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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing up an interesting summer transfer swoop…

What’s the word?

According to the Sunday Mirror (28/03, page 75), Spurs are interested in signing 17-year-old Vejle wonderkid Wahid Faghir and have entered the race to secure him alongside Leicester City, who have had a seven-figure bid rejected.

It is also claimed that the 6 foot 1 striker is keen on moving abroad next season and dreams of one day playing for La Liga giants Real Madrid.

Despite only being 17, Faghir has represented Denmark at every age group up to, and including, the U21s, where he has become the youngest-ever player to feature for them in a European U21 Championship, so he’s clearly already making a name for himself.

Mourinho’s new Zlatan?

What makes Spurs’ interest all that more interesting is Jose Mourinho.

Faghir has widely been regarded as “the next Zlatan” Ibrahimovic, as explained by The Athletic just last week. He has bagged five goals in just 20 starts for the mid-table Danish outfit this season, and has proven to be comfortable on the ball like his Scandinavian counterpart.

Whilst he’s not as tall as the 6 foot 5 Swede, he does ‘operate well in tight areas’ and has a dribble volume rating of 84 out of 99, which shows he’s not afraid to travel with the ball despite playing at a senior level at his age.

It’s no wonder the ‘Special One’ appears keen on landing such an impressive talent, considering he managed Ibrahimovic at Inter Milan and then Manchester United, where he won the Europa League.

UEFA named Faghir in their top 50 to watch in 2021, where they went onto describe him as ‘physically well-developed and finishes with power and quality.’

Similarly, Vejle talent manager Steen Tychosen echoed the link to Ibrahimovic, he told the club’s official website: “Wahid has many strengths and then he has a huge belief in his own abilities. There is a bit of “Zlatan” about him, because he performs with an indomitable self-confidence for training and fighting.”

Again, further characteristics that make him fit for such a huge tag at just 17.

Reports in Denmark (via the Leicester Mercury) claim he could be available for just €3m (£2.5m), which would be a pretty cheap investment with high potential, especially when you consider that Spurs splashed £25m on Ryan Sessegnon and £10m on Jack Clarke, neither of whom have broke into the senior set-up yet.

In addition to those claims, Danish journalist Nis Peder Kolby believes Faghir is an “amazing player.”

Whilst this move would certainly be one that has the future in mind, Daniel Levy and the Spurs hierarchy should pay up to land the 17-year-old prodigy. If he’s truly anything like Ibrahimovic, then there won’t be a better manager than Mourinho to unearth that potential.

£2.5m is a mere snip in this day and age.

AND in other news, Teenage Spurs prodigy could become their next Michael Carrick…

Reports by Torino Granata earlier this week have given West Ham United a huge boost in the race to sign Nikola Maksimovic, as Inter Milan are reluctant to meet the SSC Napoli defender’s demands over a potential summer transfer.

Maksimovic is set to leave the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium at the end of the season as chances of the Serbian signing a new contract with Gennaro Gattuso’s side are almost zero.

But Inter are growing slightly cold over a free transfer of the in-demand centre-back, as they feel his request of a €2.5m-a-season (£41.5k-p/w) contract is too much.

The Nerazzurri are also assessing alternative options to strengthen Antonio Conte’s backline in the off-season, with ex-Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi and Real Betis titan Aissa Mandi under consideration.

Inter are yet to completely withdraw from the race to sign Maksimovic and could schedule a new meeting with his agent, Fali Ramadani, having spoken with the £11m-rated enforcer’s representative recently.

But the San Siro natives’ cold feet has swung the door wide open for a rival suitor to swoop, with Maksimovic said to be on the radars of a host of European clubs including West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur.

FC Porto, AS Roma and ACF Fiorentina are also listed as potential destinations for the 29-year-old, who recent reports in Spain had claimed was set to seal a summer move to the London Stadium as David Moyes is a big fan of the £38k-p/w enforcer.

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Rumours now emerging in Italy that Inter are getting cold feet over awarding Maksimovic a contract that would see him earn marginally more than the £40k-p/w the Irons currently pay summer free-agent Fabian Balbuena will be seen as a huge boost in Moyes’ pursuit.

