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The summer transfer window is officially underway and Tottenham will be lining up moves to improve their squad in the coming weeks.

Fabio Paratici has already been hard at work to bolster the team with deals for Fraser Forster and Ivan Perisic, with both players arriving on free transfers.

Spurs will now be looking to strengthen the group in other areas of the pitch and one position they are reportedly looking to add in is centre-forward.

Football London recently claimed that Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is a player Paratici is eyeing a deal for, with the Serie A club reportedly wanting €110m (£94m) for their star man.

Conte’s own Ciro Immobile

By securing a deal for the Nigeria international, Conte would have his own version of his compatriot Ciro Immobile in north London.

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Both players are outstanding Serie A goalscorers who have proven that they have what it takes to score goals on a regular basis in a major European league. In fact, FB Ref lists the Lazio goal machine as one of the most similar players to Osimhen in Europe, based on their respective statistics.

In the Italian top-flight last term, Immobile managed an outstanding 27 goals and two assists in 31 matches – missing 16 ‘big chances – for his club. This shows that he was lethal in front of goal and a consistent presence at the top end of the pitch.

Meanwhile, Osimhen produced 14 goals and two assists in 23 starts in the division – missing six ‘big chances’. Whilst his goalscoring record was not quite as good as the Italian’s, he did miss fewer big opportunities and still registered an impressive return in front of goal.

One key difference between the two players, however, is their age as the Napoli man is nine years younger than Immobile.

Emmet Gates dubbed Osimhen’s potential as “frightening” and former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo added to that by saying:

“He’s the future, he’s going to do so well in football. I love him, he’s down to earth, he’s hard-working, he has a future and he has the mentality of a winner, that’s what I love about him.

“He has that lion’s heart. I love him, I just want him to keep working hard the way he’s doing, he’s going to break so many records in Europe and Nigeria.”

These quotes, alongside his age, suggest that he has the scope to develop further in the future and reach the heights of the experienced Immobile.

Therefore, Spurs can sign their own long-term version of the Italy international by snapping up Osimhen and that is why Paratici must close a deal for the attacker in the coming weeks or months.

AND in other news, Paratici now eyes Spurs deal for “impressive” £15m machine, he’s silenced Lewandowski…

West Brom are reportedly interested in completing the signing of Luton Town right-back James Bree ahead of the start of next season.

The Lowdown: Bree excels for Luton

Luton enjoyed a memorable season in 2021/22, making it into the Championship playoffs against all odds, eventually losing to Huddersfield Town in the semi-finals.

Bree was a mainstay of the team throughout the season, starting 44 of the Hatters’ 46 league matches and chipping in with six assists along the way.

With West Brom looking at summer transfer options, the 24-year-old’s name has emerged as a target.

The Latest: West Brom linked with move

According to The Express & Star‘s Joseph Masi, the Baggies are ‘considering’ a move for Bree, seeing him as a contender to come in at right-back.

The report claims that he is ‘one of the best full-backs in the Championship’, having been called ‘very good’ by Steve Bruce when he managed him at Aston Villa.

The Verdict: Potential great exciting

Bree could be a fantastic summer signing for West Brom, ticking so many boxes when it comes to what they are after. He would provide competition for Darnell Furlong, while his aforementioned assist tally highlights his attacking ability.

The fact that the Englishman has already played under Bruce surely increases the chances of the Baggies making a move for him, too, with the manager clearly an admirer.

At 24, Bree is at an ideal age to come in and be a key man in West Brom’s 2022/23 promotion push, with his best years still also likely to be ahead of him.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a key West Brom transfer claim. Read more here.

Leeds United are interested in rivalling Nottingham Forest in the race to sign Morgan Gibbs-White, according to The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Sheffield United loan

Gibbs-White spent the 2021/22 season on loan with Sheffield United and turned out in a number of attacking positions.

The 22-year-old played as a centre-forward, on the right and in a deeper role, scoring 12 times and providing 10 assists in 37 games for The Blades.

Defender Chris Basham hailed Gibbs-White as a ‘breath of fresh air’ who ‘glides past players’ and is ‘powerful’, and it seems as if he is a man in demand following his successful loan spell.

The Latest: Leeds interest

The Athletic’s Paul Taylor provided an in-depth story regarding Forest’s transfer plans on Wednesday.

The reporter stated that Gibbs-White is one of Forest’s ‘primary targets’ and is valued at around £20m, but added that Leeds are ‘also interested’.

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The Verdict: Get it done

Gibbs-White showed his quality in the second tier last season and seems to be a ready-made player for Jesse Marsch.

The Leeds head coach prefers to use a narrow 4-2-2-2 formation and has already made his intentions clear by signing Brenden Aaronson, who is set to be used as an inverted winger.

