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Tottenham are believed to be interested in signing Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea during the summer transfer window, according to a fresh report.

Could De Gea make Man United exit?

The future of the 32-year-old has been up in the air for some time now, with his current deal expiring at the end of the season and no extension signed yet. He has been a true legend of the Premier League era for United, making 529 appearances for the club and arguably proving to be as good as Peter Schmeichel at times.

There have been question marks over whether he is ideally suited to Erik ten Hag's style of play, however, in terms of his use of the ball with his feet and ability to play out of tight areas. For that reason, he could potentially move on this summer, although recent reports have also suggested that he could yet extend his stay at Old Trafford.

Should De Gea decide to enjoy a fresh challenge when the current campaign reaches its conclusion, he won't be without suitors at that point.

Could Spurs pip Bayern?

According to a report from Spain [via Caught Offside], both Tottenham and Bayern are interested in acquiring De Gea's signature at the end of the season. They see him as a replacement for Hugo Lloris, who could depart north London in the summer after an 11-year spell there.

It could be that a move to a club of Bayern's stature has more chance of developing, although Manuel Neuer remains a formidable presence at the Bundesliga giants.

In many ways, De Gea, who Martin Keown called 'excellent', could be a great signing by Spurs – undoubtedly acting as an upgrade on Lloris at this point in their respective careers, with the latter making too many mistakes this season. The Spaniard is enjoying a largely strong season for United, starting 26 Premier League games and winning one Man of the Match award from WhoScored, also being described as "unbelievable" by teammate Marcus Rashford.

That being said, De Gea is still relatively old-school in his style of play, in terms of his aforementioned limitations in playing the ball out from the back, so that is something that could work against him joining, especially if a ball-playing manager comes into replace the departed Antonio Conte. At 32, the £375,000-per-week star is also arguably not quite at the absolute peak of his powers anymore, so a younger alternative could be wise when looking at the longer-term picture.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Mason Mount for months and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the player's future amid a potential move away from Chelsea this summer.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Mason Mount?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has given further insight into the Chelsea midfielder's contract talks ahead of the summer transfer window and maintains that Liverpool are still interested.

Romano tweeted: "Tony Mount remains Mason Mount's official agent; he has partnered with Neil Fewings (ROOF group) to help with talks as there's no agreement with Chelsea on new deal.

"Mount could leave in the summer if agreement won't be reached – Liverpool remain among clubs interested."

Will Liverpool sign Mason Mount this summer?

It is no secret that Liverpool are in desperate need of reinforcements in the squad and the midfield personnel seems to be the biggest focus with many players either out of contract or not considered long-term prospects for the future.

The Reds have had a difficult season as they are not only currently sixth in the Premier League, but are also knocked out of every opportunity to win another trophy this season and will now set their sights on closing their seven-point gap with the Champions League qualifying spots inside the top four.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are all set to make an Anfield exit this summer whilst captain Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are both well into their 30s at this point, with the centre of the pitch undoubtedly something of a nightmare.

As a result, the potential opportunity to sign a player who has a wealth of Premier League and Champions League experience in Mount could be hugely valuable in Jurgen Klopp's midfield rebuild this summer.

Over 23 league appearances, the 24-year-old England international – hailed a "rare" talent by sports editor Omar Al Raisi – has scored three goals, registered two assists and successfully completed 54% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 1.3 key passes per match.

Also a robust asset, Mount works hard for the team, making 1.4 tackles and winning 3.6 duels per game.

Romano's claim that Liverpool remain keen on Mount comes as The Athletic's David Ornstein revealed yesterday that it was becoming "increasingly unlikely" that the club will be able to secure the signing of Jude Bellingham.

Mount would cost considerably less than his £130m England teammate this summer with a reported price tag of just £50m should Chelsea be open to offers in the summer, and would arrive with similar qualities to the Borussia Dortmund wonderkid, as well as sound experience of the top flight and a Champions League trophy already in his locker.

With that being said, the signing of Mount could be the move that finally resolves Klopp's midfield nightmare as he could become a huge part of the future success at Anfield.

