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Graham Roberts would rather see Tottenham Hotspur beef up their defence by signing Milan Skriniar than paying £50million for Ben White, a reported target.

Spurs are looking for defensive reinforcements after an underwhelming campaign which saw them finish seventh in the Premier League standings and make do with sealing a place in the Europa Conference League instead of meeting their pre-season target of returning to the UEFA Champions League.

Nuno Espirito Santo was appointed as Jose Mourinho’s eventual successor last week, having seen Ryan Mason take interim charge following the Portuguese’s sacking in April, and one of his priorities is improving Spurs’ defensive record.

White, who notched 39 appearances for Brighton & Hove Albion last season, is in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2020 and made his international debut in the pre-tournament friendly win over Austria last month.

Spurs’ north London rivals Arsenal have also been heavily linked with the 23-year-old, with the Gunners seeing two bids knocked back by Brighton, who could cost £50m.

But Spurs legend Roberts feels Slovakia international defender Skriniar, who starred as Inter won the Serie A title last term, should be at the forefront of Nuno’s mind instead of White.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Roberts said: “Why would you pay £50million for a youngster who has had one season in the Premier League when you can go and get Skriniar for £45million?

“Skriniar has played in the top league in Italy and Europe. He’s in the Slovakia team as well. I don’t get going for White over Skriniar.”

Fabrizio Romano has delivered an encouraging update on Harry Kane’s situation at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

The renowned Italian transfer expert dropped a fresh behind-the-scenes claim about the 28-year-old on a recent episode of his ‘Here We Go’ podcast this week.

“I want to say that Harry Kane, now with Antonio Conte, is super happy, he’s super happy,” he revealed.

“A lot of rumours, but I don’t see him leaving in January – let’s see what happens in the summer. But the relationship with Conte is very good, they feel each other as important for the future of the project.

“So Harry Kane knows that if Tottenham will be back for Champions League football, Antonio Conte is the man to do it. And Harry Kane knows that now with this manager, this is the plan for Tottenham: to win and to be back in Champions League football.

“And Antonio Conte loves Harry Kane, as he always says in public and he told him in private many times, ‘you will be my striker’. So this is the message from Conte and he wants Kane to stay for the future.”

His form must return

The England international was at the centre of one of the summer transfer window’s biggest sagas as a move to Premier League champions Manchester City looked to be on the cards following Euro 2020.

However, the switch failed to materialise and Kane has just not looked the same since.

He has found the net just twice in the Premier League this season, with six of his nine goals across other competitions coming against lowly opposition in the Europa Conference League.

Perhaps surprisingly, Kane has been linked with an exit once again heading into next month as reports in Spain suggest that Real Madrid are keen, whilst Pep Guardiola retains interest from the summer.

But that has been refuted by Romano in his claims above and that should delight the Spurs boss heading into a crucial second half of the season.

The Italian head coach must get his leading striker firing on all cylinders once again and it is hugely encouraging to learn that the Englishman is actually “super happy” at the club, so surely the form will follow if his mind is in the right place now.

Spurs have a genuine shot at making the top four this season as the north London outfit occupy seventh place, just five points adrift of the benchmark with three games in hand.

Elsewhere, Conte’s side have advanced into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, so there’s once again a real chance at ending their barren run without silverware.

The 52-year-old needs Kane, so this latest behind-the-scenes development should leave him, and the Lilywhites faithful, absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Forget Bergwijn: £36m-rated Spurs “monster” with 76 touches ran the show vs West Ham…

Sky Sports man Rob Dorsett has now revealed the latest on the future of Frank Lampard at Everton.

The Lowdown: Under pressure

After the 3-2 loss away at Burnley in the Premier League on Wednesday night, Lampard is now a man seriously under pressure at Goodison Park.

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That was his perilously above the relegation zone.

Nonetheless, the board now have a big decision to make over whether to stick with Lampard or bring in someone new to get them out of trouble.

The Latest: Lampard update

Taking to Twitter, Dorsett has now dropped an update on Lampard’s future in Merseyside, revealing that the board are not looking to change manager at this moment in time:

“Real concern in Efc board, I’m told, but feeling is changing manager won’t solve problems right now.

