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Tottenham Hotspur are considering a swoop for Galatasaray centre-back Victor Nelsson this summer, with the north London club desperate for some defensive reinforcement.

For the first time since 2009/10, the Lilywhites have failed to reach European competition and will now need to work diligently on the transfer front to ensure that the seasonal misfortune is not replicated next term.

The somewhat shrewd appointment of Ange Postecoglou from Celtic has installed cautious optimism that a grounded coach with an eye-catching philosophy can dispel the malaise.

And his first order of business could be to swoop for Nelsson and provide the Premier League with its latest hot prospect, according to Turkish newspaper Takvim, with the Danish ace's contract containing a €25m (£22m) release clause.

Previous reports have linked Premier League rivals Newcastle United and Serie A giants Napoli and AC Milan to a transfer, while a recent report from Fanatik claims Arsenal could yet swoop, which only emphasises the need to strike swiftly in order to tie up a deal.

Should Tottenham sign Victor Nelsson?

Postecoglou will have his work cut out this summer, but this burgeoning defender could create a foundation from which more prosperous fortunes can be gleaned.

The 24-year-old played 33 times in the Turkish Super Lig this season as Galatasaray revelled in title-winning glory, with Sofascore recording his average match rating at a solid 6.95 as he completed 86% of his passes, averaged one interception, 3.3 clearances per game and succeeded with 65% of his aerial duels.

The ten-cap Denmark international has left the likes of Jacek Kulig waxing lyrical, with the talent scout saying: "Nelsson is a great mix of a pure defender and ball-playing centre-back. He can also play as a defensive midfielder.

"Great defensive skills combined with really good ball skills. The future leader of the Danish defence. Another pearl produced by FC Nordsjælland."

Given Postecoglou's preference to implement a fast-paced and possession-centric system, with centre-halfs expected to be comfortable on the ball, this could set Nelsson up nicely to cement a starting berth in the Lilywhites' team, potentially displacing Eric Dier in the process.

Dier has made 361 appearances for Spurs since signing from Sporting Lisbon for a bargain £4m in 2014 and has been a dynamic presence in north London, though he has been culpable for lacklustre performances this year. One such performance against Bournemouth attracted vast criticism after his poor clearance led to a Cherries goal.

The 49-cap England international matches up to Nelsson's skill set, completing 86% of his passes in the top flight this term, averaging 1.1 interceptions and 3.3 clearances per game, also winning 70% of his aerial duels.

Described as a "Danish lion" by Resit Omer Kukner, one of Cimbom's board members, Nelsson is on the cusp of prominence and will be hoping to earn a move to the Premier League this summer to take the next step in his progress, and at Tottenham, he could be provided with a starring role.

Burnley outscored every other team en route to finishing as winners of the Championship this past season, but Vincent Kompany is ready to add to his attacking options ahead of embarking on his first season as a Premier League manager.

Queens Park Rangers striker Lyndon Dykes is being eyed up by the Clarets, according to the Daily Mail, and he could bring something a little different to Turf Moor should he arrive.

Who is Burnley target Lyndon Dykes?

Dykes spent the first seven years of his career in his native Australia and Scotland – whom he now represents at international level – before being given a break in English football with QPR in August 2020.

The 27-year-old finished his first season at the club as top scorer with 12 goals and a further five assists, and has scored eight goals in each of the past two Championship campaigns, the most recent of which was disrupted by a worrying health scare in January.

After returning from a two-month lay-off, Dykes made up for lost time with a strong end to the 2022/23 campaign, scoring twice in QPR's final six matches and being named Man of the Match by WhoScored in half of those games.

Dykes also has a respectable eight goals in 28 caps for Scotland, but there is more to his game than simply finding the net, as reflected in the 4.8 aerial duels won per game in the Championship last season – the most of any QPR player.

Do Burnley need a Chris Wood 2.0?

Alan Hutton previously described Dykes as a "focal point" that one of his previous clubs, Rangers, could have done with at a time they were being linked with the striker in 2020.

Given his size, with QPR's official website putting him down as 6 foot 2, there are obvious comparisons to be made with former Burnley player Wood, who himself measures in at 6 foot 3.

A career-wide comparison of the two players only highlights their similarities in terms of playing style. Sofascore gives Wood a rating of 62 for his attacking play compared to 61 for Dykes, while the pair are both rated at 44 for creativity, as per Sofascore.

