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Burnley could make a move for Middlesbrough defender Dael Fry this summer in a potential swap deal involving Ben Gibson.

Burnley Express claimed that the Clarets are considering the possibility of a transfer exchange between the two clubs which would see the 22-year-old come to Turf Moor and their £15m signing return to Teesside. However, any such deal could rest on whether relegation-threatened ‘Boro avoid the drop to League One.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Burnley will not recall Gibson from exile despite Ben Mee’s injury leaving them with a sparsity of centre-back cover, with the ex-Middlesbrough defender training at his former club in recent months following disagreements with some staff at Turf Moor.

The £15m acquisition from ‘Boro has made only six appearances since joining the Clarets in 2018, with seemingly little sign of him ever resuscitating his Burnley career.

Fry, by contrast, has performed impressively at the Riverside Stadium this season, making 31 Championship starts for Middlesbrough. He has won 4.4 aerial duels and made 5.2 clearances per game this season, while also boasting a solid passing success rate of 77.3% (as per WhoScored).

By way of comparison, Burnley skipper Mee has averaged 4.1 headers per game and has a passing accuracy of 71.4%, while ever-present centre-back James Tarkowski has won 5.3 headers per game but completed just 70.1% of his passes (via WhoScored).

Until Mee’s recent injury, he had started every Premier League game this season alongside Tarkowski, illustrating how difficult it can be for other centre-backs to get a look-in at Burnley.

However, Fry’s aerial strength and his superior composure in possession should make him a worthy transfer target for the Clarets and could even see him challenge for a first team place at Turf Moor. Even if Middlesbrough are unwilling or unable to take Gibson back, the Lancashire side should strongly consider making a move for the 22-year-old ‘Boro defender.

Burnley fans, would you be in favour of a potential swap deal between Fry and Gibson? Have your say by commenting below!

Inter Milan could sell former Spurs star Christian Eriksen this summer – just six months after he left Tottenham Hotspur. 

Eriksen quit Spurs for the Serie A side in January where he teamed up with Antonio Conte. However, the Dane has struggled to settle down at the San Siro and was benched for the past two games, including the 3-1 victory over Torino.

It is quite a fall from grace for a player who left Spurs in pursuit of bigger and better things.

According to Sport Mediaset via Football Italia, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, Eriksen could be sold as Inter look to get rid of 11 players in the summer. He has struggled for consistency so far and Conte wants to cut his losses.

Eriksen, who is currently valued at £61m via Transfermarkt, has played 11 games in Serie A so far, scoring one goal and supplying two assists in total. It has been widely speculated that the former Chelsea boss never wanted him in the first place, as he wanted to sign Arturo Vidal from Barcelona instead.

Manchester United and Real Madrid were strongly linked to the 28-year-old Denmark playmaker in the last transfer window after he refused to sign an extension at Spurs. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was even prepared to pay £40m for him but ended up signing Bruno Fernandes, who has turned out to be one of the best signings at Old Trafford in recent memory.

Eriksen’s downfall has been rather dramatic as Zinedine Zidane personally pulled out of a verbal agreement to sign him for Real Madrid in the winter.

Meanwhile, Tottenham continue to be linked to Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho, who has been tipped to return to the Premier League this summer. Catalan outlet Esport3 claimed that Coutinho’s agent Kia Joorabchian is sorting out a transfer amid interest from Spurs and Arsenal.

As it stands, it is unlikely that Spurs fans will quickly forget the fact Eriksen angled for a move and ran down the final 12 months of his contract, so they may feel a sense of schadenfreude that his switch to Inter has not gone to plan thus far.

Tottenham fans, do you think Christian Eriksen regrets his decision to leave Spurs? Let us know in the comments below!

Philippe Coutinho is ‘considering’ a return to the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur firmly in the race to sign the Barcelona star in the summer, reports say.

Coutinho has been cast aside by Quique Setien, as he lost his place to Antoine Griezmann, and he has spent the past season on loan at Bayern Munich.

According to Sport, as cited by The Sun, his agent Kia Joorabchian has been holding talks with Premier League clubs ‘for weeks’ as he plots his return to England.

