Spurs urged to keep their biggest star… and lose him for free in a year: PL Rumour Mill

Spurs urged to keep their biggest star… and lose him for free in a year: PL Rumour Mill

With around a month remaining in the Premier League season, plenty of managers and owners are already drawing up their transfer wishlists for the upcoming off-season.

And some massive names have been linked to transfers! Here’s the latest in our Premier League Rumour Mill.

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BATTLE HEATS UP FOR KANE

Harry Kane has been one of the Premier League’s finest No. 9s for years now, and this season has been no different. 25 league goals in 24 matches, taking him to 208 league goals all-time (equal second alongside Wayne Rooney, behind Alan Shearer’s 260). But having come through the Spurs Academy to become one of the club’s greatest-ever players, this off-season might finally be the moment Kane leaves.

After years of having bids from big-name rivals rejected, Harry Kane has just 18 months left on his contract – which means either Spurs sell up, or lose him on a free transfer at the end of next season if they can’t lock him in on a new contract. Manchester United and Chelsea have both been strongly linked to a move for the England captain, while Bayern Munich is also reportedly interested.

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But Premier League great Gary Neville believes Tottenham can’t afford to let their talismanic striker leave now, even if it means letting him go in a year for free.

“When you think about this season for Spurs, and how it’s going to end, I don’t think Tottenham can let Harry Kane go in the summer,” Neville said in Sky Sports commentary during Spurs defeat to Liverpool.

“They are going to have to let him wind down his contract. They will need to build around him next season with a new manager.

“If he leaves in the summer, and a new manager comes in, will he really want to take the job if he’s a big name without Kane there?

“They may just have to swallow the fact that they’re not going to get a fee for him or try to encourage him to stay during that season.

“The new manager that comes in is going to want to keep the pair of Kane and Son Heung-min together.”

Having gone 15 seasons without winning a trophy and facing another rebuild under another new manager, it’s understandable that Kane would want to finally leave Tottenham for the chance to hoist some silverware.

EX-CHELSEA STAR AND EX-REDS STAR SET FOR PL RETURN?

Former Chelsea young gun Fikayo Tomori is reportedly hoping to make a return to the Premier League to boost his hopes of becoming an England regular, according to 90min. The 25-year-old has hardly missed a minute for AC Milan this season, racking up 28 league games and eight Champions League games as the centre-back helped guide his side to the semi-finals.

The talented Canada-born defender spent the second half of 2021-22 season on loan in Milan, before that was turned into a permanent exit from Stamford Bridge.

But English clubs are lining up to convince him to return.

Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle all reportedly had scouts in attendance against Roma last week. Liverpool has also been linked to a bid.

AC Milan’s British defender Fikayo Tomori.Source: AFP

Meanwhile, multiple outlets report Bayern Munich is open to selling former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane. Manager Thomas Tuchel only took over at the German giants in March, but reportedly has already decided the Senegalese 31-year old should be put up for sale. Mane has struggled in his first season in Germany, though he’s picked up 12 goals and five assists in 35 matches (all competitions).

According to Sport BILD journalist Christian Falk, Bayern is actively ‘looking for a buyer’ for Mane. Arsenal and Chelsea have both been linked.

It hasn’t been easy for the Senegalese superstar.Source: Getty Images

SPURS COULD END FLOP’S CONTRACT

Tanguy Ndombele was Tottenham’s club-record signing in 2019, joining from Lyon for €62 million rising by €10 million in add-ons. Within a minute of coming off the bench against Juventus for his debut in a club friendly, he picked up an assist – and his start to life in the Premier League was just as good, scoring the team’s first goal of the season on his league debut.

But he never quite reached the heights that were expected of him, though his 2020-21 season saw him pick up 46 appearances and a career-high six assists in all competitions.

He spent half of the 2021-22 season on loan back at Lyon, but only managed 15 appearances in all competitions, before another loan move this year at Napoli. And while he’s made plenty of appearances in Italy, the vast majority have come off the bench. Napoli has an option to turn his loan permanent for €30 million, but it’s unclear whether the Serie A champions-to-be value the 26-year-old that highly. If they choose not to pick up that transfer option, Spurs are reportedly willing to end his contract prematurely and release him, according to Sport Mediaset.

The report states at least one Premier League rival is interested in a potential free agent move for the seven-time French midfielder.

He left Spurs on loan and is about to win a league title in Italy … but Tottenham will reportedly cut Tanguy Ndombele loose.Source: Getty Images

IN BRIEF

Brighton will make a ‘formal’ bid for Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson at the end of the season when he becomes a free agent, according to the Daily Mail.

Chelsea and Manchester United are set to fight for the services of Napoli’s star striker Victor Osimhen.

Arsenal will look to reinforce their midfield in the off-season, with West Ham’s Declan Rice and Brighton’s Moises Caicedo two names linked by multiple outlets in recent days.

Manchester United exile Mason Greenwood reportedly believes he has played his last game for the club, according to The Sun. The 22-year-old hasn’t played for the club since January 2022, when he was first detained by police over allegations of attempted rape and assault. He was charged with three counts in October, but the charges were dropped in February. The club is still investigating the allegations, which range from 2018 to 2021.

Now, The Sun reports Greenwood is resigned to never playing for the club again, while AC Milan is interested in signing the young English attacker and offering a chance to rebuild his career overseas.