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Arne Slot, Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim are the three names on Tottenham Hotspur's list in their search for a new manager, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's the latest in Spurs' search for a manager?

Spurs are currently operating without a director of football following the departure of Fabio Paratici, and appear no closer to appointing a successor to sacked head coach Antonio Conte.

Three leading names have now emerged as Spurs seek to appoint a new manager ahead of the summer transfer window, and with Julian Nagelsmann ruled out last week, there is no clear front-runner for the job.

Speaking on the Here We Go Podcast, Romano revealed that these three names are all admired by Spurs as they search for a manager to help them compete at the top level.

"Arne Slot is a candidate for sure, he is really appreciated internally, Tottenham are discussing his name internally," he stated.

"Ruben Amorim remains a manager appreciated at Tottenham after his excellent job at Sporting, and I will add Ange Postecoglou as one of the candidates for the job. For sure, the three names are in the list, Tottenham have not decided yet who is the best candidate, but they are three candidates for the job."

What do Spurs need to do now?

Spurs cannot choose a manager whilst they operate without a director of football, and this appointment will be crucial in determining their next coach.

The club need to form a strategy between the director and his preferred candidate, and there is plenty of uncertainty within the Spurs squad.

Harry Kane has one year left on his contract, and could potentially leave the club this summer, whilst goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris looks set to move on.

Replacing two players in crucial positions could prove difficult for the club, and this will become an even harder task if their director and managerial roles are not filled by the start of the transfer window.

All three candidates are currently in other jobs, and convincing one of them to leave their current post to join Spurs could prove tricky given the current situation with the squad.

Postecoglou has led Celtic to another glorious Scottish Premiership title in style, whilst Slot has led Feyenoord to Eredivisie glory.

Amorim has impressed at Sporting in recent years, with his side beating both Spurs and Arsenal in European competition this season, whilst young players such as former Tottenham academy product Marcus Edwards have flourished under his guidance.

Each of these three candidates have their merits, but there is a lot of work to be done before one of them can be appointed.

Tottenham Hotspur have Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Italiano on their "list" of managerial candidates, according to Sky Sports reporter Gianluca Di Marzio.

Who is Vincenzo Italiano?

Italiano is a 45-year-old coach currently in charge of Serie A outfit Fiorentina having first been appointed there back in July 2021, and so far, he’s been in the dugout at the Artemio Franchi Stadium for a total of 101 matches, but his future beyond the summer is currently uncertain.

The Germany-born boss will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that now is the time that clubs are likely to come sniffing around for his services having not yet signed an extension, and he’s already been linked with Napoli as a potential successor to Luciano Spalletti, but they aren’t the only ones to have identified him as it would appear that he has another admirer based in the Premier League.

Are Spurs appointing Italiano?

Speaking to Fiorentina.it (via Sport Witness), Di Marzio revealed that Tottenham are monitoring Italiano as one of the candidates to take over from Ryan Mason ahead of the 2023/24 term. The reporter said:

“It’s inevitable that he will end up in the crosshairs of big clubs like Napoli. If De Laurentiis were to bet on Italiano, I would find it normal. I know he is also popular abroad. He is on Tottenham’s list. Many say that Italiano has a €10m clause, but there is no release clause to release him from Fiorentina."

Italiano is a less high-profile name compared to the likes of Leicester City’s former boss Brendan Rodgers and Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou who Spurs have been linked with, but having been lauded as an “exciting” manager by journalist Josh Bunting, he could be a promising appointment for the long-term future in N17.

The Karlsruhe native, whose preferred formation is an attacking 4-3-3, has won 50, drawn 19 and lost 32 of his 101 matches at Fiorentina, with results this season seeing his side currently just ten points away from qualifying for Europe, but even before joining, he was busy working his magic elsewhere.

During his time at Trapani and Spezia Calcio, the experienced coach secured back-to-back promotions, firstly in 2018/19 followed by in 2019/20, so knows what it takes to compete and be successful at a high level, so whilst there would be an element of risk to this swoop given he’s not as well known, Daniel Levy will like the fact that he's proven himself and may be willing to give him a chance.

An update has emerged on Burnley and their plans to bolster their midfield options in the upcoming summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Fabian Ruiz to Burnley?

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Clarets boss Vincent Kompany has Paris Saint-Germain star Fabian Ruiz at the top of his shortlist as the Belgian is prioritising a deal for him.

