Premier League managers are always keen to secure new arrivals in their squad, regularly entering the transfer market for the next big thing. With home-grown status becoming more and more craved, due to new squad quota rulings, the prices of English talent has inflated drastically.
Foreign imports have always been much craved in the Premier League, yet the passion and commitment of British stars has always formed the backbone of the set-up.
Due to their increasing price tags, many English players have have struggled with the burden of high hopes weighing heavily on their shoulders. The media often pounce on failure, with a desire to find stories to fill column inches, ramping up the pressure on players still adjusting to new surroundings.
This list looks at 15 victims of the inflated fees associated with English talent.
Click on the Liverpool duo below to see 15 victims of inflated fees
Arsene Wenger is refusing to rule out a short term deal for Thierry Henry if injuries mount at the Emirates. The Arsenal Legend is currently training with his former club to maintain his fitness in the off-season of the MLS, but is unlikely to turn down the opportunity to wear the red and white shirt again if it presented itself.
Elsewhere in the news Fergie has ruled out making any January moves; the FA have delayed their verdict on Suarez/Evra race row, while Sunderland duo’s arrest causes a headache for Martin O’Neill.
FA Suárez-Evra decision delayed – Guardian
Euro 2012 stars ruled out of London Games – Independent
Van Persie next on Man City wishlist as Mancini hails ‘fantastic’ striker – Daily Mail
Humbug Harry stands firm on Christmas ban – Independent
United will not buy in January, says Ferguson – Guardian
O’Neill: I’m Gyan to call him – Sun
Arrested pair cause O’Neill headache – Guardian
Wenger refuses to rule out Henry deal – Daily Telegraph
Liverpool in fight with Rangers for Dundee United midfielder Allen – Daily Mail
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Why I snubbed the chance to make more money at City to join United – Mirror
Liverpool fans will never be quick to praise their Merseyside rivals Everton, but they will always jump at the chance to mock.
The Reds have had a very positive summer transfer window having brought in Naby Keita, Fabinho, Xherdan Shaqiri and the world’s most expensive goalkeeper Alisson.
Everton have been slower out of the blocks, but new manager Marco Silva has begun shaping his squad with the arrivals of Richarlison and Lucas Digne.
Earlier this week, the Merseyside outfit confirmed the signing of Digne, who has moved to Goodison Park from Barcelona.
Like every football club, there was a stream of online content produced from Everton’s media team, including videos and pictures.
On one image, some eagle-eyed Liverpool supporters spotted that Digne has a tattoo on his chest that reads ‘I Never Walk Alone’.
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This of course is very similar to the Reds’ anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.
Plenty of Liverpool fans were quick to point out the link.
The newly promoted clubs will have a great deal of trouble surviving in the Premier League, without a squad full of players that have hundreds of Premier league appearances, amongst them. At least, that is the generally considered outlook. However, in truth, is there really any substance to this.
I’m sure any international or national media outlet can provide pages of data that back up this theory. However, what would they say about the fact that West Ham got relegated last season, with players possessing significant Premier League experience, and even included England internationals.
How was it that Blackpool, nearly managed survival despite having a squad that had barely played a Premier League game between them. Maybe surviving in the Premier league is a darn sight more complicated than having or not having Premier League experience. Dare I say that Premier League experience has no relevance on survival.
Swansea, Norwich and QPR will certainly hope that it isn’t essential. Of the three promoted clubs, QPR have put a greater emphasis on Premier League experience with the signings of DJ Campbell and Danny Gabbidon and are now bidding to bring Scott Parker into the squad.
Paul Lambert is more interested in signing players that are young and hungry to prove they can play at Premier League level. This doesn’t mean, he is ignoring Premier League players, but he isn’t focusing on them either. His eight summer signings have come from the Championship, League One and the Premier League. Despite the so-called lack of Premier League experience, Paul Lambert’s transfer policy should hold Norwich in good stead.