Clearly, though, West Ham have hurdles in their way toward getting Maksimovic to sign on the dotted line, which David Sullivan should strive to overcome to afford Moyes the added senior depth he is claimed to be after.

The Hammers also pursued Maksimovic last summer but Sullivan and Moyes were denied the 25-cap international’s services, with talkSPORT claiming that a £14m offer was rejected and Calciomercato.it later suggesting Napoli snubbed an improved €25m (£21.5m) bid.

Sullivan and Moyes landing their man this year can see West Ham acquire a defender who has previously been compared with his compatriot Nemanja Vidic, as 6 ft 4 Maksimovic is a real powerhouse defender like the Manchester United great.

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti also described Maksimovic as a “complete” defender who “has no problems” during his time in charge of Napoli, and may yet emerge as an another rival suitor after requesting information from Ramadani on his situation.

But with Balbuena seemingly on his way out of the London Stadium and Moyes said to want additional senior options alongside Angelo Ogbonna, Issa Diop and Craig Dawson – who the Irons have confirmed has triggered a £2m purchase clause – Sullivan should be putting a lot of effort into ensuring Maksimovic is wearing claret and blue next season.

AND in other news, West Ham dodged a £32m bullet in a 2017 deal dubbed a “real coup”…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Barry Fry, who is Director of Football at Peterborough United, has claimed that Celtic would still love to have Eddie Howe amid potential reports he may be having second thoughts.

Howe has been heavily tipped to be Neil Lennon’s successor at Celtic and despite reports last week saying he was to be appointed in the coming days, it appears Howe is now unsure over a move.

The 41-year old has been out of a job since leaving Bournemouth by mutual consent after he failed to keep them in the Premier League during the 2019/20 season.

Speaking on if Celtic and their fans would want Howe as manager, Fry told FFC:

“I understand they’ve had talks with Eddie and his representatives already and I think Celtic would love to have Eddie and everybody connected with Celtic would love for him to go there.

Celtic missed the opportunity to win a record 10 SPFL titles in a row this season and instead they had to watch on as Rangers won their 55th league title.

The Bhoys will also be without influential captain Scott Brown next season who is joining Aberdeen as a player-coach alongside new manager Stephen Glass

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Southampton midfielder Carlton Palmer has suggested that Harry Winks would be a big signing for his old side.

Winks has struggled for game time at Tottenham this season and is now being linked with a transfer away from the club, with Southampton one outfit said to be interested in signing the 25-year-old.

According to Football Insider, the Saints are keeping tabs on him ahead of the summer window as manager Ralph Hasenhuttl considers bolstering his midfield options.

For Palmer, if they are able to pull it off, it would be quite the coup. The ex-England international, however, feels Winks will look for a team higher up the Premier League table.

Discussing Southampton’s reported interest in Winks in an exclusive interview with FFC, Palmer said:

“He would be a big signing for the club. He needs to play; he needs to get out and play. I would think, no disrespect to Southampton, he would be looking for a club higher up the league table.

“You’re talking [about] leaving Spurs. He’s not in the twilight [years of his career], you know, he’s a young player with ability. For some reason, he’s out of favour with Jose [Mourinho].”

Should Winks sign for Southampton this summer, then he would join the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Oriol Romeu as a midfield option at St. Mary’s.

Former Southampton midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he would not sign Theo Walcott if he had the opportunity to.

This comes after reports claimed that Walcott is set to sign for the Saints permanently after initially joining the club on loan from Everton last October.

The 32-year-old has had his problems with injury this season, but he has been able to make a bit of an impact when fit. Earlier in the campaign, he managed to grab a goal for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men against former side Arsenal and provide an assist in an exciting 3-3 draw with Chelsea.

Nevertheless, Palmer has been left feeling underwhelmed by talk of Walcott extending his stay at St. Mary’s.

“I’m not a fan of Theo Walcott. I’m not a fan of him,” the retired England international told FFC.

“I think Theo is one of those players that burst on the scene with enormous talent and he’s still in that mode now. He’s coming into his early 30s; he’s still in that same boat – don’t know whether he’s a winger or a centre-forward.

“You’ll get a good game out of him. You know, he’s got blistering pace and always had blistering pace, doesn’t really know how to play the wide game, hence why he left Arsenal, hence why he’s had to leave Everton under [Carlo] Ancelotti. For me, he’s a player I wouldn’t be signing.”

