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West Brom and Valerien Ismael want to bring a new centre-forward to The Hawthorns this summer, journalist Luke Hatfield has told Football FanCast.

At West Brom, most of the transfer talk has been dominated by star man Matheus Pereira and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, with Ismael admitting that he expects to lose both players before the window closes.

The Midlands club, however, have been able to bring in Alex Mowatt on a free transfer from Barnsley, as well as Brighton’s Matt Clarke for the season.

And if all goes to plan, the two could be joined by a new striker at The Hawthorns, according to Hatfield.

“I think Albion are after a striker,” the Express & Star journalist said. “It’s a position they’ll be desperate to bolster.”

Last season, West Brom really struggled for goals, albeit in a much stronger division compared to the one they are in now.

After Pereira, who scored 11 times in the Premier League, their next highest goalscorer was Callum Robinson with five strikes.

As a whole, the Baggies were one of the lowest-scoring teams in the top flight (as per WhoScored), so perhaps they could do with the addition of a new No.9 this summer.

Michael Appleton’s decision to turn down West Brom proves there is something wrong at the club at the moment, claims former Baggies midfielder Carlton Palmer.

Valerien Ismael was named West Brom manager on Thursday after leaving Barnsley, replacing Sam Allardyce in The Hawthorns dugout.

However, prior, it was reported by Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett that Appleton had informed the Midlands club that he was not interested in becoming their new boss, instead preferring to see his project at Lincoln City through.

For Palmer, given that the Imps are in League One, there must be a serious issue at West Brom for Appleton to reject them.

“There’s something not right, why so many managers were turning down the job,” the ex-England international exclusively told FFC.

“I mean, you look at Appleton. Why would he, no disrespect to Lincoln, but why would he turn down the West Brom job? It’s a massive job, right? So something’s not right.”

West Brom’s search for Allardyce’s successor was far from a simple one, complicated by snubs from the likes of Appleton and David Wagner.

In that time, sporting director Luke Dowling also left the club, so it has all been a bit chaotic. The Baggies have finally got their man, though, so can now start preparing properly for the new season.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly called off plans to appoint Antonio Conte as their new manager after negotiations hit a stumbling block, as reported by Sky Sports.

The north London outfit had been in talks with the 51-year-old over becoming Jose Mourinho’s successor in the role, but on Friday evening it emerged that those negotiations broke down over some of the Italian’s demands, including an apparent reluctance to work with the club’s up-and-coming talents, as per Sky Sports.

According to the Evening Standard, Spurs could now refocus their attention back towards Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag as potential candidates for the vacant managerial post at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With Conte seemingly falling by the wayside, whoever ends up as Tottenham’s new manager faces potentially one of his toughest tasks yet at N17. They risk losing leading talisman Harry Kane after he expressed his desire to leave, they’ll be competing in the newly-formed Europa Conference League after their lowest league finish since 2008/09 and they may need to operate on a constrained transfer budget.

Back in April, the Daily Mail claimed that Spurs would have to sell before they buy this summer, although there are plenty of names who could garner finances, with the futures of Dele Alli, Harry Winks, Serge Aurier, Juan Foyth, Erik Lamela, Davinson Sanchez and Lucas Moura all up in the air.

Arguably the biggest problem facing the new manager will be the defence they inherit. Individual mistakes and a lack of cohesion in the backline was Spurs’ Achilles heel throughout the 2020/21 season.

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It was evident that Sanchez and Eric Dier aren’t good enough as a pairing, whilst Toby Alderweireld is getting no younger. It’s hardly a surprise that football.london reported that Tottenham want two new central defensive additions but that’ll cost a lot of money.

Perhaps they may have one solution at the club already in Joe Rodon, the rarely-seen summer window signing, who looked the part whenever given an opportunity.

After arriving from Swansea City for an initial £11m, the Wales international only made eight league starts, playing a total of 729 minutes across a 38-game campaign, via Transfermarkt.

He’s a player who has been earmarked for the future, with former Spurs captain Gary Mabbutt telling Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he possesses “great potential”, whilst Steve Cooper, his former boss at the Liberty Stadium, dubbed him a “pure defender” and a “real asset.”

Similarly, Lilywhites legend Graham Roberts told supporters on Twitter that the Welshman has “huge potential.”