The report claims Coutinho has rejected an offer from Arsenal, as Mikel Arteta’s side will not be able to afford his wages.

On the other hand, Spurs have been given a major boost in the transfer market, as the fact that they have qualified for the Europa League has enabled them to make a move for the former Liverpool forward in the summer.

However, they will face stiff competition from Leicester City, who find themselves in the same boat.

While Coutinho has failed to find the form he enjoyed at Anfield, he could add that extra layer of quality to Jose Mourinho’s side.

Despite his struggles, the Brazilian has actually earned a higher WhoScored rating than the club’s record signing Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Moussa Sissoko this season.

The Lilywhites looked devoid of options at times throughout the season, as they struggled to score goals during Harry Kane’s lengthy absence.

Failing to replace Christian Eriksen after he left for Inter Milan has been a real problem, although the Portuguese has paired Giovani Lo Celso and Harry Winks together to great effect. Nevertheless, Mourinho still wants to sign a new playmaker to add to his attacking options this summer.

Recent reports revealed Barca are prepared to pay a portion of his salary for him to leave the club this year. However, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy may baulk at his hefty wages, which are reportedly worth more than £200,000-a-week, and Mourinho may have to turn his attentions elsewhere.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should sign Coutinho in the summer? Let us know down below!

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez came out recently and spoke about his future, stating that he needs to play or he would move club, and now the Argentinian has seemingly added more fuel to the fire with his latest comments on his future.

Speaking to Marca, via The Boot Room, Martinez said: “I want to stay at Arsenal, but if I play more minutes. Because on a personal level, I am a certain age, I am in a game confidence that I need to add as many minutes as possible.

“I am in the sights of 10 teams in Europe, but I can’t say who those clubs are, because it’s nothing concrete. I still do not have a clear situation with Arsenal, when I have it when I return I will make the best decision for my career.”

It is no surprise that ten different teams are interested in the goalkeeper, as the 27 year-old has played nine games in the division since he came in for the injured Leno and kept three clean sheets whilst conceding just nine goals. He has also made 38 saves in these matches, per Premier League, including the great one against Liverpool, so it is understandable that he also wants to be playing and not be second choice.

It would be great for Arsenal if they can keep Martinez as he has proved his quality, and for them, it would mean that they have two very good goalkeepers at the club that they can rely on.

However with him speaking a lot about the need to play it seems like he is either forcing the club to use him more or to sell him and it doesn’t look like it can end well for both parties as it currently stands.

At the moment, the Gunners are not linked with any other goalkeepers so it seems like they still feel like they can keep hold of him, but if he continues talking to the media, then the rumour will not stop until the transfer window closes.

Gunners fans, would you like to keep Martinez? Comment below!

In what was a roller-coaster season for Tottenham, Dele Alli in particular had a very inconsistent campaign for the north London side.

The England international struggled with injuries early on, before finding a bit of form from October to December – in the space of 11 Premier League games, he scored six goals and provided three assists.

But following the turn of the year, he found the back of the net just three times in the top-flight, with a muscular problem disrupting his playing time after the Premier League’s restart.

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With the new campaign set to begin in next month, Alli in particular is looking sharp in pre-season, and he proved that to be the case with an impressive performance against Reading on Friday afternoon.

The 24-year-old got himself on the score-sheet with a delightful lob over the goalkeeper as Spurs ran out comfortable 4-1 winners, with fans of the north London side taking to Twitter after the game to share their reactions to the midfielder’s performance.

Some Spurs fans claimed Alli looked like he was back to his “old self”, with one supporter even insisting that a full season under Jose Mourinho could see him become “unplayable”.

Make no mistake about it, if Spurs can get a fully fit and firing Alli for the entirety of the upcoming campaign, they could really make a push for the top four.

The attacking midfielder offers something completely different to the rest of Mourinho’s options in that central area, being able to break into the box with his perfectly timed runs and cute finishes.

Much of Spurs’ hopes of a successful season rests on his shoulders.

West Bromwich Albion have enjoyed a pretty busy summer of activity so far, but they are one striker short of making it a decent success, though they must steer clear of one mooted name…

What’s the word?

According to the Express & Star’s Joseph Masi, the Baggies have held talks with Watford over a potential loan move for Andre Gray but it depends on whether or not they can clinch top target Karlan Grant.

