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Despite playing out of position at left-back, he was named man-of-the-match in each of Spurs' last two league games -- the wins over Brentford and Manchester United -- but could switch to his natural right side for Saturday's visit to Ipswich, with Pedro Porro likely to be rested.

Spence has set his sights on a call-up to Thomas Tuchel's first England squad, which the German will name next month, and Postecoglou is confident that he would take international football in his stride.

"But for him, the challenge now is, ‘Don’t settle for that now. Push on’. There’s no reason why he can’t. He can be a top, top player. He’s already at a great level but don’t settle for that. My role and for all of us here is to keep pushing him on."

"That laid-back nature also means he won’t be fazed by anything that will be thrown at him. It works both ways. What some people see as maybe a weakness in him, that he looks a bit too casual, but...come game-day he’s not fazed by any challenges thrown to him. I think that’s partly why he’s done really well since he’s been thrown in.

"He’s had some difficult experiences but that’s what life is about. Those difficult experiences can actually help you. He’s played in Italy, in France, in the Championship. I’m sure he’s taken those things along, even if they haven’t been positive, and said, ‘OK, there’s nothing really to fear, here’. I think he takes that into games."

Spence has had a consistent champion at Spurs in the form of Postecoglou's assistant, Matt Wells, but he was largely overlooked by the manager in the first half of this season, making just five appearances from the bench before an injury to Destiny Udogie opened the door.

"Of course there has [been a method with Spence] and I’m proud of that, not for me but for us as a club and for the coaching group that we thought there was something there," Postecoglou said.

"Because there was plenty of evidence for us not to go down that track. We’re in the Premier League here, we can’t take too many gambles with what we do, so you’ve got to have a clear understanding over what the road ahead was.

"Look, 99.9 per cent of it was Djed. All I can do is open that door and give him the opportunity, so that’s him. But that 0.1 per cent is us getting him to that opportunity where he feels like, ‘OK, I can give the best version of myself and prove that I belong here’. The credit lies with him and the beneficiaries are us, the football club."

Postecoglou continued: "You try different things, you want to try to get the best out of players or at least get them to be the best version of themselves.

"It wasn't just tough love...I never made it purposefully tough for him and the other guys [on the coaching staff] were very encouraging for him.

"But I wasn't going to give him the opportunity to play, that was the bit I was going to hold back for as long as possible to really test out how much he really wanted it and what he was prepared to do to get that opportunity.

"To a certain extent [he has surprised me]. But I've always kept an open mind about these things. There's obviously a player there, there was never any doubt about that.

"I made it difficult for him, to be fair. I didn't make it easy for him, it's not like I said to him, 'Djed, you're here, we love you, stay'. I purposefully made it difficult for him because I thought that was going to be the test. To see, earlier in the year when he wasn't training or part of squads, how he was training, he was reacting to things.

"And he never got disengaged. He was always engaged and that made an impression on everyone. Me, the coaches, his teammates. And from then on, it's just been all about him.

The two-legged ties will be played across the first half of March

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Alex Young @ alexwsyoung2 minutes ago

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick

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Manchester United will face Real Sociedad in the Europa League last-16 stage as Tottenham face AZ Alkmaar.

The Premier League pair are the two favourites to lift the trophy on May 21 in Bilbao and can now map out their routes to the final, where they will meet each other should they both get there.

Athletic Bilbao will also fancy their chances, especially with the final being held at their home stadium, and face Roma in the last-16 stage. Lazio, considered the fourth-favourites, must get past FCSB to reach the quarter-finals.

Rangers have been handed a tricky test against Fenerbahce.

The first legs in the last 16 will be played on March 6, with the return fixtures a week later.

Europa League last-16 draw in full

Olympiacos vs Bodo/Glimt

Rangers vs Fenerbahce

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Ajax

Lyon vs FCSB

Tottenham vs AZ Alkmaar

Manchester United vs Real Sociedad

Lazio vs Viktoria Plzen

Athletic Bilbao vs Roma

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Chelsea and Tottenham are set to be allowed to play the home legs of their European knockout ties on the same night next month after being given the green light from local authorities and UEFA.