Equally, Swansea, will be hoping that Danny Graham can step up to Premier League football, even though he hasn’t played in the top flight before. Swansea will draw inspiration from Blackpool, who proved that players lacking in Premier League experience can step up and do very well. Blackpool’s major success stories from last season were Charlie Adam and DJ Campbell. Both players have now earned moves to current Premier League clubs.
I think it is also important for newly promoted clubs to be careful which Premier league model they follow. You could for instance, look at Wolves and Wigan and decide that is a good model to follow. Admittedly, they have managed to sustain Premier League football. However, has either club really progressed?
In order for a team to plan ahead, they need to become an established Premier League club. Of course, it is difficult to define exactly what an established Premier League club is, but a pretty good rule seems to be a team that people don’t think will go down. The best current example is Stoke City, Stoke can afford to plan ahead, and they have progressed, every year they have been In the Premier League. This season, of course, they will be playing in Europe.
Who knows what the future holds for QPR, Norwich and Swansea. But a lack of Premier League experience, doesn’t mean that relegation is inevitable. There is plenty to be optimistic about coming into the new season.
Yes, it is likely that at least one of these teams will get relegated. But there is no reason to think that two can’t stay up, as Newcastle and West Brom proved last season. Team spirit, togetherness, and having a good manager can get you a long way. It will be a tough battle, but clubs need to keep in mind, the future, when buying players to sustain Premier League football.
Too many newly promoted clubs go down the road of spending a lot of money on established players. The thinking is, the quality will keep them in the Premier League. However, the cost of failure can be very high, because the players will either wish to leave or stay and cripple the club financially in the Championship.
This is where, Norwich has been very smart. Eight players have been signed, but with the minimum of financial risk. The club can also be reasonably confident that these players would be prepared to play Championship football and wage costs can be kept under control. So, if the worst thing was to happen and Norwich got relegated, then at least they would have one of the strongest squads in the Championship.
Now, if they had followed the age-old wisdom of Premier League experience. Well first of all those players would been very expensive, either in wages, transfer fees or both. Now of course, you would hope that those players would be good enough to keep you up. However, if they were not they would most likely leave the club, leaving a depleted squad. If that weren’t to happen, they would stay, but being paid high wages.
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A further point is that experienced Premier League players are probably nearing the end of their careers. Therefore, the chance of getting your money back on them is relatively slim. Now consider a player coming in the Championship that is 21 years old. That player can develop and may turn out to be a quality Premier League player. Now either the club will sell that player and make a huge profit or the club will benefit from having one of the better Premier League players.
This is effectively, what happened with Charlie Adam last season and at the end of the season Blackpool made themselves a significant profit, by selling the player to Liverpool. Maybe this conventional wisdom is deeply flawed. And this year’s crop of newly promoted sides can continue what Blackpool started last season.
Transfer deadline day was definitely a busy one in the Premier League this week, with Fernando Torres moving to Chelsea for £50 million, freeing up money for Liverpool to swoop for Newcastle striker Andy Carroll. The Reds shelled out £35 million for the Geordie lad, with Kenny Dalglish now having the exciting prospect of a Carroll-Luis Suarez partnership when both are fit. However, the former Newcastle star is still some weeks away from making his Liverpool debut as his thigh injury is likely to rule him out for at least another month. Carroll managed to pass his medical though and here’s Liverpool club doctor Zaf Iqbal putting him through his paces and seemingly teaching him the art of meditation. Can you come up with a funny caption for this picture?
Leave your suggestions below…
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This week you can win a copy of Premiership Psycho!
Kev King has the world at his feet. His is the world of top flight football: where brands are all, lifestyle is god, adoration is obligatory and there is nothing – and no one – that money can’t buy. And up until last season, Kev had the Premier League status to match his premier lifestyle.
Now, relegated to a lowly league, forced to watch injured from the bench, and paranoid about his girlfriend’s rising celebrity profile, he feels less in control of his life. And it’s making him angry. Fighting his way back to the top, he leaves a trail of destruction. But can his millions and his talent keep him at the top of his game – or are his violent secrets about to rob him of everything he has?
C.M. Taylor’s “Premiership Psycho” is a compelling, hilarious and horrible insight into celebrity culture and a brilliant fictional portrayal of contemporary football.
