop it now.

They’ve already returned to the table three times after seeing bids rejected, and if the manager is really that desperate to fit the hard-working midfielder into his plans, it seems likely that Orta will try to negotiate once more.

All that said, it is certainly a blow for Bielsa to see a target they spent all summer pursuing signing new terms elsewhere.

In other news, what about this summer target?

Crystal Palace have completed the signing of centre-back Jake O’Brien from Cork City following a successful loan spell.

And, as to be expected, a number of Palace fans were quick to give their thoughts to the confirmed news on social media.

The 20-year-old made the move to Selhurst Park from the Irish side on loan earlier this year, with the Eagles having the option to make it permanent over the summer.

Palace have now exercised that clause, with the defender joining the club for an undisclosed fee.

O’Brien has made a total of 12 appearances for Palace’s Under-23 side and actually scored in the club’s first game of the new season on Monday evening.

He netted an equaliser against Leeds United, however, Palace eventually lost 3-1 at Selhurst Park.

Palace fans react

Cork City confirmed O’Brien’s transfer on their official Twitter page on Monday afternoon.

This is what these Palace fans had to say, with one labelling the youngster as a ‘great prospect’.

“Welcome to Palace, Jake.”Credit: @FYPFanzine”Exactly what we’re crying out for.”Credit: @caricaturestom”Looks like a great prospect, hope you guys got a decent deal out of it”Credit: @PKA_1979″Fantastic”Credit: @Ukhilal1957″Well… if this doesn’t fill my heart with joy .. O’Brien …. Cork City … Palace …. “Credit: @sadmark11″Good lad”Credit: @parksidejj

In other news: Many CPFC fans react to Fabrizio Romano’s transfer claim. 

Liverpool failed to add substantial reinforcements to Jurgen Klopp’s first team squad over the summer, but that could change in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Former RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate was the only major addition for the Reds, while their main domestic rivals all spent big money bringing in top-class talents such as Jack Grealish, Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku.

However, with the January window just a few months away, Liverpool’s hierarchy are already reportedly eyeing up a potential move for AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie.

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport (as relayed by Milan News), the Anfield outfit are one of three clubs interested in securing the 24-year-old’s services, who would be able to agree terms on a pre-contract agreement after entering the final year of his current deal.

The report also credits Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain and fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur with an interest in Kessie, so Liverpool’s director of football Michael Edwards may need to move quickly in order to secure his signature.

Michael Edwards can redeem himself

After Gini Wijnaldum departed Anfield at the start of the summer, many expected the club to replace the Netherlands international given his importance to Klopp’s charges.

However, despite several star names being linked with a move to Merseyside, a new arrival in the centre of the pitch was not forthcoming, and the Reds have been left surprisingly short of quality in the engine room.

Although Klopp has many classy operators to call upon, the likes of Thiago, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita have all struggled with injuries in recent years, while 18-year-old Harvey Elliott is embarking upon his maiden Premier League campaign as a regular.

Therefore, Edwards’ inability to find a suitable heir to Wijnaldum could have serious consequences for Liverpool as the season progresses.

Bringing in Kessie halfway through the campaign would certainly go some way to redemption, though. The Ivory Coast international has established himself as one of Serie A’s most dominant midfielders since arriving at San Siro back in 2017 and would be a welcome addition in Liverpool.

After scoring 30 goals and providing 15 assists in 184 appearances for Milan, Kessie has caught the eye of several onlookers, including former Italy striker Antonio Cassano, who even compared him to a previous Premier League great.

“I want Kessie in my team, he scores, he assists, he has personality, he has quality, he doesn’t lose the ball, he is intelligent. I’m watching him carefully, against Roma, he was devastating,” he said (via MilanLive).

“He reminds me of the Yaya Touré of the best times. He is a different player, but in terms of impact, he is holding Milan’s midfield alone.”

It remains to be seen whether Edwards can lure Kessie to Anfield this winter, but if he does, it will go down as another masterclass from the Liverpool chief, and see his failures over the summer soon forgotten.

In other news… Neil Jones reveals LFC interest in “incredible” £27m-rated beast, Klopp will be gutted 

Former Leeds United star David Norris believes that the club are currently struggling to find a Plan B as their Premier League woes continue.

The club are currently in the bottom three and have yet to win a game this term ahead of the clashes with Watford, Wolves, and Southampton.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been on the wrong end of two thrashings this term, too, as they were beaten 5-1 by Manchester United on the opening weekend of the season, and also beaten 3-0 by Liverpool.

Bielsa, of course, is something of a purist when it comes to the way he plays the game, and he continually instructs his players to push into the top end of the pitch, regardless of the scoreline.

Leeds attack throughout their games, even with the team being battered, but Norris does not believe that Plan A is currently working.

He admits that the club are beginning to worry him as they struggle to win matches in the top-flight.

