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Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham has insisted that Richarlison will get plenty of game-time next season thanks to the Premier League reintroducing the five-substitute rule.

The Lowdown: Five subs reintroduced

Spurs announced the signing of the Brazilian from Everton at the start of the month after he put pen to paper on a five-year deal in north London, becoming the club’s marquee signing of the summer so far.

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that all teams in the English top flight would be allowed to make five substitutions per game as of next season, a rule which officials have decided to reintroduce since reverting back to three following the effects of the pandemic during the summer of 2020.

The Latest: Wenham’s Richarlison prediction

Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham admitted that he is confident of Richarlison getting plenty of minutes under his belt at Tottenham as a result of the new rule, regardless of the strength of the forwards already at the club.

He said: “I think the important thing is next season we will have five subs allowed in every game.

“You take the goalkeeper out and you are looking at changing half of your team, it’s a massive change. I think the idea of a set starting XI is going to go out of the window.

“You will now see a reliable 17 or 18 who are coming on in every single game at every club. I expect Richarlison will get plenty of game time.

“He will be coming in from a position of strength. Usually, when we sign someone like this we are replacing another player.

“What we have done is strengthen our strongest position. He got 10 league goals last year and has over 150 Premier League appearances.

“I’m delighted with the signing and it doesn’t matter if he isn’t better than Kane, Son or Kulusevski.”

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The Verdict: Promising future ahead

Since Richarlison’s arrival at Tottenham, it has been confirmed that he will be wearing the number nine shirt for Spurs next season.

Whilst he might not be guaranteed to start every game, it gives a strong indicator that he will play a huge part in Antonio Conte’s plans moving forward.

The 25-year-old was the standout performer in a struggling Toffees side last season as their top scorer and highest-rated player as per WhoScored. He racked up 16 goal contributions across all competitions, showing the positive impact he can have on a starting XI.

The Brazil international should be able to link up well with his attacking team-mates Harry Kane and Son Heung-min and make a real impression in the final third under Conte. As Wenham says, the reintroduction of five substitutions in the Premier League could be of huge benefit to Richarlison, and possibly to Spurs.

West Bromwich Albion announced their third new signing of the summer transfer window on Monday as they confirmed their three-year deal for Okay Yokuslu.

Having spent the second half of the 2020/21 Premier League season on loan with the Baggies, the Midlands club snapped up the midfielder once again, this time on a permanent basis.

Bearing in mind how impressive the Turkey international was during his previous stint with the club – racking up more interceptions (42) than any other Baggies player in the squad at the time, along with winning 33 tackles in just 16 league appearances – it’s safe to say that bringing him back to the club as a free agent is a great bit of business.

Looking ahead to the remaining weeks of the transfer window, another player who has been linked with a move to West Brom and who could be seen in a similar light to Yokuslu as someone who has also spent time on loan with the Baggies previously is Dwight Gayle.

Four years ago, the Midlands club signed the attacker on a loan deal from his current club Newcastle United.

During his time at The Hawthorns, Gayle racked up 24 goals and eight assists in 41 appearances. He also received heavy praise from Kyle Bartley, who hailed the Toon attacker as an “immense” player.

With 286 senior club appearances to his name, the centre-forward has scored 103 goals and supplied 30 assists along the way, highlighting his clear attacking credentials.

This shows just how much of an asset he could be for Bruce’s side in terms of being a regular goalscoring threat in the team.

Taking into account how West Brom ended their previous Championship campaign with the lowest percentage for shots on target (29.1%) in the division, having an experienced and clinical figure like Gayle in the team could be just what they need to get them closer to promotion.

Also, with the 32-year-old only making eight Premier League appearances last season totalling half an hour, a potential move back to The Hawthorns, where he’d likely be able to get more minutes under his belt, could be a tempting proposition for him.

If Newcastle would be willing to let Gayle leave this summer, Bruce and West Brom should do all that they can to get him to follow in the footsteps of Yokuslu and make a return to The Hawthorns.

AND in other news: Bruce can finally axe “lazy” West Brom dud by signing “outstanding” £2.4k-p/w wizard

Tottenham Hotspur’s next priority in the transfer window has been revealed after they secured their sixth signing of the summer in Djed Spence…

What’s the word?

