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The Antonio Conte era at Tottenham Hotspur is coming to a predictably explosive end with The Athletic reporting that the club’s hierarchy have already drawn up a shortlist in the quest to find his successor.

With his contract expiring in late June and talks over an extension all but dead and buried, it seems rather likely that Spurs will have a new manager in the dugout next season.

That man could well be former Barcelona and Spain boss Luis Enrique, who has quickly emerged as a frontrunner to take over from the Italian, particularly because he is currently out of work, unlike some of the alternatives.

Aside from a last-gasp run at the top-four last season, beating arch-rivals Arsenal, Conte’s time in north London won’t be remembered for much, if anything at all.

He’ll leave behind an expensive mess of a squad, with players like £60m club-record signing Richarlison and £180k-per-week veteran Ivan Perisic failing to make the desired impact under the one-time Premier League winner.

How much does Ivan Perisic earn at Spurs?

The latter has been particularly shocking, considering his experience as a Serie A and Bundesliga champion, one that also has a Champions League and World Cup runners-up medal in his trophy cabinet too.

Tottenham’s exit from the UCL this week highlighted just how poor he has been, with 90min writer Sean Walsh claiming that the Croatian was “looking older by the week” after his half-time withdrawal against his old foes, AC Milan.

Whilst Perisic did not cost a penny in terms of a transfer fee during the summer, having been available on a free transfer, he did arrive at Hotspur Way on a pretty hefty contract, with only Harry Kane (£200k-per-week) and Heung-min Son (£190k-per-week) earning more amongst the current squad.

It means that chairman Daniel Levy and sporting director Fabio Paratici have already forked out nearly £6.5m on him alone and considering he remains under contract until the end of next season, they’ll have paid over double that by the time he’s off the books – at the very least.

That may not seem like a lot, especially as it’s around a fifth of what they paid to bring Richarlison to the club, it all adds up and such funds could have been invested elsewhere, such as finding a new no.10 or creative midfielder that is capable of pulling the strings to make Kane’s life easier up top.

Instead, Spurs have got themselves a player that ranks outside of Conte’s top ten performers in the Premier League this season, which to put into more context, sees him rank behind the calamitous exploits of Hugo Lloris and the departed Matt Doherty, via WhoScored.

Meanwhile, since the turn of the year, the 34-year-old has managed just one goal contribution in the top-flight, adding to the Lilywhites’ woes in the final third.

All in all, it’s fair to suggest that Perisic has been stealing a living during his time at Tottenham and if the opportunity arises to move him on in the summer, then whoever takes over from Conte must do exactly that to save himself a lot of money and frustration.

AND in other news, “People within Tottenham” – Insider “told” interesting managerial claim from inside Hotspur Way…

Glasgow Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara is likely to ‘stick around’ at Ibrox beyond the 2022/23 Scottish Premiership season, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future

The Finland international’s contract north of the border isn’t set to expire until 2025, but his future has been in doubt for a large amount of time having fallen out of favour under previous manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

The Light Blues star was linked with respective moves to Nice and Salernitana last year, though with any kind of deal having not come to fruition, is still in the building.

Football Insider have reported that the 27-year-old could leave this summer after Michael Beale admitted that he would have to compete for a starting place with Nicolas Raskin, but a departure at this stage looks unlikely.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones delivered a significant update on Kamara’s immediate future at Rangers amid the exit rumours floating around for the last year.

“The stance I’ve heard on this ever since Beale came in is that he is a player he really trusts and would like to use as he steers his way through this season.

“And if we see enough of him between now and the end of the term, as I would expect us to, he will most likely stick around. There’s not the level of interest there once was either.”

The Verdict: Keep hold of him

Kamara has featured in 12 of Beale’s 13 games since returning to Rangers, showing that he sees him as part of his long-term plans, which is why the club should keep hold of him.

The Teddy Bears ace has racked up 11 assists and nine goals during his time at Ibrox and is a useful option to have available with his versatility to play in both defensive and central midfield (Transfermarkt).

The Tampere native is also averaging a league pass success rate of 88.8%, highlighting his ability to dictate the game from the centre of the park.

