Tottenham Hotspur have now entered the lead in the race for a Premier League forward, whose future is starting to look uncertain…

Spurs want new forward despite encouraging signs vs Sunderland

Although Tottenham were unable to take all three points against Sunderland last time out, drawing 1-1 after Ben Davies’ opener was cancelled out by Brian Brobbey’s late effort, Thomas Frank believes there were some encouraging signs on display.

Frank said: “There were a lot of positives in the performance. The first half was much more like we want to do.

“I liked our intensity with and without the ball, we created a lot of good situations, but we lacked the decisiveness to finish the game off.”

However, with the manager also bemoaning the fact his side weren’t clinical enough, it could be a savvy move to strengthen his attacking options this month, particularly considering Brennan Johnson has already left to join Crystal Palace.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jorgen Strand Larsen, RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande and AS Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche are among the potential targets, but there have now been reports Spurs could also look to raid one of their London rivals.

According to a report from Spain, Tottenham have now taken the lead in the race to sign West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen, with the Englishman’s future at the London Stadium starting to look uncertain, given that the Hammers are seven points from safety.

Should West Ham be relegated to the Championship, Bowen’s departure is almost inevitable, and the north Londoners are interested in securing his signature, as they value the forward’s versatility and goal-scoring ability.

If the Irons fail to stay up, the 29-year-old would be willing to listen to offers from elsewhere, and there are indications he could be a fantastic addition to Frank’s squad…

"Superstar" Bowen could be ideal signing for Tottenham

As previously mentioned, Tottenham have struggled in front of goal this season, finding the back of the net just three times in their last five Premier League matches.

Subscribe for Deeper Spurs Transfer Insights and Analysis Join the newsletter for focused transfer breakdowns, scouting notes and valuation context—clear perspectives on how targets like Jarrod Bowen could fit Tottenham and what a potential big-fee chase would mean for Spurs’ recruitment strategy.

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Consequently, it could be a smart move to bring in a player who has already proven he is capable of delivering in the top flight, and the 20-time England international fits the bill, having been a reliable source of goals and assists over the past six seasons.

Jarrod Bowen’s performance by season

Premier League appearances

Goal involvements

2020-21

38

13

2021-22

36

24

2022-23

38

12

2023-24

34

22

2024-25

34

23

2025-26

21

7

Having also been lauded as a “superstar” by writer Paddy Keogh, Bowen clearly has the ability to succeed at a top club, but a deal could be on the expensive side, with a potential fee of £100m being touted.

Related Tottenham ready double-your-money offer for player who's keen to join Frank

Spurs are preparing a bid.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini

That would be an astronomical sum to pay for a player yet to prove himself at the very highest level, and the highest transfer fee in Tottenham’s history, so they should look to get a deal done for a lower price.

Peter Siddle has admitted he feared his Test career was over after he was ignored for Edgbaston and Trent Bridge, but now hopes a roaring return to his familiar role in the Australia XI will cause the selectors to reconsider their opinion of him.There was considerable dismay at Siddle’s omission from Trent Bridge in particular, and he spoke frankly of all the factors that he felt should have forced his inclusion in the team for Nottingham. “You always think that a little bit,” he said of never playing again. “A couple of wickets that we’d played on where I thought I might’ve got my opportunity and had missed out. You just never know.”Trent Bridge, I’ve had good success there, played county cricket there as well, so I know the ground. It was disappointing, but kept doing everything I can and make sure that if my opportunity came that I had to be ready to go. I felt pretty good coming into this game. It was just nice to get a few wickets, to get the team on a good roll and get us into this position. It’s nice. The boys have played well.”The selectors Rod Marsh and Darren Lehmann had spoken often with Siddle about the numerous and varying reasons why he had been ignored for the Tests thus far. It was mainly to do with their conviction that the attack of Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood was superior in all conditions. Events at The Oval have begged to differ, as Siddle has played a pivotal role in keeping runs down while adding vital wickets.”I think it’s just the boys that had been playing had performed well,” Siddle said. “The lads finished off the summer well, went to the West Indies and performed well and they got their opportunity. That’s how it works I guess. I just had to make sure I was ready when my opportunity came. I was disappointed it did take so long, but I was ready at any stage. It’s no different now. There’s never any Test match that you never want to have a crack in.”To get back together with the bowling line-up we had – it was pretty similar, a few different faces -and have those five key bowlers and be able to work in tandem. My role is to try and be patient, build pressure and restrict the runs. I enjoy doing that. I enjoy playing for the country. It’s just lovely to be back out on the field and playing, and the team doing well.”A looming tour of Bangladesh would appear not to be as ideally suited to Siddle’s skills, but later assignments against New Zealand at home and away may be more amenable. Siddle is certainly more hopeful of an opportunity now than he had been two weeks ago.”It’s obviously tough being on the sidelines and carrying drinks . . . especially at my age. It’s only 30 but you still want to be out there,” he said. “It has been tough, but to get this opportunity and come out here and bowl well … I’ve felt comfortable, the team has performed well. Blokes batted well and the bowling group has been outstanding. It’s just great to be in this position.”

