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Pundit Noel Whelan has suggested that Tottenham Hotspur winger Jack Clarke may not have a future at the club, amid suggestions he could be farmed out on loan again in 2021/22.

The Lowdown: Spurs face an intriguing 2021/22 season

Looking towards 2021/22, Spurs fans will be desperate to see how newly appointed Nuno Espirito Santo sculpts his squad, as they look to challenge for qualification to one of Europe’s elite competition this time around.

Acquiring high-profile signings will be important to this, but development of current players will also be a crucial factor in Nuno’s progression at the club.

Despite this, one man who former striker Whelan believes may not be a part of this process is 20-year-old Clarke

The Latest: Whelan questions Clarke as he gets set to depart on loan

Clarke looks set to be sent out on loan for the forthcoming campaign unless he works his way into Nuno’s plans come pre-season [Alasdair Gold, Football London].

Speaking about the prospects of the tricky winger in an interview with Football Insider, Whelan stated: “I’m not sure if he has a future at Tottenham.

“The fact that he keeps getting sent out on loan suggests to me that he doesn’t have a long-term future there. It is a really difficult one.

“He was fantastic for Leeds but you could see that there were a few frailties in his game. The big question was whether he could make that step up to the top flight so early in his career.

“He has loads of talent but sometimes the mental side of the game is more important than a step-over. You need to work tirelessly every day and put yourself in a position where the manager cannot ignore you.

“Another season where the pressure is on. He needs to prove that he is good enough to play for Tottenham.

“Right now is crunch time for him. You cannot keep going out on loan every season.”

The Verdict: Loan move is not the end

Whelan correctly points out the pressures players need to come under in order to succeed at the highest level of football, but that doesn’t mean the youngster is running out of time in north London.

In 2020/21, he made a combined 25 appearances for Spurs, Spurs Under-23’s and Stoke City, who he spent the second half of the campaign on loan with. He registered five goal contributions; two goals and three assists [Transfermarkt].

Age is still on his side though and he has lots of time to develop into a top-class asset – every player develops at a different rate.

All things considered, frequent first-team football may suit the Englishman best and if Nuno likes what he sees from afar then another temporary move could be what pushes Clarke into the manager’s plans in 2022.

In other news, Tottenham have opened talks with a 28-year-old defender.

Talks are still ongoing between and Liverpool and Mohamed Salah regarding a new contract, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Salah priceless for Liverpool

The 29-year-old has been an incredible servant for the Reds, scoring 125 goals in 203 appearances since joining from Roma back in 2017 and arguably becoming one of the top players in world football.

Salah’s current Liverpool deal runs until the summer of 2023, but the hope is that he will extend his stay at Anfield beyond that date.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

The Latest: Romano gives fresh update

Speaking to Anfield Watch, Romano has provided an update on the current situation, admitting a new contract is still a little way from being agreed.

He outlined: “This [contract talks between the club and Salah] is not at the final stages yet. They [the club and Salah] have been talking but nothing is advanced yet.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-6/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: No-brainer for the Reds

Extending Salah’s stay at Liverpool has to be one of the most pressing matters to sort this summer, given his enormous influence at the club over the past four seasons.

The Egyptian is already a legendary figure for the Reds, but there is always a risk that his head could be turned by another huge club in Europe.

Tying him down for a few more years would be a major positive for Liverpool as he looks to smash more records and win more trophies along the way.

In other news, Liverpool have reportedly had one bid rejected for a player. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace are interested in Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah and Nice’s Kasper Dolberg, according to The Sun.

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, new Eagles manager Patrick Vieira is going back to his former clubs in an attempt to add extra firepower to his squad. Nketiah is thought to be available for £20m, whereas Dolberg is up for sale at £25m.

Vieira was the man who signed Dolberg for Nice, with the Denmark international scoring 17 goals in 55 appearances for the French club.

Nixon claims that the 45-year-old is only likely to sign one of the two, with links to Watford winger Ismaila Sarr and Copenhagen centre-back Victor Nelsson also mentioned in the report.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the headline regarding Nketiah and Dolberg on Twitter on Saturday evening. Here is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply, with one describing the Danish forward as ‘class’.

