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Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to end their post-break slump when they travel to the south coast to face Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League this evening.

Antonio Conte’s side were held to a goalless draw by Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Tuesday night, just a few days after their 3-1 defeat to arch-rivals Arsenal.

The Italian’s frontline has faltered with Heung-min Son, in particular, struggling to refind his form of 2021/22.

Aside from a hat-trick cameo from the bench in the whitewash of then-basement boys Leicester City, the South Korean international has only provided one assist in his other ten appearances, via Transfermarkt.

That’s one direct contribution every 211 minutes, well below his more-impressive career average at the club of a goal or assist every 110 minutes.

Son was arguably Conte’s most important player last season, having delivered 23 goals and nine assists across 35 league appearances, which was six more contributions than Harry Kane as he outranked the Englishman in both regards.

There’s no denying that the 29-year-old – who was once dubbed a “machine” by one former teammate – has been out of sorts for much of the season so far, as evident by his WhoScored ratings of 6.31 vs Chelsea, 6.46 vs Nottingham Forest, 5.92 vs West Ham United and 6.3 against the Gunners.

It now leaves Conte with a conundrum as Son is the sort of player that can usually turn it on at any moment, though we’ve only really seen it once in 11 outings.

The 53-year-old hinted at a tweak in the system during a recent press conference and if fellow wide man Dejan Kulusevski isn’t back from injury, then it would make sense to go to a 3-5-2 and for Son to be axed.

As ruthless as it would be – after all the £22m man has been a shining light over many, many years – Conte must be bold and drop the struggling South Korean if he’s to turn their attacking fortunes around against the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium tonight.

If anything, it could ignite a flame just as it did in the triumph over the Foxes right before the international break.

AND in other news, Conte’s “important” £30m “non-stop machine” is proving to be his next Hazard…

Sheffield Wednesday correspondent Dom Howson has been reacting to news of Liam Palmer winning the League One player of the month award for August.

The Lowdown: Palmer’s August award

The 30-year-old featured in every minute of The Owls’ five third-tier games last month, turning out on the right and as a centre-back.

He captained the side against Peterborough and Bolton, scoring twice as Darren Moore’s side won four out of a possible five, conceding just twice.

Palmer was announced as the League One player of the month for August earlier this week, beating Bristol Rovers’ Aaron Collins, Cambridge United’s Sam Smith and Peterborough United’s Joe Ward to the award.

The Latest: Howson reacts

Howson reacted to the news regarding Palmer on Twitter.

He congratulated the Wednesday star, saying that he has ‘been in terrific form so far this season’ and ‘a top servant and ambassador for the club’.

The Verdict: Good news

Palmer was an ever-present figure last month, and, as Howson mentions, has begun the campaign in fine form.

As per WhoScored, the Scotland international has been Wednesday’s third-best performing player this season with an average match rating of 7.24/10.

The defender has also been dribbled past the least out of any Owls player, and hopefully, he’ll continue to impress over the coming months.

Sunderland are reportedly interested in signing Bournemouth winger Jamal Lowe this summer, and he could be a big upgrade on Lynden Gooch in Alex Neil’s side.

According to Football League World, the Black Cats are one of several Championship clubs interested in taking the 28-year-old on loan this summer, although Watford are currently leading the race for his signature, while Norwich and Burnley are also keen.

Following Bournemouth’s promotion to the Premier League, Lowe has played just one minute of top-flight football, and it seems unlikely that he will be a regular in Scott Parker’s side this season as they look to avoid relegation back to the second tier.

The former Swansea City man was afforded just nine starts in the Championship last term as he competed with Parker’s multitude of attacking options, but in returning seven goals, he definitely played his part in the Cherries’ promotion triumph.

He has previously starred in the second tier with the Swans, contributing 14 goals in the 2020/21 season as they reached the Championship play-off final before their defeat to Brentford.

This emphasises that Lowe has experience in playing for top Championship sides, and adding him could be a big boost for Neil as the 41-year-old looks to establish Sunderland back in the second tier following last year’s promotion.

Should Lowe arrive at the Stadium of Light, he could be a big upgrade on Gooch, who has started each of Sunderland’s games this season on the right flank, contributing one goal and one assist.

The American winger’s best campaign in a Mackems shirt saw him contribute just four goals, while he didn’t find the net in League One at all last season despite the Black Cats’ promotion, so Lowe could offer a much greater attacking threat should Neil deploy him out wide.

He would also be a great player for Neil to have in the squad, as Parker emphasised last season when Lowe inspired a comeback win against Blackpool.

The Bournemouth boss said: “An unbelievable moment and fair play to Jamal.

