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Sheffield Wednesday forward Callum Paterson is reportedly discussing the idea of a new deal at Hillsborough.

The Lowdown: Paterson impresses for Owls

The 26-year-old has done well since joining the Owls, scoring nine goals in 50 appearances and providing admirable levels of work-rate off the ball.

Paterson has 17 caps to his name for Scotland, highlighting his pedigree, and he should be a key man for Wednesday in League One this season.

The Latest: New deal incoming?

According to The Sheffield Star, the attacker is in talks with the club over a new contract.

The Owls are believed to have ‘rebuffed enquiries from Championship clubs’ during the summer transfer window and Paterson is happy with his life in Sheffield.

The Verdict: Shrewd move by Wednesday

Nailing Paterson down to a new deal would undoubtedly represent positive news for Wednesday, given the experience he has and how effective he can be on his day. Former Hearts teammate Jack Hamilton once claimed he has ‘got everything’ as a footballer.

Granted, he might not be a guaranteed starter every week, considering how many signings Moore has made recently, but he is an ideal squad player who can shine out wide or centrally.

Retaining the services of players like Paterson is of the utmost importance for Wednesday, as they look for a swift return to the Championship.

In other news, Dom Howson has provided a key Sheff Wed update. Read more here.

It has been a month-and-a-half since Antonio Conte was appointed Tottenham manager, with the north London club already seeing rapid improvements under the Italian.

Spurs have picked up ten points from a possible 12 in the league under Conte, winning their last three Premier League matches. However, they haven’t played in two weeks after a recent rise in virus cases in the top flight.

The Lilywhites are set to return to Premier League action on Sunday as they host Liverpool in what could prove to be Conte’s toughest test since taking the reins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 52-year-old has tinkered with numerous combinations within his preferred three-at-the-back setup, deploying a 3-4-2-1 system since taking over for the clash against Everton in November.

However, one mainstay in the Italian’s team has been defender Eric Dier. The £19.8m-rated Englishman has played every minute of Premier League football under Conte as well as featuring in both Europa Conference League matches against Vitesse Arnhem and NS Mura.

The 27-year-old has certainly impressed, conceding just one goal in those four Premier League games in the middle of a back three alongside various others, solidifying his place in the team.

Now in his eighth year at Tottenham, Dier has been subject to various examples of both stinging criticism and glowing praise, particularly last season in what was an inconsistent campaign.

The Englishman claimed last season that he was the victim of an “unfair narrative” amid criticism from his then-manager José Mourinho, whilst also being handsomely praised by former Spurs player Jermaine Jenas after a “sensational” performance in a win over eventual champions Manchester City.

Tottenham is certainly a work in progress for Conte, particularly having come in mid-season. However, the Italian will be looking to replicate his successes at both Chelsea and Inter Milan, where he won league titles.

Dier could be Conte’s new Cahill

Whilst at Spurs’ capital rivals Chelsea, the 52-year-old famously switched to a 3-4-3 formation after losing 3-0 to Arsenal early in the Blues’ title-winning 2016/17 season. This proved to be the catalyst for the west London club’s success, and the use of a back three became a popular tactic in the Premier League, adopted by the likes of former Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

Former England defender Gary Cahill was a mainstay in that title-winning Chelsea defence, making 37 league appearances in the triumphant campaign and proving to be a towering aerial presence, winning 2.5 headers per game. Perhaps Dier can replicate the successes of his former international teammate, with an average of 2.3 aerial duels won per match this season as he also illustrates his ability in that regard under Conte.

In the short-term, the 27-year-old will be looking to contribute to Tottenham finishing as high as possible in the Premier League this season. However, a return to the England setup will surely be on his mind.

It’s been over a year since the 45-cap defender last represented his national team in a 4-0 win over Iceland, and he will certainly look to impress Gareth Southgate over the coming months with the 2022 World Cup now less than a year away.