The excitement this week has been building for the first South London derby of the season, as Charlton host rivals Crystal Palace on Friday night.

This will be the first meeting for three years since Matt Spring scored the winner for Charlton in a 1-0 win at the end of January 2009. A season Charlton fans have firmly got out their system as Charlton carry on building and will be looking for a return to winning ways having not won since Leicester visited SE7 on august 21st.

After a promising opening week for the Addicks Charlton travelled to Nottingham hoping to keep the early unbeaten run. However that was ended by an excellent performance from Forest. I was at the game and honestly I don’t think we will come against many better performances than what forest showed that game. However Charlton were holding in there until the dying embers thanks to a brilliant cameo 10 minutes from Ricardo Fuller who appeared in the 81st minute and by the 87th his header was thumping of the post against the helpless Lee Camp to give Charlton a slice of hope again at the county ground. Unfortunately so far Charlton haven’t quite hit the gear they would be looking for but I would hope the atmosphere of Friday’s game will be enough to make sure the early bragging rights are coming Charlton’s way and not going with Palace in what would be a rare win at the valley.

Certainly if Ricardo Fuller is fit and ready to go this man can lead Charlton places along with fellow strikers BWP and Yann Kermorgant, this could forge a formidable strike force once more.  For sure one man Charlton will have to keep a close eye on is the highly rated youngster Wilfired  Zaha who if on his game seems to be able to punish any team in front of him so it will be up to the solid defence to keep solid. Rhoys Wiggins will be set to face the club he started at as an academy kid whilst Leon Cort may also be in to face his former club if he gets the nod to start, if not Matt Taylor will need to be on the top of his game for Fridays South London derby.

Palace fans may claim “to not care about Charlton” But I’m almost certain they would not like to lose against us, with the sky cameras on this game aswell this is the chance for both sides to show who really is the “number one in South London”. So come on Charlton a nice 3 points to kick-start our stuttery season!

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It’s here, the new season has officially kicked off with the announcement of the 2019/20 fixture list.

It’s now the time for each respective club to analyse their opening and closing day fixtures, periods of difficulty and – of course – when the rival teams are coming to town. So, we’ve been looking at which games should worry teams throughout the campaign and our latest instalment of that leads us down to Selhurst Park.

Indeed, Crystal Palace experienced an up and down season last time out, but ultimately finished a respectable 12th. After a period of consolidation in the Premier League, it’s surely got to be time to kick on. Breaking into the top ten on a consistent basis has to be the aim.

So then, let’s have a look at some fixtures that will already get the blood pumping.

Brighton vs Palace

Up first we have one of the more bizarre derbies in the Premier League, with Brighton set to host Crystal Palace. It’s certainly one that both sets of fans look out for at the start of the season and this one takes place on the 29th of February. A real winter warmer.

It’s one that Palace will look forward to, but with caution. They lost both Premier League games last season, a painful one indeed. In fact, they have now lost three of the last four encounters in all competitions. This must be a particularly damaging stat, given that Brighton finished 17th last season!

The fixture comes just weeks before a tricky spell of fixtures against Watford, Bournemouth and Liverpool. As a result, it may go down as a must-win game, and it’s already raising the excitement.

