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Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has green-lit the signing of Atalanta midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi, according to reputable journalist Ryan Taylor. 

The lowdown: Spurs linked

Spurs have been heavily linked with a move for Malinovskyi in recent days as Fabio Paratici attempts to wrap up what has been a significant summer in the transfer window already.

The 29-year-old Ukraine international has also been linked to Nottingham Forest this summer, however, the Lilywhites are believed to be frontrunners and willing to match a £15million valuation.

Now, one well-informed onlooker has had his say on the potential deal and it’s certainly positive news for the north Londoners…

The latest: Conte green lights move

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor – a journalist for the Daily Express – has claimed that Conte is on board with the deal.

“I believe Ruslan Malinovskyi wants to join Tottenham and Conte is open to signing him.

“But Atalanta would like a permanent deal, whereas I don’t think Spurs are entirely set on that at the moment. He is 29 and there’s also been talks with Marseille.”

This hasn’t always been the case with transfers this summer, as Djed Spence was signed without the manager’s consent.

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The verdict: One out, one in

Tottenham’s preference for a loan move is most likely down to a combination of the success of the transfer of Dejan Kulesevski, Malinovskyi’s unproven Premier League status and the likelihood of Bryan Gil also leaving Hotspur Way on a temporary basis before the window shuts.

Hailed for a ‘stunning’ left foot by Serie A commentator Matteo Bonetti in March, the talented Ukrainian’s ability to operate on either wing, in central midfield areas and even as a centre-forward would make him a superb addition to the Spurs ranks.

Boasting 57 direct goal contributions (30 goals and 27 assists) in 130 appearances for Atalanta, Malinovskyi has a definite eye for creating in the final third that would be welcomed by the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

As such, Paratici and Conte will be pushing hard to make a deal for the £25.2million valued man happen, ideally on loan.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action tomorrow with a Premier League home clash against fellow London club, Fulham.

Their previous league outing saw Antonio Conte’s side draw 1-1 against West Ham United at the London Stadium.

The Lilywhites found themselves 1-0 up after 34 minutes in midweek thanks to an own goal from Hammers defender Thilo Kehrer, only for Tomas Soucek to grab an equaliser for his side in the second half.

On the chalkboard

In terms of what Conte’s starting XI could look like for tomorrow’s showdown against the Cottagers, one player that didn’t start on Wednesday that we feel should be in from the beginning on this occasion is Richarlison.

With four league appearances to his name for Spurs, the Brazilian has yet to start a game for his new club, who he joined from Everton in a deal worth £60m during the summer.

Bearing in mind how Heung-min Son has failed to find the back of the net on even one occasion so far this season despite starting all of their league games, Conte could decide to take him out of the team and give Richarlison his chance to shine.

Spurs need him

The 25-year-old has been praised for his attacking presence by former Everton and current Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, who had this to say about him.

He said: “He is very cool-headed, he rarely misses a chance. With a bit more experience and knowledge, he will be able to strengthen his qualities. He is complete. He feels comfortable in the area, outside the area, on the counter-attack.”

Taking into account how Marco Silva’s side currently have more successful pressures (240) and interceptions (103) than any other side in the Premier League, it’s safe to say that Spurs could have another tough test on their hands and could do with as much attacking presence on the pitch as they can.

Also, with eight clubs, including Fulham, having a higher rate for goals per shot on target than Spurs (0.32), this further highlights the need they have for someone as clinical as Richarlison to come in and do a job for them in front of goal.

Moving forward, with tomorrow’s showdown in mind, we feel that it could be the ideal time for Conte to shake his team up a bit and give the former Everton star his first start of the season.

Former Premier League striker now Sky Sports pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has slammed Salomon Rondon after some news he has heard on the Everton striker.

The Lowdown: Turkey talks

It has been reported that Rondon has opened talks with a number of clubs in Turkey ahead of a potential move before the Super Lig’s transfer deadline on Thursday.

Adana Demirspor are one of a number of teams thought to be keen on signing him, and have officially registered their interest in getting a deal over the line.

The Latest: Agbonlahor reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor gave a scathing review of Rondon’s time at Goodison Park, and claimed that the Merseyside club should let him go as they will be fine with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Neal Maupay:

“I would be.

“Calvert-Lewin will come back. Maupay is a good player who will suit Everton.

“Rondon is not good enough. Even when he comes off the bench, he doesn’t move and get around, that’s just one of those things.

