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Tottenham Hotspur are in “advanced talks” with midfielder Oliver Skipp over a new long-term deal that will keep him at the club past 2024…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports News, who delivered an update on the 21-year-old’s situation this week (via Football Daily):

“Just into us, regarding Spurs midfielder Oliver Skipp.

“He is close to agreeing [to] a new long-term contract with Tottenham. The 21-year-old is in advanced talks over improved terms that will also extend his time at the club beyond his current deal, which lasts until 2024.

“He’s nearing [a] return to action following an injury and subsequent infection. He’s emerged as a key player for Antonio Conte.”

Those terms are thought to be around £35k-per-week, as per the Daily Mail.

Conte boost

Not only does Skipp appear to be nearing a return to the squad but he’s also set to be in north London for the long term and that’ll delight the Italian head coach immensely as he thinks so highly of the England U21 international.

“This player is a very young. He has really a lot of space for improvement. He played with great intensity, great passion, with heart, with soul. I think it was important because, for me, he doesn’t care if he’s only 21-years-old, who deserves to play,” Conte told the Evening Standard back in December.

More recently, he claimed that he was pushing the medical department for his return because he’s an “important player” for Spurs.

Indeed, Skipp has emerged as a standout machine in the engine room under the 52-year-old as he is starting to live up to the previous hype of being a potential future captain at the club.

“I see this kid being one day a future captain here by his character, by his personality,” the Portuguese once suggested.

Despite his prolonged absence, Skipp remains the best passer in the side, averaging an accuracy rate of 90.1% from his 18 league appearances and he is the only man to surpass the 90% mark.

Both of Conte’s current midfield pairing, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, rank lower in this regard, though they have usurped him in the tackling rankings, with the £18m-rated dynamo averaging 1.8 successful attempts per game.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-martinez-dybala-spence-conte-2” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

It’s hard to envisage Skipp coming straight back into the starting XI upon his return but it is evident that he’s a player adored by the manager, so it’s only a matter of time before he gets his chance.

Either way, it’s a huge boost to Spurs as it allows Conte to build his team around players like this in the summer and that’ll bolster their chances of keeping hold of the one-time Premier League winner in the long run.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops Sergio Reguilon update…

Crystal Palace are in fantastic form at the moment from picking up a place in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against Chelsea later this month to going unbeaten in their last five Premier League games, the side has gone from strength to strength under Patrick Vieira.

The individual quality in the Palace team has not gone unnoticed by outsiders either, with Marc Guehi, Connor Gallagher and Tyrick Mitchell all earning their first senior England national team caps this season too, which is an incredible achievement for the trio.

Thanks to the spotlight being so brightly shone upon the youngsters in Vieira’s side it has led to speculation from journalist Pete O’Rourke predicting that 22-year-old Mitchell could potentially be snapped up by another Premier League club in the summer transfer window.

With that being said, if the scenario of Mitchell leaving became a reality, the French manager could already have his next rising star ready to break into the first team with Tayo Adaramola.

Speaking on Adaramola, O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT:

“It’s a good place for Palace to be right now because they might have a ready-made replacement for Tyrick Mitchell if they do decide to cash-in on him.”

Despite not making any Premier League appearances so far this season, Adaramola made his debut in a four-minute appearance under Vieira in the FA Cup fourth round against Hartlepool and clearly impressed his manager during the short performance, as the left-back was selected again in the victory over Stoke City in the fifth round and given 65 minutes to shine.

Vieira showered the young talent with praise following his performance against Hartlepool where he nearly scored. He said:

“He is a young player so full of energy,”

“He likes to go forward and has been doing well with the academy. This was the right time to give him a couple of minutes. He was close to scoring his first goal.”

The 18-year-old has also made 13 appearances with one goal and one assist in the Premier League 2 this season, but after having a taste of success in the senior team during his game time in the FA Cup there is no doubt he will be desperate to break through into a more regular spot in the side, especially if Mitchell does leave in the summer.

In other news: CPFC’s £70k-p/w “massively important” gem stole the show vs Arsenal

According to Sky Sports football reporter Keith Downie on Twitter, Sunderland are planning on buying striker duo Tom Eaves and John Marquis before the end of the month. 