Gibbs-White could be the next piece in Marsch’s Elland Road attacking jigsaw as he can turn out as a centre-forward, out wide or in behind the striker, meaning he could perhaps occupy the opposite attacking midfielder spot to Aaronson.

Still just 22, you’d expect that the Wolves man will only get better over the coming years, so it will be interesting to see if the Whites firm up their interest.

In other news: Cheeky bid tabled: Radz and 49ers now open talks to sign international ‘goal threat’ for Leeds. 

Journalist Conor Clancy has made a transfer claim involving Manchester United and their pursuit of Napoli forward Victor Osimhen. 

The lowdown: United interested in Osimhen

After Erik ten Hag officially took over the helm as the club’s new manager, a major rebuild of the squad is expected over the course of the summer.

It has recently been reported that the Red Devils are desperate to bring the highly-rated 23-year-old Nigeria striker to Old Trafford as the Dutchman attempts to kickstart the transfer window with fresh faces coming in.

Looking at the possibility of making Osimhen part of the new era in Manchester, one journalist has suggested that such a move isn’t out of the question, but with one significant obstacle to overcome…

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The latest: Osimhen could cost £100m+

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Clancy claimed that the Glazers will have to exceed United’s club-record transfer expenditure in order to sign the 18-cap Nigeria predator.

He said of Osimhen: “I think he’s the next £100million sale from Serie A, whether it’s this summer or next summer. He’s not going to go cheap. Napoli signed him for £70million and that was very much with a view to selling him for more than that.

“A £10million profit on a player like Osimhen is not enough. He’s a superstar.”

The verdict: At all costs

A nine-digit transfer fee is eye-watering, but Osimhen boasts an outstanding 66 goals in 152 senior outings in what has been a rapidly rising career trajectory to date, and he would certainly offer a longer-term option than United’s current primary goal-getter Cristiano Ronaldo.

During the 2021/22 campaign, the powerful Nigerian centre-forward scored 18 times and provided another six assists in 32 appearances across all competitions, boasting an impressive 7.13 Sofascore rating whilst taking 3.4 shots per Serie A game in the process.

As Ten Hag attempts to oversee a revamp of the squad at Old Trafford, Anthony Martial appears a likely candidate to leave the club altogether, so Osimhen would seem the ideal man to become an instant replacement for the out-of-favour Frenchman, given his enviable track record.

In other news: Man Utd and Ten Hag launch ‘important offer’ to sign ‘the future’ of football along with De Jong

American journalist Tom Bogert believes Leeds United will ‘try’ and sign RB Leipzig midfielder Tyler Adams.

The Lowdown: Aaronson done

The Whites haven’t wasted any time in strengthening Jesse Marsch’s side after they avoided relegation on the final day. Long-term target Brenden Aaronson is now officially a Leeds player after he joined from FC Salzburg in a deal worth £25m.

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Bogert was the journalist who broke the news regarding Aaronson minutes after Leeds beat Brentford, and he feels another USA international could now be of interest in Yorkshire.

The Latest: Adams next?

Bogert was asked by a Leeds fan on Twitter late on Thursday evening if any more Americans could follow Aaronson to Elland Road.

He thinks the Whites will ‘try’ to sign Adams but wasn’t sure regarding rumours on Barcelona right-back Sergino Dest.

The Verdict: Phillips partner?

Adams, who Marsch hailed as ‘special’, is primarily a defensive midfielder who can also play on the right-hand side. The pair worked together at New York Red Bulls and Leipzig, with the 23-year-old making 71 appearances under the Leeds boss, contributing to ten goals in the process.

Holding midfield additions appear to be needed love the next few months, even if star man Kalvin Phillips remains at the club for Marsch’s first full season.

Phillips is the only defensive midfielder on the books at this moment in time, so if Marsch wants to implement a 4-2-2-2 system, Adams could be an ideal partner for the England international.

In other news: Radz and 49ers think it could be ‘huge’: Leeds now working behind the scenes on second move

Manchester United have had nothing short of a terrible season. With a managerial change, failing to mount a title challenge or even finish in the top five and nowhere close to claiming any of the domestic cups, it has been a campaign to forget for the Old Trafford faithful.

New manager Erik ten Hag faces a massive job in the summer with rebuilding the squad and getting the players to buy into his ideologies ahead of what could be their most important season in recent memory.

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One area of the squad which urgently needs prioritising is the defence. United have conceded 56 goals in the Premier League alone, the second-highest total of the teams in the top half of the table.

A rejig of the defence during the transfer window will likely be the main aim for Ten Hag, and the club have shown interest in the Inter Milan centre back Milan Skriniar, according to Italian news outlet Calciomercato. It’s worth noting, however, that Chelsea and Tottenham are also interested in the player.