“I think Lampard knows that. He’d rather play with a false nine in Gray or Gordon than with Rondon.

“He should go and play some football somewhere else.”

The Verdict: Good riddance

If a deal can be done for Rondon to leave before tonight’s Turkish deadline, then it would certainly be good riddance.

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He has only managed to score three goals and make one assist in 27 games in total for the Toffees (Transfermarkt), and has received heavy criticism for some of his performances so already this season.

At 32 years of age, and earning just over £20,000 per week at the Blues, it is time for Frank Lampard’s side to finally get the Venezuela international off of their books, and proceed with Maupay as sufficient cover for the injured Calvert-Lewin for now.

Glasgow Rangers ended a run of three defeats in succession as they beat Dundee United 2-1 at Ibrox in the Premiership earlier this weekend.

The Gers came into the Scottish top-flight clash off the back of losses against Celtic, Napoli and Ajax in their previous three outings, losing 3-0, 4-0, and 4-0 respectively.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s men may have been low on confidence heading into the match against United and were in desperate need of a win to give everyone a lift heading into the international break.

It did not take long for the Light Blues to brush the disappointment of their recent form aside as Antonio Colak beautifully collected a pass from James Tavernier on the edge of the box before rifling a shot into the bottom corner to make it 1-0 after eight minutes.

The Croatian hero, who turned 29 on the day, doubled the lead in the second half as he raced onto a cross from Borna Barisic to prod the ball into the back of the net at the front post.

United eventually pulled one back but Colak’s double was enough to secure all three points and a much-needed win for the Gers in the Premiership.

The centre-forward has been a revelation at Ibrox since joining in the summer transfer window and it appears as though Ross Wilson has struck gold in the market.

Rangers reportedly paid an initial fee of £1.8m to Greek side PAOK to sign him in the summer and he has already gone a long way to repaying that, if he has not already.

It was previously reported that qualifying for the Champions League group stages would earn the club around £25m and Colak played a huge role in the Light Blues’ successful qualification. He scored three goals in their four qualifiers and that included the winning goal in the play-off tie with PSV to secure their place in the groups, as he tapped the ball in after Malik Tillman teed him up in the box.

Journalist Josh Bunting claimed that he “creates problems” for opposition defences with his strength and that has been shown by his impressive return in front of goal, as he has also caught the eye in the Premiership.

The 29-year-old has racked up six goals and one assist in seven matches in the Scottish top-flight since arriving at Ibrox, which means that he is only five goals behind Alfredo Morelos’ league tally from the entire of last season.

Colak has been directly involved in ten goals (nine strikes and one assist) in 13 matches in all competitions so far and this means that he has cost £200k per goal – given the £1.8m they paid to bring him to Scotland.

This, along with his heroics in the Champions League, shows that Wilson has struck gold by signing him from PAOK and, hopefully, he will celebrate many more goals in the weeks, months, and years to come as Rangers’ starting number nine.

Southampton might ‘have to forget’ about signing PSV Eindhoven star Cody Gakpo in January if he secures a World Cup place, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Three-horse race

Premier League clubs Manchester United and Leeds, alongside the Saints, were all credited with an interest in the winger over the summer after an impressive debut season under Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Sky Sports claimed that the Red Devils were preparing an offer for the 23-year-old, but decided against a move after securing Antony, leaving the south coast outfit to battle it out with the Whites for his signature.

Fabrizio Romano later revealed on deadline day that both sides had seen approaches rejected, with Ralph Hasenhuttl bringing in Samuel Edozie as a last-minute replacement.

The Latest: Southampton’s ultimatum

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones praised Gakpo’s recent form and admitted that Southampton may have to end their pursuit should he make the Netherlands’ World Cup squad in November. He said:

“It genuinely has been unreal. And if he makes himself part of that Netherlands setup for the World Cup, I think Southampton and Leeds will have to forget about it.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Gakpo is believed to be valued at £35m by Eindhoven which you would imagine is out of the Saints’ price range, but if they are able to cash in on a big-name player, this is a deal that they should 100% look at pursuing.

The Dutchman, dubbed an ‘enormous talent’ by Telegraaf journalist Wierd Duk, has already netted ten goals and provided nine assists in 13 appearances across all competitions this season (Transfermarkt).

Gakpo offers plenty of versatility having operated on the left flank as well as in attacking midfield, so it’s no surprise to learn that Hasenhuttl was so keen to land him in the summer.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has provided a ‘really positive’ injury update on Wilfred Ndidi ahead of Monday night’s clash against Nottingham Forest.