While Southampton look like they could be bringing in Walcott permanently, the Saints may have to watch Danny Ings leave this summer.

The English striker, whose contract expires at the end of next season, continues to be linked with a move away from St. Mary’s.

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer, along with a host of other clubs.

While much of the focus has been on the Reds’ defensive struggles this season, mainly due to injuries, their attack has also been a big problem. Mohamed Salah has done his best, scoring 28 goals, and Diogo Jota has been an excellent signing, but Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have looked shadows of their former selves.

Jurgen Klopp may feel the need to add more competition for places in attacking areas this summer, with a fresh report suggesting that this may be the case.

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Liverpool interested in signing Vlahovic

According to Corriere dello Sport [via Milan Live], Liverpool are among a number of clubs keen on signing Vlahovic in the summer, along with the likes of AC Milan, Juventus, Roma and Real Madrid.

The 21-year-old has scored 15 goals in Serie A so far this season, with only four players ahead of him in the standings, including Cristiano Ronaldo (25) and Romelu Lukaku (21).

Transfer Tavern take

Vlahovic would represent a long-term signing for Liverpool, perhaps coming in as a squad player initially before maturing under the tutelage of Klopp. He has won an impressive 2.7 aerial duels per game in the league this season, compared to Firmino’s 0.6, suggesting that he could offer something different to the Reds’ attack.

It is crucial that Klopp starts to look towards the future, making sure that his squad don’t grow old together without having sufficient replacements.

Vlahovic could be someone to take the team forward in the next few years, as well as being an immediate option if there is a need to call upon him.

In other news, Liverpool reportedly want to sign a player who was once valued at £108m. Find out who it is here.

Bundesliga expert Daniel Pinder believes that Sasa Kalajdzic would be a starter for West Ham United if he joined the club, in an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern.

The 23-year-old has been in fine form for Stuttgart this season, scoring 15 goals in 32 outings.

He has been linked away, with various clubs said to hold an interest.

Tottenham Hotspur have been credited as suitors, as have the Irons, with the latter on the lookout for some much-needed firepower.

West Ham sold Sebastien Haller to Ajax in the January transfer window and did not replace him, only signing Jesse Lingard on loan from Manchester United.

Michail Antonio has sustained an injury that has placed his participation in the run-in in doubt, with the Irons pushing for a European place.

Kalajdzic could be seen as an interesting recruit, then, with the giant striker, who stands at 6ft 5in tall, a youthful talent.

He is only 23 and has also won five caps for Austria, scoring three goals, and Pinder thinks that he would slot straight into the Hammers’ starting XI.

Speaking exclusively to TT, Pinder, who is the editor-in-chief of Get German Football News, said: “It would be an interesting club to join, especially with the good form West Ham are in at the minute.

“I think Kalajdzic, he’d probably start for West Ham.”

Noel Whelan has dropped a big transfer claim on Rangers target Danilho Doekhi after reports that Newcastle United and Fulham have joined the race for him.

Football Insider have reported that it would cost around £1.5m to sign the Netherlands U21 international in the upcoming summer window, and Whelan thinks that that kind of price could be a ‘bargain’.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Scottish Premiership striker claimed:

“When you are talking about a Dutch Under-21 international for less than £10million, it is a bargain.

“The way the transfer market is these days to get a player who has clearly got a lot of talent for less than £2million is truly bargain shopping. That is like going to the pound shop.

“If he is a player that Rangers want badly they would be very happy to pay that.

“If there are players who are available, and with the talent, for that price you are not risking anything. If it doesn’t work out you could probably sell him on for a similar fee and even if you couldn’t it is not a huge amount of money in the grand scheme of things.

“It makes it a lot harder when it is £15million. They would not be taking too much of a chance if they signed him.”     

Rangers should sign Doekhi

If he were to become available for as little as £1.5m, then Steven Gerrard’s team should not think twice about securing the signature of Doekhi when the transfer market opens.

At 1.9m (6 foot 3), the big central defender should have no problems whatsoever in adapting to the physical and aerial demands of the SPFL, and could well be an asset to them in European competition as well.