The report claims that the Ligue 1 giants are prepared to sanction a departure for the Spaniard if they receive an acceptable offer, although it is unclear how much they would want for his services.

However, it is stated that the player is not willing to let go of his current contract terms with PSG as the ace is earning €5m-per-year (£4.29m), which works out at roughly £82.6k-per-week.

How has Fabian Ruiz performed this season?

The 27-year-old powerhouse has enjoyed a strong campaign in the top-flight with the champions and his performances in France suggest that he would be a big upgrade on current Burnley star Josh Cullen.

Ruiz has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07 across 27 appearances in Ligue 1 and made three tackles and interceptions per game to go along with a pass success rate of 92% and five direct goal involvements (three goals and two assists).

The former Napoli gem, who was once dubbed as an "artist" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is a midfielder who combines defensive reliability with quality passing and contributions in the final third.

Cullen is similar in style and the Irishman averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.0 across 43 outings in the Championship for the Clarets in 2022/23.

The 27-year-old made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per match and completed 88% of his passes to go with his five goal involvements (one goal and four assists), which suggests that Ruiz is more efficient with passing ability and, marginally, makes more defensive interventions per game to help his team to cut out opposition attacks.

Their respective statistics indicate that the PSG battler is an upgrade on Cullen as the former Napoli star has performed at a higher level week-in-week-out, on the ball and defensively, whilst in a major European league instead of a second-tier division, which means that the gem has proven himself at the top level, unlike the Clarets talent.

Ruiz has also averaged more progressive carries and successful take-ons combined per 90 (2.49) over the last 365 days than the Burnley midfielder (1.64) and this suggests that the Spaniard would be able to drive the team up the pitch more frequently than the ex-Anderlecht man to get the side into good positions in the final third.

Therefore, Kompany could improve his team by swooping to sign Ruiz this summer as his statistics show that he could cede possession less frequently and make more of an impact on and off the ball in matches in the Premier League next term.

When the opening whistle blew at Elland Road to commence play against Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the 22/23 campaign, Leeds United perhaps had a glimmer of hope that victory could be secured and a stunning ascent from the relegation zone at the death could be achieved.

It was not to be. The Lilywhites comprehensively drubbed the stricken Whites 4-1 and a return to the Championship after three terms in the top flight was confirmed.

Leeds were the architects of their own demise, winning just one of their final 11 top-flight matches, with the appointment of relegation specialist Sam Allardyce too little too late.

Turning to the new season, Leeds are now eyeing a permanent manager to lead them back to prominence, and former Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is at the forefront of candidates, according to the Sun.

Despite coming up short with the Villans and receiving the sack earlier this term, Gerrard proved during his time with Scottish giants Rangers that he can craft success and mount a title challenge to ascend from the Championship swiftly.

Should Leeds appoint Steven Gerrard?

Gerrard is believed to be enticed by the opportunity to take the helm at Elland Road, presented with the perfect opportunity to rekindle his managerial career to coincide with an outfit desperate for a fugacious stay back in the second tier.

Praised as an "incredible leader" as a player by Wayne Rooney, Gerrard favours an attacking, possession-based 4-3-3 style of football, which could work nicely at Leeds if implemented aptly, given the blistering success of Marcelo Bielsa, whose entertaining style sent the club barrelling back into the Premier League and indeed cementing a spot in the top half.

There will be alarm bells over his failure to unlock the full potential of the Aston Villa squad, which is evidenced by the very same set of players ascending to a seventh-placed finish the very same season under the sage tutelage of Unai Emery, now awaiting a return to European competition.

Sometimes, though, it just doesn't work out, and Gerrard demonstrated his aptitude with the Gers by clinching the Scottish Premiership title in an invincible campaign where the outfit harvested 102 points and ended nine years of Celtic's dominance.

In that campaign, the balance was found superbly and Rangers scored a stunning 92 goals while shipping just 13 at the back, drawing six times and indeed avoiding defeat across the 38-game campaign.

While Leeds might struggle to avoid a loss throughout the turbulence of the Championship season, Gerrard holds the formula for crafting a team capable of challenging for a century when provided the tools.

Some will be apprehensive over the feasibility of appointing the Liverpool legend, but should Leeds retain enough talent to forge an immediate challenge for a spot at the top of the table while boasting enough pull to clinch several first-rate new signings, and if Gerrard can indeed stamp his style into the squad, it could be a dream made in heaven.

Journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed that loaned-out midfielder Tanguy Ndombele could suit the style of football Ange Postecoglou wants to play at Tottenham Hotspur.

Will Tanguy Ndombele ever play for Spurs again?

It is now official that the Celtic manager will be taking charge in North London with the club revealing a four-year deal has already been agreed upon.

After Spurs' disappointing past season – where they finished eighth in the Premier League – Postecoglou will need to assess his squad carefully before deciding who he wants to put his faith in and who he wants to sell.

Of course, though, not all of Tottenham's players were part of the squad last term, with many being sent out on loan. Ndombele was one such individual as he spent the campaign out in Italy with Napoli – just so happening to be part of a team that won the Serie A title, playing 30 games.

Clearly then, the 26-year-old can still deliver the goods in the right environment and perhaps the changes at Spurs could suddenly suit him.

While talking about all this on his YouTube channel, Gold certainly seemed to think that Postecoglou could potentially get the best out of Ndombele.

He explained: "I am quite excited to see what he does for Spurs. I'm intrigued to see what some of the loan players he makes of coming back as well.

"Of course, there's a part of me that does love the Tanguy Ndombele renascence. He certainly, in terms of the way he plays and the bravery of what he wants to do, strikes me as a Postecoglou player.

"But I do think he's going to have to work incredibly hard, which is what's also asked of you in that three in the middle."

Will Ndombele join Napoli permanently?

Despite his success overseas, the French midfielder's future looks pretty uncertain. After all, this is the second time in a row he's been loaned out – having joined Lyon the season prior.

However, it doesn't look as though he'll be moving to Napoli at this moment in time, with Italian media outlet Il Mattino reporting (via Daily Mail) that "Tottenham's forgotten man" is heading back to London this summer because the Serie A Champions can't afford to pay the £26m option to make the deal a permanent transfer.

With this being the case, it looks likely that Ndombele will definitely head back to Spurs in the summer at the very least. From there, who knows? Maybe he'll stick around for preseason and just maybe he'll catch Postecoglou's eye and do enough to earn one last chance to succeed at Tottenham.

Liverpool are preparing to make a “concrete move” to bring Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga to the Premier League, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

Who is Gabri Veiga?

Veiga is an academy graduate at the Estadio de Balaidos having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to get promoted to the first-team last summer, where he made a total of 55 appearances during his debut season under Carlos Carvalhal.

The Spain U21s international still has another three years to run on his contract in his homeland, but having established himself as the La Liga outfit’s second best-performing offensive player last season, his high level of displays have captured the attention of Jurgen Klopp.

Back in May, TEAMtalk reported that the Reds were in pole position to land the 21-year-old having shown the most interest out of all the top-flight clubs who are keen on a deal, including Arsenal and Manchester City, and it sounds like new transfer guru Jörg Schmadtke is now laying the groundwork behind the scenes to make an official approach for his target.

Are Liverpool signing Veiga?

Taking to Twitter, Galetti revealed that Liverpool are readying themselves to make contact to see if they can reach an agreement to secure the services of Veiga ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. He wrote:

"Understand that #Liverpool are set to make a concrete move for Gabri #Veiga. The MF has a release clause (€40m) [£34m] in the contract with #CeltaVigo. Not only #LFC: #Chelsea, #ManCity, #RealMadrid & #Napoli are among the clubs that [have] shown interest in Gabri."

Liverpool will be aware that Veiga only being 21 years of age means he’d be more of a long-term investment for the future of the club, but having already shown how “dangerous” he can be, as lauded by journalist Euan McTear, the central midfielder could still make an instant impact should Klopp feel he’s ready to slot into the starting XI.

The Gol International client racked up 15 goal contributions (11 goals and four assists) in 36 La Liga appearances last season which saw him receive three man-of-the-match awards, but he’s also a constant threat driving forward even if the ball doesn’t always hit the back of the net.

Veiga, who has the versatility to operate in five various positions across the grass, ranks in the 98th percentile for shots and was averaging 3.14 shot-creating actions per game during the previous campaign, which was the second-highest total throughout his squad, as per FBRef, so he would be an extremely exciting recruit should he put pen to paper on Merseyside.

Potential new Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has been handed a transfer boost as he looks to sign Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.

What’s the latest Man United news involving Jassim and Mbappe?