The Lowdown: Tweaked hamstring

Labelled an ‘incredible player’ by his manager during his time at the King Power Stadium, the 25-year-old suffered a hamstring injury prior to the international break.

He was forced off during the 6-2 defeat to Tottenham last month and was unable to feature for Nigeria as a result. The midfielder was sent home from international duty, but it looks as if he could recover in time to play some part in the East Midlands derby tomorrow night.

The Latest: Rodgers’ comments on Ndidi

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, as relayed by the club’s official website on Friday, Rodgers said that Ndidi was ‘looking really positive’ and was hopeful that ‘he will be fine’ for the Forest clash.

The Leicester boss also said that Dennis Praet has ‘looked good in training’ after struggling for a few days.

The Verdict: Good news at last

Rodgers seems to be on thin ice at Leicester, with Monday seemingly a must-win after six successive league defeats.

Therefore, having Ndidi fit and available can only be viewed as good news as Leicester look for a first victory of the 2022/23 campaign.

Ndidi may not have had the best starts to the season, but he has been a vital member of the squad in recent years and ranks highly when it comes to interceptions made this term (as per WhoScored), so having him in the squad would be good news.

Given the Foxes’ current predicament, any bit of good news ought to be welcomed warmly.

Leeds United are still eyeing a move for Rangers forward Ryan Kent, according to The Sunday Mirror.

The Lowdown: New deal rejected

The winger, who ‘destroyed Dortmund’ in the Europa League last season according to journalist Josh Bunting, has been on the radar at Elland Road for a number of years.

Rangers first rejected a £10m bid from Leeds in 2020 and rumours of a move continued over the summer, with the winger’s current contract set to expire at the end of the season.

The 25-year-old has reportedly rejected a new ‘big-money’ deal at Ibrox and has set his sights on a move to the Premier League.

The Latest: Leeds still keen on Kent

According to the print edition of The Sunday Mirror (2 October, page 71), as relayed by MOT Leeds News, the Whites remain in the hunt for Kent and will watch over the Englishman on Tuesday in the Champions League when he lines up against his former club Liverpool.

The report also states that Kent has snubbed a new contract at Ibrox and ‘will be a free agent next summer’. Aston Villa – who coincidentally take on Leeds at Elland Road today – are also credited with interest in the 25-year-old in the report.

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The Verdict: Is he needed?

Kent is primarily a left winger who can also play as a second striker or on the right.

Jesse Marsch appears to be well stocked out wide, though, and he recently brought in Wilfried Gnonto, who can also feature from the wing.

Leeds could really do with an out-and-out senior centre-forward to rival Patrick Bamford if they are to bolster their attacking options, especially due to his injury issues over the last 18 months.

However, it looks as if Victor Orta is still keen on finally bringing Kent to Yorkshire, so this could be one to keep an eye on heading into the New Year.

Aston Villa received some positive injury news ahead of Monday night’s Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest.

Steven Gerrard stated on Thursday that Matty Cash and Calum Chambers should be ready to return to action, saying: “Matty Cash is back in full training and he’s available for Nottingham Forest. Calum Chambers has done half of the session today and he’ll continue to pick training up from now until Monday. He’s got a decent chance to be involved.”

In other circumstances, this positive news would ensure that Cash comes straight back into the starting line-up to replace Ashley Young, who has been deputising in his stead.

However, Gerrard should unleash the 37-year-old once more against Forest, as the veteran has been one of Villa’s few bright sparks of late.

Young’s four Premier League appearances this season have yielded an impressive 7.3 average rating from SofaScore, with the player rolling back the years to show that he still has the ability to succeed.

The £49k-per-week star has had 48 touches per match, proving that he still wants to get on the ball as much as possible.

The Englishman has created one big chance, made 1.5 key passes per match and been successful with 100% of his dribble attempts. His versatility has been vital for Gerrard, and Young has also managed to contribute to good effect defensively.

Villa have kept two clean sheets in the four league matches in which the 37-year-old has featured, while he has averaged two tackles and 1.5 clearances per match.

Villa fansite and podcast 7500 to Holte praised Young’s performance against Southampton in September, dubbing him “superb” that night, and he hasn’t let Gerrard down since coming into the team.