Life under Conte has started well for Dier, who must remain consistent if he is to seriously excel under the Italian. If he does, he could do for Tottenham what Cahill did for Chelsea when the 52-year-old was on the other side of London a few years ago.

In other news: Conte must unleash Spurs’ £80k-p/w “team player” tomorrow, he could terrify Liverpool

Aston Villa are open to offers for 2021 arrivals Leon Bailey and Morgan Sanson, according to The Mirror’s Neil Moxley.

The lowdown

Villa paid £25m to sign Bailey from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen just last summer, making him the third most expensive signing in their history, while Sanson arrived the previous January in a £14m switch from Ligue 1 outfit Marseille.

Steven Gerrard is gearing up for his first summer transfer window as Villa manager, having taken over from Dean Smith in November.

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The latest

In a report for The Mirror, Moxley wrote that Villa could ‘surprisingly’ entertain any bids which arrive for Bailey or Sanson, which may come as a shock development given how recently both players came to the club.

Gerrard apparently believes that he needs to improve the quality at his disposal if he is to fulfil his ambition for the Villans to compete with the top teams in England and qualify for Europe.

The verdict

In truth, neither player mooted with an exit has made much of an impact this season.

Bailey has only started five Premier League games, although that’s partly a reflection on his struggles for fitness as opposed to his ability. The Jamaican has been unavailable for 13 matches, and it’s tempting to wonder how differently things might have panned out so far had he enjoyed an injury-free run.

Sanson has started even fewer top-flight games – just three of a possible 32. The Frenchman has been an unused substitute for three of the last four, raising further questions about the level of faith that Gerrard has in him.

Whatever about Bailey, it certainly isn’t looking too great for Sanson’s future in the Midlands judging by this report and his lack of game-time.

In other news, Villa will have to make a decision between two midfield targets

Manchester United have been here before with Paul Pogba. An expiring contract, Mino Raiola, reports of interest from Juventus and questions being asked of commitment to the collective cause at Old Trafford.

None of this is new to the Red Devils. They had, however, hoped to avoid seeing history repeat itself.

They are now being backed into a corner, one where Premier League winner odds continue to drift as events outside of their control lead to uncomfortable questions being asked of the direction in which the most decorated club side in English football are heading.

As things stand, it is difficult to see how EPL betting tips could have United as anything other than 50/1 shots to claim a first top-flight crown since Sir Alex Ferguson departed in 2013, with consistency still proving elusive.

That has been an issue for Pogba as an individual, with a World Cup-winning Frenchman often struggling to replicate heroics with his country when turning out at club level. There is no doubting the ability, just the tap that turns it on and off.

There is every chance that said supply will be shut off completely in 2022. Pogba’s current contract is due to expire next summer and no fresh terms have been agreed as yet. If an extension was going to be put in place, then you would expect the paperwork to have been signed by now.

A sense of deja vu has descended on the Theatre of Dreams, with minds being cast back to 2012 and the first instalment of a long-running saga.

What will happen with Pogba?

Some nine years ago, with Pogba still a rough diamond in need of some polishing, Raiola negotiated a move to Italy. Those in Manchester were less than amused, as they prepared to part with an academy graduate in which so much time and energy had been invested.

Legendary United boss Sir Alex Ferguson told MUTV: “It’s a bit disappointing because I don’t think he showed us any respect at all. To be honest, if they carry on that way, I’m quite happy that he’s away, from me, anyway.â€

Some of the characters have changed in the soap opera of 2021, but the storyline remains the same. This time, though, no definitive decision has been made on what will happen at the end of the season. A ‘will he, won’t he’ debate continues to rage.

Having embarked on a long goodbye once before, Pogba appears to be treading a similar path. He will be free to speak with teams outside of England from January, and the grass over there may start to look a little greener.

With no transfer fee to contend with, the likes of Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain can put big-money offers on the table that will turn heads and make it almost impossible for the Red Devils to counter.