“Would be happy with both of them! The Vieira pull is real”

Credit: @kade_bladeSE25

“We deffo have been given big money, no way we’re in for this many attacking players even if they’re just options without being interested in a good amount of defenders”

Credit: @cpfcgoaat

“Kasper Dolberg mmm Yh”

Credit: @cpfcharlie0

“Dolberg is actually class”

Credit: @CPFC_Ollie_

“Oooo”

Credit: @samstoreycp

“Dolberg is made for the Prem too”

Credit: @longlivewilliam

In other news: ‘Massive’ – Many CPFC fans go wild as ‘excellent news’ is confirmed

Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing Arsenal youngster Reiss Nelson this summer, along with a number of other Premier League clubs.

The Lowdown: Vieira looks for new additions

Patrick Vieira is looking to work his magic in the Selhurst Park hot-seat, having taken over from the departed Roy Hodgson earlier this month.

Palace’s squad could do with some freshening up in the coming weeks, as they look to enjoy a vibrant period under their new manager, and business has already started with the capture of Michael Olise and the links to Marc Guehi.

The Latest: Palace linked with Nelson move

According to CBS Sports, the Eagles are also keen on signing Nelson from Arsenal, with the 21-year-old potentially moving on this summer.

Brentford and Brighton are also mentioned as potential suitors, however, and the youngster’s current Gunners deal expires in 2023.

While there has been talk of Nelson extending his stay at Arsenal, the report states that there is ‘no imminent sign’ of that happening.

The Verdict: Exciting potential signing

Nelson is a hugely exciting young player who has already enjoyed great experience at a high level, scoring and assisting four times apiece in 47 appearances for the Gunners.

Regular football elsewhere could do him the world of good – he thrived while on loan in Germany scoring an incredible seven times in just five starts for Hoffenheim – and Palace could possibly offer him just that, with more quality required in attacking areas even despite the acquisition of Olise.

Mikel Arteta has hailed Nelson as a ‘special player’, highlighting his pedigree, and he would be worth taking a punt on, given his long-term potential.

In other news, some Palace fans have been reacting to a report linking the Eagles with a Championship player. Read more here.

Crystal Palace fans have reacted warmly on Twitter, following an official post from Andros Townsend, thanking the club and supporters for their support during his time at Selhurst Park as he now joins Everton [BBC].

Becoming something of a cult hero in South London, the 30-year-old went on to register 16 goals and 28 assists in 185 appearances for the Eagles [Transfermarkt].

Now, the former England international has moved on to pastures new after five years at Palace. Returning to work with his former manager Rafael Benitez, who he spent time under at Newcastle United, he has linked up with the Toffees on a two-year contract [BBC].

Loads of Crystal Palace diehards took to Twitter to express their gratitude for the wide-man for his contribution to the cause.

Crystal Palace FC fans react:

Replying to Andros Townsend’s Official Twitter account, here is how some supporters reacted to his parting message:

“Classy as ever Andros. Good luck in your next challenge bro”

Credit: @ChristianEagle0

“Best of luck in your future endeavours Andros. You’ll be missed. Respect Starman.”

Credit: @RomfordRoger

“Good bye star-man. Thank you for giving everything for the club. Descent bloke on and off the pitch. Will be missed. Good luck at Everton. Just please don’t come back and score a worldie against us”

Credit: @DCunhaCo

“Thanks from all of us Andros. The best thing I can say as a supporter is that there was never a single second you were giving anything but absolutely 100%. And we really appreciate that here. All the best mate, look forward to welcoming you back and saying goodbye properly!”

Credit: @bobsteadman

“Bloody hay-fever is making my eyes water You’ve been a star man on and off the pitch. I’m sure you will be well received whenever you pay us a visit.”

Credit: @mgtd76

“Wish you all the best, had some great memories. Got a shirt with your name on the back and never worn it. Want it signed some day First goal against Stoke, the way you always acted like a mature player helping youngsters. A great team player, all the best at Everton Andros.”

Credit: @shaun_eagles

In other news, Crystal Palace have joined the race to sign a talented midfielder.