He said: “They’re struggling for a Plan B.

“At this stage now, it is a little bit worrying. You’d like to think it’s not going to be one of those seasons where they’re going to be in the relegation zone or really struggle for it but they’re struggling and the longer it goes on, the more worrying it gets.”

Ex-Rangers star Michael Ball believes that the Glasgow giants are favourites to sign Joey Veerman from Heerenveen.

There has been plenty of speculation surrounding Veerman and his future with current side Heerenveen this summer, with the Scottish Sun reporting on Monday that Rangers have been given a massive boost in their pursuit of the player. Another interested party, Feyenoord, have signed Fredrik Aursnes from Molde, which could see them out of the race for Veerman.

The 22-year-old was involved in 20 goals combined last season, scoring nine and assisting 11 which has seen interest in his signature.

Former Ger Ball believes that Rangers are favourites to sign Veerman, telling Football FanCast: “Yeah, there’s been a lot of noise about Joey and I think maybe one or two other clubs are sort of sneaking around, but Rangers seem to be the favourites.”

According to the Scottish Sun report, Heerenveen have set an asking price of £8m for Veerman and with three years left on his current deal the Eredivisie outfit don’t have to rush to sell their star player.

Whilst Rangers appear to be in pole position to sign Veerman should they wish to with Feyenoord possibly out the equation, it could be more good news for the Gers, as Glen Kamara could be set to extend his stay at Ibrox, with the club offering the midfielder a new deal.

On the new contract offer for Kamara, manager Steven Gerrard told the BBC: “I love the kid, I love the player and I’ve made it abundantly clear how much I want him to stay from a personal point of view.”

A Newcastle transfer update has emerged, regarding Lille’s Sven Botman and Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard as PIF aim to seal the first signings of their era with the club.

What’s the talk?

According to Fabrizio Romano in The Guardian, the Magpies are hoping to land both players in January to bolster their squad in a bid to avoid relegation.

The report claims that Botman could cost them a fee in the region of £30m-£40m, whilst they are open to signing Lingard on loan or permanently.

Delight

Newcastle fans will surely be elated by this update from Romano as it shows that the club are making serious plans to strengthen Eddie Howe’s squad in the market.

They have identified two players with recent experience of thriving at the top level and both of them could come in and make a positive impact on the team. Transfermarkt value Lingard at £19.8m and Botman at £25.2m, which means that the club could bring in a £45m-rated duo to improve their side midway through the campaign.

The Magpies have conceded the most goals in the Premier League this season and the signing of a defender could be crucial in their efforts to remain in the division. Botman helped Lille to keep an outstanding 20 clean sheets in Ligue 1 last term as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.08, showing that he has the talent required to keep shutouts as part of an organised defensive set-up.

Fans would surely be buzzing to see a defender with an impressive, recent, record of performing consistently as a centre-back in Ligue 1. He has helped Lille to multiple clean sheets in France and he could now head to England to do the same for Newcastle, which the supporters – and Howe – would love to see if it helps them to pick up more points.

Last season, Lingard produced nine goals and six assists in 16 Premier League appearances. He averaged 1.1 key passes per game as he showed that he has the quality to produce consistent end product in the final third during his loan spell with the Hammers.

Therefore, he could potentially come in and be a match-winner for Newcastle as he has proven that he can score and create goals at this level. His finishing and playmaking could be the difference for Howe’s side in tight games and that is why fans would be delighted with his arrival too.

Overall, these two players would appear to be high-class potential additions and Newcastle simply must swoop.

AND in other news, Possession lost 110x: Howe must brutally axe “fantastic” NUFC dud with 66% pass rate…

Leeds United missed out on the signing of now Liverpool star Luis Diaz according to claims made by Stewart Downing…

What’s the story?

He said: “Diaz has been brilliant. The first thing I look at when a player comes to the Premier League is the physicality. How do they handle all that? But he looks like he likes it. He gets stuck in, he bounces straight back up, he goes again.

“He looks like he’s been here for years. It says a lot about him that he’s been able to do that. A lot of clubs were chasing Diaz – I know Everton, Spurs, Leeds were all looking – but it couldn’t have turned out better for him, I don’t think. He’s got the best move and Liverpool have got a great player.”

Bielsa’s last blunder at Elland Road?

Marcelo Bielsa is, and always will be, a Leeds United icon.

The Argentine took the Whites from the Championship to the riches of the Premier League, and guided the club to an impressive first season back in English football’s top-flight.

His start to the current campaign though, went downhill rapidly, and his departure came amid a torrid run of results that left Leeds staring down the barrel of relegation.

But while on the whole, he got so many things right, missing out on Diaz may go down as final mistake at Elland Road.

The exciting winger joined Liverpool in the January transfer window, and while Diaz choosing the Reds would have been understandable if it was a straight battle, Leeds may have shown a bit more pro-activeness and tried to get a deal as soon as they were left impressed by him.