Arsenal vs Palace

Here we have perhaps an unexpected fixture to feature on the list of dreaded games. However, it comes in the middle of a rather horrific looking run of fixtures. Between October and November, Palace will play West Ham away, before playing Manchester City, Arsenal, Leicester, Chelsea and Liverpool consecutively. It’s a brutal set of fixtures to say the least.

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Everyone loves a London derby, but runs of this sort can dismantle a season. Palace will enter each game as underdogs and failing to win a single game could be nothing short of disastrous. Historically, it’s not a fixture that would fill Palace fans with much hope – just the five wins from 45 for Palace in their history. However, a tremendous 3-2 win at the Emirates last season will certainly provide some fuel to the fire.

Palace fans, which fixtures are you looking forward to? How important are the games mentioned above? Comment below.

Liverpool will be back to cup football tomorrow night, just three days after their EFL Cup win over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium, as they host Norwich City in the FA Cup fifth round.

In a game which went all the way to penalties, many of head coach Jurgen Klopp’s men will be feeling the effects of a gruelling battle, and he will likely be forced into a number of changes for the tie.

One player who is likely to start is 18-year-old Harvey Elliott, who did come on as a sub on Sunday, but will be looking forward to getting more game-time from the first whistle, particularly against weaker opposition – as players like Naby Keita drop to the bench.

Norwich will certainly be no push-overs, but they aren’t likely to take the game to Liverpool in front of the Kop, so expect them to invite pressure in order to try and make quick counter-attacks and catch Liverpool on the break.

That pressure, though, will encourage the likes of Elliott, who has demonstrated exceptional confidence and ability since being promoted into the first team, freedom to roam and create, which he has done so well so far this season, averaging 5.16 shot-creating actions per appearance, the third most of any player in the Reds squad this term.

The Englishman will definitely be looking to add to the goal he scored against Cardiff City in the last round on his return from injury, and this type of game really could present him the opportunity to create chances for teammates – or get on the end of one.

Teammate James Milner has hailed Elliott’s mental strength as “incredible” after recovering from his unfortunate accident at Leeds earlier in the season, while his cameos in the last month are beginning to remind people what the fuss was all about.

Speaking to talkSPORT a couple of weeks ago, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy also praised Elliott, saying: “I enjoy watching him play, he’s a creative footballer whose got great technical ability.”

Those are comments that could certainly strike fear into the Norwich defence, and supplement the “special” tag that Scott Parker gave the teenager following his debut.

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The more we get to see of the former Fulham youngster, the more it becomes clear that he could genuinely become one of the country’s top young talents – if he continues to receive significant playing time, beginning with a start at home to Norwich City tomorrow.

In other news: Liverpool eye swoop for “world-class” £55m ace, he could force Salah out of Anfield…

Having arrived at Celtic on a free transfer last summer, questions were immediately raised amongst the Parkhead support regarding the club’s decision to hand the 31-year-old central midfielder a four-year deal – with Bhoys Analytics stating their belief that offering the former Crystal Palace player a long-term contract was “insane” and that the move was a “confusing” one for the Hoops to make.

Perhaps more worryingly, Kieran Devlin then revealed in a report for The Athletic back in September that the former Republic of Ireland international had struggled to get to grips with Ange Postecoglou’s demands in training, as well as suggesting that the 56-year-old manager, nor Celtic’s scouting department, had any say into the midfielder’s signing.

In his piece, the journalist wrote: “Dressing-room sources have spoken of how newcomer James McCarthy has struggled in training with the pace and intensity of Postecoglou’s sessions and the demands of his midfielders.

“The Athletic understands neither Postecoglou nor the scouting department had meaningful input into signing McCarthy this summer after his contract expired at Premier League Crystal Palace.”

Indeed, this would go some way to explaining why the £14k-per-week man has featured so sparingly for the Hoops this season, making just six starts in all competitions, as well as featuring for a grand total of 681 minutes – the equivalent of seven and a half games.