Tottenham Hotspur academy talent Brandon Bryan-Waugh has ‘has already joined up’ with League Two side Colchester United.

The Lowdown: Spurs academy prospers…

The Spurs academy at Enfield has nurtured some terrific and exciting prospects in recent seasons, perhaps most notably the likes of Dane Scarlett and Oliver Skipp.

Skipp in particular, after finding game time difficult to come by under Antonio Conte, has now grasped the opportunity for more Premier League minutes with both hands.

Injuries to Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma have propelled the 22-year-old into Tottenham’s starting eleven with Skipp seriously impressing.

The Latest: Bryan-Waugh departs Spurs…

However, with the many success stories like Skipp, other talents fall by the wayside.

Spurs pundit and club expert John Wenham, who occasionally breaks news via his Lilywhites Rose account on Twitter, has claimed that young defender Bryan-Waugh has ‘already’ joined up with Colchester.

This comes after Spurs failed to offer him a professional deal with the teenager now seemingly departing.

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Wenham explained:

“Exclusive – Understand Academy year 2 defender, Brandon Bryan-Waugh (18) will not be offered a professional deal at #thfc and has already joined up with league two Colchester United.”

The Verdict: Disappointing…

It’s always disappointing when a prospect is essentially given the cold shoulder and forced to take action by departing.

The 18-year-old is described by Tottenham’s official website as a versatile centre-back who can also play as a full-back – not to mention a previous England Under-15 and Under-16 international.

Bryan-Waugh was also a fixture for Spurs’ Under-18s over the 2021/2022 season, making 15 academy league appearances and even notching an assist for good measure (Transfermarkt).

Alas, his time at Tottenham now appears to have to come an end, and it will be interesting to see if he can find a different route to stardom through Colchester.

Celtic midfielder Aaron Mooy ‘should be right’ for the Viaplay Cup final vs Glasgow Rangers on Sunday, according to manager Ange Postecoglou.

The Lowdown: Unknown absence

The Hoops take on their Scottish Premiership rivals in the ultimate encounter this weekend and will be hoping to have a fully fit squad available to field their strongest possible team.

The Australian international was missing from the match-day squad for the recent 4-0 victory over Aberdeen which created a cause for concern among supporters.

Prior to the game, the boss hadn’t stated that the 32-year-old had sustained any kind of injury, though a positive update on his absence has now emerged.

The Latest: Postecoglou’s comments

Speaking after Saturday’s win, Postecoglou confirmed that Mooy and David Turnbull had been slightly struggling at Parkhead so wanted to rest the duo ahead of the upcoming meeting.

Quoted by The Irish News, he said:

“Az just pulled up a bit sore in training (on Friday). I thought, he has played a lot for us recently, and I was pretty keen to give (Tomoki) Iwata some game time as well.

“I just thought it was a good one for Az to sit out and, talking to the medical team, both him and Turnbull should be training Tuesday and Wednesday when we are in and should be right for the final.”

The Verdict: Massive boost

Celtic only signed Mooy last summer but he’s had an excellent debut season and it’ll be a huge boost for the manager to have him available for selection on Sunday.

The Sydney native has posted 13 goal contributions in 33 appearances, with 47 crosses having been put into the box, highlighting his threat in the final third.

The Bhoys star also offers versatility with his ability to operate in both central and defensive midfield, making him a useful option to have in the squad even if he can’t start.

Mooy has been described as on a ‘different planet’ this season by journalist Josh Bunting, and he’ll surely have a significant impact on the outcome of this weekend’s silverware showdown.

Journalist Alasdair Gold has expressed his astonishment that Emerson Royal is still at Tottenham Hotspur while others in his position left the club this winter.

What’s the word?

On transfer deadline day, there were a number of rather interesting moves that took place at Spurs. Indeed, while the club managed to land Sporting Lisbon defender Pedro Porro on loan with an obligation to buy, others players left to make space for the new arrival.

The club decided to terminate Matt Doherty’s contract to allow him to join Atletico Madrid permanently, while Djed Spence was loaned to French side Rennes.