Instead, they chose not to act on their interest, and Diaz has proven to be a superb signing in his short time at Anfield thus far.

The 31-cap Colombia international was in scintillating form for his former side Porto this season, registering a very impressive 16 goals and six assists in only 29 appearances for the Liga NOS giants.

It was no surprise that he would earn a high-profile move to the Premier League in January, and he has certainly hit the ground running at Anfield, scoring two goals in his first six games for Liverpool.

Now valued at £58.5m by CIES, the 5 foot 10 star has been dubbed a “livewire” and as being “phenomenal” by Portuguese football expert Alex Goncalves – exactly the kind of rave reviews that would have had the Leeds faithful very excited.

Having Diaz and Raphinha line up on the flanks would have been a frightening prospect, but Leeds’ loss is very much Liverpool’s gain.

AND in other news – Leeds must finally offload £15k-p/w outcast who last played at Elland Road in 2018

Leeds scored a last-gasp equaliser against Wolves on Saturday as they rescued a point in the Premier League at Elland Road against Bruno Lage’s team.

Hee-Chan Hwang’s goal appeared destined to win the three points for the travelling side, only for a last-minute penalty from Rodrigo to ensure that the points were shared between the two teams.

The result means that Leeds remain 17th in the table and they are now three points ahead of the drop zone, with Burnley and Newcastle on four points and Norwich, in 20th, on two points.

Whilst Rodrigo may take the applause for scoring the spot-kick late on to seal a point, another player was Marcelo Bielsa’s real hero during the match – Brazil international Raphinha.

Despite being withdrawn early in the second-half with an injury concern, Raphinha was Leeds’ most impressive performer as he produced a sublime display on the pitch. The Brazilian was a constant threat down the right wing for the Whites and was unfortunate not to come off with an assist for his troubles.

On the ball, the wing wizard was spell-binding. Per SofaScore, he had three shots on goal, created two chances and completed an incredible nine dribbles, with a 100% success rate, as he helped Leeds up the pitch in transition.

His dribbling ability opened up space in the final third and allowed him to drive down the flank, which ultimately led to him creating two opportunities. This piled on the pressure for Leeds and began to wear Wolves down, playing a part in the eventual equaliser after he left the field.

Defensively, he was just as good. Per SofaScore, he won a whopping 12 duels, losing four, and made three interceptions and two tackles. He also managed to avoid being dribbled past in the game, with these statistics showing that he was able to put in a sturdy defensive display to go along with his exceptional attacking talents – making it the perfect all-around showing from the ex-Rennes flyer.

Therefore, he was the real star of the show for the Yorkshire side. Rodrigo may have scored the all-important goal, but Raphinha’s stunning display laid the groundwork for Leeds to go on and fight hard for the equaliser as he led by example until his injury forced him out of the game. Hopefully, he will be back fit and raring to go with a similar performance against Norwich next weekend.

AND in other news, Phil Hay makes big Leeds transfer claim that’ll surely leave fans buzzing…

According to a report from Goal, Liverpool are interested in signing Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma as a long-term replacement for Sadio Mane.

The lowdown: Long-standing admiration

The Reds have previously been linked with a move for the 25-year-old and recent performances in Spain have only further cemented the former Bournemouth star’s burgeoning reputation.

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Signed for £21.3million in 2021 (Sky Sports), Danjuma has scored 14 times and registered another four assists in 29 appearances so far for Unai Emery’s side.

Now it would appear that Liverpool’s interest in the Dutchman is only growing, with his goal against Bayern Munich on Tuesday sure to catch the eye.

The latest: Mane successor?

As per Goal, Liverpool, and by extension new transfer guru Julian Ward, are said to be ‘interested’ in signing Danjuma but are ‘unlikely to make a bid’ in the upcoming summer window.

It’s claimed that Liverpool view the six-cap Holland ace as a ‘possible successor’ to Mane – who is fast approaching the final 12 months of a contract on Merseyside.

The report also states that the Reds ‘could sanction’ a bid next year for the winger with a mooted €75million (£63million) release clause.

The verdict: Rising star

After flopping on the south coast – failing to score or assist in 14 Premier League outings and completing 90 minutes just twice in those games – Danjuma has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence in Spain.

Despite struggling in England, he has been impressing in La Liga and in the UEFA Champions League, ranking as his club’s sixth-best player in the top flight and third-best in European action, per Whoscored.

Described as a ‘nightmare for defenders’ by Kevin Phillips, the skilful winger has completed 1.2 successful dribbles per game from 20 league appearances so far this season (Sofascore).

Under contract until 2026 (Transfermarkt), the release clause could represent value for money for a player who possesses the necessary range of attacking assets to replace Mane in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

In other news, Liverpool target reportedly set to leave Bundesliga giants. Find out who it is here.