The Blues and Spurs are both scheduled for home advantage in London in the second legs of their respective last-16 ties on Thursday, March 13.

The first legs on the continent are scheduled for Thursday, March 6.

UEFA's rules usually prohibit clubs from competing on the same day if they share a stadium, city or are located in cities within a radius of 50km.

There is roughly 16km between Stamford Bridge in west London and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the north of the capital.

But UEFA are happy for the clubs to play on the same evening after it was cleared by the relevant local authorities, including police, helping both sides avoid fixture disruption.

Spurs could go on a deep run in the competition as injury crisis eases

Resurgence: Tottenham have several key players now back from injury

AP

Tashan Deniran-Alleyne1 minute ago

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick

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Tottenham will learn their next Europa League opponents when the last-16 draw takes place today.

A fine start and end to the new league phase did the business for Spurs, but a defeat to Galatasaray followed by draws with Roma and Rangers almost derailed their campaign.

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW EUROPA LEAGUE DRAW LIVE!

But Spurs did overcome that wobble to finish in the top eight and progress straight through to the last 16 and avoid two extra games in a knockout round play-off tie.

The teams who finished ninth to 24th were thrown into a play-off stage to confirm the eight unseeded teams in the last-16 stage.

Who will Tottenham face in Europa League last 16?

As a result of finishing fourth in the league phase, Tottenham could have faced the winners of the knockout phase play-off ties between the 13th and 14th seeds, or the 19th and 20th seeds. Which are: Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar, Real Sociedad or Midtlylland.

As mentioned, Spurs have already faced - and lost to - Galatasaray this season, and also sneaked past AZ.

However, there will be no repeat of their defeat to the Turkish, after AZ eased to a 6-3 aggregate with over Galatasaray.

Read More

Who could Man Utd face in Europa League last 16?

Europa League draw LIVE! Man Utd and Totenham learn last-16 opponents

Chelsea and Tottenham avoid fixture disruption after special UEFA ruling

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Real Sociedad, meanwhile, proved far too strong for Midtlylland as they won 7-3 on aggregate over the two legs.

Tottenham will see their opponents confirmed - either Real Sociedad or AZ Alkmaar - during the last-16 draw on Friday, February 21.

The first leg of those ties will be played on either March 6, with the return fixtures a week later.

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Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has options to choose from for Saturday's visit to struggling Ipswich and may pick an XI with the mid-week game against Manchester City in mind, too.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario returned from injury for last weekend's scrappy 1-0 win over Man United and could be shielded by the same back four.

Destiny Udogie, who was an unused sub against the Red Devils, is pushing to return to the side but Djed Spence has been superb at left-back and picked up his second consecutive man-of-the-match award last Sunday.

Postecoglou has the option to move Spence to right-back and rest Pedro Porro, which may be appealing with the City game in mind.

It is tricky to predict the Australian's midfield three at Portman Road, with seemingly little to choose between Spurs' available players.

James Maddison is likely to keep his place at No.10 after scoring the winner against United, and a pairing of Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall would offer a blend of energy and technical quality alongside the England playmaker.

Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are also available, however, while Postecoglou could choose to hand Archie Gray, 18, a first start in midfield after his impressive displays while deputising at centre-half.

Dejan Kulusevski is another option to drop to No.8, particularly as there is now real competition in the front three, with Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson, Mikey Moore and Timo Werner also vying for minutes.

Spurs captain Heung-min Son could even be rested this weekend to save him for City, but is more likely to be replaced in the second half, while Mathys Tel is set to continue through the middle in the absence of Dominic Solanke (knee) and Richarlison (calf).

It said plenty about the scale of Tottenham's winter selection crisis that the squad for Sunday's scrappy 1-0 win over Manchester United appeared to be in a refreshingly robust state.

