Liverpool are believed to hold the cards in the pursuit of Brazilian outfit Fluminense's rising holding midfielder Andre, who is attracting European attention after his recent exploits.

Who are Liverpool signing this summer?

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp and sporting director Jorg Schmadtke have acted with haste over the past few months, signing Alexis Mac Allister and Dominick Szoboszlai to fill the void left by James Milner, Naby Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's departures back in June.

Progress suffered a blip when the tidal wave of Saudi Arabian transfer movement homed in on captain Jordan Henderson and holding midfielder Fabinho, but Liverpool are looking to complete a move for Southampton's Romeo Lavia, a precocious and promising talent.

However, according to Portuguese outlet Record – via Sport Witness – Brazilian midfielder Andre could yet join the fold on Merseyside despite the pursuit of Sporting CP, who are concerned about matching the affluence of the Anfield side.

The report touts the 22-year-old at €20m (£17m), which could prove to be a worthwhile deal given the relatively cheap valuation in the modern market.

Should Liverpool sign Andre?

While Andre looks a tough-tackling, pass-proficient midfielder with the set of skills necessary for success on English shores, previous claims indicate a stumbling block laying in Fluminense's reluctance to part with their No. 6 before the culmination of the Brazilian Serie A season in December.

However, with Lavia destined for a date with Klopp's Reds, Andre could be an exciting addition to complement the side at the season's midpoint and ease the burden on the young Belgian's shoulders.

The "leader" – as Andre has been hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – has recorded an average Sofascore match rating of 7.08 across 13 league matches this term, remarkably completing 94% of his passes, averaging 2.1 tackles per game and succeeding with 63% of his ground duels.

For reference, Fabinho completed 89% of his passes, averaged 1.8 tackles and won just 48% of his ground duels last term, albeit in the Premier League.

Andre ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Men's Next 8 divisions – behind the big European five – for pass completion, while also within the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90 (FBref), and certainly looks like he holds the elements requisite for success at the highest level.

His assured passing skills and precision when utilising his defensive qualities would only serve to enhance the game of esteemed centre-half Virgil van Dijk, who has been a revelation since joining Liverpool from Southampton for £75m in 2018 but was culpable of "poor" performances last term as Klopp's side floundered, as per club legend Jamie Carragher.

Liverpool's problems were well-documented and the midfield's inability to effectively protect the backline was often cited as the crux of the malady.

Irrespective of this, Van Dijk did not exude the usual air of superiority and swagger, being said to have "languished" by pundit Jason Cundy, a central part of a defence that shipped 47 league goals – as opposed to 27 the season prior – and fell into the Europa League after seven successive years in the Champions League.

Fabinho was described as an "old man" by journalist Graeme Bailey for his part in the collapse, but this new chapter tantalises greatness once again at Anfield and with Andre entering the fray, he could develop into the perfect new option to revitalise Liverpool and restore Van Dijk back to his former imperiousness.

Ben Stokes, the England allrounder who is currently under police investigation for his part in a late-night brawl in Bristol last month, has been dropped by his kit manufacturer, New Balance

George Dobell11-Oct-2017Ben Stokes, the England allrounder who is currently under police investigation for his part in a late-night brawl in Bristol last month, has been dropped by his kit manufacturer, New Balance.The company issued a statement on Wednesday saying his behaviour “does not match our brand culture and values” and that his contract, worth an estimated £200,000 a year, had been terminated. The announcement came shortly after Stokes had tweeted an apology for a separate incident, in which he apparently mocked the disabled son of British celebrity Katie Price, and with his involvement in the Ashes increasingly uncertain.While the ECB has said Stokes will not travel to Australia until his legal issues are resolved – he was arrested but has not, at this stage, been charged – it remains unclear whether he will be part of the group gathering in Loughborough for a training camp from next Tuesday.The camp is likely it to involve some fielding practice – the potential loss of Stokes further weakens England’s close-catching – as well as discussion on what to expect in Australia and some bowling with the Kookaburra ball.New Balance provides Stokes with branded equipment, from bats to boots. In a statement, the company said: “New Balance does not condone behaviour by our global athletes that does not match our brand culture and values, and therefore we have ended our relationship with Ben Stokes, effective October 11, 2017. We will not provide further comment.”Shortly after the incident in September, which saw Stokes held overnight by Bristol police, a TV ad by brewer Greene King featuring the player drinking in a pub was pulled.Ben Stokes’ Twitter apology•Getty Images/Twitter