Pogba may also want a change of scenery, with his every move dissected in minute detail. Spotlights in Italy, Spain or France would shine just as brightly, but fresh starts and clean slates would be the order of the day.

That was once the case in Manchester, but an £89 million asset is now looking a little frayed around the edges and a parting of ways may become the best solution for all concerned.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Naby Keita to the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Transfer Market Web, who claim that David Moyes’ side have now joined the race to sign the Liverpool central midfielder this summer, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, AC Milan and AS Roma all also believed to hold an interest in the 26-year-old.

The report goes on to state that Jurgen Klopp’s side could be willing to part with the Guinea international at the end of the current campaign as the former RB Leipzig man has failed to cement a regular starting spot in the Reds’ first team, with a figure in the region of €30m (£25m) believed to be enough to get a deal over the line.

Imagine him & Rice

While Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek are undoubtedly two fantastic options in the middle of the park, the further addition of a player of Keita’s ability would certainly help to take West Ham to the next level.

While it is true that the £27m-rated man has been a bit-part player for Liverpool since his £54m move to Anfield back in 2018, the 26-year-old has nevertheless proven that he has the talent to play a starring role in Moyes’ side.

Indeed, over his 11 Premier League appearances so far this season – only six of which have come as starts – the £120k-per-week midfielder has scored two goals, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.4 shots and making 0.6 key passes per game.

Keita has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 0.7 interceptions, 2.5 tackles, 25.8 passes and winning 3.5 duels per game.

These returns have seen the Guinean average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.21, ranking him as Klopp’s seventh-best performer in the top flight of English football in the current campaign.

As such, it is not difficult to understand why the midfielder’s teammate, Virgil van Dijk, took the time to shower Keita with praise, with the centre-back stating: “Naby is a fantastic guy, he works so hard and he is an outstanding football player.

“I think he is world-class if I’m absolutely honest. I see all the moments when he has the ball, the smart moves, the smart intelligence. It’s just incredible to see and I’m very happy for him.”

So, should West Ham indeed have the opportunity to land the 26-year-old this summer, it would appear highly advisable for the West Ham board to give Liverpool whatever it takes to land the midfielder, as, alongside Rice, Keita could help to transform the Hammers into a regular top-four contender in the years to come.

In other news: Moyes could solve major WHU issue as GSB open talks for “exceptional” £100k-p/w beast

Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham does not believe Fabio Paratici’s comments that Spurs aren’t interested in Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Paratici denies Vlahovic rumours

Tottenham have been heavily linked with a move for the Fiorentina striker (Tuttomercatoweb).

However, Lilywhites director Paratici has denied the rumours, saying that the north London outfit are not interested in the Serbia international (via Fabrizio Romano).

The Latest: Wenham doesn’t believe

Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham has revealed that he does not believe the comments from Paratici. He said:

“That’s not surprising to me.

“What Paratici says to the Italian media and what is going on in the background are two very different things.

“It would be dangerous to put down a real statement if Atletico Madrid then offer him double the money and we miss out.

“Then we’re looked at as a failure. Sometimes it’s better to conduct your business quietly in the background.

“I would imagine we are interested. We were heavily linked over the summer.

“He seems to have a nice profile to him, a nice build. From what I’ve seen he looks very good.

“I’m always a fan of those iconic Fiorentina kits. I think Tottenham are in for him.

“I wouldn’t read too much into Paratici’s comments.”

The Verdict: Worth a punt

With Harry Kane handing in a transfer request and looking for a move away from Spurs (Sky Sports), Daniel Levy was on the lookout for a new striker in the summer. Unsurprisingly, Vlahovic featured high up on the list of targets.

Last season, he scored 21 times in 37 Serie A matches (Transfermarkt), while he already has four goals in seven league matches this term. He was even called one of the best strikers in Europe by Christian Vieri.

Valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, La Viola were said to be looking for at least €70m (£59.4m, via Goal.com) for his services, which would represent a huge outlay for the London outfit. However, if Spurs really want a top-quality striker, they would need to shell out a big sum. Hopefully for them, Paratici’s comments are part of a bigger plan.