Five players returned from injury, with goalscorer James Maddison and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario starting and starring, and for the first time since early November, there were no untested academy players making up the numbers on Ange Postecoglou's bench.

And yet Spurs were still without their two senior centre-forwards, Dominic Solanke and Richarlison, and three of their four established centre-backs, with Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin also missing.

In a regular season, the absence of five senior players across two key positions would have been a major concern but, as it was, Postecoglou must have felt like a starving man who had suddenly been presented with a lavish feast.

It helped that Spurs' options at centre-half and up front have been boosted by January signings Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel both making encouraging starts to life at the club.

Danso has seemingly not needed any meaningful adjustment period since arriving on loan from Lens the day before the transfer deadline, likely aided by the Austrian living in the UK from the age of six and spending the 2019-20 season on loan at Southampton.

Danso, who will join Spurs permanently for £21million in the summer, was probably the best of a bad bunch of visiting players on his debut, the 4-0 defeat at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, and followed it up with another solid display in difficult circumstances as Postecoglou's side crashed out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.

Crucially, the 26-year-old looks a good fit for the Australian's prescriptive approach - more so, at this stage, than Dragusin, who is out for the rest of the season after surgery on a torn cruciate ligament - because he is comfortable playing in a high line, appears composed on the ball and is happy to occasionally dribble out of defence.

Danso earned a warm ovation after being replaced on 78 minutes with a knock against United, shortly after he had demonstrated his impressive covering pace to race back and dispossess Rasmus Hojlund, and overall he looks a smart signing, capable of growing into an important player for Spurs.

With Postecoglou hopeful that Romero and Van de Ven will be fit by mid-March at the latest, Danso should have further opportunities in the next two to three weeks to bed-in to the team and potentially leave the manager with a difficult decision to make down the line.

Tel has also made a bright start in London, even if the 19-year-old understandably looks more raw than Danso.

The on-loan Bayern Munich forward was thrust into action prematurely by Richarlison's injury at Anfield, failing to make much of an impression in the second half, and was similarly quiet until switching to central striker towards the end of the match at Villa Park.

A well-taken stoppage-time goal - a predatory first-time finish from Dejan Kulusevski's cross - demonstrated his poaching instincts and he was rewarded with a start through the middle against United.

The teenager finished the game with no fewer than seven shots, the best of them a fierce left-footed drive from Heung-min Son's cross which drew a smart save from Andre Onana in the United goal.

Tel's hold up play appears to need work if he is to make it as a Premier League front man but he was lively and involved on his top-flight bow, suggesting he has the capacity to make a real impact once he has adjusted more fully to his new surroundings.

When Solanke is fit again, as the club hope he will be in a couple of weeks, Tel may be better suited to returning to the left wing in the short-term but it is already easy to see why Postecoglou is so excited about the Frenchman, who is expected to join Spurs permanently in the summer.

It is still early days for both players - too soon, really, to draw any sweeping conclusions - but Danso and Tel are promising additions to Postecoglou's squad, each appearing capable of nailing down a place in the Spurs' best XI in time.

Premier League clubs already lining up moves for summer targets

Matt Verri3 hours ago

Transfer news continues to roll in as attention shift towards the summer window. Arsenal are never too far away from the gossip columns amid their search for a new forward. To that end, the Gunners are said to be interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who could be available for around £60million at the end of the season.

In addition, the north London outfit are said to be ready to battle Chelsea for winger Jamie Gittens, who is valued at around £85million by Borussia Dortmund, whilst there has been an update on Roberto Firmino’s situation at Al-Ahli with the former Liverpool said to be on Mikel Arteta’s radar.

Latest transfer news and updates

Bryan Mbeumo urged to snub Arsenal and Liverpool

Bryan Mbeumo has been urged to ignore potential interest from Arsenal and Liverpool and instead move to Newcastle.

Mbeumo is enjoying a fine season for Brentford, scoring 14 goals as well as chipping in with three assists in the Premier League so far.