An update has emerged on West Ham’s pursuit of Matheus Pereira, with the Hammers making an opening offer for the midfielder…

What’s the talk?

According to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur, West Ham have submitted an official offer of £12.8m (€15m) for West Brom attacking midfielder Matheus Pereira, with fellow Premier League side Leicester also said to be interested in him.

Konur claims that the Baggies are looking for a fee closer to £21m (€25m) and that Leicester are expected to make an offer before the end of the window.

Moyes would love him

GSB must go back in with another bid for Pereira if West Brom do reject this offer, which seems likely given that it is lower than their valuation of the Brazilian. He could be a phenomenal addition to the squad to help bolster David Moyes’ attacking options, given his impressive performances for the Midlands club in the Premier League last season.

In the 2020/21 campaign, Pereira registered 11 goals and six assists for West Brom as they were relegated back down to the Championship. Despite his side’s struggles, he was still able to show that he can score and assist goals on a regular basis at the top level.

Moyes would love him as he is a quality player, one who has the versatility to play in a variety of positions. Noel Whelan hailed him as a fantastic player, who could play anywhere within the attacking set-up, amid links with Leeds United. He told Football Insider: 

“He’s a fantastic player, he’s great on the ball, he can turn people inside out. Pereira’s another option we can use right across that front three and maybe in a number 10 role as well.

Ex-Spurs and England midfielder Jermain Jenas lauded him as silky and highlighted his set-piece quality as one of his biggest strengths.

He said: “He’s just silky. When he’s on it, he’s just got that lovely left-foot, (tucked) his penalty away, the delivery into the box for set-pieces was brilliant, and he wanted to showcase his skills.”

At the age of 25, Pereira is heading towards the peak years of his career and still has room left to grow. Moyes could enjoy coaching the midfield maestro into becoming a key cog in his Hammers team alongside the likes of Said Benrahma, Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen.

Therefore, West Ham must ensure that they can get a deal over the line for the Baggies forward as he would be a shrewd addition to the squad. The original bid was a lowball offer from GSB, they need to up it to closer to the fee that West Brom want or they risk missing out on an excellent prospect.

AND in other news, “Would be fairly expensive” – Evening Standard journalist hints West Ham can’t afford 2 targets…

Liverpool are in ‘advanced talks’ with Alisson Becker over a contract extension, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The lowdown

On Friday, it was confirmed that right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has extended his deal until 2025.

Alisson still has three years to run in his current contract, having joined Liverpool in 2018 for £67million – a record fee for a goalkeeper at the time (via Sky Sports).

He’s gone on to make 130 appearances for the Reds, keeping 59 clean sheets and earning a host of individual honours including the Golden Glove and Best Men’s Goalkeeper Award in 2019.

Alisson memorably helped Liverpool secure a top-four finish last season with a stoppage-time winner against West Bromwich Albion after coming up for a corner.

The Reds’ assistant goalkeeping coach Jack Robinson has raved about his ‘unbelievable’ ability with the ball at his feet, suggesting that ‘he’s like [Andrea] Pirlo’ (via Liverpool Echo).

The latest

On the back of the Alexander-Arnold announcement, Romano suggested Alisson could be next to agree new terms.

The 28-year-old Brazilian ‘wants to stay’ at Anfield and is said to be deep into negotiations.

The verdict

It’s a little surprising to see Liverpool prioritise a new deal for Alisson, even though he’s arguably the best all-round goalkeeper in world football. The likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Fabinho are into the final two years of their deals, so you’d think they’d be ahead in the queue.

But it might just indicate the ease of the negotiations. Alisson has won the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool and surely hasn’t even considered the possibility of moving elsewhere – fans will likely be delighted if he extends his deal even further.

In other news, fans fumed at this update on an attacking target.

Marcus Bent has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that he expects Cenk Tosun to leave Everton this summer.

It’s been four years since the Turkish international made the switch to Goodison Park from Besiktas, but injuries and goalscoring troubles have restricted him to just 58 appearances.

