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Leeds United are now in advanced talks to sign Valerenga goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days had suggested that the Whites were eyeing up a move for the 1.89m (6 foot 2) ace as they look to bolster their goalkeeping ranks following the departure of Kiko Casilla on a season-long loan.

Football Insider have now delivered an exciting update on the situation.

They claimed that a Leeds source has revealed: “Klaesson is now the top keeper target and discussions are progressing well over a potential deal. The Premier League outfit have offered a contract to the Valerenga number one and a deal is edging closer.

“Leeds have already applied for a work permit for the youngster, who is not yet a full Norway international. However, he has represented his country all the way through the age groups up to Under-21 level and United are confident of their application being successful.”

Bielsa will love it

Having given the green light for Casilla to join Elche for the upcoming season, Leeds are left short in terms of goalkeeping backup to first-choice shot-stopper Illan Meslier.

In Klaesson, the Whites can go a long way to not only securing a viable rotation option, but also someone who could potentially challenge Meslier for that number one jersey in the years to come, especially given that he’s only 20 years old.

Valerenga sporting director Jørgen Ingebrigtsen has already spoken about the kind of work Victor Orta has put in behind the scenes, saying: “The best clubs, and the best environments, work long-term with player recruitment. There, Victor is one of the brightest in the subject. Leeds arrived on the field in the summer of 2019 and have been very good. We have had a good dialogue with them.

“They obviously saw something of Kristoffer early that they liked, and have been good at updating themselves on developments.”

Not only will Bielsa love that the Whites are acting so decisively in addressing a potential concern in his squad, but Klaesson’s age makes him someone who is a perfect fit for the long-term at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign their new Pablo Hernandez in this star…

A major update has emerged on Preston striker Jayden Stockley, one which will impact Portsmouth’s transfer plans this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to Hampshire Live, Portsmouth are set to miss out on a deal to sign Preston North End striker Jayden Stockley this summer. Pompey had agreed a fee with Preston for Stockley, but League One rivals Charlton are now the favourites to land his signature as that is the player’s preferred destination.

The report claims that Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley was a keen admirer of Stockley and was eager to add him to his squad ahead of next season. Pompey are not the only League One team to be hit by this blow, as Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Ipswich have also been named being interested in Stockley.

Charlton owner Thomas Sandgaard lavished praise on the “prolific” forward upon his arrival at The Valley in January. He told London News Online:

“It’s great we have been able to bring in another prolific striker to the club. Jayden has shown he can score goals and gives us more options going forwards.

“Interest in Jayden was high, so I am delighted we have been able to bring him to Charlton. We have a strikeforce that will be the envy of many teams in our division, so I’m looking forward to seeing them in action.”

Cowley will be devastated

Portsmouth head coach Cowley will be devastated by this update. It had appeared as though Portsmouth were on course to win the race for Stockley, due to a prior report from Hampshire Live, but now, they have been dealt a cruel blow with Charlton pushing past them to snap him up.

After agreeing a fee with Preston, they will now watch Stockley join one of their League One rivals and potentially help them get promoted to the Championship next season if all goes well for Nigel Adkins.

The English dynamo was directly involved in 10 goals for Charlton in League One. He managed eight goals and two assists in 20 starts for the Addicks and was previously prolific for Exeter in the Football League, scoring an impressive 49 goals in 98 games whilst also providing seven assists. This shows that he has a proven track record of performing in the EFL and that he could have been an added goal threat for Cowley’s team, which is why the Pompey boss was keen to sign him from Preston.

Goalscoring is not his only strength as a striker. Stockley’s target man play for Charlton was exceptional last season as he averaged 9.8 aerial battles won per game. He was also dispossessed just 0.8 times per game, which shows that he was able to hold on to the ball well without defenders taking it off him – offering a valuable outlet for teams who need to clear the ball away and get up the pitch.

Cowley will be devastated that he has missed out on a deal for Stockley at the last minute, given how good a player he’s proven to be at the League One level.

AND in other news, Get it done: Pompey must seal deal for “great” £2.2k-p/w ace after Cowley’s comments…

Nottingham Forest have confirmed that James Clarridge has signed his first professional deal with the Reds.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a statement posted on the club website, in which Forest revealed that they have tied the highly-rated 17-year-old centre-back, who has been on the club’s books for 10 years, down to a professional contract.