“That’s not to say Lampard safe for rest of season.

“Relegation could be massive for Everton, with few players in squad on contracts that auto-reduce if in Championship.”

The Verdict: Keep the faith

The Toffees simply need to keep the faith with Lampard for now as they cannot afford to chop and change again and have so much uncertainty around going into the last few matches of the season.

While Lampard has lost eight times, and they sit just above the drop zone, they have not sunk into the bottom three yet, and so staying up is still in their hands.

However, the former Chelsea and Derby County boss will need a reaction at home to Manchester United at Saturday lunchtime, or things could really start to get ugly.

In other news, find out what ‘massive’ Blues claim this injury expert has now dropped here!

Since Jurgen Klopp took over as manager of Liverpool back in October 2015, the German has delivered the club their first Premier League title and their sixth Champions League trophy, firmly cementing his place as a club legend.

In his time at Anfield, he has used a significant number of players in his team, but none more so than Roberto Firmino, who has made more appearances under Klopp at Liverpool (296) than any other player.

Since joining the Merseyside club from Hoffenheim back in the 2015 summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £29m, just a few months before Klopp set foot in Liverpool, the Brazilian has made a total of 303 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring 93 goals and providing 70 assists along the way.

Despite making 11 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions so far this term, a recent report from The Athletic has claimed that Firmino has now gone past his peak age.

With this in mind, and with that the 30-year-old’s current contract set to expire in the summer of 2023, there’s every possibility that the club will be looking at potential long-term replacements for him in the near future.

Taking this into account, the Merseyside club may not have to look too far when it comes to an ideal long-term replacement for Firmino.

Teenage centre-forward Oakley Cannonier rose to fame when he made a quick throw to set up the famous corner which was quickly taken by Trent Alexander-Arnold to assist Divock Origi in their 4-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League back in 2019 when he was a ball boy, which led to him being called “intelligent” by Jose Mourinho.

During his time in the club’s youth ranks, the 17-year-old has impressively scored 16 goals in as many appearances for Liverpool’s under-18 side, with 12 of those goals coming in eight league appearances this season.

Not only does this show what a goalscoring hotshot he has been for the under-18s, it also suggests that he could well go on to become Liverpool’s long-term centre-forward by the time Firmino leaves. That would be very exciting for fans at the club to see another young hero work his way through the youth ranks to become a regular goalscoring figure for the first team.

Also, with Firmino having been questioned in the past over his goalscoring consistency, it doesn’t seem as though Cannonier would have this issue if he continues to rack up as many goals as he has been doing in recent times.

In other news – Time to shine: Klopp must unleash “quality” LFC gem after James Pearce drops big blow

Leeds United target Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is closing in on a move to Napoli, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Leeds interest in Kvaratskhelia

The Whites were linked with a move for the 21-year-old ahead of the January transfer window. An offer in the region of £18m would have been enough for the winger at the time, but as we know, Victor Orta didn’t add to Leeds’ senior ranks during the winter market.

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Leeds were once again name-checked with an interest in Kvaratskhelia last month, but it looks as if he won’t be making the move to Yorkshire ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first season in charge.

The Latest: Napoli move

Romano took to Twitter in the early hours of Tuesday morning to reveal that Napoli are closing in on a move for Kvaratskhelia.

The Georgia international, who was also wanted by Tottenham, is now ready to accept the proposal from the Serie A title challengers.

The Verdict: Raphinha replacement needed?

Kvaratskhelia may have been viewed as a replacement for Raphinha, who has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona. The Brazilian is thought to be in advanced talks over a move to the Nou Camp, but it doesn’t look as if the Georgian will be arriving as a possible replacement.

Orta may now look elsewhere, with Leeds checking in on Nottingham Forest gem Brennan Johnson, who is a similar age to Kvaratskhelia and has netted 14 Championship goals this season.

Attacking reinforcements appear to be needed at Elland Road over the coming months, both out wide and at centre-forward following Patrick Bamford’s injury struggles, so it could be a busy summer around Elland Road.