This means Porro and Emerson will be the right wing-backs trusted to guide the team through the second half of the season. With that in mind, Gold has explained how this is quite a surprising outcome.

While speaking on the Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham podcast, he said: “Who would have thought, the day we heard those cheers of the whole stadium as Emerson Royal was taken off, and he’s survived the cull on transfer deadline day. It’s incredible!

“It’s absolutely amazing that Matt Doherty is no longer a Spurs player and Djed Spence is in France. And Emerson Royal is just sitting there going, ‘hey lads, I’m still here!’

“But that’s not meant to be disrespectful. I think as a backup, he’s absolutely fine, Emerson Royal.”

Decision time

Earlier in the campaign during a game against Leeds United, the Spurs fans cheered when Emerson was replaced by Matt Doherty in the 57th minute of the match.

The Brazilian has since spoken about how he personally has dealt with moments like that, telling football.london: “It’s not up to me to say whether the crowd’s opinion is fair or not. There are people who pay [to watch matches], but there are many people in favour.

“I do not seek to see these questions [about me]. I prefer to focus on doing my best for the club.”

Seeing as the crowd seemed quite happy for Doherty to come on in that game, it’s not hard to see why there’s a bit of surprise that he was sold and Emerson was kept.

However, with 1,094 minutes of action in the league compared to Doherty’s 667 this season, Emerson has managed an average WhoScored rating of 6.68, which is only marginally worse than the Irishman’s 6.7.

Clearly, there’s room for improvement for players – hence the signing of Porro – but Antonio Conte certainly seems to prefer the Brazilian over the likes of Spence and Doherty, even if many who follow the club have their doubts.

Journalist Aaron Stokes has claimed that rival manager Nathan Jones may have tried to play some “mind games” with a fake tactical set-up pre-game against Newcastle United.

What’s the word?

Earlier this week, the Magpies managed to claim a huge win in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash against Southampton.

Indeed, playing away from home, Eddie Howe’s men were able to win the game 1-0 thanks to a single goal scored by Joelinton in the second half.

With a place in the final up for grabs, both managers would have been doing all they can to get every advantage and it seems as though Jones may have been trying to fool his opposite number ahead of kick-off.

Indeed, as noted in his article for ChronicleLive, Stokes revealed that Southampton warmed up with their defenders spaced out as if they were going to play a back three, only for Saints to actually use a back four when they game began.

He explained how this might have been some mind games, writing:  “Southampton boss Nathan Jones may have been trying to play a bit of mind games with Newcastle before the semi-final had even started on Tuesday evening.

“During the warm-up, the Saints chief got defenders Lyanco, Mohamed Salisu and Duje Caleta-Car to take part in a passing drill, leading some to believe the trio were going to line-up alongside one another as part of a back three. That would have left Moussa Djenepo and Kyle Walker-Peters as the two full-backs in a back five.

“Should Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall have been keeping a close eye on the Southampton warm-up, that may have been what they had taken away from the pre-match exercise. However, Southampton went for a 4-2-3-1 formation with Salisu at full-back and Djenepo in attack.

“A sneaky smokescreen by Jones?”

Mind games?

Interestingly enough, Jones has now been in charge of Southampton for ten games and in three of those games he has used a formation with three at the back. However, going into that game, three of his last four matches had seen a back four in place.

So in fairness to the Southampton manager, he may well have been debating what formation to play right up until the last minute, while also being aware that he might want to switch to a back three midway through the game.

With that in mind, it may not have been mind games. Regardless, the likes of Howe and Tindall would hopefully have done their homework and would have prepared for either formation.

As it was, it certainly seems as though they were ready for the back four they had to face as they won the game with 56 per cent possession, while also having two more shots at goal than the Saints (via BBC Sport) – proving that they probably just about deserved the victory.

Of course, now a goal down, it will be interesting to see how Jones lines his team up in the second leg at St James’ Park.

Sunderland are in the market to sign a new number nine during the January transfer window after being dealt a blow to their squad at the start of the month.

Premier League side Everton decided to recall striker Ellis Simms from his loan spell at the Stadium of Light and Tony Mowbray has now been left with Ross Stewart as his only natural option in that position.