In other news, Tottenham want to sign this controversial midfielder

New Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has now felt the true dramatic nature of a European night for the Hoops.

We know things never happen in straightforward fashion at Parkhead and that was epitomised on Thursday when the Bhoys lost 4-3 in their Europa League opener.

On the chalkboard

When Celtic took a 2-0 lead against Real Betis, it was shaping up to be a famous night on the continent for the Bhoys.

Although the game will forever be remembered for the sheer number of goals, Postecoglou’s injury-stricken side eventually came out second best.

The performance, certainly from an offensive point of view, had to be admired.

It was a team missing Kyogo Furuhashi through injury and Liel Abada due to religious reasons. However, with Albian Ajeti in fine fettle and Jota hitting the ground running immediately, they were superb in the final third.

Jota and Ajeti had a fine understanding as David Turnbull and Tom Rogic linked up with the strike force impeccably well.

It was a surprising display considering the players they were missing as teenager Adam Montgomery was forced to start on the left flank.

Sadly, the teenager was subpar as he was given a rare opportunity to impress in attack. He failed to have a single shot in the game and was also devoid of any creativity, making zero key passes.

The solution

With that in mind, Postecoglou will have no other choice but to bring Abada back on Sunday when the Hoops face Livingston in the Premiership.

Jota was a rampant force down the Israeli’s usual right-hand side on Thursday, amassing five key passes and completing two dribbles on his way to providing Ajeti’s opener.

However, when they face Livingston, he must swap wings with the tricky Abada returning to the line-up.

The thought of the duo playing alongside each other in attack is a mouth-watering one and it should produce a host of goals. After all, had Celtic not been facing La Liga’s sixth-best side of last season in midweek, they could have scored five or six.

Abada would certainly help with that, too. He has been first-class since signing this summer and it’s hard to believe that he’s only 19 years of age.

The £2.7m-rated attacker has scored four goals and registered the same number of assists in only ten outings for his new club. In the words of Israeli pundit Boni Ginzburg: “He is very dangerous in front of goal.”

He has shown that so far during his time in Glasgow, and combined with Jota, the Bhoys will surely be in good stead to not only beat Livingston, but win the Premiership title come May.

Abada has so far produced more key passes per game (3.2) than any other player at Paradise this term while his shots per match average of 3.6 is only beaten by David Turnbull.

On that evidence, he is vital to Postecoglou’s team and simply has to come back into the starting XI tomorrow.

AND in other news, Worse than Soro: Celtic gem who lost possession 17x severely let Ange down on Thursday…

Last season was a tale of doom and gloom for Wolves as they ended up finishing 13th in the table.

It ended their run of consecutive top half results and this term has hardly started in better fashion.

No points and zero goals tell a sorry tale of their campaign to date but the Old Gold have actually played well, especially when it comes to creating goal-scoring chances.

What’s the word?

One of Bruno Lage’s biggest tasks since entering the Midlands was to keep hold of the club’s star players.

Ruben Neves had attracted the interest of some top teams in the Premier League while Adama Traore has regularly been linked with the exit door.

News emerged this week that Tottenham were lining up a move for the Spaniard that would be an initial loan move with a view to making it permanent next summer.

However, in a boost to Wolves, it looks as though Traore will be staying put.

That’s according to the manager who was upbeat about their chances of keeping him on Tuesday.

Via Tim Spiers, Lage commented the following after being asked whether he’d stay: “Yes I think so.”

Must keep him

If you focus on Traore’s goalscoring record then you’d take the money and run.

He scored just twice last season and is yet to find the net this term either. In fact, his end product has been severely lacking in 2021/22 so far.

The flying winger spurned a wonderful opportunity to score against Leicester and then missed a simple chance versus Spurs as well. After being set free by Ruben Neves, Traore had the goal at his mercy but stuck his attempt straight at Hugo Lloris.