However, it is the physical side of the game where they are really alike, with the New Zealand international ranking in the top 9% of strikers in Europe's top five leagues for aerials won per 90. Comparatively, Dykes ranks among the best 8% in the next eight best divisions for the same metric.

Wood reached double figures for goals in all four full Premier League seasons with Burnley, before earning a move to Newcastle United in January 2022, so he undoubtedly has more goalscoring quality than unproven Dykes.

Yet, for a player who is rated at a small fee of just £2m, according to Football Transfers, it is clear to see why Burnley are showing a reported interest in the Aussie-born forward.

For while Kompany has transformed Burnley's style of play in his first year in charge, bringing on Dykes from the bench could act as a perfect back-up plan next season.

West Ham United hold a concrete interest in signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah, who has his sights set on a move to the Premier League this summer, according to a report.

What's the latest West Ham transfer news?

West Ham have already been linked with moves for several defenders, including Manchester United's Harry Maguire, having already made an enquiry about his potential availability this summer, amid an uncertain future at Old Trafford.

In terms of options from abroad, journalist Mirko Di Natale reports that the Hammers hold a "great interest" in Juventus' Koni De Winter, and a transfer battle could be on the cards, with Monza, Sassuolo and Bayer Leverkusen also name checked.

Leverkusen may be looking at De Winter as a potential replacement for Tah, as according to German outlet BILD (via Sport Witness), the defender is now "pushing for a change" after eight years with the club.

The 27-year-old's preferred destination is England, as it his dream to play in the Premier League, but there are several English sides showing an interest, so there is likely to be fierce competition for his signature.

The Hammers are showing "very concrete" interest in signing the German, but they will have to stump up his release clause of €18m (£15.5m) prior to the beginning of July, at which point it expires.

David Moyes' hope is that a victory in the Europa Conference League final could help convince the centre-back to move to the London Stadium.

Who is Jonathan Tah?

Tah has played in Germany throughout his entire professional career, making 305 appearances for Leverkusen, establishing himself as a key player, having missed just one Bundesliga game throughout the entire 2022-23 season.

Former Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller has spoken highly of the former Hamburg man, describing him as "quick, technically gifted but still robust", while he is also very comfortable in possession of the ball.

Over the past year, the 6 foot 5 colossus ranks in the 90th percentile for his pass-completion rate per 90, when compared to his positional peers, but he does not win as many headers as you'd perhaps expect, ranking in just the 45th percentile for aerials won.

That said, the 16-time Germany international could still be a very solid signing for a fee of just £15.5m, and West Ham could be well-placed to win the race for his signature, if they win the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday.

Ligue 1 Journalist Robin Bairner has now revealed some significant Newcastle United transfer news on Lucas Paqueta, and it’s not the update fans may have been hoping for.

The Lowdown: Offer prepared?

With the summer transfer window officially opening today, it has been reported that the St. James’ Park outfit are preparing an offer to sign Paqueta.

Any deal would mirror that of the one that brought Bruno Guimaraes to the North East in January, as he too was a Brazilian midfielder who played for Lyon.

Of course, ‘Bruno’ has become an immediate fan favourite on Tyneside, and the fact he is such good friends with Paqueta is sure to endear his compatriot to the Toon Army immediately if a deal gets done.

The Latest: Hold your horses

Taking to Twitter, Bairner, who covers French football, has revealed that while the Tyneside club have been eyeing a move for Paqueta, there has been no concrete approach from them thus far:

“Newcastle have been linked but I’ve been told they haven’t made a concrete approach.”

The Verdict: Time ticking

With the window officially open, time is now ticking for the Magpies if they want to get a deal for Paqueta done.

Other clubs are also thought to be interested in his signature, namely Arsenal, who can offer him the added incentive of European football next season.

Thus, the Toon may want to test the waters with Lyon in terms of making an official approach, and get an idea of how much he is going to cost.

Bairner has shared that it could cost as much as €60m (£51m) to sign the playmaker, which would end up breaking their transfer record after they signed Joelinton from Hoffenheim for a reported £40m back in 2019.

In other news, find out what late-night NUFC update Craig Hope has revealed here!

Liverpool have had a successful season winning two trophies, competing closely in the Premier League title race and getting to the Champions League final, but now a huge transfer update has emerged ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to Guinea-based outlet Imedias.net (via Liverpool Echo), Paris Saint Germain are interested in signing Naby Keita this summer.

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As per the report, it is believed that the Ligue 1 champions could make a £42.5m bid for the midfielder who is in the last 12 months of his contract at his current club on Merseyside.