Such form has prompted talk of a big move for the 25-year-old this summer with reports claiming Arsenal are interested as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his attacking options.

In addition, Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Mbeumo as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

However, Romauld Eteki, an agent for Promosport and sports consultant for CRTV Sports in Cameroon has urged his compatriot to join Newcastle as he would be an “undisputed starter”.

Read the full story here!

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Chelsea eye Caoimhin Kelleher deal

Caoimhin Kelleher has emerged as a top target for Chelsea ahead of the summer transfer window.

That is according to Football Insider who claim the Blues are willing to match Liverpool’s demands over the signing of the talented goalkeeper.

Kelleher could be on the move this summer as he faces dropping down to the third-choice option at Liverpool because Giorgi Mamardashvili is expected to be part of Arne Slot's plans next season.

Chelsea are on the market for a goalkeeper given Robert Sanchez's struggles.

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Liverpool to propose Isak swap deal

Liverpool will try to tempt Newcastle United into selling Alexander Isak this summer by proposing a part-exchange deal.

Isak has been linked with every big club in Europe it seems, which is no surprise given his impressive form this season.

Recent reports have suggested he could be on the move if Eddie Howe’s side do not qualify for the Champions League.

But will Anfield be the destination? Well it would appear the Premier League leaders have a plan to get a deal done.

According to Football Insider, The Reds are willing to offer Darwin Nunez on top of a lump sum to lure Isak to Merseyside this summer.

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Man Utd agree terms with Geovany Quenda

Journalist Ben Jacobs claims Manchester United have reached an agreement over personal terms with Geovany Quenda.

All that remains is agreeing a fee with Sporting CP

"The player has agreed verbally personal terms," Jacobs told talkSPORT. “He’s waiting to see if the club’s pre-agree (a fee) or wait until the summer.

“And the price United are looking at is 40million euros (£33m).

“Sporting want a minimum of 60m euros (£50m). There’s a release clause at 100m euros (£83m).

“So if United can get this one done south of 60m euros (£50m), it’s not only a good signing for now and the future, and a player Amorim knows really well, it’s also another deal they can potentially get without being forced to, for example Rasmus Hojlund, pay more than they ideally want to.”

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Firmino update amid Arsenal links

Amid rumours that Roberto Firmino could terminate his Al-Ahli contract and possibly join Arsenal as a free agent, journalist Fabrizio Romano has provided an update.

Romano said: “He’s still not leaving Al-Ahli now as the Saudi club insists to continue until the summer as they can use him in the Asian Champions League.

“Let’s see what happens if they change their stance.”

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Liverpool monitor potential Van Dijk replacement

Liverpool are said to be closely monitoring Feyenoord defender David Hancko as a potential summer transfer target.

Hancko is also attracting interest from Chelsea, Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Juventus but his relationship with Arne Slot could give an advantage in any battle to sign him.

Slot worked with Hancko at Feyenoord and the 27-year-old Slovakia international could be one of the most highly-rated defenders on the market in the summer.

Hancko can play centre-back or left-back and CaughtOffside claim he is being lined up as a potential Virgil van Dijk replacement.

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Kane and the three strikers Man Utd rejected in favour of Hojlund

Manchester United rejected the chance to sign Harry Kane in favour of a move for Rasmus Hojlund, it has been revealed.

Kane decided to leave Tottenham in 2023 in search of silverware, eventually joining German giants Bayern Munich in a deal worth close to £100million.

Erik ten Hag, United manager at the time, made Kane his top transfer target that summer, knowing Spurs would demand more to sell to a Premier League rival.

That put United off, along with moves for Randal Kolo Muani - who went on to join Paris Saint-Germain for around £70m - and Victor Osimhen, who at the time would have cost a similar figure as Kane.

Benni McCarthy, a coach at United at the time, has confirmed club bosses vetoed a move for Kane in favour of the far younger Hojlund, who was signed from Atalanta in a deal worth up to £72m.