The north Londoners finally announced the arrival of the England U21 international on a five-year deal from Championship outfit Middlesbrough on Tuesday morning. He joins the likes of Richarlison, Yves Bissouma and Ivan Perisic as Antonio Conte’s new arrivals.

Now, it’s thought that their attention will turn to offloading their fringe players, just a few weeks before the start of the new Premier League season. And it could begin with Japhet Tanganga securing a loan move to Serie A champions AC Milan.

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“It looks like [Japhet] Tanganga is getting closer to an exit, but I think this needs to become Tottenham’s priority now and I think it will,” claimed transfer insider Dean Jones to GIVEMESPORT.

“The most pressing matters were to get players in through the door, so they knew what their squad was going to be, and now their next focus will be on getting these fringe players out of the door.”

Deadwood exodus

The Lilywhites have now returned from their pre-season trip to South Korea but there was already a telling sign as Conte left several stars at home in a bid to resolve their futures.

These included club-record flops Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso, the long-serving academy graduate Harry Winks and former Real Madrid dynamo Sergio Reguilon, among others.

The Athletic believe that Spurs have been in talks with other clubs over the unwanted quartet and the Italian head coach is only keen to work with players that feature in his plans, so it seems as if there is no chance that any of the four have a future at Hotspur Way.

Even Bryan Gil and Pape Matar Sarr made the squad.

Many supporters around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be glad to see the back of several of these names, particularly that of Ndombele and Lo Celso as neither stepped up to the mark despite costing in the region of £55m.

The Argentine was touted as a replacement for Christian Eriksen but in the three years he’s been at the club, he has delivered only eight goals and six assists from 84 appearances. Likewise with the Frenchman, who has provided 19 goal contributions across 91 matches.

Therefore, fans should be buzzing by this latest update from Jones as it’s clear that sporting director Fabio Paratici will now try to move on the deadwood, something that will only benefit the club going forward.

Spurs’ nightmare over these two £55m duds is one step closer to being over, at long last.

AND in other news, “I spoke to a contact..”: Transfer insider drops Spurs claim, Conte will be fuming…

Manchester United remain interested in Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans this summer, and the Belgium international could be a great alternative to Frenkie de Jong in Erik ten Hag’s side at Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

While the Red Devils are still pushing hard to sign De Jong from Barcelona, the signs are not good as he is reportedly not interested in a move to Old Trafford this summer.

Therefore, the club should perhaps move on to another target; and they could find the ideal man in Tielemans, who could leave the Foxes ahead of the new season as he enters the final year of his contract with Brendan Rodgers’ side.

In a recent interview with GiveMeSport, Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the former Monaco man was still a potential target for United alongside Wolves’ Ruben Neves, saying: “This has been discussed because it’s been offered to Manchester United, but it’s not something close or imminent and also for other players in that position.

“I think the real point with Manchester United, as of now in July, is to try and try again for Frenkie.”

Glazers must act

While United’s focus is clearly on De Jong, Tielemans represents a quality young option with plenty of Premier League experience.

The 25-year-old is reportedly available for just £25m, so he would also be a far cheaper option than his Dutch alternative. Since joining Leicester, Tielemans has gone on to make 158 appearances, contributing 24 goals and 24 assists in all competitions.

Last season saw the Belgian midfielder score six goals and provide four assists in 32 top-flight appearances, averaging a strong 6.90 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Ten Hag is clearly looking for a midfielder who is comfortable with the ball, and Tielemans’ 83.5% pass accuracy last season was on par with Paul Pogba and far better than Bruno Fernandes, so he could easily fit in at Old Trafford.

Emile Heskey was full of praise for Tielemans last year, saying: “Tielemans is a fantastic player. Tielemans is the kind of player that would suit any midfield and any team.

“He excites you because he does the simple things very, very well – the simple passes from here to there and you look at them and think ‘that was crisp, that was nice’, that slide pass that sometimes gets cut out doesn’t with Tielemans because he is so crisp with his passing. He would fit into any team.”

Tielemans is clearly a quality player and the Glazers would do well to bring him in this summer if De Jong proves to be an impossible deal for the Red Devils to execute.

AND in other news: Ten Hag can finally axe £110k-p/w “waste of time”, Man Utd supporters will be buzzing

There has been numerous reports linking Roberto Firmino with a move away from Liverpool this summer, and now a reliable source has put the rumours to rest with an update on the player’s future.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed an update on Firmino’s future with the Liverpool star also speaking out on his desire to stay at Anfield.

