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Crystal Palace are tracking FC Koln defender Timo Hubers ahead of a possible summer move, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Hubers profiled

Hubers stands at 6 foot 2 and made the move to FC Koln last summer on a free transfer from Hannover 96. The 25-year-old has established himself as a regular in recent months, starting 12 of the last 13 Bundesliga games.

He currently holds a career-high £2.7m Transfermarkt valuation and will be entering the final 12 months of his contract in the summer, with Palace possibly looking at a summer swoop.

The Latest: Palace interest in Hubers

The Daily Mail shared a story on Monday afternoon, name-checking Palace, Leeds, Fulham, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham with an interest in Hubers.

A £6m fee was mentioned in the report, with a host of Premier League clubs tracking the player.

The Verdict: Possible Guehi replacement?

Palace could well be short of centre-back options ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. Patrick Vieira currently has five at his disposal, although both James Tomkins and Jaroslaw Jach are out of contract at the end of June.

Reports have also recently revealed that Chelsea could re-sign Marc Guehi after a hidden clause emerged in the move which brought the 21-year-old to Selhurst Park over the summer.

Hopefully Guehi will still be a Palace player in Vieira’s second season, but amid that worrying revelation about his transfer status, it seems as if Hubers could be a name to look out for over the coming months.

In other news: ‘Will get worse…’ – Matt Woosnam fumes as ‘appalling’ Crystal Palace news is now confirmed

Wolves could end up being short of wingers this window with Barcelona loanee Francisco Trincao reportedly unsatisfied at Molineux and won’t be signing a permanent deal whilst Adama Traore could see his loan move at the Spanish juggernaut made permanent.

In truth, neither player will be a loss for Wolves if they do depart with the duo both netting just one league goal each this season. However, it will leave a void that will need to be filled by Bruno Lage.

Granted, supporters will be keen to see the club show ambition and invest in exciting talents this summer after an impressive first campaign under Lage’s helm.

However, they should be aware that there are some top talents amongst the West Midlands club’s youth ranks, with winger Lee Harkin impressing for the U23s this term.

In the pipeline

The 18-year-old Northern Ireland starlet has featured 15 times in Premier League 2 for Wolves, netting four goals whilst also making two appearances in the EFL Trophy.

After mostly appearing off the bench at the start of the season, the winger is now a regular starter with the Black Country club sat in fifth in the Premier League 2 Division 2 table.

Harkin is very much on the radar of top clubs having burst onto the scene in Northern Ireland for Derry City as a 15-year-old. In a SuperCupNI match against Manchester United in 2018, the winger scored twice, having had a trial at Old Trafford, and was subject to serious praise from manager Martin Smith.

“Lee is a top player,” Smith said. “To have that much talent in the locker at 15 is something else. If he keeps his head and keeps progressing, he will do really well for himself.

“Manchester United know all about him, he was there on trial a month ago. He was very unlucky not to get his hat-trick.”

Lage has already demonstrated that he will offer opportunities to youngsters who are ready with Luke Cundle making three Premier League appearances this term.

With a potential shortage of wingers to come in the summer, the Portuguese manager should certainly be keeping tabs on the 18-year-old during pre-season with the youngster already demonstrating exciting potential.

In other news: Disaster: Lage sleepwalking into huge Wolves error that could have dire consequences

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According to Calciomercato, Tottenham have reportedly declared their interest in €25m-rated Sampdoria centre-back Joachim Andersen, whilst Inter Milan are also keen on the defender.

What’s the word, then?

Spurs have declared their interest in the Dane with the future of Toby Alderweireld still an uncertain one. Tottenham triggered a one-year extension in the Belgian international’s contract in January, despite Alderweireld rejecting the offer on a new long-term contract.

However, the extension saw a £25m release clause come into play, which is certainly an achievable figure and one that a number of clubs could well meet given Alderweireld’s pedigree.

As a result, Tottenham have made headway in his attempts to bring 24-year-old Andersen to the new White Hart Lane having made his interest public, and if any potential bid is accepted, it would see the defender become the club’s first signing in over two transfer windows.

Could Christian Eriksen be key in negotiations?

As previously mentioned, Serie A giants Inter are also interested in signing the Sampdoria star, and one would assume that the famous Italian side could turn the head of most playing in Italy’s top-flight given their standing in the game.

As a result of that, it will be tough for Spurs to fend off such a prestigious club, although they do have a secret weapon up their sleeve in Eriksen.

