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Tottenham Hotspur have been no stranger to the odd transfer blunder over the years, with one notable period, in particular, having seen the north Londoners make a string of costly mistakes in the market.

That dismal spell came following the £85m departure of former talisman Gareth Bale to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013, with then-boss Andre Villas-Boas subsequently splashing the cash on seven new arrivals having been bolstered by that influx of funds, only for the majority of those moves to ultimately backfire.

One figure from that infamous ‘magnificent seven’ was striker Roberto Soldado, with the Spaniard having been snapped up from La Liga side Valencia for a reported fee of around £26m, having recorded an impressive tally of 82 goals in just 141 games at his former club.

The then 28-year-old had made a solid start to life in England after scoring two goals in his opening two Premier League games, although would end his debut season with just 11 goals in all competitions – five of which had come in the Europa League.

One notable display, in particular, during the 6-0 defeat to Manchester City saw the 12-cap dud come in for severe criticism, with Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville stating: “He doesn’t make anywhere near enough runs. He’s got to adapt quickly. I’m not sure he wants to become alive until the ball reaches the 18-yard box.”

The following campaign would prove even dourer amid the emergence of a certain Harry Kane, with Soldado netting just five times across all fronts having seen his involvement reduced, with only one of those efforts having come in the league.

That dismal form saw the former Real Madrid man ultimately moved on at the end of that 2014/15 season, having scored just seven league goals across his two campaigns with the Lilywhites – four of which had come from the penalty spot.

His subsequent exit to Villarreal saw Daniel Levy forced to take a notable hit on his initial investment as the struggling marksman was sold for just £10m, joining the likes of Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches and Paulinho in departing the club just two years after their Bale-funded arrival.

The 5 foot 10 striker would go on to underwhelm for the Yellow Submarine as he scored just 12 goals in 55 appearances – albeit while laying on 19 assists – before joining Turkish outfit Fenerbahce in 2017.

A steady, yet far from prolific two-year spell in Istanbul ensured for the ageing forward as he scored 19 goals and provided 11 assists in 59 games, before returning to his homeland to join Granada where he bagged just 25 goals in 80 appearances.

The veteran dud was snapped up by Levante last summer, although the 37-year-old has scored just seven goals for the club since then, with the Spanish outfit currently plying their trade in the second tier after last season’s relegation.

A much-changed Arsenal side kickstarted their Europa League campaign with a victory over FC Zurich in Switzerland on Thursday evening,

Mikel Arteta rotated his starting XI in a bid to keep them fresh for the weekend’s visit of Everton in the Premier League, though that game now looks set to be postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, which was announced right before half-time.

The Gunners went into the break tied with the Swiss champions after Marquinhos’ first goal on his full debut for the side was cancelled out by Mirlind Kryeziu’s spot-kick as Eddie Nketiah fouled Ola Selnaes inside the penalty box.

He made amends soon after the break, however, heading in at the far post as the young Brazilian turned provider. Arsenal sit atop of Group A after PSV Eindhoven, who they play next week, drew with Bodo/Glimt.

It was quite the night for Marquinhos, who was making his first-ever competitive start for the north London giants, and it’s fair to say he announced himself on the European stage in a familiar fashion to his teammate, Bukayo Saka.

The England sensation was handed his first full home debut in this very competition, featuring against Qarabag back in December 2018, then in September, during the following season, he bagged his first-ever goal and also two assists in a 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, also in the Europa League.

It seems as if the former Sao Paulo gem is following in his footsteps with an eye-catching display against Zurich, where he also created as many as four chances, which was more than fellow full debutant Fabio Vieira, though not as much as the five that Granit Xhaka managed from a deep-lying midfield role.

The 5 foot 9 dynamo also provided three accurate long balls from four attempts (75%), registered a successful dribble and even put in two interceptions to thwart the home side, as per SofaScore.