Kamara was previously dubbed a ‘monster’ by former manager Steven Gerrard and there’s no doubting that he will continue to be an integral member of the squad should he stay put beyond the current campaign.

Arsenal are showing an interest in potentially landing Declan Rice in the summer and they could possibly acquire him for as little as £75m.

What’s the latest?

The Gunners were believed to have been eyeing a new midfielder over the course of the January window but failed in their attempts to sign Moises Caicedo.

It was reported Arsenal saw two big-money bids rejected by Brighton & Hove Albion in the latter stages of the window which saw the Gunners move their attention to Jorginho.

And sign Jorginho exactly what Edu Gaspar has done but there is still the expectation that Arsenal will pursue the likes of Rice in the summer transfer window.

Speaking to The Athletic, journalist David Ornstein has shone some light on Rice’s situation at West Ham United and has suggested the player is unlikely to cost over the £100m mark:

(10:20) “I think it’s more of a contractual situation it’s their last chance to reap a massive transfer fee for him.

“But I think compared to last year when West Ham had no intention or need to sell and the valuation if there was one was said to be in excess of £100m.

“The word that I’m hearing from around the industry is that £75m/£80m/£85m is a more realistic figure that can Rice this coming summer.”

Gettable in the summer

Rice’s contract situation at West Ham has become somewhat of a sticky situation for the hammers with the midfielder having rejected three fresh proposals to extend his stay at the London Stadium.

However, last year, manager David Moyes suggested it would take £150m to prise the Irons’ prized asset away over the course of the summer window.

Now months on from this, Rice has just over one year remaining on his deal with West Ham meaning this summer is the final opportunity for the Hammers to cash in on him for a significant price.

But it does seem as if the huge £150m price tag put on his head by Moyes could be halved in the coming months which could prove a seriously attractive deal for many clubs.

It is apparent the money is there for Arsenal to spend in the summer given they are believed to have lodged a second bid for Caicedo which was also worth in the region of £70m.

But in Rice, Arsenal could potentially add a homegrown player which is important for clubs playing in the Champions League as they have specific quotas to meet.

And given he has now 187 Premier League appearances to his name and is at home in London, it could be a deal which would make a lot of sense for the 24-year-old.

Glasgow Rangers are close to completing the signing of Nicolas Raskin, according to reports on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Rangers’ pursuit of Raskin

The Ibrox giants have been linked with a move for the 21-year-old since last summer, with the Premiership club said to be locked in talks with Standard Liege at the end of August. However, no agreement was reached, as the Light Blues wanted the Belgian club to lower their expectations about the size of the bid.

In recent days, it has emerged that Rangers are ‘serious’ about signing the midfielder ‘in the next few days’, and the deal is now believed to be edging towards completion.

The Latest: Deal close…

According to a report from Glasgow Live, Rangers boss Michael Beale is close to bringing in the 21-year-old, who could be available on a cut-price deal, given that his contract expires at the end of the season.

The Light Blues’ manager has been keen to bolster his midfield options this month, with the report also claiming that Todd Cantwell is set to be unveiled as a Rangers player next week after a deal was agreed with Norwich.

The Verdict: Make it happen

Journalist Bob Faesen has hailed Raskin as ‘technically gifted’, while he also praised the 21-year-old’s versatility, stating that he is able to ‘play in every position in the middle of the park’.

During the 2022/23 campaign, the Belgian has not featured further forward than central midfield, playing in a more defensive role on five occasions. He has still managed to display his playmaking talents, though, weighing in with four assists in the Jupiler Pro League.

With Steven Davis on the treatment table for the remainder of the season, Rangers could do with another option in the midfield engine room. Raskin would be a viable long-term replacement for the Northern Ireland veteran, capable of offering attacking contributions but also able to chip in defensively when necessary.

He has notably averaged 3.3 tackles per game this season, which far outstrips the averages of every Rangers player in that regard, so Beale needs to try and make this deal happen before the transfer window closes in nine days’ time.

Arsenal are one of several teams keeping tabs on Youssoufa Moukoko’s situation at Borussia Dortmund…

What’s the word?