The Danish international is unquestionably the star of the national team and the most famous Danish player right now. Andersen is yet to appear for the senior side, only appearing for the Denmark Under-21 team, and it wouldn’t be outrageous to presume that he is keen to play alongside his country’s main man at club as well as international level.

Spurs must ensure that they use Eriksen’s reputation in the Danish football world in order to secure what would be a big signing for them.

Celtic have seen numerous players leave the Parkhead club for substantial amounts of money over the past few years such as Odsonne Edouard, Kristoffer Ajer, Jeremie Frimpong and Kieran Tierney to name a few.

Also, the club have seen several players leave on free transfers after running their contracts down, namely Oliver Ntcham and Scott Brown from the previous summer window.

In terms of their current players, it seems as though the Hoops could be in danger of losing one figure, in particular, as a free agent this summer which would surely be a massive blow for the club.

According to a recent article from the Daily Record, Celtic’s 19-year-old winger Karamoko Dembele could be in danger of leaving the club at the end of the season when his current contract runs out.

They said: “Out of sight, out of mind? That could be the case for Karamoko Dembele. The highly-rated winger has been expected to enjoy a breakout campaign this season but has been plagued by injuries as he enters the final months of his contract.

“We are in the final run-in and it’s the last chance for Dembele to catch the eye of Ange Postecoglou. However, he has spent most of the season with the B team.

However, the following 11 words seemed to imply that the teenager is doomed: “It could be time up for the forward at Celtic Park.”

As a product of Celtic’s youth system, the winger has only made ten senior appearances for the Hoops, the first of which came back in May 2019.

Praised for being “exceptional at every age group he’s played in” by journalist Alison McConnell, Dembele may not have had the easiest of seasons this time around due to an ankle injury that has kept him out of action for the majority of it.

However, given his young age and the previous experience he has of working his way through the youth ranks at Celtic, the club should definitely try and tie the attacker down to a new contract and keep developing him into a potential regular first-team star for Ange Postecoglou.

After all, this is someone who is one of the most vibrant young graduates the club have ever had; to see him leave for nothing would be an unforgivable sequence of events given the way he’s been talked about since bursting onto the scene.

If the Hoops were to see the young winger leave as a free agent in the summer and then see him really blossom into a senior superstar at another club, the club and Postecoglou would have shot themselves in the foot and very much live to regret not offering him a new deal.

In other news: Celtic now handed major boost ahead of Old Firm clash, Postecoglou surely buzzing…

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Weston McKennie to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that Antonio Conte has explicitly requested the Juventus midfielder’s signing this summer, a demand that Fabio Paratici is looking to satisfy.

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However, the report also goes on to state that, prior to picking up a metatarsal injury earlier this season, the 23-year-old had proven himself to be an important part of Massimiliano Allegri’s side, something which means the Bianconeri are unlikely to be overly willing to part with the USA international in the off-season.

Conte can axe Winks with McKennie

Considering McKennie’s impressive positional versatility, his quite incredible work rate and his effectiveness in the final third, it is not difficult to understand why Conte would be interested in a move for the central midfielder this summer.

Indeed, according to FBref, the £58m-rated American ranks in the top 8% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty xG per 90 minutes, as well as the top 17% for shots, the top 17% for non-penalty xG and xA, the top 20% for non-penalty goals, the top 2% for touches in the opposition penalty area and the top 1% for progressive passes received over the last 365 days.

Furthermore, according to FBref data once again, the £51k-per-week man also ranks in the top 8% of attacking midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for interceptions per 90, in addition to the top 7% for clearances, the top 9% for aerials won, the top 14% for blocks, the top 31% for tackles and the top 33% for pressures over the last year.

These traits have seen McKennie earn considerable praise from a number of his managers, with Andrea Pirlo dubbing the 23-year-old his “rock” in the middle of the park, while David Wagner described the 31-time capped international as both a “leader” and an “outstanding” talent, before the former Schalke boss went on to add:

“In the No.6 or No.8 position he has the mentality, a real working mentality that you need. And he’s brave on the ball as well. He can be one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga.”

As such, with the £91k-per-week Harry Winks – who John Wenham dubbed “terrible” earlier this season – looking as if he could be heading for a move away from north London this summer, it would appear a wise move for Conte to indeed allow the England international to move onto pastures new, before bringing in the much more promising McKennie in his place.

AND in other news: “I can say…”: Italian journo drops huge Spurs transfer claim, Conte will be fuming

Wolves now have only a few days left to bring any new players into their squad before the January transfer window closes.