Marquinhos’ fine display saw him earn the ‘Star Man’ title from Simon Collings of the Evening Standard, who wrote: ‘Enjoyed a dream debut as he got on the scoresheet with a well-taken goal from a slick move. Looked sharp all game and setup Nketiah’s goal with a great cross.’

Meanwhile, journalist Josh Bunting was equally impressed by the wide man, claiming that he “showed real heart and desire with his movement” and that he was “aggressive and astute.”

So forget Vieira or Nketiah, it was Marquinhos’ night over in Switzerland as he announced himself to the Gunners faithful with an excellent goal and assist.

It’s no wonder Arsenal didn’t sign another winger in the transfer market.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Francesco Acerbi to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet La Lazio Siamo Noi (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite the Hammers looking to have secured the £10.1m signing of Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Thilo Kehrer, David Moyes is still on the hunt for further additions to his options in the heart of defence – with the Scot now believed to have made an enquiry for the Lazio defender.

The report goes on to state that, with the 34-year-old not currently being a part of Maurizio Sarri’s first-team plans, the Serie A side would be willing to allow the Italy international to leave the club on a season-long loan deal prior to September’s transfer deadline – without the option of a purchase clause.

However, the Italian outlet also goes on to suggest that the Lazio centre-back is not overly convinced by the idea of a move to the Premier League, and would much prefer to reunite with his former manager at the Stadio Olimpico, Simone Inzaghi, at Inter Milan – although the Nerazzurri are yet to launch a move for the defender.

“Amazing” signing

Considering just how dependable Acerbi has been in the Lazio backline over the past few years, in addition to the heart of the Hammers defence being something of a problem position for Moyes already this season, it is not difficult to see why the 59-year-old would be keen on a deal to bring the 34-year-old to east London this summer.

Indeed, with West Ham having sanctioned the £15m sale of Issa Diop earlier this month, Moyes was left with four senior centre-backs in his first team squad – Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, Craig Dawson and Angelo Ogbonna.

However, with £30m summer signing Aguerd sustaining ankle ligament damage in pre-season – a setback that will keep the 26-year-old sidelined until October – Dawson and Ogbonna currently being ruled out with knocks and the club having fears that Zouma could have a long-term degenerative issue with his knee, Moyes is facing something of a centre-back injury crisis.

As such, while the addition of Kehrer will help to ease the strain in the heart of the Scot’s defence, it is clear that further reinforcements will be required ahead of what could well prove to be long and arduous campaigns in both the Premier League and Europa Conference League – with Acerbi appearing to be an amazing fit for the Hammers.

Indeed, despite his advancing years, the £3.6m-rated defender has managed 30 or more Serie A appearances in each of the past eight seasons, while his level of performance by no means appears to be on the decline.

This is evidenced by his highly impressive form over 30 league fixtures for Lazio last season, during which the £75k-per-week talent helped his side keep five clean sheets and scored four goals, in addition to making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 3.0 clearances, 61.2 passes, 5.5 long balls and winning 3.8 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per game.

These returns saw the 25-cap international who David Amoyal dubbed “amazing” and Carlo Garganese labelled a “monster” average a SofaScore match rating of 7.03 – marking his seventh consecutive campaign in which Acerbi has averaged a match rating of 7.00 or higher.

As such, considering his dependability both in terms of fitness and performance, it would very much appear as if the 34-year-old would represent an amazing addition to Moyes’ current options at centre-back – leading us to believe that the Scot should do all he can to convince the Italian stopper of a switch to the London Stadium in the coming weeks.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has been giving his thoughts on Crystal Palace’s interest in Napoli forward Hirving Lozano.

The Lowdown: Palace links

The Eagles have made four signings so far this summer ahead of Patrick Vieira’s second season in charge but appear to want even more.

Reports in recent days have claimed that Palace are interested in signing Lozano, who is open to a move to the Premier League.