It’s claimed that negotiations are ongoing between Albion and Huddersfield over a permanent deal as Slaven Bilic looks to find the right forward to lead their attack in the Premier League.

But the Terriers’ £16m valuation is making an agreement hard to reach, so attentions could turn towards the Hornets outcast in due course.

Done at the top

If Bilic truly wants to find someone to provide the goals for them in their top-flight return, then they should probably avoid a swoop for Gray.

The 29-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at Watford and still wasn’t given a regular opportunity despite all of their struggles, which speaks volumes.

Last season, Gray bagged just two goals from 23 appearances and averaged only 0.8 shots and 0.3 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

In four seasons in the Premier League, he’s failed to get into double figures and with it getting worse and worse each season, it would be fair to suggest that he’s no longer cut out at this elite level.

Had the Baggies been in the Championship trying to make this signing, then it would be quite a coup but Luke Dowling could miss once more on the striking position after the lacklustre attempts from the likes of Kenneth Zohore and Charlie Austin.

Back in 2016 during Gray’s prolific 23-goal campaign, Burnley boss Sean Dyche lauded him as a “constant threat” whilst his former Watford manager Javi Gracia praised the striker for being a “very good professional who always fights a lot”.

Now valued at £6.3m, the misfiring forward really doesn’t seem like the ideal candidate to plug the goalscoring void at the Hawthorns – Grant at £16m would be the better choice despite lacking experience in the top-flight, at 22 he can be moulded into an elite talent.

AND in other news, Bilic targets PL colossus who would be an instant upgrade at West Brom…

Preston North End midfielder is looking to get out of the club, as he hopes to complete a move to Rangers, according to Football Insider.

The 27-year-old’s current contract with the Championship side will come to an end at the 2020/21 season’s culmination, which would allow him to walk away from Deepdale for free.

It has been suggested that the Jamaica international has had his head turned by Rangers, which has led him to approach Alex Neill about his desire to head to Scotland.

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Discussions about a new Preston deal for the midfielder, who scored 12 league goals and provided seven assists last season, are yet to commence, but Preston are said to be demanding £5m for him.

However, given the 27-year-old’s current contract situation, it doesn’t seem that the Championship outfit will have the strongest bargaining position.

Johnson has been a key man for Preston since moving from Aston Villa in 2015, starting at least 25 league matches in each of his terms with the club.

Ahead of the Saturday game against Dundee United, Ianis Hagi and Joe Aribo are the only midfielders to have scored in Rangers’ first six league games, getting one each.

Therefore, Johnson’s prowess in front of goal, as well as his ability to create chances for teammates, are certainly traits that should benefit Steven Gerrard’s side if a move is completed.

Carlo Ancelotti must get ruthless with Jordan Pickford and ditch the ‘arm around the shoulder approach’ following the Everton goalkeeper’s latest blunder against Brighton & Hove Albion.

The 26-year-old gifted the Seagulls a welcome equaliser just before half-time in Saturday’s Premier League encounter at Goodison Park, when Pickford unpardonably dropped the ball at Neal Maupay’s feet just yards from his goal line.

Pickford was entirely unchallenged as he attempted to catch Leandro Trossard’s tame strike, that had bounced up off the ground, and was thankful for his teammates’ efforts as Everton swiftly regained the lead through Yerry Mina, before a second-half double from James Rodriguez secured the win.

However, concern must be high on Merseyside heading into the international break as Pickford’s glaring error came as only the latest in a string of blunders that makes the £100,000-per-week shot-stopper the joint-most error-prone player in the Premier League since the start of last season and one who has committed 11 mistakes leading to goals since 2017.

Only Newcastle United’s Martin Dubravka has made as many errors (five) as Pickford has since the start of last season’s campaign, with the Toffees’ number one also at fault for both of Fleetwood Town’s goals in last month’s 5-2 Carabao Cup victory with two more howlers.

Pickford was caught out in possession at Highbury for Mark Duffy’s strike and failed to complete the basics when he flapped at the ball following Callum Camps’ effort that was hit straight at him.