Despite hardly featuring for the club this term, Rodon was one of the more productive defensive options, registering a squad-high 1.8 interceptions per game whilst also recording the highest passing success rate (88.1%) of anyone at Spurs except Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, via WhoScored.

By unleashing the 23-year-old colossus, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy could save millions in the transfer window this summer. While Rodon is certainly in need of a viable partner in the middle, an increased show of faith in him could save Spurs the need for multiple additions.

AND in other news, Spurs could seal bargain Kane heir in 34 G/A “special talent”, he won’t cost Levy a penny…

Manchester United have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane.

What’s the story?

The 28-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Bernabeu in recent weeks after failing to agree terms on a new contract.

With Varane’s current deal set to expire in the summer of 2022, Los Blancos are keen to cash in while they can and they had reportedly set an asking price of £60 million.

However, after no suitable offers came in for that sizeable fee, Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo (as reported by The Mirror) are claiming that Madrid have slashed that figure to £43m.

Solskjaer will be delighted

The latest revelation over the future of Varane should give United fresh hope in their pursuit of the World Cup-winning centre-back and it will surely leave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer delighted.

A new partner for Harry Maguire in the heart of defence has long been talked about as a priority for the Red Devils, with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly both failing to convince that they are the long-term answer.

While progress was certainly made by United last season, there was still a significant gap between themselves and the eventual champions Manchester City, highlighting the progress that still needs to be made.

Acquiring one of the world’s best players in his position would undoubtedly showcase the ambition and potential of Solskjaer’s side for 2021/22.

With Liverpool already addressing their own defensive frailties by bringing in Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig, Champions League winners Chelsea placing a bid for Achraf Hakimi and Premier League champions Manchester City sure to sign a Sergio Aguero replacement, United can’t afford to not strengthen significantly this summer.

The Old Trafford outfit conceded 12 more goals than City in the top-flight last season and eight more than Chelsea, although the addition of one man cannot be expected to bridge such a sizeable gap, Varane would surely made a considerable difference.

He’s had a star-studded career since joining Madrid, making 360 appearances for the capital club in all competitions, winning an incredible 18 major honours along the way.

United will be hoping this latest report edges the £150,000-per-week monster towards the Bernabeu exit door as they attempt to plot their way back to the summit of English football.

The news that he’s set to be available for a reasonable price of just £43m should delight Solskjaer and he should be pushing the powers-that-be at United to get a deal done.

And, in other news…Forget Tielemans: MUFC already have “the next Michael Carrick” in rarely-seen 20 y/o 

Crystal Palace, Leeds United and AC Milan have all made enquiries for PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke, according to The Evening Standard.

And a number of Palace supporters have been sharing their thoughts on the transfer update on social media.

Madueke actually left Palace’s youth academy in 2014 and has gone on to impress with the Dutch giants.

The 19-year-old made 32 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring nine times and registering eight assists.

Madueke is capable of playing all across the front line and seems to be on Palace’s radar ahead of a possible return to the club.

The Eagles could spend up to £80m on new recruits this summer, and Madueke who Aidy Boothroyd believes is a ‘bit like Phil Foden’, is valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt.

Palace fans react

Both @cpfc_xtra and @CPFCtransfersHQ shared Palace’s enquiry on Twitter on Thursday.

This is what these Eagles fans had to say in reply, with a few keen to see a deal go through.

“Do whatever it takes”Credit: @BRL__18″Please”Credit: @FagenceLuca”Former Palace Youth. Hopefully that can play into our favour and we get him”Credit: @Mark_CPFC”I’m sure he’s gonna choose us!”Credit: @CPFCH10″Pleaseeeeeee”Credit: @JoelGray_”Off to Milan then”Credit: @CPFCMax9

In other news: ‘Honestly speechless’ – Many Crystal Palace fans ‘amazed’ at Thursday development, find out more here.

This summer will be a huge one for Everton and Carlo Ancelotti.

If the Italian really does have a desire of getting the Toffees in the Champions League, they’ll need to spend wisely.

On the chalkboard

One area that should be strengthened in the upcoming window is between the sticks.

Everton have England’s number one, Jordan Pickford, in their ranks but he’s proven again this term that he cannot be relied upon over a whole campaign.