The 26-year-old’s new representatives apparently have a positive relationship with Palace officials, with West Ham also keen on the player.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to FootballFanCast, O’Rourke was excited at Palace’s interest in Lozano, labelling the forward as a ‘top player’ and describing a possible move to Selhurst Park as ‘huge’.

“Yeah would be a huge signing, Hirving Lozano. I think a real top player across the world, a Mexican international. Was a big signing for Napoli as well when they signed him from PSV, so for Crystal Palace to be in that market looking at him just shows where Crystal Palace are looking to go right now.

“They’re looking like building an exciting young team under Patrick Vieira and they’ll be hoping to build upon an impressive last term in this new season as well.”

The Verdict: Ambitious

Lozano, described as ‘unique’ by Luciano Spalleti, has scored 124 goals during his career for both club and country and has played in European competitions over the past five seasons.

Palace can’t offer that at this moment in time, so securing a move for the attacker would be a huge coup for Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman.

He could be just what Vieira needs with Palace yet to make a senior attacking addition this summer, and with Lozano capable of playing on either wing and even central if required, this could be one to watch over the coming weeks.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Bruno Lage can save millions by unleashing Adama Traore this season, he can be like a new signing after returning from his loan spell at FC Barcelona.

Speaking about the player on Football Daily, podcaster Zac Djellab said:

“He is a special player, he’s a guy that if [Lage] can get working in the right way, can really, really help [Wolves] out.

“Going and sending him on loan in January shows to me that Bruno Lage was like, I don’t want him.

“It doesn’t look like he’s going to be leaving, and so maybe he tries and gets a system where he can fit in and make it work.”

Given Traore’s impressive performances for Wolves in the past, it was surprising to see him sent out on loan in January, but with Barcelona not exercising the option to buy him permanently, it looks like he’s staying.

If that’s the case, then Lage must unleash him as he could help Wolves climb up the table and get closer to qualifying for Europe.

In 154 appearances for the Old Gold, Traore has been directly involved in 29 goals. It may not seem a huge amount but he’s put in some great performances in that time and can provide great competition.

His standout season came in 2019-20 when he assisted 12 – with journalist Tim Spiers describing one of them as “perfect”.

If you compare him to his teammate at Molineux Daniel Podence last season, there’s very little difference in quality. They both played a similar amount of games in the last campaign – with Traore performing better in many categories.

He tallied more goal-creating actions per 90 minutes with 0.31 compared to the Portuguese player’s 0.24, showing he has the ability to create more.

The Spaniard, once dubbed “unplayable” by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, also had a higher successful press percentage at 29% compared to Podence’s 27%, proving how hard he works out of possession.

He deserves a second chance, and at £46k-per-week Lage might as well use him, and Wolves can save millions by not buying someone else.

Ultimately Lage should see him as an asset with his best years yet to come, and he should offer him a new deal before they lose him for free next summer.

AND in other news, “Rumours that…”: Liam Keen drops huge Wolves transfer update supporters will love…

Respected journalist Ben Jacobs has made a claim regarding the contract situation surrounding Liverpool forward Diogo Jota. 

The lowdown: Jota a Liverpool success

Signed from Wolves for an eye-opening £41m in 2020 (BBC), the Portugal forward arrived on Merseyside as a proven Premier League operator, having already netted 16 times in 67 outings as a winger for the Midlands club.

The 25-year-old has since gone from strength to strength on Merseyside, directly contributing to 43 goals in 85 appearances so far for the Reds, playing a key role in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup successes last term.

Currently earning a reported £120,000 per week (Salary Sport), the Anfield hierarchy are now seemingly ready to offer Jota a reward for his fine form with a lucrative new contract…

The latest: ‘Matter of priority’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs has claimed that the fresh terms for the 26-cap Portugal star are now high on the list of priorities for FSG and Julian Ward, whilst also dismissing much of the speculation around potential incomings at Liverpool.