Stokes has also issued an apology after appearing to mock Harvey Price. A video of him impersonating Harvey, who suffers from autism, ADHD, Prader-Willi Syndrome and blindness, circulated shortly after Stokes’ arrest.He has now publically expressed his regret and, having admitted he should never have acted in such a way, accepted that he behaved “foolishly”. In a statement on Twitter, Stokes said he had contacted both Harvey and Katie Price personally and offered to get involved in their attempts to reduce online bullying.”Earlier this year I was a shown a clip of Harvey being asked on Loose Women how he responds to internet trolls,” Stokes wrote. “I loved Harvey’s directness with his responses – he said what most of us think but perhaps aren’t brave enough to say, let alone on live TV.”I foolishly attempted to copy the clip after I saw it a few times. I should never have done this and I am so sorry. It was absolutely not my intention to offend Harvey, Katie or anybody else.”I have written to both Harvey and Katie to say sorry and prior to this offered to meet in person at the end of last month with a view to also getting behind their petition about online bullying. I do hope I can put this right.”

The midfielder has swelled his medal collection but has barely featured for the team in a miserable 18 months at the Etihad Stadium

Kalvin Phillips' transfer to Manchester City made perfect sense in the summer of 2022. The midfielder had honed his playing style under Marcelo Bielsa, one of Pep Guardiola's coaching mentors, at Leeds United, and become an England regular after playing a key role in the Three Lions' success at the European Championship.

The £42 million ($53m) transfer fee was not small but not wildly expensive either for an England international who already had plenty of Premier League experience, and it was expected that Phillips would have a short adaptation period before locking down a regular place in Guardiola's winning machine.

But instead, Phillips' time at City has been a huge ordeal for everyone involved. The 28-year-old has made just six starts in all competitions in 18 months, averaging out at £7m per appearance in Guardiola's line-up. And he has not shone in any of them, with City losing half of the matches he has started. The player's stock has taken an almighty tumble, although he is still a member of Gareth Southgate's squad and expected to go to Euro 2024, to the chagrin of many fans.

The move has also been difficult to digest for City. The club pride themselves on their transfer activity, only making a signing to address an urgent need in the squad and when it suits them long-term. Phillips has simply not fit within Guardiola's vision for his team and, as he leaves to join West Ham on loan, he will go down as one of the worst signings the serial-winning coach has ever made.

As Phillips' stay with City ends – at least temporarily – GOAL charts the midfielder's nightmare 18 months at the Etihad Stadium…

• Getty
  

  Injured on his full debut

  Following his arrival from Elland Road, Phillips was an unused substitute in City's 2022 Community Shield defeat to Liverpool and came on for just a few minutes in their Premier League opener against West Ham, making his first start for his new side in a friendly against Barcelona.

  But after making a positive first impression at Camp Nou, disaster struck when he was forced off with a shoulder injury.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Under the knife

  He played no further games for a month after the injury, but returned to action in the Champions League away to Sevilla as a substitute and also came off the bench at home to Borussia Dortmund a week later.

  But shortly afterwards, it was decided that Phillips needed surgery to treat his shoulder problem, which put him out of action for just under two months, only returning in early November for the Carabao Cup win over Chelsea.

• Getty
  

  'Overweight' accusations after the World Cup

  Despite his long period out, Phillips was selected by Southgate for the World Cup in Qatar, coming on against Wales and Senegal although playing no part in England's quarter-final defeat by France. But Guardiola was not happy with Phillips and he was strangely absent from the City squad when the season resumed.

  When asked about Phillips, the coach made a surprise revelation. He said: "He's not injured. He arrived overweight. He didn't arrive in the condition to do training sessions and to play." Phillips has since claimed he was not overweight, and admitted he found the criticism "hard to take".

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Another rebuke from Guardiola

  He quickly set about returning to full fitness and was on the bench for City's next game at Leeds, although he was not brought on. It became a familiar story throughout the campaign, even as Guardiola began to make more use of his squad players in the Premier League run-in as the games came thick and fast in the team's quest to win the treble.