That’s according to 90min, who claim that the Bundesliga outfit are struggling to tie the 18-year-old down to a new contract, meaning he is increasingly likely to leave in the summer.

It’s thought that the teenage forward is after a deal worth €200k-per-week (£176k) but Dortmund have offered around half of that in what would be similar terms to summer signing Karem Adeyemi.

Moukoko’s agents are also after a release clause – just as the club did with Erling Haaland – but the two parties aren’t close on reaching a number.

As such, Chelsea and Newcastle United have held talks with his representatives, whilst the Gunners and arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur, along with Liverpool and Manchester United, are all keeping a close eye on the situation, as per the report.

A big Nketiah upgrade

Whether this situation could open up a move before the January 31st deadline remains to be seen but in Moukoko, Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar could find a serious upgrade to Eddie Nketiah.

The Hale End graduate has been in fine form in 2023, scoring four goals in four starts since manager Mikel Arteta lost his key man Gabriel Jesus to a long-term injury but that shouldn’t stop the club from adding further quality to the frontline.

The 23-year-old has bagged 30 goals across 115 appearances for his boyhood club, which isn’t really a talismanic record, though to his credit, he has rarely started.

However, still in his teens, Moukoko has already been capped by Germany at senior level and has found the net 11 times in 59 outings. Similar to Nketiah, the 18-year-old has been an absolute goal-machine at youth level, having produced 127 goals and 26 assists in just 84 appearances in all competitions for BVB at youth level.

Compared to Samuel Eto’o by Bundesliga.com, the German sensation has also been lauded by the aforementioned Haaland, once a teammate of his.

“Moukoko’s much better than I was at his age,” he said. “I’ve never seen such a good 15-year-old in my life. The advantage for him is that he’s already playing for Dortmund at the age of 15. At his age, I was still playing for my home town of Bryne.”

Also dubbed a “massive talent” by journalist Richard Cusack, Moukoko has actually been likened to Arsenal’s current frontman in terms of statistical profile by FBref, as well as ex-Gunners star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Dortmund wonderkid also ranks inside the top 6% for non-penalty expected goals and the top 7% for assists per 90, when compared to fellow strikers across Europe’s leading five divisions, which is pretty good going for an 18-year-old. Nketiah, meanwhile, sits back in the top 17% and 79% for the same statistics.

As such, Edu could well find Arteta a real star of the future in Moukoko, seeing as he appears to be a far greater talent than his in-form bagsman, so whether it’s now or in the summer, Arsenal should look to sign him at all costs.

AND in other news, Arsenal can bag bargain Mudryk alternative in £10m “phenomenon” who’s “a Messi clone”…

Newcastle United have reportedly submitted a ‘very big offer’ for Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy ahead of a possible January move.

The Lowdown: Newcastle looking at January signings

The Magpies may be excelling at the moment but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be putting their new-found financial power to good use and trying to upgrade the squad even further.

Eddie Howe will be aware that he needs to keep improving his squad if they are to finish in the top four, with a few sprinklings of quality potentially making all the difference.

While Newcastle have been linked with numerous attacking additions, a rumour regarding a defender has also emerged.

The Latest: Offer submitted for Mendy

According to Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], Newcastle have actually ‘already submitted a very big offer‘ to Real Madrid for the services of left-back Mendy.

The Magpies are ‘very interested’ in acquiring the Frenchman’s signature, having tracked his progress ‘for a little while’.

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The Verdict: Immediate left-back upgrade

Mendy could be a fantastic signing by Newcastle in January, coming in as a clear upgrade on Dan Burn, even though he is doing a brilliant job in an unconventional role.

The 27-year-old has made 12 starts in La Liga for Madrid this season, and won the Champions League last term, and he would provide more natural attacking quality than Burn, currently creating one chance per game for Real.

It is signings like these that could help Newcastle reach that next level and snapping up someone who has played regularly for one of Europe’s biggest clubs would feel like a major coup, if Madrid are willing to sell.

Reporter Pete O’Rourke has described the possibility of Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha leaving Selhurst Park for nothing as a ‘huge blow’.