It would be very harsh on the former Manchester United player if he drops to the bench for the Forest game, and it sounds like Gerrard has a big dilemma as to his starting left-back tomorrow night,

Saudi Arabian consortium PIF completed their takeover of Newcastle United in October of last year and have spent the last 12 months reshaping the club, on and off the pitch.

They have committed funds to improve the structure behind the scenes, by appointing sporting director Dan Ashworth and manager Eddie Howe, and have not been afraid to dip into the transfer market to bolster the squad.

In their first window in charge, back in January, PIF brought in Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Chris Wood on permanent deals.

They then allowed Ashworth to splash the cash in the summer by signing Sven Botman, Matt Targett, Alexander Isak and Nick Pope permanently.

The eight new additions, nine if you include the short-term signing of Loris Karius, have allowed the Magpies to slowly move on some of their previously underperforming players.

Ciaran Clark, Jeff Hendrick, Matt Ritchie, and Jamaal Lascelles have all either been moved on or fallen down the pecking order since the start of the year.

However, the club are yet to improve their options out wide and this has left them with Jacob Murphy playing regularly in the Premier League this term.

The winger has played ten matches in the division, starting three times, and has averaged an underwhelming SofaScore rating of 6.64, with one goal and zero assists to his name.

This comes after he managed one goal and two assists in 33 appearances in the top-flight for Newcastle last season, which suggested – at the time – that he was not good enough to feature regularly at this level due to the lack of contributions in the final third.

Howe could, however, unearth an upgrade on the former Norwich man without needing Ashworth to make a big-money signing in January. He could look to the academy and attempt to bring through one of the talented young players in the youth squad.

One player who could fall into that category is recent U21 signing Amadou Diallo, who the Magpies have signed on a free transfer after he left West Ham United at the end of last season.

Academy director Steve Harper explained why the club have brought him in, saying: “He has performed well over his extended trial period and his signing gives us increased options in wide areas in the under-21 group.”

Journalist Jacob Steinberg claimed that he was “highly rated” at West Ham and revealed that Chelsea were looking at him as a potential signing for their academy.

The 19-year-old wizard scored three goals in seven games for England at U17 level and found the back of the net five times, whilst assisting two, in 25 Premier League 2 outings for the Hammers.

FourFourTwo previously hailed the youngster in 2019, Tweeting: “The two-footed Diallo is a keen dribbler with a dangerous shot, and is one to watch very closely indeed.”

This suggests that the winger is direct and willing to get a shot off, which is backed up by his statistics for club and country, and he could be an upgrade on Murphy in the future by offering more of a goal threat from out wide.

It is now down to him to impress enough in the U21s to tempt Howe into calling him up to the first-team to give him the chance to prove himself at senior level.

Aston Villa have announced that their new manager is Unai Emery, marking a huge statement of intent from the board to lure someone with such pedigree to Villa Park.

Having given up his Villarreal side which nearly reached the Champions League final last season, he will have a huge task on his hands to reignite this sleeping giant of a football club.

That is all the more so given the damage that Steven Gerrard had seemingly done at the club, as they sit 15th in the Premier League and were in the relegation zone before Aaron Danks led them to their 4-0 win over Brentford on Sunday.

One thing that the inbound Spaniard likes to employ with his clubs is a rigid defensive structure, but he is not afraid to be brave when the situation suits him. He boasts a great tactical mind which has led him to numerous Europa League titles.

Although Villa’s league position is not ideal, he could walk into a squad inundated with untapped talent just ready to be rocketed up the table.

One man around whom the Spaniard could build the spine of his team is summer signing Leander Dendoncker, who was brought into the team against the Bees to great effect.

His defensive solidity in the middle of the pitch allowed the front four the freedom to fire in four unanswered goals, whilst the Belgian earned a SofaScore rating of 7.5.

It is no surprise that his former Wolves coach Nuno Espirito Santo labelled the £90k-per-week ace a “top player” who was very “talented”.

In just 63 minutes on the pitch, he won 80% of his duels, making three tackles, two interceptions and three clearances to cap off a fine defensive display.

Whilst at Arsenal, Emery struggled to find a player of such ilk around whom to build his team, as neither Lucas Torreira nor Matteu Guendouzi could fulfil the role.

With Dendoncker, the Spaniard’s 4-2-3-1 system could be executed to perfection with him as one of the two holding midfielders.

Emery will not provide an instant fix, but with the Belgium midfielder he has already been handed the foundations upon which to build a defensively strong team, and he must continue to unleash the 27-year-old in their upcoming games.