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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

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Lee Buchanan to the City Ground 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 Dane Murphy’s second bid for the Derby County left-back has been rejected by the Rams.

Nixon continues by stating that the offer was much improved on the initial proposal, however, it that it still fell some way short of an amount that would see Wayne Rooney’s side consider parting with the 20-year-old this summer.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Forest. New and improved bid for Lee Buchanan. Derby said no. Latest package definitely better but not yet enough.”

Murphy masterclass

While Murphy has not been Nottingham Forest’s CEO for a great deal of time whatsoever, if the American can manage to convince the club’s fiercest of rivals to part with one of their most promising talents ahead of next season, it would undeniably be something of a masterclass by the chief executive.

Indeed, the left-back demonstrated a significant amount of promise over his 35 Championship appearances for Derby last season, helping his side keep seven clean sheets, as well as making an average of 0.9 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 2.3 clearances and winning 6.1 duels per game.

The £2.25m-rated man also chipped in for his side going forwards, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.4 key passes per match.

These returns saw the man Rooney dubbed a “top player” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.67, something that would have undoubtedly been higher if the Rams had not lost a total of 24 league games last term.

Furthermore, with Forest currently lacking depth at left-back, not only would the addition of Buchanan be an incredibly exciting signing, it would also solve one of Chris Hughton’s major squad issues.

As such, it is easy to see why Murphy appears so keen to land the £390-per-week starlet this summer, although whether or not the CEO manages to convince Derby to sell remains to be seen.

In other news: Murphy must avoid unforgivable Forest transfer disaster over “unbelievable” dynamo

“The freight train has arrived!” screamed BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce as the ever willing and relentless Everton target Denzel Dumfries scored for the Netherlands last week.

Former Toffees striker Romelu Lukaku may have caught the eye at Euro 2020 with his goals and Raheem Sterling with his infectious attitude but no player has arguably won more hearts than Dumfries, a player who could be arriving at Goodison Park this summer.

The rampant Dutch full-back exited the tournament after his country lost to the Czech Republic a matter of days ago but he excelled in remarkable fashion, catching the eyes of the top brass at Everton.

He was lung-busting in his pursuit of the ball down the right-hand side, battering attacking players into the middle of Qatar 2022 and dominating defensive lines.

Dumfries will have many suitors after the European Championships and his PSV release clause of €15m (£13m) is sure to attract plenty as well.

One of the clubs reportedly chasing his signature are Everton, now under the watchful eyes of Rafa Benitez.

The Spaniard will find it difficult to win over a portion of the Goodison Park faithful who despise him due to his Liverpool allegiances.

Despicable signs of protests have been hung outside the 61-year-old’s house and he will have to go some distance to win them over.

One way he can do so is by acting shrewdly in the transfer market and signing the monstrous presence of Dumfries.

He is one of the most striking defenders in European football, combining immense physical robustness with defensive solidity and ruthless attacking.

The right-back scored twice during the competition and earned plenty of plaudits. Journalist James Benge called him “thrilling” while former Hull player, David Meyler, said Dumfries had been “unbelievable” in every game.

It’s hard to disagree with those assessments. The defender won three aerial duels and made 1.3 tackles per game for the Netherlands at Euro 2020.

For context, only one full-back in the entire tournament has been better aerially than the 25-year-old.

Dumfries also produced 1.5 shots per game, while he was fouled on 1.8 occasions per match, a remarkable tally for somebody playing in his position.

A quick look at his heat map (via SofaScore) from the competition tells you just how high up the pitch he plays with the vast majority of his touches and running coming in the final third.

Benitez will have plenty of targets in mind but he must ensure Dumfries tops the list.

With Seamus Coleman’s contract due to expire in a year’s time, the Toffees will need another right-back to slot in on that third of the pitch anyway.

AND in other news, Everton submit bid to sign 96-cap ace with “immense talent”, it’s Rafa’s first mistake…

Dean Windass has urged Marcelo Bielsa to sign a striker to help Patrick Bamford with the workload before the window shuts at 11pm, following the deadline day addition of Dan James from Manchester United.

Bamford, who scored his first Premier League goal of the season to rescue a point at Burnley on Sunday, has started all of Leeds’ 41 league fixtures since their promotion back to the top-flight.

But should the former Chelsea youngster get injured, it would leave Rodrigo as Bielsa’s only senior striker – and he’s scored just seven times in 31 appearances across all competitions since making the big-money switch from Valencia last summer, three of which have come this season.

Leeds are winless from their opening three matches this term, collecting just two points from a possible nine available, but aren’t short of goals having scored four times.

However, after predicting a more difficult second season for Bamford, Windass exclusively told Football FanCast that another frontman is badly needed for the Elland Road outfit:

“I would like to see Leeds sign a big striker or a goalscorer, no disrespect to Bamford, but it’ll be a tough season for him if he’s up there on his own, because he works his socks off.”

Barry Fry believes Frank Lampard would be an “ideal” appointment for Crystal Palace this summer.

The Eagles are on the lookout for a new manager after Roy Hodgson confirmed that he would step down at the end of the 2020/21 season.

Palace finished the campaign in 14th, comfortably clear of the relegation zone, and they will be on the lookout for a new boss who can continue to preserve their Premier League status.

Lampard, who former Palace chairman Simon Jordan said on talkSPORT can be an “elite” manager in the future, has been linked as a potential appointment, as he has been out of work since leaving Chelsea earlier this season.

Of course, the ex-England international has experience of managing smaller clubs than the Blues, having taken charge of Derby County in the Championship prior to his move.

And Fry believes that Palace will look to appoint a young, dynamic boss, having seen Hodgson reach his 73rd birthday while in charge at Selhurst Park.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Fry said: “I think Palace will go for a younger guy. I think Frank Lampard would be ideal.”

Fry has expressed some concern, though, over whether Palace would be willing to spend big in the transfer market to back Lampard if he did arrive.

He added: “I’m not sure whether they would give Frank the necessary money to spend in the transfer market to get what he wants.”

After spending three seasons on loan at Elland Road it appears that Jack Harrison will eventually make it a permanent move this summer and former Leeds United midfielder David Norris is pleasantly surprised at how cheap he will be.

The fee is reported to be around £10 million and considering clubs will be looking to receive as much money as possible to ease the fall of losing money in the season just gone, that seems a relatively low fee for Harrison.

This is the first season that Harrison has spent in the Premier League despite signing for Manchester City back in 2018 when he arrived from one of the fellow City Group clubs, New York City, and he has taken to life in the top-flight with ease having managed eight goals and assists in 36 games.

Considering some of the astronomical fees that get spent on average players nowadays, £10 million would be a low asking price from City and something they may regret, according to Norris, who spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern:

“I’m really surprised, especially with the figures that get thrown around these days and what players have gone for in the last couple of years. I’m very surprised to hear that City have accepted such a low fee, you’d expect it to be double that.

“He’s now proven that he can do a job and these days that sort of fee is nothing considering the potential of the player, and I don’t think it’s much of a risk.”

Harrison never appeared to have a chance at Manchester City considering the calibre of players like Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden were ahead of him in the pecking order.

Man City will be hoping that the decision to let Harrison go does not backfire like it has with Jadon Sancho who they also allowed to leave without being given a chance in the first team and is now one of the best wingers in the world.