“He was left out of the squad last week, was training at one o’clock on Wednesday afternoon, while there was a game on Wednesday evening. Not in the squad. He trained unbelievable. Proper professionalism and how quick football changes.”

Therefore, Lowe would be a marquee addition at the Stadium of Light, and given the two players’ respective experience and goalscoring form in recent years, he would surely prove to be a better option than Gooch on the right flank for Sunderland.

Hopefully Black Cats chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus can work his magic to make this prospective transfer happen between now and Thursday’s deadline.

Leeds United have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Mohamed Camara to Elland Road.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that, despite Victor Orta having made an enquiry for the Red Bull Salzburg midfielder this summer, it is now Everton who appear to be leading the race for the 22-year-old’s signature, with Camara himself said to be keen on a switch to Goodison Park over Elland Road.

The report goes on to state that Newcastle United are also believed to be keen on the Mali international, who is reported to be available for a figure in the region of €30m (£25m) this summer.

Orta blunder

Considering how exciting a prospect Camara undoubtedly is, should Everton go on to seal a deal for the 23-year-old in the coming weeks, missing out on the midfielder’s signature will almost certainly be a decision that Orta will very quickly live to regret.

Indeed, over his 25 Austrian Bundesliga appearances in 2021/22, the £24.3m-rated talent proved just much of an all-round midfielder he is, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 45.8 passes, 4.8 long balls and winning 6.4 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per game.

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The £2.9k-per-week dynamo also impressed going forwards, scoring one goal, providing three assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots, making one key pass and completing 1.8 dribbles per fixture.

These metrics saw the player who Jacek Kulig claimed would be an “amazing signing” for a top Premier League side average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.20, ranking him as the tenth-best player in the Austrian Bundesliga last time out.

The 23-year-old – who has drawn comparisons to N’Golo Kante – also caught the eye in the Champions League last season, making an average of 2.1 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 40.3 passes, 3.6 long balls and winning 7.4 duels over his eight appearances in the competition – averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.94.

As such, with it being clear that Camara is very much an all-rounder, being capable of both scoring and creating goals, breaking up play and possessing a clear eye for a pass, it is not difficult to see why Everton are keen to bring the Malian to the Premier League this summer, while it is also easy to suggest that Orta will have made a blunder if he misses out on the midfielder’s signature.

Leeds United and Everton have both been offered the chance to sign Paris Saint-Germain left-back Layvin Kurzawa. 

The Lowdown: Left-back needed?

The Whites have been backed to add to their left-sided defensiveranks following an injury to Junior Firpo. The Spaniard picked up a fresh problem in the club’s first pre-season fixture against Blackpool and didn’t travel to Australia as he is set to be sidelined for eight weeks.

Jesse Marsch took youngster Leif Davis along as the only recognised left-back, but it appears as if Leeds could now move for Kurzawa.

The Latest: Kurzawa linked with Leeds

According to one French outlet on Tuesday morning, PSG are looking to offload Kurzawa this summer.

The left-back has recently changed agency and has been offered to both Leeds and Everton, with a move to the Premier League a real possibility.

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The Verdict: Smart move?

Kurzawa, who described himself as “a little more crazy” , will turn 30 in September and has just over two years remaining on his PSG contract.

He would bring plenty of experience at the highest level to Elland Road following a seven-year stint with the French giants and is also capable of playing further forward if required.

Therefore, Victor Orta and co could be wise to accept PSG’s offering of Kurzawa along with pursuing their young forward Arnaud Kalimuendo, as it would give Jesse Marsch another high-profile left-back to choose from heading into his first full season in charge of Leeds.

Liverpool have been long-term admirers of Amadou Onana, and a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic, Liverpool are in competition with several clubs to sign the 20-year-old.

As per the report, the Reds are joined by West Ham United, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest in their strong interest to snap up the Lille midfielder this summer.

West Ham have already submitted two failed bids for Onana, so Liverpool must improve upon the Irons’ efforts if they want to sign the player.

Klopp can finally axe Oxlade-Chamberlain

It was reported that Liverpool were making the midfield a priority for improvement following their club- record signing of Darwin Nunez last month, and a swoop for Onana could be the perfect opportunity for Jurgen Klopp to strengthen ahead of the Reds’ return to Premier League action next month.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner will all be out of contract this time next year, so it would be advantageous for the Merseysiders to identify replacements who can make a difference and have an instant impact in the trophy-chasing team ahead of next summer.

Onana, who was dubbed a “huge talent” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored one goal and created three big chances last season, while making 0.5 key passes and 1.5 tackles per game.

The £50m-valued gem also won the majority of his duels (59%) and completed the majority of his dribble attempts (62%) over 32 Ligue 1 appearances, proving that he has bags of potential. If he comes under Klopp’s wing, he could certainly become one to watch in the future.