Romano tweeted:

“Roberto Firmino confirms he has no intention to leave: ‘I love this team, city and fans. I’m here at Liverpool and I want to stay’, tells TNT Brazil.

“Juventus have never opened talks to sign Firmino, not even discussed by agents or clubs despite rumours.”

Supporters will be delighted

There is no doubt that supporters will be delighted that Firmino has confirmed he will remain loyal to Liverpool as he has become a favourite since joining seven years ago.

The Brazilian forward has tallied up 328 appearances, scoring 98 goals and delivering 74 assists during his time with the Reds, and has won it all under the management of Jurgen Klopp with a Premier League title, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, Super Cup and as of last weekend, a Community Shield under his belt.

The Liverpool manager is a huge admirer of the player’s contributions and impact in the team, claiming people will “write books” about Firmino:

“Mo gets a lot of attention and rightly so.

“But Bobby, for people with football knowledge, I’m pretty sure when he finishes playing people will write books about the way he interpreted the false-nine position.”

Klopp has already lost Taki Minamino, Divock Origi and Sadio Mane in his attacking threat this summer, with the three forwards scoring a combined 39 goals over last season, so to lose Firmino as well would’ve been catastrophic despite the record-breaking signing of Darwin Nunez.

Firmino’s inclusion in the Liverpool squad this season will be interesting to watch, as the 30-year-old gives another option and style of play for Klopp to deploy in his attacking arsenal when the side need to be more defensive.

With that being said, the supporters and Klopp will be very pleased that the Brazil international will be staying put and with just 12 months left on his contract, there could be a contract extension on the cards if he continues to thrive on Merseyside.

AND in other news: FSG plotting Liverpool bid to sign “daring” £42m phenomenon, imagine him & Nunez

Tottenham Hotspur defender Sergio Reguilon’s stance on leaving north London this summer is crystal clear after Sevilla’s ‘last-ditch bid’, according to a report.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing sales…

The Lilywhites and sporting director Fabio Paratici have been attempting to balance the books after their busy summer of Premier League incomings thus far, with the arrivals of Richarlison, Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Clement Lenglet and Djed Spence.

Indeed, many players could now reportedly depart the club with Matt Doherty, Emerson Royal, Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Harry Winks and Reguilon linked with a move away.

The latter man has been at the centre of interest from Spain lately as Mundo Deportivo share the latest on his future.

The Latest: Reguilon eyes exit…

According to their information, relayed by Sport Witness, the left-back is eyeing a move away from north London.

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Mundo claim that Reguilon, after Sevilla’s ‘last-ditch bid’ for the Tottenham defender, is ‘putting pressure’ on his club to accept their offer and ‘deeply desires’ a move away to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.

Amid Sevilla’s one last effort to sign the 25-year-old, it seems as if Reguilon is really pushing to leave.

The Verdict: Shake hands?

Whether or not the La Liga side end up agreeing a move for the Spurs ace, if an opportunity comes to offload Reguilon, Conte and Paratici should arguably take it.

The Spaniard has enjoyed some bright moments at N17, as explained by pundit Noel Whelan, who raved over the former Real Madrid starlet following his ‘standout’ performance against Leeds in November.

Whelan explained how Reguilon can show what a ‘quality’ player he is when given the chance but, with the presence of Ryan Sessegnon and Ivan Perisic to fill in at left-wing-back, it simply doesn’t look like he’ll get many opportunities.

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has delivered an update on Antonio Conte’s pursuit of Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta.

The Lowdown: North London showdown

Football.London reported back in June that Fabio Paratici holds a strong interest in the 24-year-old, but that the Lilywhites were set to face competition for his services from fellow Premier League rivals Arsenal.

French outlet L’Equipe (via Football.London) even claimed that the north London outfit had an official bid for the maestro turned down during the January window, but state that the player would favour a move to Spurs over the Gunners in the future.

The Latest: Gold’s Paqueta update

Asked for an update on Tottenham’s interest in Paqueta during a fan Q&A for Football.London, Gold said:

“Spurs have been tracking Lyon’s Brazil international Lucas Paqueta for a while.

“There’s plenty of interest in Paqueta with Newcastle and Arsenal among those linked to him and again as I said below Spurs want to get players out of the door first before they can move for anyone on a big deal.