  Phillips instead received another rebuke from Guardiola, with the coach urging him to provide more competition for Rodri, who had become an indisputable starter despite the Englishman's arrival. “He has to fight with Rodri, for the benefit of all of us," the City coach said in January. "Rodri cannot sleep and must have the feeling there is someone close to him to do it. He has to."

Chelsea may have already brought in Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson so far this summer, but Mauricio Pochettino's side appear to be homing in on another attacking player.

Who have Chelsea signed this summer?

Nkunku and Jackson arrived for a combined £81.5m earlier in the window, while a host of others have since been linked as part of a huge overhaul at Stamford Bridge.

Montpellier's Elye Wahi recently emerged as a possible option for Chelsea, and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims the Blues have now pressed on with their initial interest.

"Understand Chelsea are now advancing in talks to sign Elye Wahi – agreement getting closer, new negotiations round scheduled with Montpellier," the Italian journalist tweeted. "Chelsea plan includes loan move for Wahi this season. Chelsea want to accelerate [this] week as there's competition."

With a number of other clubs also circling, including Chelsea's Premier League rivals Arsenal, Foot Mercato previously reported that Wahi is valued by Montpellier at around €35m (£30m).

Is Elye Wahi a good option for Chelsea?

Having hit double figures for Montpellier in 2021/22, Wahi's career truly took off last season – his third as a senior member of the French club – when scoring 19 goals in 33 Ligue 1 appearances and setting up a further five.

Those 24 direct goal involvements put Wahi on a par with Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar.

Indeed, the France U21 international ranked in the top 11% of all forwards across Europe's top five leagues in terms of goals scored last season, according to The Analyst.

There are strong parallels to be drawn with another young player who made a name for himself in France before making the switch to Chelsea, a certain Eden Hazard.

Hazard was just a year older than Wahi when joining the Blues from Lille, with whom he won the league title in 2011 – something he would repeat twice with both Chelsea and Real Madrid.

The Belgium international scored 20 goals in his final season with Lille, having netted 12 combined in the two seasons prior. Wahi scored 19 goals for Montpellier last season, having scored 13 in the two seasons prior.

While Hazard assisted 10 goals more in his final season with Lille than Wahi managed last season, he played 694 minutes more – the equivalent of nearly eight additional matches – in what was a stronger side.

The pair also showed similarities across those respective seasons in terms of shots on target per 90 minutes (1.71 for Hazard, 1.29 for Wahi) and fouls per 90 minutes (1.24 v 1.15), as per FBref, with the latter metric showing the pair are – or were in the case of Hazard – willing to get stuck in.

Comparing Wahi to Hazard is not entirely fair, given the latter would go on to become a major hit in west London, but there is no reason why the French jewel – who talent scout Jacek Kulig described as having an "incredible" season with Montpellier last time out – cannot have a similar impact.

In a summer of change at Stamford Bridge, the most exciting signing may have not yet arrived.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has set a Premier League record following his side's Boxing Day victory over Burnley.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Liverpool beat Burnley 2-0Nunez and Jota score in winKlopp sets Premier League recordWHAT HAPPENED?

Goals in either half from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota sent Liverpool to the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Burnley. As a result, according to Opta, Klopp is now six for six on Boxing Day fixtures – the outright most by a manager with a 100 percent win rate on this day in the Premier League's history.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After two straight draws with Manchester United and Arsenal at home, Liverpool returned to winning ways with the victory at Turf Moor. They are two points ahead of the second-placed Gunners, although Mikel Arteta's men could leapfrog the Reds if they beat West Ham on December 28.

DID YOU KNOW?

On the flip side, according to Opta, Burnley are the first side in English top-flight history to lose as many as nine of their first 10 home games of a season. Vincent Kompany's side sit 19th in the table following their promotion from the Championship this summer.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Liverpool have played their last match of 2023 but kick off 2024 with a home clash against out of form Newcastle United on January 1, whereas lowly Burnley round off their year away to high-flying Aston Villa on December 31.