Jassim has been interested in taking control from the Glazers for months now and has placed five Old Trafford offers, with the last being a take-it-or-leave-it bid. Should the Qatar group prove successful, Jassim would clear all of United’s debt and have a separate fund for the club and local community.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos Group are the other main party in the race to purchase Manchester United, with both bidders yet to find out if their takeover attempts have been successful.

However, should Jassim come out on top, it appears as if he has an immediate transfer plan to win United supporters over. Reports have claimed that Jassim feels that Mbappe “belongs at Man United” and is planning a sensational transfer move for the star forward.

PSG would look to sell Mbappe if he doesn’t extend his stay at the Parc de Princes stay over the coming months and value the player at £170m.

Now, The Mirror have shared a further positive update on Mbappe and a potential move to Man United, saying:

“Paris Saint-Germain are prepared to sell Kylian Mbappe to Manchester United this summer should the Qatari-backed Sheikh Jassim takeover bid at Old Trafford prove successful.”

Is Kylian Mbappe signing for Manchester United?

Mbappe making the move to the red side of Manchester would be a huge deal and one that could take Erik ten Hag’s side to the next level.

The £893,000-a-week forward has scored a whopping 212 goals in 260 games for PSG and already has 38 goals in 68 games for France.

Still just 24 years of age, the World Cup winner netted 41 times in all competitions last season, with United scoring 58 goals in the Premier League, the fewest out of the top seven sides.

You can see how Mbappe would fit into this United side and possibly star in England, however, a lot still needs to happen before we can think about a transfer.

A deal needs to be struck between the Glazers and Jassim, and with Mike Keegan claiming it could take eight to 12 weeks for an approval process, meaning that the Glazers may remain in control at the start of next season, so a transfer could be tricky.

Back in the day, we had the likes of Sir Elton John and Delia Smith involved with the likes of Watford and Norwich City respectively, and it seems the celebrity connection to English football is still standing today.These days, however, things are slightly different, with Wrexham taking up a Hollywood role, now owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in what has been an extremely successful stint so far. And, now, famous rapper Stormzy is taking to the football stage alongside Wilfried Zaha.The duo are combining with Crystal Palace’s head of player care Danny Young to buy non-league side Croydon Athletic, Zaha confirmed.

What’s the latest on Wilfried Zaha?

It appears Zaha will soon bid farewell to Crystal Palace following eight years at the club, which will come to an end this month if he doesn’t sign a new deal.

According to Ed Aarons of The Guardian, the former Manchester United man is set to reject a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, which would have seen him earn £30m per year.

With Paris Saint-Germain also reportedly interested, the 30-year-old could end up staying in Europe and becoming a surprise replacement for Lionel Messi.

A move to France would finally see Zaha get his big move and the trophies that could follow after playing a key part in keeping Palace afloat in the Premier League for several years.

Who are Croydon Athletic?

The former Crystal Palace winger released a statement, confirming his purchase of the club, which you can see below:

As per The Guardian, a source close to Zaha said they want to “do what’s right for the local community.” While he added: “Stormzy is like a little brother to Wilf and he’s a big fan of football. He is very excited to link up for this project.”

Zaha and Stormzy’s new club currently sit in the Combined Counties Football League Premier South Division where they finished 15th last season to avoid relegation.

They are in step five of non-league, which means that they are five promotions away from becoming a professional football club in League Two. So, whilst dreams of the EFL may be a long way off, the investment put into the club by Zaha, Stormzy and Young will undoubtedly improve things on and off the pitch.

The first goal will be to stay at step five, and what would be a disastrous relegation. Then the attention can turn to beginning their climb through the divisions.

If their ownership is anything like what has happened to Wrexham under Reynolds and McElhenney, then Croydon Atheltic fans are in for a treat in the coming years, which could be filled with trophies and promotions up into the top leagues.

Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements in their forward line this summer following a troubling Premier League relegation battle and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Folarin Balogun?

According to 90min, Everton are one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun this summer and have already made contact over a potential move.

As per the report, Arsenal have told Balogun's representatives to find a new club with Crystal Palace, West Ham United, Brentford, Fulham and Everton named as suitors.

It is claimed that the Gunners value their academy graduate at £30m and are happy for him to leave after the player rejected another opportunity to extend his contract at the North London club.

Who would Balogun replace in the Everton team?