It is speculated that Liverpool are willing to wait until next summer to tackle their midfield rebuild, with a view to signing Jude Bellingham, but they could get ahead of themselves by signing the 20-year-old Lille talent and cashing in on Oxlade-Chamberlain now, as the latter has less than a year left on his contract at Anfield.

The £125k-per-week Liverpool midfielder has been attracting interest from a number of clubs, with both Southampton and Manchester United named as potential suitors, so Klopp could finally axe the 28-year-old for a profit.

Given that Oxlade-Chamberlain ranked 23rd of the 27 players who featured in the league last season for Liverpool (as per WhoScored), it doesn’t seem likely that he would be greatly missed on Merseyside.

The prospective signing of Onana could be a great piece of business for FSG, as he can be a potentially huge future prospect in the middle of the park at Anfield, but they will need to act fast given the reported interest from numerous Premier League clubs in the Lille youngster.

AND in other news – “As expected…”: Romano reveals big transfer development, LFC supporters surely gutted

Everton have been heavily linked with Harry Winks ever since the transfer window opened, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s progression in securing a deal for the player.

 What’s the latest?

According to Football Insider, Everton have now made contact and approached Tottenham Hotspur to step up their interest in Winks.

As per the report, an Everton source has told the publication that the Toffees are now in contact to negotiate a potential deal for the Spurs midfielder this summer, he is believed to be valued at £20m by the north London club.

Lampard’s very own Iniesta

Frank Lampard will be desperate to add reinforcements to his squad at Goodison Park after the difficult campaign in the Premier League last season, and Winks could be the Everton manager’s very own Andres Iniesta.

Former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino compared Winks’ style of play to that of two Spanish legendary midfielders (via talkSPORT):

“The characteristics are perfect to play football.

“When we talk about midfielders – because you like to use Spanish midfielders like Xavi and (Andres) Iniesta – he’s like this type of player.”

That sounds like a rather extraordinary comparison to make but with a pass success rate of 89.7% in his career, it’s clear to see that with the ball at his feet Winks is rather accomplished, just like the Barcelona legends.

Despite that, the 26-year-old star has fallen out of favour in Antonio Conte’s side and has not made an appearance of more than 18 minutes since February, so Lampard could give the player the golden opportunity to reignite his career with a move to Merseyside this summer.

Winks who was also hailed as “perfect” by Pochettino has made 19 Premier League appearances this season, contributing one assist and creating three big chances, winning the majority of his duels combined (51%) and being successful in completing 53% of his dribbles.

It had been reported that Tottenham were preparing a swap deal that included Winks and Lucas Moura in exchange for Richarlison, however it is now believed that Farhad Moshiri would prefer to take a full transfer fee for Everton’s Brazilian winger, so it is likely that the deal for Winks this summer will remain separate to Spurs interest in Richarlison.

With that being said, the signing of Winks could be a great piece of business for Everton if they can secure a deal. They clearly need to add more depth to the centre of the pitch following Fabian Delph and Donny van de Beek’s departures and the Spurs midfielder could have a great impact on the Toffees next season.

Whether or not he’ll evoke memories of Iniesta at Goodison Park, however, very much remains to be seen.

AND in other news: Lampard now plotting Everton swoop for “very talented” £20m gem, imagine him and DCL…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are among the clubs interested in signing FC Porto midfielder Sergio Oliveira this summer, according to O Jogo (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Experienced operator

The 30-year-old has enjoyed a well-travelled career to date, having started out in the youth system at Porto before spending time on loan at various clubs including Nantes, Mechelen and PAOK Salonika prior to a loan spell at AS Roma this year.

The midfielder has made a mammoth 315 senior domestic appearances and recently added the Europa Conference League to a trophy cabinet which boasts three Portuguese league titles, three Portuguese Cups, one Greek top-flight title and one Greek domestic cup.

Despite a long and distinguished career, Oliveira is yet to take on the Premier League, although that could be about to change in the near future…

The latest: Wolves interested in Oliveira

As per O Jogo, translated by Sport Witness, Wolves are ‘interested’ in the prospect of adding the 13-cap Portugal star to their ranks.

It is claimed that Napoli, Valencia and Lazio are also in contention to sign Oliveira, who was described as a ‘champion’ by Roma manager Jose Mourinho during his time in Italy.

The report outlines the influence of super-agent and known Old Gold affiliate Jorge Mendes, as Porto hope to receive offers of around €10m (£8.5m) for the cultured midfielder.