Kristjaan Speakman and Mowbray could now repeat the masterclass Sunderland played with Simms during the first half of the season by bringing in another loanee from the top-flight.

Earlier this month, Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie revealed that the Black Cats are interested in signing Nottingham Forest striker Sam Surridge.

The reporter claimed that the centre-forward is available on loan from the Premier League side and that fellow Championship outfit Burnley are also keen on the marksman.

Simms spent the first half of the campaign at Sunderland on a temporary basis from Everton and caught the eye with his impressive performances at the top end of the pitch.

The 22-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 as he produced seven goals and two assists in 14 Championship starts for the Black Cats, which shows that he was able to put in brilliant performances on a regular basis whilst scoring and assisting goals for the team.

He was a terrific signing who hit the ground running on Wearside to push the club up the table in the division and Surridge could now come in as a similar addition this year.

Like Simms was last summer, the Forest dynamo is a Premier League striker who has struggled for minutes in the top-flight – starting just once so far.

However, he has racked up two goals and two assists in four EFL Cup appearances for Steve Cooper this term, which shows that he is not completely out of form at present.

The forward is also a proven goalscorer in the Championship as he plundered nine goals and two assists in 11 starts, playing 37 matches in total, in the division last season for Forest as they gained promotion to the top tier. This shows that he has the ability to score goals on a regular basis from the start at this level.

Surridge, who was once hailed as “clinical” by journalist Callum Castel, could be an excellent addition to the team and could replace the goalscoring threat the club lost when Simms went back to Goodison Park.

Therefore, Mowbray must push to complete a deal for the £15k-per-week dynamo as the 24-year-old has the potential to be Simms 2.0 for the Black Cats.

Dean Jones has claimed that a lot of people at Tottenham Hotspur are keen on Mauricio Pochettino returning to the club.

The Lowdown: Management uncertainty at Spurs

While news appeared to be positive not too long ago when Spurs and Antonio Conte reportedly opened fresh contract talks, the two parties now appear to be at a standoff.

Therefore, it remains uncertain as to who will be the Spurs boss come the end of the season, at which point, Tottenham can decide to cut their ties with Conte, as they hold an option to trigger a one-year extension to his deal.

However, unless Daniel Levy has somebody lined up, it would be bizarre to lose a serial winner of a manager he has backed heavily over the last two transfer windows.

The Latest: Pochettino return is wanted

Speaking on The Done Deal Show, Jones has claimed that a lot of people working at Spurs want former boss Pochettino to return and bring back a good feeling at the club by replacing Conte.

He said: “During the World Cup, negotiations [with Conte] were supposed to go well – they didn’t. And they need to find some consistency in results, but also some harmony within the club.

“I think that’s the impression I get, why so many people that work at Tottenham are quite keen on the idea of Pochettino returning, because it was such a nice environment, it was such a good place.”

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The Verdict: A change may be best for everyone

This claim, if true, would certainly shine a bad light on Conte’s tenure. A yearning from behind the scenes to see the current manager deposed doesn’t exactly point to widespread harmony at the club – and prior to Wednesday night, neither did their results on the pitch.

It certainly appears that Conte isn’t very happy at Spurs, having recently come out and claimed that it’s a miracle Tottenham even made the top four last season, which could be a message to Levy to back him this month or risk missing out this time around.

Prior to Conte being appointed by Spurs, reports were suggesting that Levy was looking to prise Pochettino away from his then-job at Paris Saint-Germain and bring him back to north London, although nothing ever came to fruition.

If Conte isn’t happy with how he’s being backed or treated at Spurs, the Italian walking away – albeit without winning any silverware – could be best for all involved if it means bringing back someone who was certainly adored by the Tottenham fans for getting them to a Champions League final.

New Glasgow Rangers boss Michael Beale appears to be already plotting moves to strengthen his charges at Ibrox ahead of the January transfer window, with recent reports having claimed that the Ibrox outfit are keen on a move for Algerian sensation, Ahmed Kendouci.