For the FootballFanCast.com Caption Competition Terms and Conditions click here
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Check out our Caption Competition Gallery for some inspiration and to see the winners so far.
Last week’s winner: Karl Sears – click here to see all entries
Southampton are now eyeing Russell Martin as a replacement for Will Still, who was dismissed on Sunday night, but there could be competition for his signature from their Championship rivals.
After being relegated from the Premier League last season, the Saints were expected to mount a promotion push, but it has been nothing short of a terrible start to the campaign, having taken just 12 points from their opening 13 matches.
The 2-0 defeat at home to Preston North End was the final straw for Sport Republic, who relieved Still of his duties on Saturday, and Under-21s head coach Tonda Eckert has now emerged as a contender for the first-team manager’s job.
It would be a gamble to appoint Eckert, however, given that he is just 32-years-old and yet to prove himself at senior level, and an external appointment is also being considered…
Southampton eyeing Russell Martin to replace Will Still
According to journalist Alan Nixon (via GiveMeSport) Southampton are now eyeing former manager Martin as a replacement for Still, with the 39-year-old on standby for a swift return to management, having recently been dismissed by Scottish giants Rangers.
The Saints are not the only Championship club that hold an interest, however, with it being revealed that Norwich City are also considering the Englishman, given that there are doubts over Liam Manning’s future.
The Brighton-born manager is available without any compensation, which means he is an appealing option for the two Championship clubs, who could do battle for his services.
In truth, the former Rangers manager’s spell at Ibrox was a complete disaster, being sacked after just 17 games in charge, making him the shortest-serving permanent boss in the Scottish side’s history.
That said, the “exciting” manager, as hailed by analyst John Walker, could still be a good appointment for Southampton, considering the work he did at St. Mary’s previously, guiding them to promotion in the play-off final in the 2023-24 campaign.
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The ex-Swansea City boss, who prefers to implement a 4-3-3 system, is also very experienced at Championship level, having taken charge of 138 second tier matches.
Russell Martin’s Championship record
Games
138
Wins
60
Draws
34
Losses
44
Points per match
1.55
That said, it would arguably be a backwards step to appoint Martin, given that he was sacked by the Saints less than one year ago, after being unable to make the step-up to the Premier League, with his side losing 13 of their opening 16 Premier League games.
Southampton plotting move for James Ward-Prowse in January He's been told to leave: Southampton now plotting move to sign £30m PL star
Leeds United are now believed to be right in the mix to complete the signing of an exciting young Premier League player in the summer transfer window.
Who are Leeds trying to sign this summer?
Nikola Krstovic has emerged as a rumoured transfer target for the Whites this summer, with the returning Premier League outfit even reportedly tabling a £29m offer for his services. The Lecce attacker scored 11 goals in 37 Serie A appearances last season, and could add much-needed firepower to Daniel Farke’s squad.
Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz has also been linked with a move to Leeds before next season gets underway, with the Turin giants willing to move him on, despite his quality. He could be a signing of real intent by the Whites, having shone for Aston Villa previously.
Douglas Luiz in action for Juventus.
Meanwhile, Joe Gomez has been backed to join Leeds if he wants to leave Liverpool this summer, but unfortunately, he has seemingly committed his future to the Reds on Instagram:“It’s been a blessing to be a part of the different dressing rooms and getting to create such special memories over the years with so many great players & staff.
“I felt it was important to share my thanks to you all for the support throughout the years, it’s always meant the world and I will never take it for granted. A decade in red… and still hungry to keep going.”
Leeds pushing to sign "incredible" Premier League ace
According to a fresh update from Marca [via Sport Witness], Leeds are battling Feyenoord for the signing of Wolves left-back Hugo Bueno this summer. The 22-year-old spent last season loan at the Eredivisie side, and they are now keen on turning his temporary move into a permanent switch.
Hugo Bueno
Bueno could be exactly the type of shrewd squad signing that Leeds are after this summer, coming in and providing squad depth, having proven himself as a solid squad player in the Premier League.