If Traore could score goals on a regular basis then he’d be an elite player.

After all, this is an individual with remarkable pace and scintillating dribbling. In his opening two matches of the campaign, he’s recorded a whopping ten dribbles per game.

Furthermore, he was the top-performing player for the statistic in the entire league last season. Traore was successful with 153 dribbles at a rate of 4.1 per match.

Although his end product leaves a lot to be desired, he’s a player who can change the course of a game in an instant.

Consequently, holding onto him beyond this summer is of utmost importance. Supporters will surely be delighted if they continue to watch him in action at Molineux.

AND in other news, Wolves eye move for £9.9m-rated gem with “unbelievable quality”, he may replace Traore…

A number of West Ham supporters have been enjoying footage posted by the club of Manuel Lanzini’s brilliant consolation goal in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester City.

The Hammers were beaten by the reigning Premier League champions at the weekend but they gave a good account of themselves at the Etihad Stadium. In the end, Pep Guardiola’s side proved to be strong for the east Londoners, but they competed for most of the match and shouldn’t feel too disheartened about the result, especially as they still sit fourth.

It was Lanzini who scored a stoppage-time consolation for West Ham, with the Argentine curling a typically classy finish past Ederson in the dying seconds.

On Monday, the Hammers’ official Twitter channel shared footage of the goal, with the moment of class something to enjoy despite the eventual result in Manchester.

West Ham fans loved Lanzini’s goal

These West Ham fans took to Twitter to show their appreciation for the 28-year-old’s “incredible” goal.

“I may have squealed a little”

Credit: @all_sweat

“What a fantastic goal”

Credit: @CazShan

“Can’t argue with that…”

Credit: @JimMunro

“Lanzini needs a start”

Credit: @mikemakesfilms

“Incredible Manu”

Credit: @Ju5t1n3m

“Absolutely fantastic goal yesterday, hope you get back to your best form”

Credit: @JeremyP45926233

In other news, a journalist has made a key West Ham transfer claim. Read more here.

Derby County have been dealt a major blow in their bid to keep Lee Buchanan at Pride Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Alan Nixon, with The Sun journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Nottingham Forest have made a fresh bid for the Derby County left-back, although Wayne Rooney’s side are thought to have rejected the proposal.

It was reported by The Athletic earlier this week that the 20-year-old is top of Chirs Hughton’s list of transfer targets this summer, with the Reds having already seen one offer knocked back for the defender by their rivals.

However, it is not only Forest thought to be interested in a move for the Rams youngster, with Arsenal and Celtic both reported to be keeping a close eye on the situation of the England U21 international.

Although, it would very much appear as if Hughton’s side are leading the race Buchanan, with Nixon stating: “Forest. New and improved bid for Lee Buchanan. Derby said no. Latest package definitely better, but not yet enough.”

Morris must not sell

While Nixon does not mention the amount of money Forest have offered for Buchanan, it would be naive to think that Mel Morris is not considering the idea of cashing in on the left-back this summer.

Indeed, the Rams are in the midst of what could well be the club’s biggest financial crisis in their history, while the £2.25m-rated defender is just about to enter the final year of his current contract at Pride Park.

However, despite these facts, Morris must ensure that he resists all temptation to sanction the sale of the 20-year-old this summer, not only as the youngster will have a major role to play in Wayne Rooney’s side next season – with the 35-year-old desperately lacking depth all over the pitch – but also because selling one of the club’s most promising talents to their fiercest of rivals would be seen as an unforgivable act by the Derby faithful.

As such, while the argument could be made that, should Arsenal or Celtic come in with an offer that the club’s owner simply cannot refuse, Buchanan’s departure could actually help sustain the club in the long term, if it is Forest who have an offer accepted for the Englishman this summer – no matter how good it may be for the club’s financial health – Morris will have made a grave error, and one that would quite rightly leave their fans fuming.

In other news: John Percy drops behind-the-scenes Derby County claim, fans will rightly be fuming