“The Brazilian’s price tag, with three years left on his contract, has gone all over the place this summer with talk of a £68m one to a lower £33m one in recent days but Lyon owner Jean-Michel Aulas is not a man to let anyone go on the cheap.

“I just wonder whether if Paqueta were to leave the Ligue 1 side this summer then he would want to go somewhere he can start every week rather than a club like Spurs where the competition now for those attacking spots is intense.

“Conte has raised the standards in N17 and even the bench this week against Chelsea is going to be jam-packed with stars and many who can’t even get into the match-day squad.”

The Verdict: Financial concerns

There’s no doubt that Paqueta’s versatility to play centrally, on either flank or up top would fit the profile of player that Conte is looking to sign, also marking him out as the perfect alternative to Nicolò Zaniolo.

However, the boss has recently admitted that he isn’t likely to splash the cash on anyone suddenly.

The fact that Lyon keep changing their mind over how much they value their man at suggests that any team attempting to buy the 33-cap international could be taken to the cleaners and end up paying a lot more than required.

As ‘top class’ as Paqueta is, in the words of sports journalist Josh Bunting, an expensive move for a player who wouldn’t be a guaranteed starter in the Italian’s match-day squad every week isn’t one that they should be pursuing at this moment in time.

Former Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has delivered his verdict on the situation surrounding Tyrone Mings. 

The lowdown: Captaincy stripped

Mings was removed as club captain ahead of the Villans opening Premier League encounter with Bournemouth and was replaced by John McGinn.

However, the 29-year-old – who has represented the club on 128 occasions – was also dropped from the starting XI by Steven Gerrard, raising further questions over the long-term future of the central defender.

Sky Sports even spotted during the live text coverage of the game that the former skipper looked ‘miffed’ on the bench.

Upon hearing the fallout, one well-invested pundit has had his say on the situation and Mings’ future at Villa Park…

The latest: ‘Something has happened’

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish – who of course has Villa connections and now contributes for Sky Sports – suggested that it is now over to Gerrard to resolve the matter.

He said: “It seems like something has happened between them. Either Steven doesn’t fancy him or he thinks he should be doing better, that’s entirely the manager’s prerogative.

“I thought the change of captaincy was something that would help the team and free up Mings in terms of his defensive duties. He was possibly feeling the pressure a bit, that’s how I saw it. It seems that it is something more than that.

“It is within a manager’s right to do what he does for the team but when you are losing, it is going to affect everything. That’s what Stevie has to sort out. If they don’t start winning then all of these things will be thrown at him.

“I’ve had it myself. That’s the way the game is. If you don’t get the results and you have made some changes, sometimes these things happen. We don’t know what goes on inside those walls.”

The verdict: Get it sorted

Although there can be little doubting that Mings’ form took a decline last term, the 17-cap England man remains an experienced operator at the top level and one that could feasibly recapture his best once again.

Last season, the man once hailed as an ‘outstanding leader’ by Gareth Southgate earned an impressive 6.91 Sofascore rating whilst winning 3,9 duels, making 4.2 clearances and 1.3 interceptions on average per game, and at the very least his leadership qualities should improve some shambolic team defending.

Although the signings of Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos as well as the improvement in Ezri Konsa could see Mings remain down the pecking order, Gerrard must resolve the situation surrounding the £27million valued ace, who has been influential for so long at Villa.

Nottingham Forest have been linked with Neal Maupay this summer as they continue to add strength to their new-look Premier League squad, but there has been a new update which could put a spanner in the works.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic, the Reds are joined by Everton and Fulham in their interest in the Brighton and Hove Albion striker this summer.

As per the report, Forest had agreed on terms in principle for Maupay last weekend, but the two other Premier League clubs mentioned are also now pushing for a move for the player.

Italian outfit Salernitana have matched Forest’s £15m bid, and the striker has held talks with Everton manager Frank Lampard.

Marinakis must act fast

With a number of clubs, including some Premier League rivals, eyeing up a move for Maupay, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis must act fast to secure a deal for the Brighton centre-forward if he believes that the player is needed at the City Ground this season.

It’s no secret that Forest have been getting thoroughly stuck into the transfer window since being promoted from the Championship following their victory in the play-off final at Wembley, with 15 new signings secured and almost £110m spent as they set out to retain their Premier League status.