The CBS Sports journalist said: “Liverpool will also look to offer Diogo Jota improved terms as a matter of priority. Most of the other names currently being linked with Liverpool are just rumour or agent talk with little substance.”

The verdict: Richly deserved

Despite Jota being under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), this is another example of the Anfield hierarchy rewarding players for their form and ensuring that the club’s prized assets are content with their status among the highest earners, a list now topped by Mohamed Salah.

Last season, Jota scored 21 times and provided eight assists from 55 appearances across all competitions, showcasing a potency in the final third as well as exceptional durability. Those two factors will be pivotal to Jurgen Klopp’s squad in what looks set to be another gruelling campaign in 2022/23.

‘unstoppable’ by team-mate Andy Robertson following an 8.80 Sofascore-rated display against Leicester in February containing two goals, two key passes and three tackles – may be required to interchange with Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez as a striker and a left winger moving forwards.

Whatever his role, there can be little doubting that Jota is deserving of a new bumper contract at Liverpool.

Leeds United target Romeo Lavia now has a number of offers on the table and looks likely to leave Manchester City on loan this summer.

The Lowdown: Leeds interested in Lavia

Labelled an ‘aggressive’ player by Etihad Stadium legend Vincent Kompany, Lavia has been linked with a move to Elland Road in recent days. City are reluctant to let the 18-year-old leave, even though they know it could help them in their pursuit of Whites midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

Leeds and Southampton are both interested in the Belgian holding midfielder, who some at City believe will one day be at the level to play under Pep Guardiola.

The Latest: Lavia update

The Secret Scout took to Twitter on Saturday to provide an update regarding Lavia after talking to his ‘representatives’.

They claimed that ‘clubs in lower half of the Premier League and top Championship clubs have made offers’, with a loan option likely as ‘City rate him highly’, signing off with ‘Boom’, an explosion emoji and a hint of a significant development ‘soon’.

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The Verdict: Leeds one of those?

Leeds could well be one of the clubs who have tabled an offer for Lavia, and if they have, you’d like to think that they would be in a great position to get a loan deal over the line purely due to City’s interest in Phillips.

Should the England international depart for the Etihad, then the Whites would look to sign a replacement. Although Lavia would probably not be that man straight away, he could still be a shrewd option from the bench to bolster Jesse Marsch’s options.

New signing Marc Roca would be the only holding midfielder available to the 48-year-old if Phillips leaves, so signing Lavia and one other could be a wise move from Leeds.

In other news: Leeds and Orta now eyeing shock move for ‘waste of time’; he’s missed 217 games through injury

Liverpool have a lot to consider when it comes to their forwards and their expiring contracts, and now a reliable source has given an update on one player’s future ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has written a column (via Anfield Watch) detailing more information on Mohamed Salah’s contract situation at Liverpool.

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As per the report, Romano confirms that there is no connection between Salah and Mane’s future and negotiations for the Egyptian won’t be compromised or dependent on the future of his teammate.

There is still no agreement on a new contract for Salah and there is a “serious possibility” that he will leave on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, however, Romano reports that no final decision will be made until 2023.

Klopp will be gutted

With Roberto Firmino, Salah and Mane all out of contract in 12 months’ time, there is no doubt that Jurgen Klopp will be gutted about the situation and will be hoping he can lay down some foundations for a worst-case scenario where all three leave next summer.

When it comes to Salah in particular, replacing his attacking output would be no easy task for FSG, especially when his equally high scoring teammate is planning to leave the club this summer according to reports.

The Egyptian winger has been a consistent goal machine for Liverpool during his time at the club scoring 156 goals and contributing 63 assists with a goal involvement every 94 minutes, which is an astonishing output that FSG would struggle to replace instantly if they can’t come to an agreement on an extension for the player.

It has been reported that Salah wants to be paid £400k-per-week to extend his stay at Anfield which would be a huge advance on his current £225k-per-week salary and would put the player hundreds of thousands ahead of his teammates, completely abolishing the tight and fair wage structure across the board that has been exercised for years.