Eaves is currently with Gillingham in League One, while Marquis is with Doncaster in the same league, and are both being eyed as replacements to Josh Maja at the Stadium of Light.

This would be a wonderful move for Eaves, who is floundering at the bottom of the league with Gillingham. Currently sitting in 19th place, The Gills are embroiled in a relegation battle this season. With 15 goals and four assists this season, Eaves has, in truth, carried his club. So much so that the next best scorer has nine fewer goals. He will want to test himself at a better club, and promotion-chasing Sunderland are certainly that team, who can offer him the prospect of Championship football. It may spell the end for Gillingham, but it will be very promising for The Black Cats.

Meanwhile, Marquis will be another huge signing for Sunderland. When a club lose the league’s joint-second top scorer in Maja, the only thing they can do to improve that is sign the top scorer, which The Black Cats are proceeding to do. Marquis has 16 goals in the league this season, and with the added quality of Sunderland around him, he will only improve and could possibly make The Black Cats favourites to secure promotion.

Maja’s loss will be huge, but by recruiting two players like this, Sunderland will be taking massive steps forward rather than backwards.

Lots of Everton fans have been left fuming over some transfer news that has emerged involving Cenk Tosun.

As per Turkish journalist Gokmen Ozcan, Hull City made an offer to the striker, but he rejected it so that he can fulfil his contract at Goodison Park.

Tosun is out of contract in the summer, but has not done enough to warrant a new one, as he has only scored 11 goals in 60 games in total across all competitions for the Toffees (Transfermarkt).

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison still on Merseyside, and the fact that he earns a healthy £60,000-per-week, the January transfer window presents a good chance for the Blues to cash in on him, but he seems more than happy to collect his salary and warm the bench.

Everton fans on Tosun transfer news

These EFC supporters fumed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he is a ‘wage thief’:

“Stealing a living!”

Credit: @Banter_Horse

“Robbing a wage”

Credit: @RobertS91163055

“Lol shock. Right up there with Delph this guy.”

Credit: @melbourne1973

“Can’t we just put him out with the bins?”

Credit: @Ste_EFC_

“Another wage thief…”

Credit: @nickgartland

“I hate him”

Credit: @bluetom_tom

In other news, find out what club update has Evertonians raging here!

Osaze Urhoghide could now be heading for a return to Parkhead at the end of the current campaign.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with Belgian media outlet HLN, KV Oostende’s sporting director, Gauthier Ganaye, revealed that, despite the Jupiler Pro League side possessing an option to buy the loanee defender, he may not be able to afford the cost of the 21-year-old – something which could well see Urhoghide return to Celtic Park this summer.

Speaking about the possibility of signing the versatile centre-back, Ganaye said: “We also want to finalise the rented Urhoghide, although [his] price tag is higher. But we want to find a solution. He is a kind of theatre: explosive, aggressive and forward-thinking.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how much potential Urhoghide quite clearly possesses, the news that Oostende could struggle to complete the signing of the youngster this summer is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the decision to include a purchase option in the defender’s loan deal appeared a strange one in the first place, with Celtic supporters making it abundantly clear in a poll ran on Football FanCast that they felt it was a mistake for the club to do so.

It is not difficult to understand why they hold this belief, as the £450k-rated starlet has already proven over his seven Jupiler Pro League outings that he is an exceptionally talented player, so far helping his side keep two clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.9 interceptions – the most of any player in the league – 2.1 tackles, 1.7 clearances and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per game.

Furthermore, Ange Postecoglou was also clearly very excited at the prospect of working with the former Sheffield Wednesday talent upon his arrival at Celtic last summer, stating of the 21-year-old:

“He’s just beginning his football career but he shows all the attributes on and off the field to want to become a top player, so it’s great to get him here. He can play a couple of positions at the back and, most importantly, he’s really keen to learn and develop and I think this will be a great environment for him.

“He’s a modern defender. He’s good athletically, he’s mobile, he’s quick and he wants to get on the ball. He can play a couple of different positions, and from our perspective, and the way we want to play our football, there are certain things I look for in players irrespective of age, and he’s got some really good attributes to be a top defender.”

As such, the news that the £7k-per-week Urhoghide could be set for a return to Glasgow this summer is undoubtedly good news for everyone involved with the Hoops – as it is clear to see that the youngster who Ben Gotting dubbed a “monster” could well go on to have an extremely successful career at Parkhead.

