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Daniel Levy could be about to sting one of his closest allies as Tottenham Hotspur near a landmark appointment…

What’s the word?

According to the BBC, Spurs are expected to announce former Juventus chief football officer as their next sporting director this week, a position that has not been filled since 2015.

But this has raised doubts about the future of technical performance director Steve Hitchen and that has caused a worrying reaction behind the scenes.

As revealed by the reliable Alasdair Gold at football.london, several staff and players have been left unhappy by the situation surrounding Hitchen, who found out late in the process and is thought to be a very popular figure at the club.

It’s understood that Spurs want him to remain and work with Paratici within the football structure but it remains to be seen just how that would work as the Italian is expected to receive the responsibility for decision-making.

Furthermore, it means the North London outfit are back at square one as Hitchen’s initial managerial shortlist will likely be ripped up for Paratici to get his own man in.

Jol mistake repeated

This situation certainly evokes similarities to Levy’s appalling treatment of former manager Martin Jol, whom he sacked during a live game – a UEFA Cup defeat to Getafe – in October 2007.

His replacement Juande Ramos was secretly photographed during a hotel meeting with the club whilst the Dutchman was still in charge, so everyone knew it was coming, just as is the case with Paratici now.

Jol was by no means a remarkable head coach for the Lilywhites but it was his time at the club that laid the foundations for the following years and he was one that was quite popular with the fanbase.

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Arguably, only Mauricio Pochettino was a bigger hit with the Tottenham faithful in the past two decades.

Again, this draws further similarities to this emerging situation because, as Gold states, plenty amongst the current set-up admire Hitchen and the work he does for the club.

Starting as a scout in N17, Hitchen helped signed some of Spurs’ biggest stars, namely Luka Modric and Benoit Assou-Ekotto before going onto be the man behind Liverpool’s move for Luis Suarez in 2011.

Evidently, he has an eye for a player but Levy’s latest move puts his position in jeopardy and that could seriously hinder Spurs in the long run.

Paratici, as good as his track record is with signings, has never been in and around the Premier League, which is something on Hitchen’s side.

Levy and his reputation took a dent with the Jol situation, so he must ensure that he does not repeat such a fatal mistake here with one of his longest-serving counterparts.

AND in other news, Levy could revive Spurs with “remarkable” 51 y/o gem, he averages 2.34 points per game…

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has given the Glasgow Rangers’ youth players a chance at Ibrox since replacing Steven Gerrard back in November.

In his very first press conference, the Dutchman mentioned that chances would be given to players regardless of age, and so far, he has stuck by that mantra in his six months in charge.

Opportunities have fallen to youth starlets such as Alex Lowry and Charlie McCann, with the two being deployed in the earlier stages of the Scottish Cup to great effect.

Lowry came on for Ianis Hagi against Stirling Albion and made an immediate impact, scoring in front of a raucous Ibrox crowd.

Meanwhile, former Manchester United youngster McCann emerged from the bench in the next round against Annan Athletic and suitably impressed.

This has led many to push for young striker Tony Weston to be given a chance in the first team, especially considering the fact Alfredo Morelos is out for the rest of the season through injury.

Weston signed for Rangers from Blackpool in the summer of 2020 on a three-year contract and has continued to impress ever since – scoring goals aplenty for the B team – 21 in the Scottish Lowland League alone this season – and pushing towards a first-team opportunity.

Rangers youth coach Steven Smith sang his praises earlier on in the season, dubbing him “clinical” following a double against Dalbeattie Star.

These goals have given the striker the perfect platform to impress Van Bronckhorst with the final furlong of the season approaches.

And, considering his impressive goalscoring record for the B team, Rangers could well have the next 355-goal Ally McCoist in their midst, and if Weston was even half the player that Super Ally was, then the Gers have got something special on their hands.

AND in other news: Van Bronckhorst can brutally axe “shaky” Rangers dud in deal for “annoyingly brilliant” £0 machine

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan admits that he is disappointed by the form of Mateusz Klich, with his influence dipping as the season has progressed.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side suffered defeat last weekend, losing 2-0 at Brighton and failing to find their best form at the Amex Stadium. It was a frustrating afternoon for the Whites, who have little to play for between now and the end of the season, with no chance of relegation or finishing in the European places.

Klich started in midfield for Leeds, coming in for Kalvin Phillips, but he failed to stamp his authority on proceedings against the Seagulls, winning just three of his eight duels and giving the ball away 11 times (Sofascore).

The Polish midfielder scored seven goals and set up another five in 47 appearances last season, but has found the net just twice in 33 games this term (Transfermarkt).