The signing of Maupay would be a great opportunity for Steve Cooper to add some top-flight experience into his attacking setup ahead of their challenge to comfortably compete at this level, with the striker tallying 102 appearances, 26 goals and eight assists in the Premier League so far.

Forest have already signed a new striker this summer with Taiwo Awoniyi joining from Union Berlin, and he opened his goalscoring account with the winner against West Ham United on Sunday afternoon, but adding Maupay will give Cooper the opportunity to call upon a fresh impetus in the central role if the team are falling short in their upcoming fixtures.

Over 32 Premier League appearances last season, the Frenchman scored eight goals, delivered two assists and created four big chances, taking 1.9 shots per game and successfully completing 51% of his dribble attempts, finishing the campaign as Brighton’s joint-top scorer alongside Leandro Trossard.

Graham Potter has lavished praise on his striker, with the Seagulls boss hailing Maupay in an interview with Sky Sports as he said of the 26-year-old: “He’s a good lad who really wants to play in the Premier League. He’s young and hungry and wants to take the next step.”

The signing of Maupay would be a great piece of business for Forest, but they will quickly need to convince the goal machine with a tempting offer to make the move to the City Ground as he is certainly a player in demand right now.

The end of the transfer window is on the horizon but Wolverhampton Wanderers are still yet to secure a new centre-forward this summer, with manager Bruno Lage having recently admitted that the club are looking to add a striker to their ranks.

With deadline day looming, the matter is now a “case of urgency”, in the words of transfer insider Dean Jones, with the Midlanders seemingly in desperate need of a new goal threat to help lead the forward line.

One man in whom who the Old Gold have seemingly had a long-standing interest is Brentford talisman Ivan Toney. The 26-year-old has proven his Premier League credentials over the past 12 months after making a smooth transition to life in the top tier, notably scoring 12 goals and providing five assists for Thomas Frank’s side last term.

It could have been a different story had Wolves got their man in the past, with reports as far back as 2014 suggesting that a £500k deal was in place to bring the Englishman to Molineux from Northampton, only for the then-teenager to fail his medical.

Another approach was mooted last year amid the 5 foot 10 star’s remarkable 33-goal haul in the Championship during the 2020/21 campaign, although the striker ultimately stayed put in west London as the Bees returned to the top flight, going on to score twice against Lage’s team last season.

Although reports earlier this year hinted at yet another transfer attempt for the £21k-per-week hotshot, there has been little update regarding that interest in recent months, with the player’s reported £50m asking price potentially proving prohibitive.

While Wolves may be priced out of a move, Toney has clearly been a player that they have admired for an extended period of time, with there perhaps some frustration at having never got him in the door at Molineux.

However, Lage and co appear to have found an ideal alternative in the form of Stuttgart colossus Sasa Kalajdzic, with the latest reports suggesting that they are “in talks” to sign the 6 foot 7 forward from the Bundesliga side.

The Austrian menace – who could reportedly cost in the region of €25m (£21m) – is said to share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities with the former Newcastle United man, as per FBRef, marking him out as an ideal and potentially cheaper fit for Wolves this summer.

Kalazdjic – who has also been linked with Manchester United – notably offers a real dominant presence in leading the line, much like Toney. He notably ranks in the top 6% for aerial duels won among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, with the Brentford man not too far behind as he ranks in the top 13% for the same metric.

Equally, the pair can clearly offer a creative touch in attack, with Kalajdzic having an xG assisted (expected assists) of 0.26, while Toney is close behind on 0.22, proving themselves as potential providers as well as reliable poachers.

The Stuttgart marksman is adept at finding the net, having netted 24 goals and provided 12 assists in 60 games for his current club, with the 25-year-old notably scoring 16 goals and providing six assists in the league during the 2020/21 campaign.

Unsurprisingly considering his stature, the £22.5m-rated target man scored eight of those goals from headers during his debut season in Germany, prompting pundit Marcel Reif to suggest that the Austrian can do “crazy things” in the air.

While he was restricted to just six goals in 15 league games last term after beung hampered by both injury and illness, the 15-cap striker has begun the new season impressively, with three assists in as many games so far.

An all-round figure in attack, much like Toney, Kalajdzic could prove to be a particularly astute capture for Wolves this summer.