There is no doubt that Sean Dyche will be keen to make improvements during his first full transfer window at Goodison Park and the focus is looking solely on the attacking threat.

The Toffees endured a real struggle for goal contributions in the Premier League last season which ultimately contributed to their =relegation worries and were only saved by a victory on the final day of the season.

Indeed, the Everton forward line has been significantly weakened over the last 12 months with Anthony Gordon and Richarlison departing, whilst Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been absent for the majority of the last two seasons due to injury issues, however, the club did sign Neal Maupay last summer to add some strength to the centre-forward role.

However, the Frenchman has flopped over his short time in Merseyside so far with just one goal scored in all competitions which has meant that the £15m signing has been another Farhad Moshiri transfer disaster.

As a result, Balogun could be a huge asset to Dyche next season and would instantly replace Maupay in the striker role if he can emulate the massive impact he had in Ligue 1 last season.

Over 37 league appearances, the 21-year-old talent scored 21 goals, registered two assists and created eight big chances, as well as averaging 3.5 shots on goal and 1.6 shots on target per game, with only Kylian Mbappe, Alexandre Lacazette and Jonathan David scoring more in France last season.

For context, in the top flight, Everton only managed to score 34 goals over their 38-game campaign – just 13 more than Balogun netted – and their highest-scoring player was Dwight McNeil with just seven goals in all competitions.

Balogun's goal-scoring form whilst on loan at Stade Reims has not gone unnoticed and has led to huge praise from his manager Will Still who hailed the youngster for his contributions:

"He’s unbelievable, he has real talent but he is also just a top person.

"He’s trying to learn the language – we have a bit of banter because his French is terrible (but) I think he realises: being good here will allow him to get the spotlight and attention he needs."

With that being said, it would be a major coup if Dyche could secure the services of Balogun as he could not only help Everton compete comfortably next season, but he could also be the future leader of the forward line at Goodison Park for many years to come.

Newcastle United enjoyed a hugely successful 2022-23 campaign in which they finished in the top four of the Premier League – and thus earned a return to the Champions League – while also reaching the EFL Cup final.

The pressure will be on Eddie Howe to build on that success next season, but if that is to happen then certain steps must be taken – not least strengthening the squad.

With Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento reportedly both close to joining, Howe's focus can then turn to bolstering his attacking options. After all, Newcastle scored 20 goals fewer than Arsenal last season, and 26 fewer than champions Manchester City.

That is the type of company the Toon now find themselves in, and in Sevilla star Youssef En-Nesyri they may just have a candidate to help further bridge the gap.

Who is Sevilla forward Youssef En-Nesyri?

According the Sunday Mirror (25/6; page 75), Newcastle have already been in contact with Sevilla to enquire as to how much it will cost to sign En-Nesyri this summer.

A separate report from Spain suggests the Magpies are willing to pay €35m (£30m), which could be enough to tempt the Europa League winners to cash in.

Whether it is to initially provide competition or indeed replace Wilson, En-Nesyri certainly looks cut out to make an impact at St James' Park. The Morocco international – who has Champions League experience, remember – scored 18 goals for Sevilla in 48 games last season.

Wilson scored an identical number of goals and, as highlighted by FBref, there were plenty of similarities between the players in terms of shots on target percentage (43.3% for En-Nesyri, compared to 41.3% for Wilson), passes completed (8.39 per 90 v 7.69 respectively) and even discipline (four yellow cards each).

But En-Nesyri outshone the Englishman in a number of other areas, such as aerial duels won per 90 minutes (3.12 v 1.01), which could come in handy when factoring in link-up play with Alexander Isak.

The Moroccan, who is five years younger than Wilson, also helps provide a nice balance to the attack, highlighted by his ability to win the ball back – 0.47 tackles won per 90, compared to 0.12 for Wilson.

A modern-day striker is about so much more than just ruthlessly finding the net, but the way En-Nesyri finished last season suggests he is only going to get better in that regard.

Indeed, the bullish forward did not score in LaLiga until January 28, but he finished the campaign with eight goals to his name. Taking all competitions into account, he scored 12 times in a run of 19 matches, showing exactly what he is capable of when finding his rhythm.

As Moroccan football writer Bence Bocsak stated: "The World Cup really helped [En-Nesyri's] form. Absolutely on fire at the moment and finally back to his best."

That hot streak so close to the transfer window opening could tempt more clubs than just Newcastle to make a move for a player who looks set to get better and better with age.