The Spaniard has made 43 appearances in England’s top flight, while former Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs has lauded his impact from a very young age at Molineux.
“Since joining us as a 16-year-old number 10, the work that Hugo and the coaches have put into changing his position, and the acceptance he had of doing that, shows what a good pro he is. To be able to get his head around a new position and develop at the rate he has was incredible.
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“Hugo’s one of the huge success stories of the club. Bringing him in from a grassroots team in Spain when he was just 16, and he’s now 21, playing in the Premier League and being a regular Premier League player, it’s testament to everyone involved.”
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Leeds United could soon win this striker who is both a better option than Lucas Nmecha and also a dream Rodrigo Muniz alternative.
ByKelan Sarson
Bueno could provide stiff competition for Sam Byram at left-back next season, and given his age, there is no reason why he won’t blossom more as a player as the years pass.
Manchester City’s last outing was a hugely disappointing 3-1 defeat in the Champions League against Real Madrid. It saw the Citizens crash out of the premium European club competition in a frustrating manner, losing 6-3 on aggregate.
A phenomenal Kylian Mbappe hattrick was enough to sink Pep Guardiola’s side, with the French forward scoring three superb goals, including a lob over goalkeeper Ederson and a lovely strike from range with his weaker left foot to seal the treble.
City lost John Stones just minutes into the game, with the England international succumbing to injury. It was a bit of a makeshift defence for City, which included new signing Abdukodir Khusanov at right-back.
Khusanov’s performance vs. Real Madrid
So far, the Uzbekistan international has played a bit-part role in a Man City shirt. The January signing from French outfit Lens has featured four times, with his start against Madrid the first time he has played in the Champions League for City.
Abdukodir Khusanov in action for Man City
However, it was a tough night at the office for Khusanov against Los Blancos. Defending against Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, a quartet often quite fluid in their rotations, you could not have really asked for a tougher assignment.
In fact, the youngster received a 3/10 for his performance against the Spanish giants, courtesy of Goal. Richard Martin said Khusanov ‘was tortured from start to finish’ by the likes of Mbappe and Vinicius.
Chalkboard
When the Frenchman received the ball for his second goal, it came to him after City’s number 45 had the ball poked through his legs by Rodrygo.
It was certainly a baptism of fire in the Champions League for the first time donning that famous Blue shirt. It will be interesting to see if Guardiola keeps him in the side for the heavyweight clash with Liverpool on Sunday.
The same thing could be said for another City defender, who also struggled against Madrid.
The City player who could be dropped against Liverpool
When you’re defending against the likes of Mbappe, Bellingham, Vinicius and Rodrygo, it is never going to be easy. Khusanov found that out first-hand, but perhaps no one can relate more than Josko Gvardiol.
If Khusanov had a tough night, then Gvardiol certainly did. He was, in many ways, embarrassed by Madrid’s hattrick hero, who sat him down for his second goal, moments after the Uzbek defender was nutmegged by Rodrygo.
With Gvardiol sliding in for a challenge on Mbappe, the Madrid number nine simply shifted the ball from his left foot to his right, and watched as the Croatian defender slid past him and ended up on his back. Gvardiol could only watch as Mbappe slotted home,
It was a poor performance from City’s left-back at the Santiago Bernabeu. He received a 4/10 from Martin, which was justified when looking at his stats on Sofascore.
He won just five out of 14 ground duels and was dribbled past twice, including for Mbappe’s second goal.
Gvardiol stats vs. Real Madrid
Stat
Number
Touches
69
Pass accuracy
90%
Ground duels won
4/12
Aerial duels won
1/2
Tackles won
2/4
Number of times balls lost
8
Fouls committed
3
Stats from Sofascore
Sadly for Gvardiol, there will be no respite this weekend against the Premier League leaders, Liverpool. Should he get the nod at left-back again, he will have to face one of the most in-form players in the Premier League, Mohamed Salah.
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The Reds’ number 11 has 29 goals and 20 assists in just 37 games in all competitions this season, playing as a right-winger. That means Gvardiol will come up directly against the Egyptian international.