AND in other news: “There’s no problem”: Huge behind-scenes rumour now quashed, it’s good news for Celtic

A number of Wolves supporters are delighted after a new report claimed Wanderers aren’t interested in re-signing Matt Doherty in the January transfer window.

The 29-year-old traded Wanderers for Spurs back in the summer of 2020, in a move that was supposedly seen as a step forward in his career.

Doherty has struggled hugely in north London, however, rarely finding himself as a regular in the team, only registering four assists in 42 appearances and not scoring a single goal.

The Republic of Ireland has been linked with a return to Wolves this month, as he looks for a way out of Spurs, but that now appears to be unlikely.

According to The Mirror [via Talking Wolves on Twitter], a reunion isn’t on the cards, with neither Wanderers or Doherty keen on the move coming to fruition.

Wolves fans delighted with Doherty latest

These Wolves fans reacted positively to the news on Twitter.

“Love to see it”

Credit: @DaneWWFC

“Thank god for that”

Credit: @eve_elizabethxx

“THE PLAYER HIMSELF! He knows he wouldn’t play Semedo and Hoever clear”

Credit: @wwfcglover

“Thank god”

Credit: @Darren_Wolves_8

“We don’t need him”

Credit: @the_brewersarms

“Great news we moved on waw”

Credit: @AntonyHaselum

In other news, some Wolves fans are buzzing over a potential swap deal. Read more here.

Everton will face their fierce rivals this afternoon when they make the short trip to Anfield in the away fixture of the Merseyside Derby.

Frank Lampard has revealed several injury concerns that he will be hoping won’t setback his team from putting on a performance in the Premier League clash, with Donny van de Beek, Andre Gomes and Dominic Calvert-Lewin all ruled out against Liverpool.

Andros Townsend, Tom Davies and Nathan Patterson all remain unchanged on the injury table for the foreseeable, however, the Toffees boss has hinted that a recent returnee is in doubt to feature today.

Lampard took to his pre-match press conference to respond to doubt over Yerry Mina’s inclusion in the starting line-up:

“That’s a decision I’ll have to make closer to the game, because of the tight turnaround. He’s an important player to us and we’ve got to understand we’ve got six more games after this.”

With that being said, this is how Football FanCast expects Everton to line up this afternoon…

We predict that Lampard will make just two changes from the team that drew with Leicester City on Wednesday night, with his typical 4-3-3 formation deployed.

The first change we expect to see is Michael Keane returning to the back-line after the manager’s comments suggesting that Mina may be rested at Anfield today, so it would seem likely that the defender will reprise his role in the otherwise unchanged back four alongside Seamus Coleman, Vitaliy Mykolenko and Ben Godfrey.

The second change we think the Toffees boss will make is the inclusion of Abdoulaye Doucoure, who hasn’t been given much game time as of late with just six minutes played since the Burnley clash at the beginning of the month.

The 29-year-old gem who was hailed “underrated” by Jamie Redknapp, has played ten times in the Merseyside Derby, winning two, drawing two and losing six whilst scoring and assisting once against the Kopites.

We expect to see Doucoure earn his role back in the starting line-up to replace £100k-per-week flop Alex Iwobi in the midfield, playing just ahead of Allan and Fabian Delph to assist with the attacking threat needed to have any chance of beating their title-challenging rivals this afternoon.

Lampard will be feeling the pressure come 4:30pm if Burnley take a result in their fixture a few hours before the derby, with Everton just one point clear of their relegation rivals, a win for Burnley and a loss for the Toffees could spell danger as the side would fall into the bottom three by end of play.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Everton dealt worrying injury setback before Liverpool, Lamps surely gutted

Newcastle United appear to be closing in on the signing of Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimaraes amid a transfer update from Craig Hope.

What’s the story?

Speaking on the True Faith podcast on Wednesday evening, the journalist said: “As of 8pm, the latest was that Newcastle have an offer in for Bruno Guimaraes at Lyon. There were reports earlier in France that the offer was €40m, but I was told straight away that offer was a little on the high side. It’s more around the £30m mark that the offer is in for.

