Sorry Harry – you’re staying at Spurs
Jack Grealish’s imminent move to Manchester City has put the Premier League champion’s pursuit of Spurs striker Harry Kane at risk. The Manchester Evening News report that City are closing in on a £100-million deal to bring Aston Villa captain Grealish to the Etihad Stadium, but the big-money move could cause jeopardy for their other “top target” – Kane. The MEN reveal that the move for the England captain “will not be financially viable” unless City make some “significant player sales”. Kane is valued at “well in excess of £100 million” by Tottenham.
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Paper Round’s view: This could be a disaster for both parties. Kane is desperate to join a club where he can win trophies and challenge for the Champions League, while Manchester City need to replace Sergio Aguero. Gabriel Jesus isn’t good enough to start for City if they want to become European champions, but Kane could be the missing piece of the puzzle. It’s all good bringing in Grealish but realistically, Pep Guardiola needs to sign an elite striker more than another playmaker. An easy fix would be selling a couple of first-team squad players… but who should be sacrificed?
…and Trippier isn’t going anywhere either
Kieran Trippier is “worried” that he will be priced out of a “dream” return to the Premier League with a move to Manchester United. The Star report that the 30-year-old is determined to join the Red Devils this summer, but Atletico Madrid are refusing to budge on their £30-million asking price. United are unwilling to pay such a high transfer fee for a player in their thirties whose contract has just 12 months left. Atleti have the opportunity to extend Trippier’s contract by another year should they wish, but the England international is hoping his parent club will lower his valuation in the next few weeks of the transfer window to help push through his return to England.
Paper Round’s view: Can Manchester United complete a transfer without it becoming a long-winded saga? It certainly doesn’t seem like it. Obviously clubs are always going to hold out for the highest possible transfer fee from a club like United. This means that every transfer becomes a huge story and negotiation leaks are slapped across the back pages for weeks on end. Trippier would be a great signing for the Premier League side, who definitely need an alternative option for Aaron Wan-Bissaka. However, £30 million for a 30-year-old right-back with 12 months left on his contract makes little sense.
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Nuno plans to reunite with Wolves winger
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is interested in the possibility of reuniting with Wolves winger Adama Traore in north London this summer. The Mail report that Wolves are open to letting the 25-year-old leave, but the Premier League club value Traore at a whopping £45 million. The Spaniard has just two years remaining on his current contract at Molineux and Spurs have held long-term interest in him. Tottenham’s domestic rivals Liverpool, Chelsea and Leeds United are all keeping an eye on Traore.
Paper Round’s view: Nuno will know Traore better than any other coach in football. If he pushes for his new club to sign his former attacker, Spurs should listen. £45 million isn’t cheap and there will be questions over whether Traore will be able to jump up a level, with Tottenham planning to break back into the Premier League’s top four. However, the move could mirror Diogo Jota’s transfer to Liverpool last summer. Jota joined the Merseyside club for a similar fee in 2020 and has been a brilliant signing. Traore would add his direct style of play to the Spurs squad and he could link up well with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
Loftus-Cheek linked with Chelsea exit
Chelsea are ready to send Ruben Loftus-Cheek out on loan once again this season, according to the Sun. The 25-year-old spent the 2020-21 campaign with Chelsea’s west London rivals Fulham, but failed to find a consistent level of form. The Blues will now look to shop him out again for the upcoming season, with interest from Southampton, Lazio and the Bundesliga. Chelsea are interested in the possibility of sending him to Germany as the move would prepare him for a Premier League return and potentially increase his transfer value ahead of next summer.
Paper Round’s view: It’s a shame because Loftus-Cheek looked like such a promising talent a few years ago, but a serious achilles injury in May 2019 has hampered his development. The Chelsea academy graduate was part of the England squad that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia just three years ago. Now he’s being pushed out on loan. Chelsea’s squad is stacked with talent so it’s not too heartbreaking to be sent away, but maybe Loftus-Cheek should just look for a permanent move where he can settle down and rediscover his past form.
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