Whelan critical of Klich performance

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan discussed a disappointing showing from Klich on Saturday, bemoaning his recent lack of impact. He said:

“I thought Klich was poor. He gave us no energy or stability in the midfield.

“What is wrong with him at the minute? I don’t know. He is not the same player he was a year ago though. It is quite bizarre. I’m struggling to get my head round how his form has dipped so badly.

“It is another reason why we need to go into the market this summer. We need more offensive midfielders. Klich’s performance against Brighton was the perfect example why.

“He is so ineffective in the midfield. He did not run past the defence, he hardly touched the ball, he did not make anything happen. Yves Bissouma bossed him all game to be quite frankly honest with you.”

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Transfer Tavern take

While Klich was undoubtedly below-par against Brighton, it is never easy for a player to be thrown in after a lack of playing time, so any criticism is slightly harsh. This was the Pole’s first start since early March, so it was arguably unfair to expect too much from him on the day.

That being said, Leeds can do better than Klich moving forward, bringing in a superior backup to Phillips – one who has more long-term potential than the 30-year-old.

He has been an excellent servant during his 140 appearances, but if the Whites are to reach another level, Bielsa needs to be ruthless with his squad.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly keen on signing an alternative to one player this summer. Read more here.

A further twist has emerged in Matheus Pereira’s potential move away from West Bromwich Albion.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Ekrem Konur, with the journalist revealing on Twitter that the winger is now very close to joining West Ham United ahead of the new season. In his tweet, Konur said: “As of now, Matheus Pereira is very close to West Ham.”

Earlier reports had claimed that David Moyes’ side had made an offer of a season-long loan deal WHICH included an option to buy, although Albion informed the Premier League club that they wish to sell the Brazilian in order to raise funds for their own transfer business.

As a result, it was said that the Irons were considering returning to the negotiating table in order to submit a £15m cash bid for the 25-year-old, which could well have happened if Konur is to be believed.

Fans will be fuming

Considering just how important a part of the West Brom side Pereira has been in recent seasons, as well as it previously being reported that Albion were demanding a fee of £24m in order to part with the winger this summer, Baggies fans will undoubtedly be fuming if the club have indeed accepted an offer of just £15m.

Indeed, over his 33 Premier League appearances last season, the £13.5m-rated wizard bagged 11 goals, provided six assists and created 11 big chances for his teammates, along with averaging two shots and 1.8 key passes per match.

These returns saw the £30k-per-week forward dubbed a “genius” by his former coach Nate Weiss earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.18, ranking him as Albion’s best player in the 2020/21 Premier League.

As such, while retaining the services of Pereira this summer would limit the Baggies’ transfer budget, it would also provide Valerien Ismael with a huge boost to his chances of going on to secure an immediate return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, something which is almost certainly a requirement for the Frenchman.

With it being reported that £15m may have been enough for Albion to sanction the sale of the Brazilian, the argument could easily be made that the club would have been better off keeping hold of the 25-year-old for one more year in order to give them the greatest chance of securing a return to the top flight, and the subsequent windfall that promotion would bring with it.

In other news: West Brom dealt major transfer blow over “athletic” 5ft 8 dynamo, fans will be fuming

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Paul Stewart insists that Nuno Espirito Santo will have been monitoring Bryan Gil even when he was Wolves manager, after seeing the Spain international sign for the club.

Spurs have paid just over £20m to land Gil’s signature, while also sending Erik Lamela to Sevilla in part-exchange.

Gil, who Transfermarkt actually value at £27m, is currently away with Spain at the Olympics but he has impressed during his time in La Liga.

In total, the winger made 21 appearances for Sevilla, and is able to play on either the right or the left.

He has spent the past two seasons out on loan, with CD Leganes and Eibar, impressing in the latter spell, scoring four goals and laying on four assists in 29 games.

Stewart admits that he has not watched the 20-year-old play regularly but he believes that Santo will have kept a close eye on Gil when he was in charge at Molineux.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I’ve not seen much of Gil, if I’m honest, so it will be interesting but like I say, Nuno will have been watching Gil when he was at Wolves and had an eye on him, possibly for bringing him in there.

“He brings good players in, he brings quality players in, Nuno. I think it was time for Erik to move on because the fans were a little impatient with him because of his lack of consistency and they’ve got a new player that I’m sure Nuno has been watching frequently, even when he was at Wolves.”

Everton’s recruitment is like a London bus. You wait ages for one to come along and then two arrive at the same time.

It has taken a while for the Toffees to get going in the ongoing summer window but they are nearing their first deals.

What’s the word?

The Merseyside outfit are reportedly close to welcoming Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes to the club with Rafa Benitez just needing to put his seal of approval on a move.