Liverpool's MohamedSalahreacts
Perhaps Guardiola will decide not to risk his number 24. After being embarrassed by Mbappe, there is no reason to say why the same will not happen against another world-class attacker.
This is a crucial game for City in their fight for a top-four spot, and perhaps the City boss will want a more watertight defence.
It would not be hard to argue against dropping Gvardiol for the clash at the Etihad Stadium. The left-back has not been playing to the high levels he can hit, and City might need someone else in better form to help keep someone like Salah quiet.
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Leeds United moved up to third in the Championship table after they secured a superb 2-0 win against Sheffield United at Elland Road on Friday night.
Their opponents had kept six successive clean sheets in the second tier ahead of the clash but could not keep out Daniel Farke’s side, who won with relative ease.
Whilst it took until the 69th minute for them to open the scoring, through Pascal Struijk, the away side did not have a shot on target all game and did not create a single ‘big chance’.
Leeds, meanwhile, created three ‘big chances’ and had four shots on target in total, scoring from two of them, as they managed to break down a stubborn defence.
After Struijk opened the scoring, the Whites looked the more likely team to get the second in the game, rather than the Blades grabbing an equaliser, and Mateo Joseph made sure of the win with a composed finish in the 90th minute.
That goal from the academy graduate means that Joseph and Joel Piroe have now combined for six goals and six assists in the Championship this season, which means that Leeds are getting more than value for money from them.
Leeds United's highest earners
Per Capology, both strikers only earn £15k-per-week and are far from being among the top earners in the squad for the the 2024/25 campaign.
Only three players, Isaac Schmidt, Joe Rothwell, who is on loan from Bournemouth, and Alex Cairns are on less money, and all three of them are back-up options when all players are fit and available.
This means that Joseph and Piroe are the two lowest-paid regular starters, although Rothwell is currently enjoying a run of starts with Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev out through injury.
Leeds United’s top ten earners
24/25 season
Weekly wage
Patrick Bamford
£70k
Junior Firpo
£60k
Manor Solomon
£60k
Dan James
£50k
Pascal Struijk
£50k
Brenden Aaronson
£45k
Ethan Ampadu
£40k
Joe Rodon
£40k
Max Wober
£35k
Wilfried Gnonto
£30k
Wages via Capology
As you can see in the table above, Joseph and Piroe do not rank within the top ten earners at Elland Road, and earn half as much as the tenth-highest – Wilfried Gnonto.
Meanwhile, the highest-paid player in the squad, per these figures, is Patrick Bamford on a staggering £70k-per-week, more than twice as much as the other two strikers combined.
Daniel Farke, who has been linked with a swoop for RB Salzburg’s Adam Daghim, must now ruthlessly ditch the English forward from the squad when the January transfer window opens for business, if there are any suitors.
Why Patrick Bamford should be sold
The one-time England international has simply not done enough on the pitch to justify his huge wages, and it has been reported that he is open to leaving.
Patrick Bamford
Football Insider recently claimed that the left-footed marksman is considering an exit from West Yorkshire at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, despite having a contract through to the summer of 2026.
The 31-year-old attacker is said to have grown frustrated with his lack of minutes on the pitch under Farke, as he has only made four appearances as a substitute in the Championship this season, and the club are open to letting him go.
Bamford has been behind Piroe and Joseph in the pecking order, and rightly so given their combined 12 goal contributions, and struggled when he was getting regular minutes last term.
23/24 Championship
Patrick Bamford
Appearances
33
xG
9.52
Goals
8
Big chances missed
9
Key passes per game
0.4
Assists
1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the experienced forward let himself down in front of goal last season by missing nine ‘big chances’ and underperforming against his xG.
He also rarely contributed as a creator for his teammates with less than one key pass every other game and only one assist in 33 Championship games.
Patrick Bamford in action for Leeds United in the Championship.
Bamford is not the only forward who should be brutally binned by Farke in January, however, as Joe Gelhardt should also be moved on by the German head coach, due to his lack of impact whilst earning as much (£15k-per-week) as Joseph and Piroe.