"In the summer of 2023, Harry Kane was our No.1 target," McCarthy told Ladbrokes. "Because he would have been leaving Spurs for United, a few extra million pounds were added on to the price tag, which, you know, for a 30-year-old wasn't seen to be wise.”

Read more here!

London Standard

Arsenal decide on backup option to Alexander Isak

Arsenal will make a move for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike if they cannot sign Alexander Isak in the summer.

According to CaughtOffside, Ekitike is a target of growing importance for the Gunners and could be available for around £60million.

Isak, considered Mikel Arteta's 'dream signing', would cost significantly more and almost certainly command a club-record transfer fee of at least £110m.

Chelsea have also been credited with interest.

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Dean Huijsen release clause revealed

Bournemouth teenager Dean Huijsen is expected to be the centre of a transfer tug-of-war this summer, amid links with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham after his release clause was revealed.

The 19-year-old has come to the fore this season after a £15million switch from Juventus to the Cherries, and is now a mainstay at centre-back for Androni Iraola.

Such performances have reportedly attracted plenty of transfer interest ahead of the summer window, and now Fabrizio Romano reports that Huijsen would be available for £50m at the end of the season.

That is because of a release clause in his Bournemouth contract.

But there is no guarantee Huijsen will leave as the Cherries target qualification to Europe for the first time in their history.

Read more here!

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Man United keen on Osimhen

Manchester United want to sign Victor Osimhen, as they look to address the club’s attacking woes.

Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have both struggled to consistently find form in attack, with it expected that United will strengthen up front in the summer.

However, TEAMtalk report that Osimhen’s wage demands could be a problem, with United’s ownership trying to cut the wage bill.

Osimhen also wants to play in the Champions League - United currently sit 15th in the table.

REUTERS

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Spurs will hope to avoid a team they have already lost to this season

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Tashan Deniran-Alleyne2 minutes ago

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick

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Tottenham will hope to avoid a big threat to their Europa League hopes in the last-16 stage.

A fine start and end to the new league phase did the business for Spurs, but a defeat to Galatasaray followed by draws to Roma and Rangers almost derailed their campaign.

But Spurs did overcome that wobble to finish in the top eight and progress straight through to the last 16 and avoid two extra games in a knockout round play-off tie.

The teams who finished ninth to 24th were thrown into a play-off stage to confirm the eight unseeded teams in the last-16 stage.

Who will Tottenham face in Europa League last 16?

As a result of finishing fourth in the league phase, Tottenham will either face the winners of the knockout phase play-off between the 13th and 14th seeds, or the 19th and 20th seeds. Which are: Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar, Real Sociedad or Midtlylland.

As mentioned, Spurs have already faced - and lost to - Galatasaray this season, and also sneaked past AZ.

With the second legs being played on Thursday, February 20, Tottenham’s potential opponents will be whittled down to two.

Ahead of the second-leg clashes this week, AZ hold a commanding 4-1 lead over Gala, while Real Sociedad welcome Midtlylland to Spain with a 2-1 first-leg advantage.

Tottenham will see their opponent confirmed during the last-16 draw on Friday, February 21.

The first leg of those ties will be played on either March 6, with the return fixtures a week later.

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A 1-0 win over Manchester United saw Spurs get back on track after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in a matter of days.

A rare midweek off meant Spurs looked far fresher against United and were able to record their first home win in the league since November.

The Spurs skipper was taken off during the final minutes of the win over Manchester United, and Ange Postecoglou confirmed he had picked up a knock but allayed fears of any lengthy lay-off.

Asked about Son, Rodrigo Bentancur and Kevin Danso, the Spurs boss said: [They] all got sort of knocks. I don't think it is anything significant.

“But the beauty of it now is we can actually get them to recover instead of trying to patch them up and throw them out [onto the pitch] again [in] midweek.”

The midfielder was also substituted on Sunday and required an ice pack on his knee while on the bench. Ange Postecoglou is confident the week-long gap between games will see Bentancur recover.