However, their first marquee addition could be that of Denzel Dumfries.

The Netherlands star has caught the interest of plenty of teams this summer following his displays at Euro 2020.

Bayern Munich were interested in the right-back but after turning their noses away, it left Everton with a free run to bring him to Goodison Park.

According to reports, that’s exactly what they look set to do. Sport Mediaset (via Sport Witness) claim that Everton ‘will be his destination’ after talking intensively to Dumfries and PSV Eindhoven.

The 25-year-old is thought to have a release clause of €15m (£13m) so a deal could be wrapped up fairly cheaply.

Fans surely buzzing

If Marcel Brands and Benitez can get this one over the line then it should leave Everton supporters particularly enthralled.

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After all, Dumfries was one of the star men during the recent European Championships.

Although his country were knocked out in the last 16 by the Czech Republic, he was a rampant threat down the right-hand side.

Former footballer, David Meyler, took to Twitter to hail the lively threat of Dumfries as “unbelievable,” during the Championships.

It’s easy to see why. He scored twice at the Euros, combining frantic energy with vast physical power and immense speed.

Although a defender by trade, it’s his attacking statistics and attributes that stick out. The PSV brute registered 1.5 shots, one key pass and one dribble per match for his country this summer.

Remarkably, his creativity was even better for his club side in 2020/21. Dumfries supplied six goals for his teammates, providing 1.4 key passes per match.

With that in mind, he should be a player who’s able to get supporters off their seats next term.

Pivotally, he looks an ideal fit to replace Seamus Coleman. The Irishman has lost a yard of pace but what set him apart from other defenders in the division was his prolific creativity.

During his time at Goodison, Coleman has registered 31 assists and 26 goals.

If Dumfries can get anywhere close to replicating that haul then he’d be a magnificent signing. Either way, just the idea of landing someone who’s shone at a major tournament should delight fans.

AND in other news, Everton may repeat their Walcott howler by signing £30m gem who Rafa compared to Messi…

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, former Newcastle United centre-back Steve Howey has claimed that Mario Lemina would not be liked by the fans if he cared more about his social media than the club.

Lemina, who posted a bizarre video on social media back in 2019 when seemingly trying to engineer a big move away from Southampton, has been linked with a move to Newcastle this summer despite failing to keep Fulham in the Premier League this season during his loan spell away from St Mary’s.

The £40,000 per week midfielder, who regularly uses the hashtag #TonicLikeLeminade on his Instagram account, had been linked with a move to Manchester United back in 2019 but since then he has lost his place in the Southampton side and failed to impress at Fulham, with a 6.58 WhoScored rating.

Speaking on why Newcastle fans wouldn’t like their club to sign Lemina and why the midfielder must be careful what he is like off the pitch, Howey exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“Even if he performs on the pitch then I still wouldn’t want to see him doing a lot on social media because there are an awful lot of people that don’t have a lot of money, and they won’t want to see somebody on social media flashing their new house or car.

“I mean, obviously with Lemina, if he is like that and the Southampton fans are not happy with him then can you imagine what Newcastle fans would think of him?”

Steve Bruce has confirmed that he would love to bring Joe Willock back to the club this summer either permanently or on another loan deal after the 21-year old’s impressive performances since January.

Newcastle are well stocked in Lemina’s position as they have Jonjo Shelvey, Sean and Matty Longstaff, Isaac Hayden and Jeff Hendrick all on long term deals.

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a double injury boost ahead of Friday night’s Championship clash at The Hawthorns.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, Valerien Ismael revealed that both Alex Mowatt and Matt Clarke are in contention to start the fixture against Birmingham City tonight.

The midfielder has recovered a foot injury picked up in the 1-0 defeat to Stoke City before the international break, while the defender has missed Albion’s last seven fixtures with a hamstring injury.

Regrading Mowatt’s injury, Ismael said: “For us it’s good news – it’s a relief for us that it’s not broken. It’s good for us that he has trained these last two days with the squad and he’s back in the squad. Normally, as long as something doesn’t happen and change overnight, he’ll be okay for the game.”

Regarding Clarke’s recovery, the Frenchman added: “He’s back in training, back in the squad and trained very well. Now we need to manage him through these games.

“The Championship is ruthless. We play every three days, so we must learn from the first block with him and what happened to make sure that he can come through the games without another issue.

“He is fine, he is available, he trained well. We’re happy he’s back in the squad, but we need to find the balance and to manage him now. He’s very motivated, he wants to play, but we learn from the first block.”