Klopp can finally axe Keita

Since his arrival at the club four years ago Keita hasn’t had an easy ride with numerous injury troubles, and if there is an opportunity in the last year of his contract to sell on the player for a large amount of money, Klopp and FSG should welcome the opportunity.

The Liverpool midfielder was brought into the club in 2018 for £52.75m and his market value is now rated at just £27m according to Transfermarkt, so if this rumoured bid from PSG has any truth to it, it would be major coup for Liverpool to move on and spend the money strengthening the team.

The £130k-per-week midfielder who was dubbed “not good enough” by Dietmar Hamman, has had 16 different instances of injury or illness accumulating 307 days out of the team which is equal to 62 fixtures for Liverpool during his time at the club. Evidently, that has clearly affected his consistency and reliability in the team.

Despite his injury problems, Keita has been able to pick up a run of form this season in the Premier League making 23 appearances, which is shockingly the most appearances he has made for the club since his first season in 2018/19.

With that being said, Aurelien Tchouameni is a reported target that Liverpool wants to pursue and if they could build some transfer funds this summer it could put the club in a good position to make a competitive offer for the Monaco midfielder.

Thus, if the bid is accurate for Keita, FSG should jump at the chance to make the sale.

AND in other news: Liverpool can land dream Mane heir in £43m deal for “exceptional” 25 y/o “nightmare”

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly now targeting a move to bring centre-back Cameron Humphreys to Ibrox to play under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

The Lowdown: Bassey exit?

It has been widely reported that Calvin Bassey could leave the Gers this summer to play in the Premier League.

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Connor Goldson is also going out of contract, meaning that the Light Blues may have to bring in one or two new central defenders once the window opens, as well as John Souttar.

The Latest: Humphreys targeted

Writing in his latest piece for TEAMtalk, transfer insider Graeme Bailey has revealed that the Teddy Bears will now ‘target’ a move for Humphreys, and are ‘keen’ to get a deal done.

He has a number of clubs interested in his signature, after deciding to leave Belgian team Zulte Waregem as a free agent.

RFC want to bring in a new centre-back, amid ‘fears’ that Bassey could leave.

The Verdict: Big boots to fill

If Bassey were to go, then Humphreys would certainly have some big boots to fill if he is brought in as a replacement.

That said, the six-foot-two colossus is fairly experienced at 23 years of age, playing for Premier League champions Manchester City before moving to Belgium, while he has also played at youth level for England (Transfermarkt).

However, a lot will depend on Bassey’s future, and whether Goldson ends up signing a new deal.

In other news, find out which other free transfer Rangers are now eyeing here!

Sunderland’s 26-year-old American Lynden Gooch does not know where he will be playing his football next season.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from the Northern Echo, who claim that the American’s future is up in the air, with talks over his future at the Stadium of Light scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

Despite playing the full 90 minutes in Sunderland’s 2-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers in the League One play-off final, the player who has been at Sunderland since 2016 said this after the game that secured promotion:

“I don’t know where I’m going to be next season so we’re going to have to wait and see. If this is my last game for Sunderland then there is not a better way to go out.

“I’ve got a meeting with him (Alex Neil) on Tuesday and we’ll see what happens. It is what it is. I’ve give everything for the club in my ten years as a pro. We’ll see what happens.

“If it’s my last game then happy days, I can go out on a high. If not, then I’ll continue to represent the club as best I can.” as per Northern Echo.

A potential disaster

Quite simply, letting go of a player who is approaching his prime, who has started 72% of his 38 League One appearances, and has stuck with the club during one of its worst periods would be a disaster from a Neil perspective.

Particularly when you bear in mind the fight that Sunderland will face next year in terms of keeping their status as a Championship outfit. The side will never want to see League One again, after being stuck in England’s third division for four years.

Gooch has been a massive part of Sunderland since his initial breakthrough in 2016 and has represented the Black Cats in all three tiers; the Premier League, Championship and League One.

The part the £5k-per-week earner has played for Sunderland in their promotion bid this season was integral. His versatility has been his best offering for the club, occupying six different positions across both flanks for Neil.

In the Championship, the depth that Gooch offers will be integral in what will be a potentially gruelling fight for survival.

Neil will need players who know the club well and can offer stability through consistency.

Gooch can offer exactly that and is a player who “truly gets it” in the words of the Chronicle.

In other news: Sunderland may be on the verge of repeating their Charlie Wyke disaster this summer