“I think there were some within Newcastle that thought the offer had been accepted, my understanding is that they are still waiting for a definitive answer from Lyon. They’re hopeful that an answer will come tonight, a medical is provisionally booked in for later in the week in South America.

“Of the three big money buys they have been chasing, Sven Botman, Diego Carlos and now Bruno Guimaraes, this is the one out of all of them that I’ve heard people on the inside speak with the most confidence about in terms of getting it done.”

Fans will be excited

After weeks of being linked to a whole host of players, the Magpies appear to finally be getting things done as the January transfer window draws nearer to its close.

With deadline day next week, Eddie Howe’s side are in some desperate need of further reinforcements before the window shuts, and having clinched the signings of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, look set to add Guimaraes to their ranks too.

The midfielder has also been linked with a move to fellow Premier League side Arsenal, so for the Magpies to have gazumped them and land one of Ligue 1’s most dynamic midfielders is a real cause for celebration for the Toon Army.

In fact, writing on Twitter, The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder delivered his verdict, saying: “Bruno Guimaraes deal would certainly leave Arsenal stunned. But #nufc have also been quietly tracking the defensive midfielder for some time.”

The fact that this isn’t some knee-jerk signing or decision, and that the club have been actively scouting the Brazilian for a long time now speaks to good recruitment, and the hope will be that it continues in this final week as well.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are keen on a deal for this Ligue 1 star…it’s not Bruno

Wolves and Tottenham are tracking Celtic defender Mitchel Frame, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Frame profiled

Frame is just 15 years of age and is a left-back who features for Scotland at Under-16 level.

He is yet to pen professional terms with the Hoops and is highly thought of as one of the club’s next top prospects.

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Transfermarkt have him down as an Under-17 player for Celtic, but it appears as if he could be the latest teenager to depart Parkhead.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s tweet

O’Rourke took to Twitter on Monday evening and claimed that both Wolves and Tottenham are tracking Frame.

“Tottenham and Wolves are tracking highly-rated Celtic youngster star Mitchel Frame.”

Football Scotland believe both clubs, along with Crystal Palace, have offered the youngster a three-year professional deal.

The Verdict: Not ideal…

Celtic have lost a number of young starlets recently, and it seems as if Frame could be the next with three clubs keen and offering contracts.

Leo Hjelde is a prime example of a young defender to leave the Hoops without making a senior appearance to then go on to progress elsewhere.

He recently made his Premier League debut for Leeds, and although Frame is yet to turn 16, you’d expect he could be the next to depart Parkhead and breakthrough in the English top-flight, possibly with Wolves.

In other news: Ange now after another Irish addition who Lennon previously wanted. 

As per Portuguese newspaper A Bola, as shared by Sport Witness, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has come to light involving Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Nunez in demand…

The prolific striker seems set to be one of the big-name transfers of the summer 2022 window.

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As backed by reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano, Nunez is set to leave Benfica this year, with the Primeira Liga giants setting a price tag of €80m (£67m) for his services.

Many clubs are currently in the mix, including several Premier League sides, a number of whom even sent officials to Lisbon last week to run the rule over the Uruguay striker (Daily Express).

A Bola have now shared an update on Tottenham’s links with the 22-year-old.

The Latest: Spurs in hunt for Nunez…

According to their sources (via Sport Witness), Spurs and Antonio Conte are in the hunt to sign Nunez alongside Chelsea, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain, Inter Milan and AC Milan.

In addition, they claimed that the Lilywhites – and by extension their chairman Daniel Levy – have been interested in the 22-year-old since as far back as 2019.

The Verdict: Good chance for Tottenham?

With Nunez valued at around £67m, Tottenham arguably face an uphill battle to sign the prolific forward unless they can offload surplus players like Tanguy Ndombele for a handsome fee.

That being said, if transfer chief Fabio Paratici and co manage to muster up the funds, the Uruguayan would undoubtedly be a stellar addition and provide real competition for Harry Kane.

Lauded as a ‘rapid quick’ and ‘really strong’ striker by Anfield Index podcaster Hari Sethi, Nunez’s stunning goal return of 24 goals in as many league appearances this term isn’t the only reason that he would be a brilliant signing.

In other news: Tottenham could strike quick agreement to sign ‘special’ £25m striker! Find out more here.