In reaction to the deal, Clarridge said: “This is a really big step for me and I’m excited to continue my time with the club. My first professional contract is a big step for me and my family and it’s a really proud moment for us all.”

Hughton will be buzzing

With The Athletic’s Paul Taylor stating his belief that Clarridge is one of Forest’s stars of the future, the fact that the Reds have got the signing of such a promising young player over the line is sure to delight Chris Hughton.

According to Taylor, the 17-year-old is seen as a “very interesting” prospect by the Nottingham Forest academy staff.

Having regularly featured for both the club’s U18 and U23 sides this season, the centre-back has demonstrated that he is already comfortable while in possession of the ball, as well as showing that he has the attributes to develop into a leader at the club. It is also claimed by The Athletic that Clarridge is very strong physically, while also being accomplished technically.

In the same article, it is reported that a number of Premier League clubs had been beginning to take notice of the Forest youth prospect, who is currently a part of the England U17 setup.

As such, the fact that Clarridge will now be spending the next few years with Forest, at the very least, is undoubtedly fantastic news for the club, as it would very much appear as if the Garibaldis could have a real talent on their hands in the not so distant future.

In other news: Promising transfer news emerges on “unreal” 23 G/A star that’ll have NFFC fans buzzing – opinion

Former Premier League manager Lawrie Sanchez told The Transfer Tavern that Steven Gerrard would struggle to reject the Tottenham job, but believes he should stay at Rangers.

It’s strongly believed that Gerrard will eventually replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, but following the Reds’ impressive end to the campaign, that’s incredibly unlikely to be the case this summer.

As a result, the Rangers boss is constantly being linked with other jobs, one of which being Spurs, who are still without a manager more than six weeks after Jose Mourinho’s sacking.

Gerrard has overseen Rangers for three seasons, and finally guided them to their first Scottish Premiership title for more than a decade.

It was more the manor that has seen the former Liverpool midfielder draw the plaudits, though. His Rangers outfit reached 100 points for the first time ever and managed to remain unbeaten throughout the league campaign, ending Celtic’s hopes of an unprecedented 10 in a row.

But would he snap up the opportunity to join Spurs or remain at Rangers, who’re now back in the Champions League?

Sanchez told The Transfer Tavern:

“I think he’d find it difficult to turn down. Klopp is going to be there for another couple of years at least.

“If I was Stevie G, I would win the title with Rangers again and wait and see – Klopp has had a poor year. If he goes to Spurs, and fails, you saw what happened with Lampard at Chelsea, it’s held against you.

“If offered, very difficult to turn down. If I were him, I’d think ‘I’m going to do the treble with Rangers’ and by this time next year, the Liverpool situation might have improved.”

Dean Windass thinks Jack Grealish’s Aston Villa future could depend on how the club start the season, but has tipped the midfielder to be gone before Christmas.

Grealish is on the radar of champions Manchester City, who’re desperate to sign both the Aston Villa man and Harry Kane in a sensational double swoop this summer.

Whilst Manchester United and Chelsea might have their say, strong reports believe that both sides are willing to make the deal happen.

Grealish is currently away with England at the European Championships, with his excellent form for his club making him one of the hottest talents in the Premier League.

The Villa captain missed a large chunk of last season through injury, but still managed an impressive 18 goal contributions in just 26 appearances, with his 12 assists bettered only by Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, and Three Lions colleague Kane.

With four years remaining on the deal he signed following Villa’s escape last summer, City or whoever will need to pay around the £100m mark, but Windass told The Transfer Tavern that he doesn’t expect the 25-year-old to stay loyal to his boyhood club:

“I can’t see Jack Grealish being at Aston Villa by Christmas. If he has a good Euro’s, he starts well and then Villa struggle, but it depends on what Villa do.

“They’ve spent a lot of money on Buendia, but where does Jack Grealish want to go, where do his ambitions lie? He’s a local lad, he’s captain, he’s their king, but depending on how Villa do, will depend on what happens to Jack Grealish.”