Furthermore, when the £2.25m-rated midfielder has been on the pitch, he has failed to impress, averaging an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.80 over his eight Premiership appearances – ranking him as Celtic’s joint 11th-worst performer in the league – in addition to averaging an even more disastrous SofaScore match rating of 6.62 over his five Europa League outings.

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As such, considering just how poor the player who RTÉ analyst, Eamon Dunphy, dubbed a “terrible flop” has been for Celtic, Dominic McKay’s decision to commit just shy of £3m on a four-year deal for McCarthy has already proven to be something of a nightmare for the Bhoys – and one that does not seem likely to end any time soon.

AND in other news: Celtic now set to secure prodigy despite English interest, supporters will be buzzing

Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 this afternoon in the Premier League, moving to just three points behind Manchester City at the top of the table, with Pep Guardiola’s side facing Crystal Palace away on Monday night

A brave header from Luis Diaz and a penalty converted by Mohamed Salah secured all three points for the Reds, temporarily moving them ten points clear of Chelsea in third.

While the average match rating for the visitors was 7.17, Guinean midfielder Naby Keita disappointed, only achieving a 6.5 rating as he struggled up against Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and right-back Tariq Lamptey.

The 27-year-old had fewer touches of the ball than Alisson as Liverpool struggled for control, particularly in midfield with Brighton having the majority of possession. Furthermore, Keita only won one of his six duels throughout the game, failed to complete any of his dribbles or long passes and was dribbled past once at the Amex Stadium.

However, Jurgen Klopp is a big fan of the player, having come out with glowing praise of the 26-year-old on Friday amid questions over the possibility of a new contract for the midfielder, who today made his 100th appearance for the Reds.

The Liverpool manager gushed: “Naby’s future will be great. I know that because of the player he is. Until then it makes no sense (to talk about his contract).

“When he looks back at how he played he is an exceptional footballer, that is why we brought him in the first place. Of those 100 games, I think 80 were really good.”

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Keita hasn’t yet fully justified his £54m transfer fee, with him now being valued at £27m, just 50% of Liverpool’s outlay in 2018. With the praise of Klopp ringing in his ears, the Guinean unfortunately let his manager down with a subdued performance against the Seagulls today.

In other news – Forget Diaz: Liverpool monster who won 100% of his duels was Klopp’s real hero

Taking to Twitter, reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has an update for Tottenham Hotspur fans involving in-form loanee Dejan Kulusevski.

The Lowdown: ‘Decky’ shines for Spurs…

Currently on an 18-month temporary spell from Juventus, the Sweden international has been seriously impressing under manager Antonio Conte in recent weeks.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-copy/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, ‘Decky’ has starred as part of a front line alongside marquee players Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, racking up two goals and four assists over Tottenham’s last six Premier League matches (Transfermarkt).

This has led to reports of a major Spurs decision by transfer chief Fabio Paratici, with Juve Live recently claiming that the Lilywhites are already ‘more and more convinced’ over signing him permanently.

Sharing an update, Romano has now posted what he knows about the 21-year-old.

The Latest: Romano shares Kulusevski update…

According to the reporter, Tottenham are ‘more than happy’ with Kulusevski as part of Conte’s ‘long term project’. He also goes into detail on the conditions of a potential permanent move, shedding light on the mandatory purchase clause and how the club can seal him indefinitely ‘this summer’.

Romano explained:

“Tottenham are more than happy with Kulusevski as part of long term project.

Reminder:

▪️ Mandatory buy clause in case Tottenham will qualify to UCL next season/15 appearances as starter;

▪️ €10m loan fee until 2023. Buy clause worth €40m (£33.5) next summer, €35m (£29m) this summer.”

The Verdict: A must?

There is an argument to be made that is early days yet for him at Tottenham, but based on what we’ve seen so far, Kulusevski is clearly a player with huge potential.

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It is little wonder that those within Spurs are overjoyed with the 21-year-old so far and potentially sealing him on a permanent deal for £29m, depending on certain conditions, could actually come as great value for money.

Still young and adapting to the Premier League very quickly, this could certainly be one to watch out for.