One potential deal that the Old Gold could look to finalise before the end of the month is for Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig, a player with whom they have been linked in recent weeks.

With Adama Traore reportedly set to join the Spanish giants on loan until the end of the season with a view to a potential permanent deal waiting for him in the summer, these negotiations could give Wolves the opportunity to ask about the possibility of signing Puig, either before the upcoming transfer deadline or when the summer transfer window opens.

Having worked his way through Barcelona’s famous youth ranks, the 22-year-old – who is currently picking up £64k-per-week according to Salary Sport – has gone on to make 51 senior appearances for the La Liga club across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists along the way.

Despite his experience, the midfielder hasn’t been a particularly important figure for Xavi this season with just two starts amid a total of 12 appearances across all competitions. That would suggest that a move from Barcelona to somewhere that he would obtain regular playing time would be beneficial for his career and development.

With that in mind, and given his young age, it could be worth Wolves trying to sign Puig – who has been labelled an “intelligent” player by his manager Xavi – on a long-term permanent deal to give him sufficient time to get accustomed to the Premier League and potentially become a regular figure in their team.

Taking all this into account, Jeff Shi now has the chance to sign Wolves’ next version of Ruben Neves as a young midfielder from a top European club who could come in and make a name for himself in the Premier League. The Portuguese midfielder has done just that since joining Wolves from FC Porto back in 2017, making a total of 197 appearances for the Old Gold.

Also, with Neves having been linked with a move away from Molineux, it could be an important piece of business from Wolves to bring Puig in if they end up selling their current midfield star any time soon.

Having had previous experience of signing young players from Barcelona as they did last summer with Francisco Trincao, a move for the current Blaugrana gem should definitely be considered either in the next few days or at the end of the season if his situation at Camp Nou doesn’t change.

In other news: Wolves eyeing transfer swoop for £14k-p/w “man mountain,” Lage would be delighted

West Ham United currently have the second-oldest squad in the Premier League with an average age of 28.9 according to Transfermarkt.

Two of the oldest outfield players in David Moyes’ squad are centre-backs Angelo Ogbonna (33) and Craig Dawson (31).

In terms of what sort of transfer business the east London club could be involved in during the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though the Hammers could be set to wave goodbye to one of their defensive players, but not one of their more senior ones.

According to a recent transfer report from L’Equipe, the recent Europa League meeting between West Ham and Olympique Lyon gave the two sides the chance to discuss a potential summer deal for Issa Diop that would see the defender swap east London for France.

Since joining the Hammers back in the 2018 summer transfer window for a then club-record fee of £22m from Toulouse, the centre-back has made 121 appearances across all competitions.

In those appearances, the Frenchman has managed to chip in with eight goals and three assists.

Despite being one of West Ham’s youngest players, it would be a good idea for the club to cash in on him this summer if they can.

Having started just 10 Premier League games in this campaign, the 25-year-old has found himself down in the pecking order behind Dawson and Kurt Zouma who have both played more often than Diop.

Also, when he has been able to get on the pitch, the defender has failed to show Moyes that he has what it takes to potentially become a first-choice centre-back.

With an underwhelming overall performance rating of 6.46/10 from WhoScored, Diop is currently listed as the third-lowest rated Hammers player to start more than one league game.

To highlight his lack of effectiveness at the back for his team, the Frenchman has only won three of the nine tackles he’s attempted and gotten dribbled past on eight different occasions.

Even though he was previously described as being a “monster” by Jose Mourinho in terms of winning his duels against Paul Pogba back in 2018, Diop has been anything but that this season, losing 20 of the 39 aerial duels he’s been involved in.

Taking all of this into account, this summer would be the ideal time for Moyes to finally axe Diop from the club and get his hefty £61k-per-week wages off their books.

In other news: “Gives West Ham the edge…”: Insider drops huge transfer claim, Moyes will be buzzing

An insider at Tottenham Hotspur has now revealed that Brooklyn Lyons-Foster was ‘close’ to leaving on loan in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: One for the future

Having made over 100 appearances for Spurs at youth level over the course of his career so far, Lyons-Foster is certainly one that the North London club will have high hopes for.

The young defender has not yet played a senior game for them, but has been named on the bench in a couple of their UEFA Europa Conference League matches this term (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: ‘Close’ to exit

Speaking to Football Insider, THFC insider John Wenham, who regularly breaks updates about the club on his Lilywhite Rose channels on social media, has now revealed that Lyons-Foster was ‘close’ to exiting on loan, but picked up an unfortunate injury that ultimately ruled any deal out:

“One player who I believe was close to going was Brooklyn Lyons-Foster.