Leicester City are set to compete with Arsenal for the signature Ryan Bertrand over the summer after he leaves Southampton on a free transfer.

What’s the story?

According to The Telegraph, Brendan Rodgers is set to offer the 31-year-old left-back a contract over the summer as he searches for Christian Fuchs’ replacement.

Bertrand announced that he is set to end his six-year stay on the south coast over the coming months, and several Premier League clubs are expected to do battle for his services.

One particularly strong performance against Manchester United last summer led to the defender being hailed as “superb” by The Athletic correspondent Dan Sheldon, who was speaking on the Total Saints Podcast [via This Is Futbol]. Meanwhile, his averages of 2.1 tackles, one interception and 1.3 clearances per game hint at a player with an unfailing defensive work rate.

Rodgers masterstroke

With 35-year-old full-back Fuchs expected to leave the King Power Stadium after the conclusion of the current campaign and James Justin facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines through injury, bringing in some experienced competition for Luke Thomas has become a priority for Leicester.

The Foxes are also reportedly interested in signing Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare and Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard as Rodgers looks to add strength in depth to his relatively thin ranks ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and those are transfers which could take up a sizeable chunk of the club’s budget.

Therefore, acquiring Bertrand on a free transfer to solve a temporary issue may prove to be a masterstroke from their Northern Irish manager.

Leicester have had incredible success over the last few seasons by being very clever in the transfer market, signing relatively unknown talents such as N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez for low fees before selling them on for a healthy profit.

Their policy has allowed the 2016 Premier League champions to punch well above their weight, and this could prove to be the latest clever acquisition, but for slightly different reasons.

Bringing in Bertrand while the highly-rated Justin recovers will allow Rodgers to focus his side’s modest resources on more important areas of the pitch, meaning that a push for the Champions League qualifications could once again be the cards for next season.

Signing a £9m-rated player (Transfermarkt) with more than 250 Premier League games under the belt for free should be a smart piece of business, and when it means Leicester can strengthen in other positions as well, it can be considered a significant coup if it comes off.

In other news… Leicester could land Rodgers his next Vardy with £40m swoop for “incredible” colossus – opinion

Barry Fry has told Football FanCast that Liverpool must back Jurgen Klopp this summer or risk losing him.

The Reds have endured a terrible season and are in a fight to finish in the top four, instead of trying to defend the Premier League title that they won last term.

Indeed, they drew three games last season and lost three, though, after their clash with Newcastle United they had drawn nine and lost nine this season.

Liverpool have struggled with various injury woes, particularly defensively, as Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez have both missed vast swathes of the season.

With the summer transfer window coming up, Fry has told FFC that the ownership of the club must give Klopp the funds needed to bring his squad up to scratch.

He believes that it is a test of the ownership’s ambition, and if their desires do not align with Klopp’s, Fry believes the German could well walk away.

He said: “He likes winning things, he likes his players to play the style that they play, which is exciting, attack-minded, which suits the fans, but you’ve got to have the players to do that.

“It’ll be interesting to see where he goes, who he wants this year, out of his recruitment. It’ll much depend on what his budget is, obviously, that will really tell us whether Liverpool, as a football club, are as ambitious as their manager is.

“And if they’re not, he might not be there.”

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that John McGinn was a “steal” amid rumours that he could leave the Villans this summer.

According to West Ham insider ExWHUemployee (via Hammers News), Moyes is interested in the 26-year-old and could make a serious play for him once the transfer window opens.

McGinn joined Villa from Hibernian for just £2m back in 2018 and has played a big part in the club’s recent success, helping them win promotion to the Premier League.

At that price, for Hendrie, his old side got an absolute bargain in the Scottish midfielder, who scored the opener in the Villans’ recent 2-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about McGinn, Hendrie said:

“You look at your top three players in the squad, John McGinn is in there. There’s no doubt about that. He’s been absolutely excellent and he was a steal when they brought him into the football club for such a small price, really.

“I think lots of managers would admire and take John McGinn into the football club because he’s got a great mentality, he’s got a great way of playing, his work ethic, everything about him. He is a very, very good player.”

McGinn is a player Dean Smith will not want to lose this summer, and with his contract running until 2025, Villa are in a strong position should West Ham actually come knocking.