Sheldon Jackson (181) and Ravindra Jadeja (150 not out) shellacked centuries as Saurashtra racked up 428 for 4 on the opening day of their second-round match against Jammu & Kashmir in Rajkot. The two, who joined hands with the side precariously placed at 59 for 3 after electing to bat, added 281 for the fifth wicket.Jackson’s 14th first-class century consisted of 22 fours and seven sixes. His knock came off just 156 deliveries before Waseem Raza struck in the final session. Jadeja, in comparison, was more watchful, playing out 223 deliveries. By stumps, he had put on an unbroken 88 for the sixth wicket with Snell Patel, who was not out on 31. Robin Uthappa, promoted to open, made 37, while Cheteshwar Pujara, who continued to lead in Jaydev Shah’s absence, fell for 13.Legspinner Piyush Chawla picked up five wickets in his first appearance as a professional as Gujarat, the defending champions, wrested the initiative in their season opener in Nadiad. Kerala, who elected to bat, were bowled out for 208, with just one fifty-plus score that belonged to Sanju Samson. Chawla triggered the lower-order slide as Kerala lost their last six wickets for 38 runs. Jalaj Saxena was unbeaten on 30. Sachin Baby, the Kerala captain, was the second-highest scorer with 49. In reply, Gujarat lost Priyank Panchal, the previous season’s highest run-getter, and Bhargav Merai to finish on 60 for 2.Opener Amitkumar Gautam’s unbeaten century helped Rajasthan rally after a top-order wobble against Jharkhand in Jaipur. Gautam’s unbroken 131-run stand with Tarjinder Singh (66 not out) helped Rajasthan end the day at 250 for 4. Ashok Menaria contributed 50 before falling to Jaskaran Singh. Adding to concerns in the Rajasthan camp was the injury to wicketkeeper Dishant Yagnik, who was forced to retire hurt. They can avail a substitute wicketkeeper if Yagnik isn’t fit to keep later in the match, under the new ICC guidelines which the BCCI has also implemented. Ashish Kumar, the fast bowler, picked up two wickets for Jharkhand.

India completed a 2-1 T20I series win after their bowlers defended 67 in a decider shortened by rain to eight overs a side

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy07-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:47

Harris: Rohit’s catch won India the game

Just over a week ago, Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah were India’s bowling heroes in a gripping, high-scoring ODI series decider in Kanpur. On Tuesday they combined to deny New Zealand once again, this time in an eight-overs-a-side dogfight on a damp, grippy surface in a rain-shortened maiden international game at the Greenfield Stadium.Sent in to bat, India struggled to force the pace against square turn from Mitchell Santner and canny changes of pace from Tim Southee and Trent Boult. Virat Kohli got off to a bright start, clattering Ish Sodhi for four and six off his first two balls, but holed out on 13, and the rest of the batsmen couldn’t quite find their timing on a difficult surface.If the conditions and the bowling weren’t hard enough to contend with, they also ran into Santner who had a storming day in the field. He took two good catches to send back the openers off successive balls, and later pulled off a spectacular assist to remove top-scorer Manish Pandey, sprinting from long-on, throwing himself to his right, plucking the ball out of mid-air and flicking it to Colin de Grandhomme coming the other way from deep midwicket.All this left New Zealand 68 to win their first proper series, in any format, in India, and Chahal and Bumrah led the defence with combined figures of 4-0-17-2. New Zealand scored 44 off their other four overs, but it wasn’t quite enough.Colin Munro began the chase ominously, stepping out to the first ball he faced and launching Bhuvneshwar Kumar over the midwicket boundary. Bhuvneshwar pulled things back through the rest of the over with a succession of knuckle balls, the last of them sneaking past Martin Guptill’s slog and rattling his off stump, and New Zealand were 8 for 1.Munro’s power made him a key wicket for India, and Bumrah prised him out with three excellent balls – all of them hitting the deck just short of a good length and forcing the left-hander to hit against the right-arm-over angle. Two dots forced Munro to charge out, Bumrah saw him coming and shortened his length, and his cross-bat heave skewed over mid-on, from where Rohit Sharma sprinted to complete a tumbling stunner. Only three came off that over.Chahal, relishing the grip and turn on offer, kept the ball wide of off stump to both right- and left-hander, and didn’t concede a single boundary in his two overs. Every second ball he bowled was a dot, and this was especially commendable given the pressure he bowled in.Colin de Grandhomme had just launched Kuldeep Yadav for a flat six over long-on – perhaps the cleanest hit of the night – when Chahal came on to bowl the sixth over with New Zealand needing 32 off the last three. He beat the bat with his first two balls to de Grandhomme, both on a length too short to hit down the ground but not short enough to hit square, both pitching outside off and making him reach, one a slider and one a ripping legbreak.India used Bumrah in the penultimate over, and even though it wasn’t his best over – it included a wide, a succession of byes, and a full-toss flicked for four by Tom Bruce – it still only cost 10 runs, and left New Zealand 19 to get off the last six balls.Kohli went for Hardik Pandya rather than Kuldeep, and the allrounder closed it out, though not without a couple of alarms. De Grandhomme stung Pandya’s left hand with a powerful straight hit, and next ball clubbed a slower one over the square leg boundary to bring the equation down to 14 off three. A wide next ball made it 13 off three, but Pandya pulled himself together and found the lengths to deny de Grandhomme and Santner any more big hits.