Big double boost

Considering just how impressive both Mowatt and Clarke have been for West Brom since joining the club this summer, the news that the duo are available for the derby against Birmingham is sure to have Baggies fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 11 Championship appearances this season, the £6.3m-rated Mowatt has scored three goals, provided one assist and has created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.1 shots and making 1.5 key passes per match.

The central midfielder has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making 1.9 interceptions, two tackles and 0.7 clearances and winning 5.5 duels per game. These returns have seen the £6.5k-per-week man average a SofaScore match rating of 7.21, ranking him as West Brom’s second best performer in the Championship so far.

Meanwhile, over his three league fixtures for Albion, the £2.7m-rated Clarke has made 2.3 interceptions, one tackle and 2.7 clearances per game and has won 7.3 duels per match.

These metrics have seen the centre-back earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as the Baggies’ joint eighth-best performer in the league.

As such, the return of both players will undoubtedly increase Ismael’s chances of securing a positive result against Birmingham, something the Frenchman will be desperately seeking following his side’s first league defeat of the season against Stoke City last time out.

In other news: Ismael must unleash “quality” £21k-p/w beast vs Blues, he’s what West Brom are missing

Some Rangers fans have been left amazed by the first-half performance of Joe Aribo against Brondby, as Steven Gerrard’s side work to get back on track in the Europa League.

The Gers dropped points at home to Hearts last weekend, but the real trouble this season has come in European competitions, where they are yet to pick up a point.

The visit of Brondby to Ibrox is a massive opportunity to change that, with the Danish outfit picking up just one point themselves so far in the group stages.

Leon Balogun got things off to the perfect start, heading home from a James Tavernier cross before Kemar Roofe added a second, but one man who impressed even more was Aribo.

The former Charlton starlet was absolutely everywhere in a tenacious display, racking up 98 per cent passing accuracy, four successful dribbles and six duels won (Sofascore).

You can find all of the best Twitter reactions down below, as Light Blues supporters had plenty to say about the opening 45 minutes from the 25 year-old…

Rangers fans react

“Aribo is the best player in the world”

Credit: @IanIwrie

“Aribo’s been unreal so far”

Credit: @Stevenn1872

“Big Aribo has been tremendous”

Credit: @kankagroup

“Aribo running the game”

Credit: @jamieallen98

“Joe Aribo’s go go gadget legs are absolutely dominating this game. He’s won the ball back so many times already.”

Credit: @chubchub90

“Been best player on park”

Credit: @douglaspark92

Aston Villa target Rafinha has been given a glowing recommendation by a Ligue 1 expert…

What’s the talk?

Ligue 1 expert Adam White has hailed PSG midfielder as very talented in response to Aston Villa’s reported interest in the Brazilian. He has said that he is surprised that he has been on the fringes at PSG, with Villa now looking to snap him up.

He told This is Futbol:

“Rafinha’s had a strange PSG career. Thomas Tuchel really liked him and played him a fair amount, but then he’s really been on the fringes under [Mauricio] Pochettino.

“It’s a little bit of a surprise because he was pretty good under Tuchel and slotted in really well.

“When PSG end up with a really busy schedule towards the end of the season or in the middle of the season, he was a really good option in Ligue 1 – very skilful, very talented.”

Villa are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the ex-Barcelona ace, with PSG said to be looking for a fee in the region of £8.5m (€10m).

Get it done

Johan Lange must secure a deal for Rafinha this summer as he could be an excellent signing for Dean Smith’s side. At the reported price of £8.5m, it could also represent a transfer bargain for the Villa chief.

Rafinha is valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, which suggests that Villa could be able to sign him for £5m cheaper than what he is supposedly worth and that is not taking into account his potential to improve further and increase his value down the line.

He turned 28 in February and that means the next few seasons of his career could be his peak years, meaning that Villa would be getting him at the perfect time if a deal can be done.

Rafinha also has the quality to back up Villa’s interest in him. His former Barcelona teammate Andreu Fontas previously called him a beast. He said: “Rafinha is a great player. Physically, he is a beast and, technically, he is superb.”

The 28-year-old has played at the top level for Barcelona, Inter and PSG, which shows that he is experienced above and beyond where Villa are as a club now. He has played in, and won, the Champions League and has also won three La Liga titles with Barcelona. This shows that he has the ability to play at the elite level of the game, as three separate clubs have wanted him in their side when competing for major honours.

He could come in and improve Villa’s options in midfield as he has the experience required to raise the standards. He knows what it takes to win some of the biggest prizes in club football and would come in having trained with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi throughout his career, which means that he could use his experiences to help Villa’s players step up.

Lange must push to get this deal over the line.

AND in other news, The Athletic journalist drops update on £50m midfielder, Villa fans will be relieved…