Why Leeds should sell Joe Gelhardt
The young attacker is now 22 and is still yet to establish himself as a regular for Leeds, having initially made his breakthrough in the first-team in the 2021/22 campaign, with two goals in 20 Premier League outings.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Gelhardt showed plenty of signs of promise in the top-flight in his teenage years, with two goals and four assists in 35 matches in the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch.
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However, he has not kicked on since that initial show of promise and it may now be time for the Whites to cash in on him in January, if there are any interested parties.
Celtic transfer target Joe Gelhardt in action for Leeds United.
The 22-year-old was sent out on loan to Sunderland to play regular minutes in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign and only scored three goals in 18 Championship matches.
Despite his lack of production during his time with the Black Cats, Farke opted to keep the young attacker in his squad for the 2023/24 season, having arrived at the club in the summer to lead the team back to the Premier League.
Joe Gelhardt
23/24 Championship
24/25 Championship
Appearances
10
2
Starts
2
0
Goals
0
0
Assists
0
0
Key passes per game
0.2
0
Big chances created
0
0
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Gelhardt has been rarely-seen at Championship level for the Whites since he returned from his loan with Sunderland in the summer of 2023.
The versatile forward has only played 12 times in the division and has not produced a single goal, assist, or ‘big chance’ created for the West Yorkshire outfit.
He is two years older than Joseph, who has already scored two goals and provided three assists in the league this season, and it seems unlikely, given their respective performances, that he is going to overtake the Spaniard any time soon.
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ByDan Emery
Therefore, Farke should look to cash in on the English dud when the next transfer window opens for business, and move him on alongside Bamford.
Tottenham are now thought to be the most serious side about signing a £70 million defender who's been called "similar" to star centre-back Micky van de Ven.
Ange admits Spurs could sign another centre-back after Dragusin
The £25 million signing of Radu Dragusin from Genoa in January was thought to be a significant deal for Spurs, as they were starved of quality alternatives to van de Ven and Cristian Romero at the time.
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This is an “attractive” proposal.
ByEmilio Galantini
The latter star's hamstring injury last November seriously exposed Spurs' lack of defensive depth. Indeed, van de Ven's absence midway through 23/24 prompted a brief but poor run of form, and perhaps alerted Lilywhites transfer chiefs to the glaring weakness in Ange Postecoglou's squad.
A move for Dragusin was then swiftly completed in the winter window, with the Romanian seriously helping to bolster Postecoglou's back line. His presence also allowed Spurs to cover for the injured Destiny Udogie at the end of last season, with van de Ven moving to left-back and Dragusin taking his usual spot in the centre.
Radu Dragusin's best league games for Tottenham last season
Match Rating (via WhoScored)
Sheffield United 0-3 Tottenham
6.98
Aston Villa 0-4 Tottenham
6.67
Tottenham 2-1 Luton Town
6.61
Tottenham 0-2 Man City
6.49
Fulham 3-0 Tottenham
6.28
However, despite the 22-year-old's arrival at N17, Postecoglou has previously admitted that Spurs could look to sign another centre-back this summer – as they eye even more cover.
“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, the Tottenham manager said.
“With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.
Radu Dragusin competing for Tottenham
“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.”
Tottenham made an offer to Tosin Adarabioyo before he joined Chelsea, as revealed by club insider Paul O'Keefe at the time. Spurs also held an interest in signing Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer from Bournemouth, but the Englishman is on his way to Newcastle United instead (Simon Stone, BBC).
With both free deals out of the window, Spurs apparently have their eyes on a far more expensive option in Nottingham Forest star Murillo.
Tottenham most serious side in race for Murillo
The Brazilian, who starred for Forest over his 32 Premier League starts, is also being chased by their north London rivals.
Murillo for Nottingham Forest.
That is according to Football Transfers, who also claim that Tottenham have shown the most interest in signing Murillo at this point. They may need to stump up a considerable transfer fee, though, and it could be as high as £70 million.
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FT have also called Murillo "similar" to van de Ven, which is an enticing comparison when considering just how crucial the 23-year-old is to Spurs.