The fast bowler called the verdict the “worst” decision, after the Kerala High Court ruled that the BCCI’s ban cannot be overturned or reduced

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Oct-20171:38

Sreesanth’s ban: a timeline

Sreesanth’s attempt to seek court intervention to lift the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI, for his alleged involvement in the 2013 spot-fixing scandal, has failed. A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday ruled that the BCCI ban cannot be overturned or reduced, thereby negating a judgement issued by the same court in August, which had asked the board to lift the ban.In a series of tweets after the judgement was made public, Sreesanth called Tuesday’s verdict “the worst decision ever”, and said he would continue to challenge the ban. Sreesanth and two other Rajasthan Royals bowlers – Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila – were given life bans for their alleged involvement in the 2013 corruption and spot-fixing scandal in the IPL.In August, Justice A Muhamed Mustaque of the Kerala High Court, had accepted Sreesanth’s writ petition, filed in February, and told the told the BCCI it had no “incriminating evidence” and hence the ban should be “quashed”.In his petition, Sreesanth told the court that in 2015, a trial court had dropped the criminal charges filed against him by the Delhi Police and hence the BCCI, too, should lift the ban. Sreesanth was among 42 individuals chargesheeted by the Delhi Police under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).Last month, the BCCI challenged Justice Mustaque’s order, saying the criminal proceedings established by the Delhi Police had no bearing on its own investigation, which had been carried out by Ravi Sawani who was chief of the board’s anti-corruption unit at the time. Sawani had prepared two reports – preliminary and supplementary – having questioned Sreesanth in person and having taken a written undertaking from the player.In its petition, the BCCI also asked whether a writ court could “sit in appeal” and “alter the quantum of penalty imposed” against the findings of the board’s disciplinary committee. A writ is an application filed in the court asking it to enforce some right against an authority or against an order against which there is no statutory remedy.The BCCI said that its decision was in “accordance” with the principles of natural justice and asked the court to decide whether Justice Mustaque’s order was “contrary to law and to principles of justice, equity and good conscience and ought to be set aside?”On Tuesday, in an oral order, a two-judge division bench, comprising Justices Navaniti Prasad Singh and Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan, ruled that a writ court could only scrutinise if the BCCI’s investigation process was fair, but could not challenge the merits of the punishment. The writ court, the division bench pointed out, could not overstep its brief and become an “appellate” power over BCCI; doing so would be “exceeding the limits of judicial review”.The division bench also rejected Sreesanth’s argument that he had been denied natural justice. It said Sreesanth had actually violated the BCCI’s anti-corruption code, having failed to inform the anti-corruption unit about the illegal activities despite receiving education from the ACU. The division bench also agreed with the BCCI that the decision of the Delhi trial court could not be equated to the life ban as desired by Sreesanth.Sreesanth expressed strong resentment towards the court order immediately after the judgement was made public and questioned why he was being singled out when the BCCI had allowed Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals – the two IPL franchises suspended following the 2013 scandal – to return to the fold. “Special rule for me? what about real culprits? What about chennai super kings ? And what about Rajasthan?” he tweeted.

Manchester City's Jack Grealish has spoken out on the burglary at his Cheshire home, which he says was a "traumatic experience" for his family.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Grealish house robbed during Everton gameFamily members present, £1m worth of items stolenCity star 'devastated' by break-inGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Manchester City midfielder was playing in a Premier League game against Everton when his home was being robbed last Wednesday. As per , Grealish's fiancee Sasha Attwood, his parents, grandma, two sisters and brother hid for cover in the mansion after pressing 'panic buttons' as thieves broke in to steal £1m worth of jewellery.