The Lowdown: New terms snubbed

The 30-year-old is over seven years into his second stint with Palace and has taken his appearance tally to 443, scoring 89 goals and registering 73 assists in total.

Zaha’s contract is up in the summer, though, and recent reports have suggested that the Ivorian has ‘rejected multiple offers’ to extend his stay at Palace, with Tottenham ‘keen’ on his services.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to The Transfer Tavern regarding Zaha, O’Rourke labelled the forward as Palace’s ‘talisman’ and said that a free transfer departure in the summer ‘would be a huge blow’ for the Eagles.

“He’s been their talisman for quite a few years now. Maybe he feels he wants a new challenge. If he does leave on a free transfer in the summer, it would be a huge blow and big boots to fill for Crystal Palace.”

The Verdict: Cash in?

January could well be the final chance Palace have to receive any money for Zaha, so Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman may look into a potential sale in the New Year.

Zaha is currently valued at €32m (£27.8m) by Transfermarkt, so you’d expect that the Eagles may still receive an eight-figure fee over the coming weeks.

Patrick Vieira would need a new marquee attacker to come in for Zaha in the winter window should he depart, so the club could be in for a busy start to 2023.

While West Bromwich Albion are currently benefitting from the tactical tweaks of new manager Carlos Corberan, the Midlands outfit have struggled somewhat this season up front, with Steve Bruce arguably losing his job because of this lack of proficiency.

Both Karlan Grant and Brandon Thomas-Asante have only mustered three Championship goals each this season, and his January signing Daryl Dike has only managed to feature four times over the last year due to his various injuries.

That could perhaps have left fans of the Midlands outfit dreaming of their best strikers of old, who could have helped fire them to a place in the table higher than their current 21st position.

Of the last decade, it can only be Romelu Lukaku who first springs to mind, given how electric he was during his stint.

Signed by Steve Clarke on loan, the Belgian marksman would notch 17 Premier League goals and assist a further seven as he helped the Baggies earn a top-half finish.

To finish 17th the season following would only serve to exacerbate his importance at the Hawthorns.

He would go on to join Everton and later Manchester United, where he scored a further 129, establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s best strikers in recent history and an “animal” in the eyes of former footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Whilst his exploits have arguably been missed ever since he left the Midlands, his recent performance in the World Cup will have fans feeling slightly less jealous of his absence.

Having entered the tournament clearly unfit, he was brought on for his side in their crunch group game against Croatia.

With the score level at 0-0, he was handed the second half to hopefully fire an uninspired Red Devils into the round of 16.

However, what occurred was frankly unprecedented.

Lukaku would miss an astounding four big chances, earning an expected goals of 1.73 without scoring once, via Sofascore.

Not only this, but he was also wasteful in the creation of opportunities, recording just a 63% pass accuracy among his miserable 15 touches.

His misses saw the scoreline remain unchanged, resulting in Belgium’s embarrassing exit from the World Cup.

Alan Shearer was quick to jump to his defence whilst live on the BBC, but did admit: “He was nowhere near ready”. He continued: “He’s only played 31 minutes since August, Gary, so he’s clearly no way near fit and that showed. It can’t all be put down to him, that elimination.”

Despite this, West Brom fans would have been watching and thinking with that kind of finishing, even they wouldn’t take him back.

Manchester United officials have watched Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong on multiple occasions, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Frimpong linked with Man United

Hailed as a ‘special player’ by his manager Xabi Alonso, Frimpong has been linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent weeks. The 21-year-old can also play further forward or as a left-back, with reports suggesting that the Red Devils could make a winter move.

Chelsea are also looking at a potential move for the Netherlands international, who will be representing his country at the World Cup.

The Latest: Romano’s comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano said that United could do with a new right-back and that they are ‘following’ Frimpong.

The transfer expert added that Red Devils scouts have watched the player on multiple occasions but said that a transfer could be complicated due to Leverkusen’s current stance.

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Romano stated: “They need probably a new right-back. As an opportunity on the market, Jeremie Frimpong is one of the players they are following.

“They have sent their scouts multiple times to follow him, but Bayer Leverkusen will try to keep the player until the end of the season, so it’s not going to be an easy one.”