The defender produced another impressive display as his start at Spurs begins brightly, but was seen limping before being replaced by Archie Gray during the win over United. He is expected to shake off any fitness concerns.

Micky van de Ven has not been seen make another long-awaited return from injury last month as Spurs beat Elfsborg 3-0 in the Europa League but Ange Postecoglou hopes the player is not far off a return.

Postecoglou insists that there is no fresh injury but rather the club are taking their time on reintroducing the player to avoid such setbacks.

He said on Friday: “With Micky we made a decision, and I was certainly the catalyst of that, to just have a look at exactly beyond the injury how we can get him back in a good spot. He is doing some different things and working with some different people.

“It’s not as much about the injury as about the mechanics of him because we want him back and we want him back in a real good space. He is training and feels really good. We are still confident his return is imminent but we want to make sure we get it right.

He said on Friday: “With Romero it has been a healing issue. The injury hadn’t healed up as quickly as we thought it would which, again, we could have pushed him and risked it but we have waited to give him a bit more time.

“We will get some clear indication as to his healing and depending on that his return could be imminent as well.”

Postecoglou recently hinted that the England international was not too far off a return, but is yet to feature in training so may have to wait until next month.

Asked if Van de Ven and Romero could return for the European game on March 6, Postecoglou said: "If it’s not then, it won’t be much after. We’ve got an international break so it won’t be much after that. I would include Dom [Solanke] in that as well. He’s in a similar sort of boat.”

The striker was forced off against Liverpool and potentially faces weeks on the sidelined. Immediately after the 4-0 loss at Anfield, Postecoglou said of the injury: “It looks like his calf. It didn't look too good after the game.

Asked for an update on Friday morning, Postecoglou said: “[Richarlison] was emotional last night because he’d worked really hard to get back. It’s another setback. We’re going to have to deal with him and get him back.”

Radu Dragusin went down with a knee injury during the Elfsborg game after having come on as a substitute for Van de Ven.

Premier League clubs already lining up moves for summer targets

Matt Verri2 hours ago

Transfer news continues to roll in as attention also starts to shift towards the summer window. Arsenal continue to dominate gossip columns and newspaper reports from around the world as they hunt for a big new forward to try and lead them to major honours. To that end, the Gunners are said to be ready to battle Chelsea for winger Jamie Gittens, who is valued at around £85million by Borussia Dortmund.

Another forward to have been linked with the Gunners is Mateo Retegui. The Atalanta star is shining this season and is reportedly on Mikel Arteta’s radar, albeit Manchester United are another said to be keen on a move. Victor Osimhen is also on the shortlist for Ruben Amorim, who is desperate to strengthen in attack.

Newcastle star Alexander Isak is also linked with every big club going. According to reports in Spain, Barcelona are interested and a fee of around £80million could be enough to land him if Eddie Howe’s side do not qualify for the Champions League. Follow all the news, gossip and rumours below!

Latest transfer news and updates

Arsenal ready to enter Gittens race

Arsenal could battle Chelsea for Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens this summer.

BILD report that the Gunners are keeping tabs on the 20-year-old and are considering a move, though will face competition from the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham.

It’s claimed that Dortmund have put an £85million valuation on Gittens.

AFP via Getty Images

Huijsen release clause

Dean Huijsen has a £50m release clause in his Bournemouth contract.

This is according to Fabrizio Romano.

On X, Romano posted: “Dean Huijsen’s contract at Bournemouth includes £50m release clause. The clause is 100% confirmed as revealed in January.

“It will be valid from summer 2025. 19 year old defender attracting top clubs interest after excellent performances at Bournemouth this season.”

Manchester United are said to be one of the clubs interested in the central defender.

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Roberto Firmino latest

Over the weekend, journalist Ben Jacobs said former Liverpool star Roberto Firmino could become an option for Arsenal in the free agent market if his contract at Al-Ahli is terminated.