The 27-year-old would be a major upgrade on Eric Bailly – who has been dubbed “rash” by Trevor Sinclair in the past – and also has the experience of winning trophies at Inter over the previous couple of seasons.

Axe Bailly, sign Skriniar

Bailly has spent a lot of the past two years sidelined through injury, but comparing the two players on last season’s performances shows that Skriniar would be the much better option.

The Slovakian registered more tackles, blocks and interceptions (55, 48 and 27 respectively) in 2020/21 compared to the United defender (nine, 17 and 22 respectively), although Bailly played fewer matches during the season.

Skriniar is the highest-rated Inter defender on WhoScored this season, with an average rating of 6.82, and someone of his presence at the heart of the Red Devils’ defence is exactly what Ten Hag will be after, especially with Graham Roberts lauding the 27-year-old as “absolutely brilliant” during Euro 2020 last year.

This seems like the ideal opportunity for the new United manager to axe the unreliable Bailly for good and instead replaced him with a tank of a centre-back in Skriniar.

AND in other news, Man United nearing the signing of “magic” £58m “unicorn”, he’s Modric 2.0

Aston Villa have endured some turbulent seasons of late with the football club being relegated from the Premier League in 2016 for the first time before making two consecutive play-off final appearances, winning the second and surviving relegation from the top-flight on the final day of the 2019/20 campaign.

However, now the West Midlands club is a stable outfit under Steven Gerrard and it appears as though exciting times are ahead with the Villans learning from past transfer errors.

One recent colossal error was the signing of Rudy Gestede from Blackburn Rovers in 2015.

The former Benin international swapped Ewood Park for Villa Park for £7.6m ahead of the season that would eventually see Villa relegated.

Christian Benteke, who scored 49 goals in 101 appearances for Villa, had joined Liverpool that summer for £32.5m with one of the striker’s replacements coming in the form of Gestede.

The then 27-year-old on £28k-per-week started his Villa tenure excellently, scoring a late winner on his debut against Bournemouth as well as a brace at Anfield against Liverpool that September.

However, the striker would go on to score just two more goals that season as the West Midlands outfit finished bottom of the league and was claimed to be “hiding” by Blackburn Rovers legend Alan Shearer.

Gestede went on to score four goals in the Championship the following season before returning to the Premier League when Middlesbrough signed him for £6m, 22% less than what Villa paid.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and the now 33-year-old’s career since leaving Villa Park suggests that it was a woeful decision to gamble on the Benininian.

Having been worth £6.3m when leaving Villa, the striker was worth just £2.7m within two years before being released by Middlesbrough in 2020 at a valuation of £720k.

Since November 2020, Gestede has played for three clubs abroad, Melbourne Victory in Australia, Panetolikos in Greece and is currently playing in Iran for Esteghlal.

Moreover, the veteran forward is now worth just £225k.

It could be argued that Aston Villa were right to cut their losses when they did before losing more money, however, Gestede’s downhill career proves that the Villans had a disaster when seeking new strikers following the departure of Benteke.

AND in other news: Imagine him & Ramsey: NSWE must complete Villa swoop for “dynamite” £125k-p/w gem

Wolverhampton Wanderers may face a battle to keep hold of Barcelona-loanee Francisco Trincao for next season, should Bruno Lage consider him part of his plans.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Sport Witness  (via TEAMtalk), who claim that the West Midlands side face competition from Liga Portugal side Sporting CP, who have made the former Braga man a “priority.”

As per the report, Sporting manager Ruben Amorim is the man who has made Trincao the club’s priority signing, with the 37-year-old having managed the Barcelona-loanee when the pair were at Braga.

Sporting understand that Wolves have an option to buy clause as part of the loan deal that saw him make the temporary switch to Molineux, though reportedly remain confident in completing a deal for the 22-year-old with Wolves undecided on activating the option to buy clause.

According to Transfermarkt, the loan cost Wolves £5.4m with the option to buy clause set at £25m.

Goncalves 2.0

Trincao’s future at Wolves is entirely dependent on Lage’s decision. Whilst he has managed just two goals and one assist in 27 Premier League games, there have been glimpses of the player that struck eight assists in 27 appearances for Braga just two seasons ago.

Going by the expected goals tally, Trincao, who has been described as a player who can make a “massive impact”, should have four goals this season, which whilst is still not exceptional for a player of his talent, would see him rank as the Old Gold’s third-highest goalscorer behind Hwang-hee Chan and Raul Jimenez who have notched five and six goals respectively.

With Trincao being one of two left-footed forwards at the club, he offers Lage an unorthodox option throughout the role of an inverted winger, and with the recent switch in tactics to a counter-pressing 3-5-2 system, the Portuguese attacker could massively benefit from such a direct approach.