Doekhi wins a mammoth 5.5 of his duels per match in the Eredivisie, in addition to averaging 3.1 clearances, two tackles and 1.7 interceptions a game (Sofascore) in what is certainly a competitive division with the likes of Ajax and PSV in it as well as his own club in Vitesse.

Nonetheless, the Ibrox faithful should be jumping at the opportunity to sign him, especially for the kind of price being thrown about.

In other news, find out why Gers fans are hailing James Bisgrove here!

This season has been one shrouded with negativity and setbacks for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Hopes of securing European football have been left in the dust and they look the shadow of a team that have been crafted so astutely by Nuno Santo in the last few years.

The Portuguese coach has taken them from a middling Championship side to one regularly in the top half of the Premier League.

Thankfully, it feels like Wolves know they’ve got things wrong in the last year. Speaking ahead of their clash with West Brom, Nuno admitted that better planning needed to take place in terms of recruitment.

With that in mind, there is a sense that Wolves will make greater decisions in the upcoming transfer window.

Signing another striker should be near the top of their agenda. After all, it would be a surprise if they brought Willian Jose back to Molineux following one goal in the last four months.

One option is Tammy Abraham. The Chelsea forward isn’tt getting enough game time at Stamford Bridge and is now being chased by the Old Gold and Aston Villa.

Abraham is a vibrant young forward and despite his lack of minutes, has still racked up 30 goals for the Blues throughout his time in West London.

When he’s found regular action, he’s been devastating. He scored 49 goals in two Championship campaigns with Bristol City and Aston Villa while he is Chelsea’s top scorer in the last 18 months.

Pivotal, however, is the way he could act as a replacement for Raul Jimenez. Described as a “phenomenal” player by Alex McLeish, Abraham’s tall frame and ability to bring others into play is perfect for Wolves.

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It could also be game-changing for a certain Pedro Neto. With Jimenez missing since November while he recovers from a fractured skull, the Portugal sensation has missed a focal point and somebody to link the play with.

Neto has still managed a sublime campaign and is Wolves’ top scorer on five goals. He is also their chief creator on six assists.

That said, without a free-scoring striker next to him, his numbers aren’t as impressive as they should be.

You only need to look at the relationship that Jimenez and Diogo Jota had together when they both played for Wolves.

A classic little and large combination, no player has contributed to more of the Mexican’s goals at Molineux. When they played alongside each other, they had a joint goal participation of 17, five more than the next best in Adama Traore.

They worked beautifully in tandem and Nuno could recreate that by signing Abraham and playing him in a two-prong attack with Neto.

It would be perfect for Wolves given how successful Jota and Jimenez were as a pairing.

AND in other news, Move over Podence: Wolves must swoop for £80k-p/w brute with “breathtaking technique”…

Manchester City can clinch the Premier League title on Saturday evening with a win against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola’s side have enjoyed a superb season, recovering after a slow start to effectively run away with the league title, although the Spanish manager came unstuck against the west London side in the FA Cup semi-final recently, so he will be wary of the threat that Tuchel’s side possess.

The game is also an early preview of the Champions League final later this month after both teams secured their place in the final with wins against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid respectively earlier this week.

Here’s how we think Guardiola will line up against Chelsea on Saturday, with four changes from the side which started against PSG on Tuesday…

Ederson keeps his place in goal, with the Brazilian showing just how important he is to this team with a superb ball to Oleksandr Zinchenko in midweek, which led to Riyad Mahrez’s opening goal.

There are two changes in defence as Aymeric Laporte comes in for the suspended John Stones, whilst Joao Cancelo replaces Kyle Walker at right-back.

Despite another superb display against PSG, Fernandinho drops to the bench for this one, with Rodri partnering Ilkay Gundogan in midfield and Kevin De Bruyne in an attacking midfield role.

Phil Foden and Mahrez both deserve to keep their places on the wings, and they support Sergio Aguero up front, with Bernardo Silva dropped to the bench.

The £22.5m-rated Argentine “legend”, as hailed by Guardiola, has an excellent record against Chelsea in his career, with 15 goals in 21 appearances against the Blues, whilst he has history in games of this magnitude, so who better to start up front for City for this huge fixture at the Etihad?

In other news… Txiki can sign Pep his ideal Erling Haaland alternative with Man City swoop for £22.5m-rated gem