According to Football Scotland’s Mark McDougall, the Old Firm outfit have “made contact” regarding a swoop for the ES Setif midfielder, with the Light Blues believed to be eyeing a loan deal for the 23-year-old next month.

While the Glasgow giants are expected to face competition for the player’s signature, there is believed to be confidence that a deal can be struck to bring the playmaker to Scotland, even if his current side would prefer a permanent move.

The fleet-footed gem has seemingly been a long-term target for the club – and rivals Celtic – having been touted as a possible option earlier this year, with the “complete midfielder”, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, having caught the eye with his form in his homeland of late.

The “elegant” ace – as also dubbed by Kulig – has provided 41 goal involvements in 107 games for his current side to date, having proven a truly creative asset in his attacking midfield role and as a makeshift left-back.

A player with a “left foot made of gold”, as per Kulig, the 5 foot 11 dynamo could well help to fill the void of former Gers star Joe Aribo in the current side, with the Nigeria international having left a sizeable hole following his £10m exit to Premier League side Southampton.

That is the verdict of pundit Frank McAvennie, who suggested that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s “biggest problem” was failing to secure a replacement for the 26-year-old, with the former Charlton Athletic man having been one of the club’s “best players”.

That quality was illustrated last term as Aribo ended the campaign with an impressive haul of nine goals and ten assists form his advanced midfield role, notably scoring in the Europa League final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

The “dynamic” gem – as described by Van Bronckhorst – had racked up a total tally of 51 goals and assists in 148 games following his arrival in 2019, memorably playing a pivotal role in the 2020/21 title-winning campaign, after recording ten goal involvements in the top-flight.

The left-footed menace has proven a hard act to follow since then, although the addition of another creative spark such as Kendouci could well prove the answer for Beale in 2023.

Southampton could be set to re-sign a talent who has graced St Mary’s once before…

What’s the word?

As per transfer insider Dean Jones, Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could make his swan song on the south coast by re-joining them in a survival bid.

Having come through the academy, the 29-year-old left for Arsenal at just 17 years old. It seems that having struggled for game time and fitness at Anfield, the Reds are happy to now see him leave. They were willing to listen to offers of £10m in the summer.

Jones, remarked on the rumours, speaking to GIVEMESPORT:

“It’s always tempting to turn back to a player that you felt produced. Obviously, Theo Walcott they’ve done it with, so maybe it’s deja vu in that sense.

“Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain needs to revive his career at this stage. He needs to make the right move. I can definitely see it being a temptation and a consideration.”

Meanwhile, Football Insider have suggested that the Saints will be offered Oxlade-Chamberlain ahead of the January transfer window

Imagine him & Ward-Prowse

With Nathan Jones having now spent nearly two weeks with his new players, he will surely have assessed that the side are lacking goals.

Sitting two points adrift in the relegation zone, the Saints have scored just 13 goals in 15 Premier League games, of which only four teams have scored less.

This is outlined in the personal statistics throughout the squad, where only Che Adams has scored over two goals so far this campaign.

It therefore would make sense to add Oxlade-Chamberlain to that crop, as he has proven himself a consistent creative threat despite his injury concerns.

He remains in the top 1% for shots total, and the top 3% for touches in the opposition penalty area, suggesting that if given the freedom he can frustrate the opposition with his relentless desire to attack.

Despite chances having been limited in recent years due to the success of Jurgen Klopp’s starting side, he has excelled under the German at points.

In his debut season for them, the English whiz offered up 13 goal contributions, having earned his move off the back of a six-goal and 11-assist campaign as the Gunners won the FA Cup.

During the latter campaign, Klopp was quoted as labelling the midfielder “aggressive in the most positive way”.

To put his explosive energy besides the calming presence of James Ward-Prowse could be a perfect pairing to steer them from relegation, as the 28-year-old has matured significantly across his 380 appearances on the south coast.

He could provide the cutting passes to feed Oxlade-Chamberlain, outlined in his 3.32 progressive passes per game.

Having started the season slowly, he could be exactly the spark needed to revitalise the Saints’ miserable campaign thus far.