As it stands, the Barcelona loanee has just two more games to prove his worth, with Lage yet to make a formal decision on the matter. He will have to decide pretty soon though amidst the expiring loan deal and severe interest from Sporting.

However, judging by the impact Pedro Goncalves has made since swapping Wolverhampton for Lisbon, the Old Gold could be staring down the barrel of another disastrous transfer decision.

Since moving away from Wolves, the fellow Portuguese star has scored 38 times in just 77 outings. The last thing Lage would want is a repeat scenario of that.

In other news: Wolves plot bid to sign “terrific” £12m-rated gem who “runs the show”, Lage needs him 

Former Scotland and Premier League manager Alex McLeish believes Aberdeen right-back Calvin Ramsay would pick Liverpool over Leeds United in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Ramsay linked with Liverpool move

The Reds have been linked with a move for the 18-year-old in recent times, following a string of impressive performances for Aberdeen, with the reliable Paul Joyce naming him as a target.

Ramsay has made 22 Scottish Premiership appearances this season and is someone who is in the ‘elite upper bracket’ of young right-backs, according to Dons chairman Dave Cormack.

Leeds could rival Liverpool for the Scot’s signature this summer, as he potentially moves south of the border.

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The Latest: McLeish gives his verdict

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish claimed his compatriot would surely opt for a move to Anfield over Elland Road, given the differing fortunes of both clubs currently:

“I would imagine, if I was in that position right now, I want to go to Liverpool.

“Because of the magnitude of the club, because of the lack of any chance of relegation. Even though I’d be an understudy to Trent Alexander-Arnold for a couple of years, I’ll get in and out.

“You’ve got a timeframe to develop yourself. Then if you end up cutting it at Liverpool, you’ve almost won the World Cup, haven’t you?

“I would expect a young player to be thinking that. Not thinking: ‘Well, Leeds are on the verge of relegation in the Championship. Maybe I’ll play more games in there.’

“That is a blooming hard league, the Championship. Any team can win on any given day. Even the bottom teams can beat the top teams. If Liverpool and Leeds are in for him, I would think he’d, all day long, choose Liverpool.”

The Verdict: Perfect Trent deputy

While Trent Alexander-Arnold clearly isn’t going to be ousted any time soon at Liverpool, Ramsay could come in as a hugely exciting backup option, getting opportunities in the domestic cups.

With Neco Williams possibly moving on, that space in the squad could open up for the Aberdeen man and he could then be loaned out immediately, in order to continue his growth.

Ramsay is clearly a special talent, and with Liverpool always planning for the long-term future, he is someone who should be viewed as a shrewd summer signing.

In other news, James Pearce has dropped a key Liverpool injury update. Read more here.

West Bromwich Albion bowed out of their disappointing Championship season on a high at The Hawthorns, in an impressive team performance that will give fans new hope for next season.

The Baggies put on a four-goal show in the final game of the season in front of their home fans following a difficult campaign of highs and lows for the club, showing resilience and a taster of what is to be expected when they return to chase promotion back into the Premier League in August under new manager Steve Bruce.

West Brom dominated on all fronts throughout the game with 65% possession, five more shots on target, more big chances created and over twice as many accurate passes than their opponents on Saturday afternoon.

Karlan Grant found the back of the net twice to bag a brace, with Adam Reach and Matthew Clarke in an attacking display that Barnsley just couldn’t cope with and one player, in particular, gave an incredible all-round performance despite not getting on the scoresheet.

Jayson Molumby put on a phenomenal display after securing his future permanently at the club earlier this week in a three-year deal and certainly showed the West Brom faithful exactly what he is capable of offering over the time he has in the future.

The Baggies midfielder had an astonishing 104 touches of the ball against Barnsley, completing 76 passes, winning nine out of his 15 duels, making two interceptions and three tackles, proving that the 22-year-old was intent on making his presence known on the pitch and became a complete nuisance for his opponents.

Bruce spoke out this week about the former Brighton player’s new deal (via BBC Sport);

“We’re really pleased to have Jayson on board permanently.

“He’s managed to force himself into our XI recently and now his challenge is to stay there by continuing to show improvements in his game.”

Following the West Brom manager’s comments, Molumby clearly wanted to show his boss exactly why he deserves to be included in the team going forward and show that he can continue to improve at the club, which will surely put him in good stead to regularly feature next season.

Despite Bruce securing this masterclass signing, there is still a huge amount of work to do to ensure that West Brom doesn’t suffer another season of disappointment and can challenge throughout to secure Premier League promotion at the end of their next campaign.

AND in other news: West Brom eyeing summer swoop for “brilliant” 19 y/o “cheat code”, Bruce needs him