Back home, the former Hibernian man is also highly rated, with Scotland and Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish a fan of the player.

Everton are interested in signing Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha in the summer transfer window, according to Goal. 

The report says the Blues have been keen on Zaha since the summer of 2019, when they offered £70million plus Cenk Tosun and James McCarthy.

That ‘admiration’ remains, and they believe Zaha’s price is now far lower. Indeed, he could be available for less than £40million.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side may face competition from Tottenham Hotspur, who are said to be ‘monitoring the situation’.

Zaha a vital figure at Selhurst Park

Though Palace’s demands appear to have eased somewhat, they understandably want to keep hold of him.

Zaha scored 11 goals for the Eagles last season, the highest tally in the squad. Christian Benteke (10 goals) was the only other player to pass the five-goal mark (via BBC Sport).

Roy Hodgson is leaving Selhurst Park, and there may be serious concerns about the impact of losing both a manager and a talismanic on-field figure.

Fan feed The Toffee Blues relayed Goal’s report, and here’s how supporters reacted.

These Everton fans implore club not to sign Zaha

“No absolutely not”

Credit: @bobmarl03974950

“No no no thanks”

Credit: @jimefc21

“Same issues…. never learning if this is the type of profile of player we’re signing. Definition of insanity”

Credit: @MichaelHilditc5

“If we sign anyone over the age of 23 there should be a riot at Goodison park. Buy youth and keep buying youth… with pace”

Credit: @PtkToffee

“Yet again another signing towards the twilight years of his career and would demand stupid wages”

Credit: @MarkFer07565155

“Any chance of us signing players under 28?”

Credit: @DVDWLKNSN

In other news, Marcus Bent made this sensational claim about a transfer across Stanley Park.

Tottenham Hotspur return to league action this afternoon as they look to get their top-four challenge back on track.

Jose Mourinho’s side welcome his former club Manchester United to north London for a huge Premier League clash at the top-end of the table – a win for Spurs would see them leapfrog Liverpool into fifth place.

Though it will be a tough task as the Red Devils have vastly improved since the unforgettable 6-1 demolition up at Old Trafford in October; they are now second to Man City in the standings.

Last time out, Spurs drew late on to Newcastle United, meaning they have now dropped 15 points from winning positions this campaign.

So, it will surely see Mourinho want a reaction and he could spark that with changes to his starting XI but what sort of lineup could we see in the capital today?

Here’s our prediction along with the latest team and injury news from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium…

There could be as many as four changes from last Sunday’s 2-2 draw.

As revealed by Mourinho in the build-up to today’s encounter, Spurs have no fresh injury concerns but he will still be without Ben Davies and Matt Doherty.

Club captain and no.1 between the sticks Hugo Lloris should lead out the side, as per usual.

However, we’re expecting a shake-up defensively – even despite holding the third-best defensive record in the top-flight, mistakes and errors at the back have been Spurs’ Achilles heel.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-april-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs news, April transfer rumours and more!”]

After a strange absence in the northeast, veteran Toby Alderweireld could be preferred to Davinson Sanchez, who made the agonising blunder to let the Magpies equalise.

The 32-year-old Belgian will partner Joe Rodon in the middle, whilst Serge Aurier comes back in for the inexperienced Japhet Tanganga at right-back, with Sergio Reguilon continuing up the left flank.

In midfield, it’s very likely that Tanguy Ndombele and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg maintain their partnership as Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks are firmly out of favour.

Having gone with a 4-4-2 of sorts in the last two outings, Mourinho may well go back to a system that involves a no.10 behind Harry Kane and that spot should go back to Lucas Moura, who has been rejuvenated by that role.

It means loan and backup striker Carlos Vinicius is facing the axe, with Heung-min Son very likely to start from the off this time, having been named as a substitute at St James’ Park.

Giovani Lo Celso has started on the right – out of position – recently, so the £27m-rated dynamo is a clear casualty from this formation tweak and as a result, Erik Lamela could start as he did up at Old Trafford.

It means there’s no place for the likes of Gareth Bale, Steven Bergwijn or Dele Alli either.

AND in other news, Mourinho must axe £31.5m-rated “real liability” today, he’s held Spurs back…