Now, Ancelotti must ditch the ‘nicely does it approach’ that managers have previously favoured and get ruthless, with the Italian well-aware that there are no real alternatives to the former Sunderland man currently to hand.

Ancelotti is reportedly set to hold crunch talks with Pickford following his latest blunder, with the Daily Mail understanding that a face-to-face meeting is scheduled once the shot-stopper returns from international duty.

With those talks scheduled after the summer window closes, it suggests th`t Ancelotti has no intentions of dropping Pickford or searching in the transfer market for a new ‘keeper before the window slams shut on Monday evening

Therefore, Ancelotti must get real with Pickford and tear into him for all of his errors, as the 26-year-old does not appear to be learning from his mistakes as they continue to happen time and time again, giving opposing teams greater confidence that they can pile on the pressure. His track record suggests that the £30million signing is likely to wilt under such pressue as he continues to be an occasional disaster.

AND in other news, Everton are planning to part ways with a multi-million-pound signing who scored four times last season.

According to The Chronicle, had the Saudi consortium’s proposed takeover of Newcastle gone through, they had identified Ferran Torres as a potential transfer target for their first summer window.

What’s the word?

After months and months of uncertainty, the long-awaited Magpies takeover eventually fell through, leaving the club in a state of disarray before the beginning of the new season.

Now, The Chronicle claim that had it gone through, the Tyneside club could have seen some major investment in new players, with Torres seen as a “prime” target along with Nathan Ake.

In the end, the Spaniard eventually left La Liga giants Valencia to join Manchester City in a reported £21m deal.

Balague compared him to Sancho and Haaland

Why it’s little use imagining ‘what if?’, there can be no doubting that the Magpies would have gotten themselves one of European football’s rising talents had things turned out differently in the summer.

At £21m, Torres certainly didn’t cost an extortionate amount of money in today’s market, whilst the fact he was picked up by Pep Guardiola’s City tells you everything you need to know about how highly-rated the winger is.

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague also raved about his abilities before his move away from Valencia, saying: “he is more than ready to show that he belongs in the same conversation at Haaland or Jadon Sancho. Obviously, it does feel like Ferran Torres belongs at the next level. I believe he is thinking ‘what would happen if I leave?’.”

The 20-year-old was clocked as the second-fastest forward in La Liga last season, behind Levante flier Hernani, at 21.69mph, and it’s incredible to think that the Magpies could have been lining up with two fliers in Torres and Allan Saint-Maximin.

If the Spaniard goes on to realise his potential at City, Newcastle will surely think of this as a ‘what could have been’.

In other news, Newcastle may also rue missing out on signing this Premier League starlet.

Newcastle may rue the fact that they saw rumoured transfer target, Jonathan David, join French side Lille in the summer instead.

What was the story?

Reports from Spain indicated that the Magpies were negotiating with Gent over the signing of David, and that things were on the “right track”, with an agreement between the English and Belgian club almost being reached.

In the end, the Canada international made a €30m (£27m) switch to Ligue 1 outfit Lille, and whilst he’s yet to hit the ground running in France with no goals to his name just yet, missing out on the 20-year-old’s signing is something the Magpies may look back with a sense of regret.

Potential for greatness

At previous side Gent, David showed exactly why he was hot property in the summer transfer window. He’d smashed in 26 goals in just 50 league games in the Belgian top-flight, whilst he also picked up an impressive 12 assists too.

At only 20, and already a fully-fledged senior international with Canada where’s managed an incredible 11 goals in 12 games, the sky really is the limit for what the forward can do, and Gent’s former manager, Hein Vanhaezebrouck, made that absolutely clear earlier this year.

He said: “He is a phenomenon. The best player in the country. He will be the most expensive outgoing transfer from Gent. They would happily sell him for £25 million or more.”

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Whilst Callum Wilson has come in and done a great job for the Magpies – he’s bagged four goals in seven matches – David would have been the profile of signing for Newcastle to really build around over the coming years.

Instead, just like someone like Erling Braut Haaland when he made the move from RB Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund and is now being linked with Manchester United, David’s price is just going to soar through the roof, and it will feel like Newcastle and Steve Bruce have missed an opportunity to sign a quality prospect at a fraction of their eventual price.