Tosun has missed more than 60 games, with an ACL injury the reason for more than half of those, although that was during a disappointing loan spell with Crystal Palace two years back.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Tosun, who hasn’t played a single minute in pre-season, is not part of Rafa Benitez’s plans, which would explain why Andros Townsend has taken his squad number.

Tosun spent last season back on loan in Turkey with Besiktas, but more injured problems saw him make just a handful of appearances.

Everton want to add another striker to their ranks, which would see the 30-year-old slip further down the pecking order at Goodison Park.

And Bent told The Transfer Tavern that his time on Merseyside are limited:

“I think with Rafa coming in, he’s going to look at what’s going on. But again, with the budget and new stadium, I think he’s probably going to move on.

“Where he goes, I don’t know, but I think he’s probably one they’re going to move on.”

Celtic were in discussions over a deal for Royal Antwerp right-back Aurelio Buta on Tuesday, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Buta links

Romano was the man who shared the initial links to Buta back in July. Since then, reports have suggested that the 24-year-old was closing in on a £3m move to Glasgow, but as we know, a move is yet to be confirmed.

Buta, who is on £4,500 per week with his current employers, has just 12 months left on his Antwerp deal, and it seems as if the Hoops are still chasing him after they announced the signings of Joe Hart and James McCarthy on Tuesday.

The Latest: Update emerges

Romano posted on Twitter on Tuesday evening, confirming Hart’s move to Scotland before adding that negotiations have been ‘ongoing in the last hours’ between Celtic and Antwerp for Buta.

Another reliable reporter, Scott Burns, also took to Twitter on Tuesday, with his morning post suggesting that the Hoops have actually agreed on a deal with the Belgian club for the 24-year-old.

Burns added that personal terms have actually been the main issue, even though the right-back is not looking for ‘bank-breaking money’.

The Verdict: Contrasting reports

Even though Romano and Burns’ posts were different, one thing we know for sure now is that Celtic’s interest in Buta is well and truly alive.

A new right-back appears to be next on the agenda following the confirmation of Hart and McCarthy’s moves, as Ange Postecoglou has just Anthony Ralston and Lee O’Connor as options on the right-hand side of defence at this moment in time.

Should a move for Buta go through, Celtic will be getting themselves a right-back who has Europa League experience and can play further forward if required, so it may turn out to be a shrewd piece of business in the long run.

In other news: Celtic now ‘in talks’ for ‘really, really good’ 6ft 3 ace; may cost ‘significant’ fee. 

Frank McAvennie believes Glasgow Rangers’ exit from the Champions League will be a disaster for the Ibrox outfit.

The Lowdown: Gers out of Champions League

The Gers’ Premiership title win will have left Steven Gerrard and co hopeful that they could reach the group stages of this season’s Champions League.

However, they bowed out at the first hurdle as they lost 4-2 on aggregate to Swedish side Malmo in the third qualifying round.

The Latest: McAvennie worried

Speaking to Football Insider – albeit prior to the second leg on Tuesday – McAvennie suggested it would be a disaster for the Gers if they did not manage to get past Malmo. He said:

“The pressure is really on now.

“Knowing the Rangers board, they have probably spent the group stage money already.

“I think they had an eye on tonight’s game when playing Dundee but they should have still won.

“Rangers will be a different proposition tonight I’m sure. They just didn’t perform at the weekend.

“They need to start well so the crowd don’t get on their back.

“It’s a hard task but I think they will win. It would be a disaster if they lost.”

The Verdict: Must be clever

It is of course not good news for the Gers to bow out of the competition before it could become truly lucrative. A place in the group stages could have brought in £30m for the club (The Glasgow Times), money which would have been huge for the Scottish side.

However, they are unlikely to be in a perilous position as long as they are careful. Stewart Robertson said last term that the Gers will need to sell players in the future anyway (BBC), and the Gers do have plenty of valuable assets (Transfermarkt).

Missing out on the Champions League is a blow, but that does not mean they are out of European competitions altogether – they still have a chance of reaching the Europa League group stages, and any sales of star players like Alfredo Morelos could do more than enough to atone for Tuesday night’s financial hit.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this SPFL move.