In other news: Phil Hay has his say on ‘horrible’ Leeds ace who Marsch and Orta now want to offload

Tottenham reporter Charlie Eccleshare believes Spurs will try and sign an alternative attacking player in January, with a move for Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic more likely next summer.

The Lowdown: Vlahovic links

Tottenham were after Vlahovic in the summer, however, as we know, a move never materialised.

Fiorentina owner Rocco Commisso revealed earlier this week that the 21-year-old won’t be penning new terms with the Serie A side, with his current contract up in 2023.

It appears as if Vlahovic is still on Tottenham’s radar, however, it seems as if another attacking addition will be heading to north London in the New Year.

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The Latest: Eccleshare’s claim

Eccleshare, Tottenham’s correspondent for The Athletic, answered various questions in a mailbag on Friday.

One of the questions he responded to was about Spurs’ plans for the January window.

He admitted that a move for Vlahovic is more likely next summer, however, he did reveal that director of football Fabio Paratici will be after an attacking acquisition in the winter window. Eccleshare name-checked Wolves winger Adama Traore as a player who could fit the bill over the coming months.

The Verdict: Exciting times

Spurs’ only attacking addition over the summer was Bryan Gil from Sevilla, with the club losing the services of loanees Gareth Bale and Carlos Vinicius prior to the 2021/22 campaign.

Erik Lamela went to Sevilla in a deal that brought Gil to London, so it seems as if Nuno Espirito Santo is in need of bolstering his ranks.

It appears as if Spurs will do all they can to do just that, with a move for Vlahovic potentially happening next summer.

In other news: ‘Perfect’ – Spurs pundit raves as Paratici eyes ‘top signing’ for Nuno, find out more here.

Crystal Palace attacker Eberechi Eze was in contention to be called up to Gareth Southgate’s standby list for the European Championship over the summer, according to Michael Bridge.

The Lowdown: Impressive debut season

Eze caught the eye of many Premier League clubs after scoring 14 goals and setting up another eight for QPR in the 2019/20 season and Palace won the fight to sign him as they paid just under £20m for him last summer.

The 23-year-old was involved in 10 goals in 34 appearances in his debut Premier League season, but it was curtained in the worst possible manner as he injured his Achilles in training with only two games remaining at the end of the campaign.

He hasn’t featured yet this season under Patrick Vieira, but he will be hoping to continue his impressive start to life in the Premier League when he fully recovers from that setback.

The Latest: England call-up was in the pipeline

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Bridge has made an astonishing claim about Eze and Southgate’s squad prior to Euro 2020 this summer, saying that the £18m-rated maestro was on the fringes of getting the call-up for the Three Lions for the tournament.

The Sky Sports journalist said: “Eze, I was told was potentially going to be on the England standby list for the Euros, the way he was playing.”

The Verdict: Still on the cards

Eze’s performances last season were often the shining light in a dreary campaign for Palace. His transition from the Championship to the Premier League seemed to be easy and his four goals and six assists were influential in Roy Hodgson keeping them up in his final year in charge.

With Wilfried Zaha and now Michael Olise in Vieira’s squad, Palace seem to be on the up with their attacking, high-pressing football and it could suit Eze perfectly. If he can come back and rediscover the goal contribution returns he produced prior to his injury, then a call-up to Southgate’s squad won’t be too far away.

With the 2022 World Cup still more than a year away, Eze has time to recover, get back into the Eagles’ XI and do all he can to be potentially called up to represent his nation on the biggest stage. It would be just reward after so cruelly being deprived of partaking in England’s Euro 2020 adventure.

In other news, a rumour linking this Premier League midfielder to Palace has one pundit puzzled. Find out more here.

Dean Windass has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that some Tottenham fans could show their anger and boo Harry Kane against Manchester City on Sunday.

Kane delayed his return to the UK and skipped training last Monday as he tries to force a move to the Premier League champions following a summer of speculation linking him with Pep Guardiola’s men.