“I think that right now, there probably isn't a free agent in the market that fits the kind of profile Arsenal are looking for," Jacobs said. “The one name that I would keep an eye on is just Roberto Firmino and his situation at Al-Ahli.

“As of now, Firmino is not a free agent, and Al-Ahli don't want to terminate his contract, because even though he's not registered for Saudi Pro League games, after Galeno arrived, and they had to remove somebody from their roster, he's still eligible for the Asian Champions League.

“And Al-Ahli want to keep Firmino until the end of the season and then resolve his future then.”

The latest on the Brazilian is that he made his return for Al-Ahli earlier today, scoring in a 4-2 win over Al-Gharafa.

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Guardiola eyes Wirtz deal

Huge news coming out of Manchester City!

According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Pep Guardiola has chosen Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz as the perfect replacement for Kevin De Bruyne.

It’s claimed that Man City tried to sign the midfielder in the January transfer window, but a deal failed to materialise.

All eyes will now turn to the summer, though City will apparently have to pay €100m (£83m) plus include a sell-on clause.

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Casemiro message

Casemiro has expressed a desire to see out the remainder of his contract at Manchester United.

The former Real Madrid stalwart has received intense criticism for his performances during another dismal Premier League season overall at Old Trafford, struggling under both Erik ten Hag and successor Ruben Amorim, who seems to have made it clear that he is not part of his plans moving forward.

Casemiro has been heavily linked with moves away from Old Trafford in each of the last two transfer windows, with clubs in Saudi Arabia believed to remain keen on a deal.

However, it seems despite those well-documented struggles on the pitch that the 32-year-old is aiming to complete a contract that runs until the summer of 2026 - with a club option for a further year surely very unlikely to be triggered - and reportedly pays him around £300,000 a week.

Read the full story here!

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Man United in line for Greenwood windfall as offer revealed

Mason Greenwood could be on the move again in potentially great news for Manchester United.

Greenwood joined Marseille for a reported £26.6m fee last summer and has enjoyed a fine season thus far to attract interest from Ligue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain.

According to Fichajes, PSG have made a formal offer of €75million (£62m) for Greenwood.

The Manchester Evening News state that if Marseille do cash in on Greenwood this summer, Man United will be entitled to a sell-on fee of between 40 to 50 per cent.

In addition, the report states that if the sell-on clause stands at 40 per cent, then the Reds will receive £25 million from the transfer but if it stands at the full 50 per cent, United would be entitled to €37.5m (£31.1m).

Having said that, PSG apparently face competition from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

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Alexander Isak price tag set

Newcastle star Alexander Isak is reportedly of interest to Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

While signing him won’t be easy, perhaps there’s a chance if the Magpies do not qualify for the Champions League.

According to Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona are also keen and believe the Sweden star could be available for around £80m in that event.

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Man Utd hijack Mateo Retegui move

Atalanta and Italy forward Mateo Retegui is another star being linked with the Gunners.

Caught Offside suggest Arsenal have made contact over a move but they also claim Manchester United are very interested.

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Matheus Cunha transfer update

Arsenal have long been linked with a move for Matheus Cunha, despite him having signed a new deal at Wolves recently.

Still, according to Football Insider, the Gunners target is set to leave this summer - regardless of whether or not they stay in the Premier League.

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Liverpool told to sign Micky van de Ven

Liverpool have been told to look to Tottenham for Virgil van Dijk’s replacement, should their captain leave for a free transfer at the end of the season.

Robbie Fowler said: "I’m the sort of fan that thinks if you’re not out there signing good players then you’re slipping behind the competition and are slipping backwards.

“If you’re not doing that and improving the squad you can plateau. When it comes to Micky van de Ven, he’s a very, very good player despite having his injury problems. I think he is strong, fast and I think he would look right in a Liverpool shirt

“I know Tottenham fans won’t want to hear that but it’s a compliment to him as a player that I think the league leaders should have a look at him."

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