Ultimately, FSG and the manager will need to come to a decision on whether they can offer something to the player that can keep him at the club or if they can move on without Salah next summer and bring in reinforcements that can continue Liverpool’s trajectory for success. If not, this whole situation can be seen as nothing but a big blow for the Merseysiders.

AND in other news: FSG could unearth Liverpool’s next Salah by signing “special” 131-goal star

Tottenham Hotspur may have been handed a boost in their pursuit of former star Christian Eriksen, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites eye reunion…

The Denmark superstar’s return to the grass after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 has been nothing short of a fairy tale story.

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Eriksen ended the 2021/2022 Premier League season in fine form on a temporary spell at Brentford with a return to Spurs becoming possible.

The Times add Antonio Conte’s former midfielder at Inter Milan is a target for the Lilywhites alongside Leicester City playmaker Youri Tielemans, and what’s more, he could be open to re-signing.

The Latest: Eriksen eyeing return…

According to Jones, speaking to GiveMeSport, if the right conditions are met, Eriksen ‘would be keen on a return’ to Spurs this summer as he eyes a move back to north London.

He adds that Tielemans, Weston McKennie (Juventus), Joao Palhinha (Sporting Lisbon) and Idrissa Gueye (PSG) are also potential midfield additions at Tottenham.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Eriksen has displayed flashes of his best Spurs form under Thomas Frank across London.

According to WhoScored, he finished the campaign as Brentford’s best all-round performer by average match rating – making the most key passes per 90 for the Bees and displaying real creativity.

Indeed, the ‘big name’ attacker will also be available on a Bosman deal as things stand – arguably a snip given Spurs themselves valued at him at £100 million just three years ago.

Taking all of this into account, it may well be a no-brainer to get it done.

In other news: Tottenham eyeing shock move for ‘unplayable’ star who Pochettino called ‘huge’, find out more here.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been dealt a behind-the-scenes blow after a major development on the transfer of Erling Haaland in the last 48 hours, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Exciting times…

After the Sky Blues suffered more Champions League heartache this time last week at the hands of Real Madrid, it’s safe to say the Premier League champions could not have responded in better fashion.

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Testament to the elite mentality of this City squad, Guardiola’s men immediately took to the grass after their European exit and swept aside both Newcastle United and Wolves with ten goals in two games.

Their latest win at Molineux, coming courtesy of a sublime four-goal performance from man of the match Kevin De Bruyne, followed a major development out of Eastlands.

In the last 48 hours, City officially confirmed an agreement for the signing of Borussia Dortmund superstar Haaland as sporting director Txiki Begiristain puts an end to the club’s long striker search.

However, following this huge news, it appears Guardiola may actually have been dealt a behind-scenes issue.

The Latest: Guardiola dealt ‘dressing room’ blow…

According to Foot Mercato, as also translated by Sport Witness, the City boss may now have to deal with disgruntled sections of the squad after the development on Haaland.

It is believed that the Norwegian’s pending arrival has ‘shaken’ the ‘Man City dressing room’ with certain players feeling ‘less valued than the new recruit and aren’t hesitating to make it known’.

There are also concerns inside the club over the timing of this Haaland announcement given City are still well and truly in a battle to retain their top flight crown.

The Verdict: Pinch of salt…

Following their 5-1 hammering of Wolves last night, coming after the club confirmed Haaland’s capture, we advise to take this report with a pinch of salt.

Guardiola’s side were at their free-flowing best going forward and have set up a mouth-watering final two games of the 2021/2022 campaign away to West Ham and at home to Aston Villa.

One thing that we will say, after De Bruyne’s unplayable display on Wednesday evening, Haaland will be under immense pressure to justify reportedly being on the same wages as City’s hero.

In other news: Guardiola could now join race for £354,000-per-week superstar after Haaland, find out more here.