In other news: Tottenham make pre-summer bid to sign ‘phenomenal’ £168,000-per-week man, club likely to accept! Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur could be planning for life without Harry Kane, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

The Athletic claim that the Spurs striker is among Manchester United’s prime targets ahead of the summer transfer window, a year on from discussions between executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy.

The Red Devils conceded that any move for the England skipper would have to wait until 2022 after they splashed the cash on international teammate Jadon Sancho.

As such, sources tell the website that renowned Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes has been on the lookout for a potential replacement and has held talks with Benfica forward Darwin Nunez over a potential switch to north London.

Mendes has a great relationship with Levy and sporting director Fabio Paratici, so he could hold the keys to bolstering manager Antonio Conte’s frontline.

Bye-bye Kane?

If Spurs are set for another summer of drama surrounding Kane, then they could well cash in this time as it’ll be the final chance to earn a pretty penny before the expiry of his £200k-per-week contract.

By then, he’ll have turned 29 and staring down the barrel of his thirties, where you could plausibly expect performances to drop off – it remains to be seen if he will age like a fine wine, similar to that of Cristiano Ronaldo or Thiago Silva, playing way beyond their years.

Should Levy cash in this time, then he’ll have a pretty big void to fill and Nunez is an intriguing candidate to take up the mantle, given his extraordinary form for the Primeira Liga giants.

As per Transfermarkt, the Uruguay international – who has earned comparisons to his compatriot Edinson Cavani in some regards – has found the net a whopping 26 times in 33 appearances for the Eagles this term.

Also capable of playing on the left flank, Nunez notched a further 14 goals and 12 assists during the 2020/21 campaign, so it’s no wonder he’s been lauded as the “complete forward” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Scoring goals and also providing assists, the Benfica star is echoing the sorts of accomplishments that Kane is recognised for in N17 – whilst he drops deeper to bring the likes of Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski into play, Nunez is clearly more than capable of creating chances too.

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Currently valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, the former Almeria and Penarol talisman won’t come cheap but when you’ve got to replace a player of Kane’s calibre, then you better be prepared to splash the cash.

Nunez would surely be something of a dream signing for Conte and co, given his relentless work rate and proven goalscoring ability. He’s not Kane but a worthy alternative for the longer term.

AND in other news, Forget Hojbjerg: Paratici could sign Spurs’ next Dembele in £22.5m-rated “phenomenon”…

Kevin Phillips has shared a ‘concern’ that he now has for Sunderland involving Ross Stewart.

The Lowdown: Defoe retires

Jermain Defoe announced his retirement from professional football back in March, meaning that the Stadium of Light faithful only have two recognised strikers at the club in Stewart and Nathan Broadhead.

The latter has been struggling with injury, and so may not feature at home to Gillingham on Saturday afternoon, meaning that Stewart will likely lead the line once more in the League One clash.

The Latest: Stewart worry

Speaking to Football Insider, former Black Cats striker Phillips has claimed that it would now be a ‘major concern’ if Stewart were to get injured, amid fears of potential burnout for the 25-year-old:

“They are down to the bare bones now.

“There is no two ways around it. It is there for everyone to see.

“Ross Stewart has been an incredible player for Sunderland this season. Just like Charlie Wyke was last season, they have relied heavily on him. The goalscoring charts show that.

“It would be a major concern if he was to get injured. The good thing is, he is a very durable player who does not miss many minutes of football.

“The sensible route from Alex Neil would be to manage his game time. Wrap him up in cotton wool. Sit him out of sessions if need be. Keep him ready for the matches. Ross has done exceptionally well this season.”

The Verdict: Hard to rest him

Given the predicament now with Broadhead, and the fact that the Wearside club need to stay in promotion contention, it is hard to rest Stewart from now until the end of the season.

He is their top scorer by far with no fewer than 22 goals scored in total over all competitions, with Broadhead the next best (seven).

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SAFC are currently outside of the play-off places, and while Gillingham are further down the table, three points are absolutely vital in keeping up with the leading pack.

Thus, they will need to play Stewart at full pelt in order to give them the best possible chance of winning, even at the risk of the Scotsman potentially picking up an injury.

In other news, find out who is now set to leave Sunderland with Benji Kimpioka here!