The Verdict: Wan-Bissaka replacement?

It seems as if Aaron Wan-Bissaka isn’t fancied by Erik ten Hag, with the full-back playing just four minutes of action during the current campaign.

He has been linked with a return to Crystal Palace, and should an exit materialise, United may need to add to their right-back ranks in order to have alternatives to Diogo Dalot.

Frimpong has gone from strength to strength since leaving Celtic for Leverkusen and now holds a career-high Transfermarkt valuation of €25m (£21.9m), so he could be the ideal addition at Old Trafford due to his versatility and scope to improve even further over the coming years.

This season is shaping up to be another dismal one for Leeds United with Jesse Marsch becoming sick of the sight of losing.

After beating Chelsea back in August, this season was supposed to be different for the Yorkshire club but it has not worked out that way.

Patrick Bamford has had his injury problems again and it looks as though the sales of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha in the same window has done them few favours.

They were eight matches without a win before facing Liverpool on Saturday night but Marsch’s men responded to their critics emphatically by beating the Reds on their own patch.

That simply doesn’t happen to Jurgen Klopp’s team but Rodrigo and Crysencio Summerville were both on form to take three points back to Elland road.

For the Dutchman, it was undoubtedly the best moment of his career to date and he will now be hoping to emulate the aforementioned Raphinha.

His arrival on the scene has been timely and is rather coincidental with recent claims suggesting Leeds’ chase of Summerville’s compatriot, Cody Gakpo, is essentially dead in the water with the Dutch menace now one of the most feared players on the continent.

Indeed, the PSV star has had a staggering season so far that has seen him register a jaw-dropping 13 goals and 16 assists in 22 outings.

Form like that will likely take him to the world’s elite but Victor Orta could rescue Marsch’s side by identifying a suitable alternative.

One suggestion of late has been that of Noah Okafor with recent reports claiming Leeds are one of the teams taking an interest in the RB Salzburg forward.

The 22-year-old is a dynamic talent and would be a superb addition to the Leeds ranks, particularly if he can follow in the footsteps of Erling Haaland, a man who like Okafor has torn the Austrian Bundesliga to shreds.

There is plenty in common between the two, much more than just the Austrian club, with Marsch having managed them both in his coaching career.

The current Salzburg livewire has made a real name for himself and it’s in 2022/23 that he’s begun to become more of a household name.

He has found the net on nine occasions this season with 1/3 of those strikes coming in the Champions League.

Those three goals have ensured that only Haaland has scored more in Europe’s elite competition for the Red Bull club.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian powerhouse is the only other player at an Austrian club, besides Okafor to score on each of the first three matchdays of a Champions League campaign.

Clearly blessed with immense talent, both players were scouted by the great Christoph Freund, a layer that adds further substance to the comparison at hand.

In the words of talent scout, Jacek Kulig, the young forward is “simply phenomenal” and as a consequence, it might not be long before he’s settling down in Leeds.

Such an eventuality, however, will likely fall by the wayside unless Orta can lure him away from other prying eyes.

Interest in Okafor is high and with a World Cup around the corner he looks set to take Qatar by storm. The Switzerland international is already in “crazy form” in the words of Kulig and with two goals in eight caps, he’s hit the ground running positively for his nation.

Many already know his name but he could truly announce himself on the world stage over the winter as he looks to put himself in the shop window ahead of January by enjoying a ‘crazy’ tournament.

Leeds, however, will hope that he doesn’t impress too much and their pursuit, as it did with Gakpo, doesn’t become impossible.

The attacker is one of the finest young talents in the game but Leeds could be a happy stepping stone for the Swiss. After all, Marsch has shown recently that he’s willing to trust in youth – just ask Summerville.

Okafor should also be comforted by the fact that he already has a relationship with the American manager. He was his coach at Salzburg when he arrived and under the 48-year-old’s tutelage, the bustling attacker scored ten times in 44 outings.

There is so much to like about the 6 foot 1 striker and Haaland is already a shining example that investing in those plying their trade in Austria is a wise idea. Over to you, Orta.