Pickford’s distribution is top class and he has fantastic agility but he still makes far too many mistakes.

In 176 Premier League appearances, the stopper has made 15 individual errors directly leading to a goal. Seven of those errors have come in the last two seasons alone which make him the most error-prone ‘keeper in the top-flight over that time frame.

He equalled the record with Martin Dubravka back in October when he battled Brighton striker Neal Maupay for the ball but lost out.

He made another high profile mistake against Leicester in January. He failed to save Youri Tielemans’ effort towards goal despite the attempt having just a 2% chance of going in according to the xG metric.

Replacement needed

Pickford’s errors have become harder to ignore as time goes by. To put it simply, if Ancelotti does want to take Everton to the next level they need someone more reliable between the sticks.

Fortunately, it would appear that Marcel Brands and co are doing the groundwork to provide him with some better competition.

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One player the club have been linked with is Barcelona goalkeeper Neto.

He’s currently the second choice at Camp Nou despite costing £31m but he has caught the eye of numerous Premier League sides, including Arsenal.

Barca boss Ronald Koeman ruled out a move for the Brazilian in January, hailing the £55k-per-week earner as “important.” However, his future with the Catalan giants is in doubt again after a season where he played just 12 times.

Standing at 6 foot 3, Neto is taller than Pickford by two inches which make for a promising start.

Playing for the club he does, he is evidently capable of playing out from the back. In fact, his distribution is even better than Everton’s current first choice.

Neto has completed 85% of his passes this term compared to Pickford’s meagre tally of 62.5%.

Crucial in improving on their current option, however, is their respective save percentages.

The England international has only saved 68.8% of shots he’s faced this season while Neto has a mightily impressive 81% success rate.

With that in mind, this certainly wouldn’t be a bad acquisition from the hierarchy at Everton.

AND in other news, Everton can begin the transfer window with a bang by signing “dangerous” 16-goal beast…

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Sergio Aguero will go abroad this summer rather than opting to stay in the Premier League.

The legendary Manchester City striker announced last month that he’ll be leaving the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season, meaning he’ll be searching for a new home.

Reports since £230,000-a-week man Aguero’s announcement believe that the Argentine would be willing to remain in England, with both Spurs and Chelsea interested in luring the frontman to the capital.

Meanwhile, Aguero himself would be happy to sacrifice not being in the Champions League, with neither Tottenham or Chelsea far from guaranteed to be playing in Europe’s elite competition next season.

However, with Aguero on the verge of winning his fifth Premier League title at City, which would make him one of the most decorated players in the modern era, despite not having featured as he perhaps would have liked during the campaign, Windass said the striker has done everything in England and will leave.

He told FFC: “I think he’ll go abroad. Why would he want to leave Man City to go to Chelsea? He’s done it all, he’s got nothing to prove. If he goes to Chelsea and he’s not playing. It’s a done deal now wherever he’s going to go.”

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Graham Roberts has told Football FanCast that Scott Parker is not yet ready to manage the club as they continue their search for Jose Mourinho’s replacement.

Chairman Daniel Levy is attempting to appoint a new manager after sacking Jose Mourinho last month.

The Portuguese was let go after the club fell to seventh in the Premier League.

They were also eliminated from the Europa League in humiliating fashion after a 3-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.

Ryan Mason is in interim charge of the team, but reports suggest that there are a number of managers being considered for the role, including Brendan Rodgers and Gareth Southgate.

Julian Nagelsmann, who had been touted as the frontrunner, is set to join Bayern Munich, leaving Spurs at square one.

Parker has been suggested as the next appointment by ex-defender Michael Dawson after impressing at Fulham, even though the club are in serious danger of being relegated straight back to the Championship as things stand.

Roberts was asked if Parker was ready, or if the job was too early for him, and he believes that the ex-Spurs and West Ham United midfielder should stay where he is for the foreseeable future.

Speaking to FFC, he said: “I think he will do well to stay at Fulham and learn his trade even more and bring them back up again.

“I think early in the season, they were getting beat week in, week out. But I think he’s learned as he’s gone on. He’s done a brilliant job there but I do think it’s another level, Tottenham is one, two, or three levels higher, there is a lot more pressure on winning every week and entertaining but he’s done a great job at Fulham.