However, the striker has since taken to Instagram to deny those claims and said that he would never miss training and would be returning to Hotspur Way for pre-season.

With a lack of pre-season training under his belt, it looked extremely unlikely that Kane would be involved against City on opening-day this weekend.

But when speaking to Sky Sports earlier this week, Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed that his entire squad will be available for selection and specifically stated that Kane is one of those.

However, having failed to play a single minute in pre-season, a place on the bench would appear most likely for the England skipper.

When asked if he could get booed by his own supporters, Windass told The Transfer Tavern:

“Well, yeah course. Football fans are very fickle, and it changes very quickly. You don’t become a bad player overnight, but supporters will show their anger… if Harry starts against Manchester City, could you imagine that?”

New Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst made a ‘catastrophic error of judgement’ in choosing to watch their Scottish League Cup semifinal defeat from the stands. 

That’s according to The Daily Record’s Keith Jackson, writing in his Monday column.

The lowdown

The Van Bronckhorst era got off to a pretty disastrous start on Sunday as his new club fell to defeat against Hibernian at Hampden Park. The Gers found themselves three goals down inside the first 40 minutes, and Scott Arfield’s goal failed to ignite a comeback.

Van Bronckhorst, whose appointment had been confirmed on Thursday, was sat alongside sporting director Ross Wilson in the rafters rather than in the dugout. That’s despite the fact his work permit had reportedly gone through, which means that he could have taken full charge at the weekend.

The latest

Jackson was scathing in his criticism of the new Rangers boss after, in his eyes, he refused to carry out his ‘responsibilities’.

The journalist wrote: “This was not just a catastrophic error of judgement for Van Bronckhorst who made himself look weak by choosing to watch on from the main stand, it was a shirking of responsibilities on an industrial scale.”

The verdict

Only time will tell whether this was a significant misstep. It may have cost Rangers a place in the Scottish League Cup final, yes, but what kind of response can Van Bronckhorst muster?

With the Gers sitting third in their Europa League group on four points, Thursday’s Ibrox clash with Sparta Prague looks like a must-win if they are to progress to the knockout stage. If they do get those three important points, then you might feel that the cloud hanging over the club – amid growing fears that last season’s success may have been a one-off – will at least partially be lifted.

Put it this way, Van Bronckhorst’s seating arrangements last Sunday will be long forgiven and forgotten if the Gers retain their Premiership title.

In other news, many Rangers fans were excited by this development.

Leeds United youngster Bobby Kamwa featured on trial at Sky Bet League One side Rotherham United in a pre-season victory over Harrogate Town, as reported by Rotherham Advertiser journalist Paul Davis.

The Lowdown: Bielsa’s Leeds United get set for 2021/22

Leading towards the new campaign, Marcelo Bielsa and the Whites hierarchy will already have the wheels in motion with regards to their aims for this season.

Whilst bringing in players like Junior Firpo will play a part in prolonging success at the club, trimming the squad will also be of paramount importance in order to fund the pursuit of new recruits, whether that be the first-team or the academy.

One man who may be on the way out of Elland Road is youngster Kamwa following recent developments.

The Latest: Kamwa features on trial for Rotherham

According to Davis on Twitter, the centre-forward played a part in the Millers’ 3-1 win over EFL League Two opponents Harrogate last night.

It is said Kamwa has two days to prove himself to the Rotherham United coaching staff.

The talented Thorp Arch product signed a new two-year contract at Leeds United last year, meaning he could depart Elland Road for free in 12 months-time [Leeds United FC Official].

The Verdict: Right time for club and player to part ways

Considering the unlikely reality of the prospect obtaining minutes for Bielsa’s first-team any time soon, moving to the English third-tier may present an excellent opportunity for Kamwa to gain regular senior experience.

In 2020/21, the Cameroonian featured 11 times for the Leeds United Under-23 side, notching two goals [Transfermarkt].

Only time will tell with regards to whether Rotherham offer him a role at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, though it may be the right time for player and club to part ways in a critical point in Kamwa’s footballing development.

In other news, Leeds United have been linked with a Bundesliga ace.