The verdict: Smart move

With the future of Ruben Neves hanging in the balance and Joao Moutinho’s ever-advancing years in mind, signing Oliveira for anything close to the mooted asking price would be a shrewd move from the Molineux hierarchy.

During 2021/22, the Portuguese ace scored eight goals and provided two assists from 46 appearances across his time with Porto and Roma. In Serie A, he earned a 7.04 Sofascore rating and won an impressive 4.9 duels per game in the process, underscoring his battle-hardened nature and his strong durability.

Possessing similar traits to robust operators such as John McGinn, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Rodrigo de Paul (FBRef), Oliveira would add a decorated and much-needed alternative to Bruno Lage’s midfield options after the Old Gold ran out of steam towards the end of the recent campaign.

In other news: Wolves also want to bring this ‘special talent’ to Molineux, read more here

Manchester City are believed to be readying a bid for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to a report from 90min.

The Lowdown: Phillips profiled

As per the Whites’ official website, the 26-year-old is a product of the Elland Road youth system, working his way up through the ranks to make his first-team debut for the club back in 2015 and going in to make 234 appearances for Jesse Marsch’s side.

The maestro has become an integral feature of his hometown club’s starting XI over the years after helping them gain promotion to the Premier League in 2020. However, his impressive performances appear to have caught the eye of many top-flight rivals, with the champions among those looking to secure his signature.

The Latest: Man City preparing bid for Phillips

In an article published by 90min, it is claimed that City are now ‘readying a bid’ for Phillips after making ‘several enquiries’ about the Leeds midfielder.

The source stated that Etihad Stadium scouts have been ‘hugely impressed’ with their target’s progress since the Whites’ promotion two years ago, with Pep Guardiola making his admiration for the 19-cap England international ‘clear’.

It’s reported that City are currently ‘conducting background checks’ to decide whether or not they fully believe the 26-year-old be a good fit in the dressing room ahead of an ‘opening bid’.

Phillips has insisted that he would be ‘happy to stay’ in Yorkshire, but the source suggests that a move to the Etihad ‘does appeal’ to him.

The Verdict: Ideal Fernandinho replacement

With it being confirmed that Fernandinho will be leaving City this summer, the club need to find a suitable replacement for the Brazil veteran in the middle of the park, and the £45m-rated Leeds talisman could well be the perfect candidate.

Despite only playing 23 times this season, mainly due to a long-term hamstring injury, Phillips has still been an absolute rock in the Whites’ midfield. He averaged 2.7 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per Premier League game (via WhoScored), demonstrating that he can be hugely effective at breaking up opposition attacks.

Leeds probably wouldn’t be able to match any offer from City if one is to materialise in the coming weeks.

Therefore, it may be a case of the Elland Road academy graduate – who was once dubbed an “exceptional” player by former Leeds and Man City defender Danny Mills – having to decide whether to commit his future to his boyhood club or make the switch to the Etihad, where he could go on to achieve big things at the highest level in years to come.

In other news… this Manchester City first-team maestro could be set for a surprise exit over the summer

Newcastle United ‘might be tempted to consider offers’ for Miguel Almiron this summer, according to Mark Douglas for The I. 

The lowdown

The Magpies shelled out a then-club record £20m to sign the Paraguay international from MLS outfit Atlanta United in January 2019. It was the most expensive departure in the league’s history and ranks in the top six on Newcastle’s list of record incomings.

However, the 28-year-old has arguably struggled to live up to that price tag over the past three-and-a-half seasons. It took him 24 matches to register his first goal involvement, and he has only contributed to 19 goals (scored 14, set up five) in his 120 appearances for the club overall.

The Paraguayan’s £42,300-per-week contract runs until the summer of 2024, and he is valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt.

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The latest

The I’s northern football correspondent Douglas has listed some of the players who ‘might go’ in order to trim an oversized squad and ease any Financial Fair Play (FFP) concerns for Newcastle.

The reporter named Almiron as a player for whom the club could be tempted to entertain transfer offers, and while it’s not yet a certainty that thr 28-year-old will be made available, it may be one to keep an eye on.

The verdict

Between 22 January and 10 March, Almiron played just 17 minutes across three appearances, and the outlook at St James’ Park seemed bleak for him.

However, his involvement in Eddie Howe’s team has since increased. Indeed, he has started six of the Magpies’ last eight Premier League matches, scoring the winner against Crystal Palace last month.

That is why some Newcastle supporters might be surprised to read of his potential exit. While his goal contribution record does leave a lot to be desired, the St James’ Park faithful may still be sad to see him go if he is sold.

In the words of Paul Merson, Almiron ‘gives every last drop for the cause’, a trait which is often appreciated by football fans in their clubs’ players.

In other news, Newcastle’s stance on this £15m transfer has now changed.