“For me, I think it’ll be two or three years too early.”

As it became clear that Leeds United would not be anywhere near relegation and would comfortably survive, talk turned to the future of Marcelo Bielsa. Former Leeds midfielder David Norris has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that the Argentine has already signed a new deal.

There had been talks about the Leeds hierarchy planning for life without Bielsa and were looking at potential candidates and former Juventus manager, Massimiliano Allegri was thought to be one of them.

However, it is now widely expected that Bielsa will sign at least another 12-month contract which will see him guide Leeds into their second Premier League season but this time with the roar of the Elland Road faithful behind him and the team.

Bielsa has worked wonders at Leeds taking them back into the Premier League and then helping them finish in the top 10 and Norris claims that the Argentine will be staying for at least another season as he exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“It didn’t look like he was ever looking to move or was biding his time to see if anything better was out there. It was just never on his list of priorities.

“I’ve heard from inside that he has already agreed on a new deal so that’s just a matter of time now before that comes out, and that’s a massive signing for Leeds because it lets everyone just relax over the summer knowing that he isn’t going to leave.”

Bielsa has earned himself some rave reviews during his first spell in the Premier League, with the current league winning manager, Pep Guardiola, being in awe of Bielsa as he was in shock to find out that the Leeds boss had praised him and his management style.

It is not just Bielsa’s situation that Leeds fans will currently be sweating over as they wait to see if Kalvin Phillips is fit enough to be part of Gareth Southgate’s European Championship final 26-man squad, although it is expected that he will be.

It’s still very much the curious case of Dele Alli at Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Despite all of Spurs’ recent struggles, Jose Mourinho has still rarely turned to the out-of-favour midfielder and now his future in north London is surely hanging by a thread.

An exit in January was blocked late on by Daniel Levy but with the 25-year-old only featuring for a grand total of 984 minutes in all competitions, the chairman could look to cash in on the £26m-rated dynamo this time round.

If he does indeed go through with sanctioning his departure, it could well be a decision he regrets in the long run.

Mourinho has a sorry history when it comes to giving young talent a chance, and whilst it feels like Alli has been around forever, the 37-time England international is far from reaching his peak years.

Alli, aside from Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, has been one of Spurs’ best players in recent years.

It was only in the 2016/17 season that he bagged a whopping 18 goals from midfield, whilst he has also clinched back-to-back PFA Young Player of the Year awards – the first player to achieve that feat since Wayne Rooney in 2005, and the third-ever to do so.

That year, Spurs legend Darren Anderton waxed lyrical about Alli, comparing him to both Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes, going onto call him a “freak of a talent” and a “real joy to watch” (quotes sourced via Goal).

You simply cannot afford to leave out a player as talented as Alli all season, and ultimately it’s cost Spurs dearly.

Mourinho has a poor history in this regard too, writing off the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah at Chelsea, going on to sell them to Wolfsburg and Fiorentina, respectively.

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No one needs reminding of how their careers have panned out since then, but as a Premier League and Champions League winner, Salah is perhaps the Portuguese’s worst mistake.

The Egyptian’s rise has been astronomical but the signs of that potential were staring Mourinho right in the face, as former Blues teammate Felipe Luis told the Guardian, Salah was like Lionel Messi in training.

“I suffered Salah in training,” claimed the Brazilian defender. “When he went Fiorentina, I said: ‘Why are you going, Momo? This is Chelsea.’ And he said: ‘I need to play.’ I thought: ‘This kid’s good.’ He never went for money or to win more; he went to show he could play. In training, he was like Messi. Really, like Messi. Ask anyone.”

Now Alli may not go onto repeat the impressive exploits of Salah, but there’s every chance he could given it is Paris Saint-Germain are interested in his services and they made the UCL final last year, and are consistently winning Ligue 1.

The difference between the Englishman at Spurs now, and both Salah and De Bruyne at Chelsea then, is that he’s already delivered and proven his worth over several seasons. And that will make this error even more glaring, in a shorter time frame, too.

Mourino cannot afford to repeat this blunder this summer.

AND in other news, “Excellent player” – Exclusive: Pundit hails rarely-seen Spurs youngster Jose called “fantastic”