“I was told of interest in him but unfortunately he picked up an injury in the 23s home game against Blackburn and that ruled him out of the loan picture.”

The Verdict: Shame

It would have been good for Lyons-Foster to go out on loan and gain some experience playing men’s football, which he should really be doing now at the age of 21.

With Antonio Conte’s new three-back formation, he will want to call on more central defenders in the senior squad, with left-back Ben Davies often used as a centre-back by the Italian manager.

Incidentally, Lyons-Foster shares the same agent as both the Wales international and Joe Rodon, and so could use some advice over how to get the best loan move possible for him in order to further his development.

In other news, find out which triple boost Tottenham have received before Brighton here!

As per reliable reporter James Olley of ESPN, Tottenham Hotspur also failed to sign another target near the end of the January transfer window as news emerges on Championship starlet Djed Spence.

The Lowdown: Tottenham join Spence race…

The Lilywhites and transfer chief Fabio Paratici were known admirers of the Middlesbrough gem who is currently shining on loan at Nottingham Forest.

Sky Sports first revealed that Spurs had joined the January transfer race to sign him permanently and then loan him back to Forest for the remainder of 2021/2022.

The likes of Arsenal and Leeds were also in the hunt to sign Spence last month but Olley, writing on Twitter, claims Spurs actually made multiple moves.

The Latest: Tottenham fall short in multiple bids…

According to the ESPN reporter, Spurs and Paratici ‘fell short’ with ‘two offers rejected’ for Boro’s promising talent.

He also claims the bids were just ‘last week’ near the end of the window’s closure.

“Exclusive: #thfc have had two offers rejected for Middlesbrough’s Djed Spence, currently on loan at Forest,” he explained.

“Bids were last week & fell short of Boro’s £15m valuation.”

He added: “Spence will stay put & move to new club in summer.”

The Verdict: Big miss…

The electric right-wing-back could have certainly boosted manager Antonio Conte’s options for next season and we urge Spurs to go back in with a summer attempt.

Called a ‘massive player’ for Forest this season by Sky pundit Jobi McAnuff, the homegrown ace could also solve Tottenham’s homegrown quota issue and finally provide Conte with a quality right-sided defender.

The Italian missed out on Adama Traore, whom he wanted to convert into a RWB, but judging by Spence’s plaudits, the 21-year-old could be worth waiting for.

In other news: Spurs also made last gasp attempt to sign £50m star on deadline day, according to The Telegraph…find out more here.

Everton have a number of hot prospects when it comes to young players coming through their academy, and despite the relegation challenge that the club are currently battling in the senior team, there is a bright future for one particular young player that has been impressing.

What’s the word?

Replying to a Toffees fan in a Q&A for The Liverpool Echo, journalist Adam Jones has given an update on contract negotiations at the club with youngster Lewis Warrington.

Jones confirmed;

“We believe that talks are ongoing with Lewis and his representatives over a potential new deal – which would make perfect sense after seeing the progression he’s made this season! Frank Lampard could easily be a big fan in the future, we’ll have to wait and see.”

Cahill 2.0

The Birkenhead-born midfielder has been impressing this season after being given his chance to shine at Tranmere Rovers and has been crucial in their pursuit for a play-off position in League Two, with the side currently just one point shy of the top seven with four games left to play.

Warrington, who was dubbed “highly rated” by Micky Mellon, has been effective in his midfield role at his loan club scoring one goal and contributing one assist, as well as making 0.7 key passes, 1.3 tackles and 1.3 clearances per game according to SofaScore, proving he can be effective in both defensive and offensive play.

The 19 year old claimed that Everton legend Tim Cahill was amongst his midfield heroes growing up in a club interview;

“When I was growing up, it was the 2010 Everton team – the likes of Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill, Bainesy and Seamus.”

With Frank Lampard’s track record of giving chances to and developing young players like Reece James and Mason Mount, there is no reason why Warrington couldn’t benefit from being taken under the former Chelsea bosses wing and become the second coming of his hero Tim Cahill, if he commits his future with the club.

Everton reportedly need to sell up to 10 players in the summer to recoup for financial losses, so the youngsters chances to make his mark on the first team at Goodison Park could be increased next season with the potential to break through just like his fellow boyhood Evertonian Anthony Gordon.

In other news: Everton join the chase for “outstanding” £70k-p/w star, he’s a huge Keane upgrade