WHAT GREALISH SAID

Grealish took to to explain the impact that the burglary has had on him and his loved ones, saying: "I can’t begin to explain how devastated I am over the burglary that took place at my home a few days ago. My family mean the world to me and nothing is more important than ensuring their safety. This has been a traumatic experience for all of us, I am just so grateful that nobody was hurt. I have had so many amazing experiences and achievements over the last 12 months, but to be honest the best year of my life in football now doesn’t feel like something I can celebrate. The people that commit these terrible crimes have no idea of the damage they cause to peoples lives. I hope they are found and brought to justice so no other family has to go through what we have. I appreciate the messages from everyone and the support from my friends, teammates and the club. On a more positive note, I’d like to thank everyone for their support throughout this past year, I wish you and your family a happy 2024."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Cheshire Police are currently investigating the break-in, with a force spokesperson telling : "At around 9.50pm on Wednesday December 27 police were called to reports of a burglary. The caller reported that a number of items had been stolen. Officers supported by police dogs and National Police Air Service were deployed and searches were conducted in the local area but there was no trace of the suspects. No arrests have been made at this time and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with any information in relation to the incident is asked to contact Cheshire Police."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GREALISH?

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola urged Premier League footballers to "be careful" on social media after seeing one of his players targeted by burglars. "They have security but unfortunately it's happened. It's happened many times," said the Spaniard. "[Manchester] United players as well. I don't know much about London but it's happened [there], and not just in the UK – I know in Catalonia, where my family lives, many things happen. Today you have to be careful. Not much on social media – the less they know what you are doing the better. People are waiting [to see] where you are, what you are doing."

Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet has agreed to re-join Tottenham Hotspur as the north Londoners remain locked in talks with Spain's champions.

Who will Spurs sign?

The former Sevilla star is one of many defensive candidates to shore up Ange Postecoglou's leaky Spurs backline which conceded 63 league goals last season.

Tottenham have already sealed moves for goalkeeper Gugilelmo Vicario, playmaker James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon this summer – not even counting permanent deals to sign Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro from abroad.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has spent a total of around £117 million on incomings so far, but defence is a glaring achilles heel which needs to be addressed with quality signings.

Postecoglou, speaking to the media recently, admitted that is something Tottenham are attempting to do behind-the-scenes.

"That's definitely our intention, absolutely," said Postecoglou when asked about signing new defenders.

"We've been working on it for a while and we'll definitely try to get it done as quickly as possible.

"I don't think it's any secret about some of the areas we needed to strengthen. Some of it I identified early on. The goalkeeper was one and central defence is another.

"In terms of the other boys, we've got a big squad but my view is I wanted to bring them along and just work with them, get some clarity in my head and give clarity to them."

In terms of which names could join Tottenham, there are a fair few being targeted right now.

Indeed, Spurs' transfer list of possible new defenders includes Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven, Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen, Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo, Galatasary's Victor Nelsson, Juventus defender Gleison Bremer and Lenglet – who have all been linked with moves to N17 recently.

Going back to the latter defender, after his 2022/2023 season on loan at Spurs, a return to north London is very much a possibility for the 28-year-old.

According to a report by Spanish news outlet Sport, via Sport Witness, Tottenham and Barcelona "keep talking" over a deal for Lenglet.

The Frenchman has apparently already agreed to re-join the Lilywhites, having reached a compromise on personal terms and a three-year contract.

Barca want €15 million (£12.8m), a figure Spurs are unwilling to pay, meaning the La Liga champions are stalling and waiting for other prospective bidders to come in.

This is described as a "dangerous move" by Sport, and while Marseille are showing a great interest in Lenglet, his ultimate goal is to return to England.

What's been said about Clement Lenglet?

Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris, speaking after his side snapped Lenglet up on a temporary deal last year, claimed the centre-back is a "modern defender" and "high level" player.

"He's a modern defender," said Lloris.

"Comfortable to be able to play from the back. He has a great left foot and can be very strong in one v one and he's strong in the air.

"Even if it's never easy when you arrive in the Premier League and he will have to adapt to the intensity of the games but he is a high level player, with experience."