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Editor-in-chief at Forza Italian Football Conor Clancy has described Antonio Conte as the most demanding man that has ever lived and joked that he would kill Daniel Levy if they worked together.

But the pair could soon be about to link up for the very first time, with Conte now in advanced talks about becoming the new Tottenham manager.

Remarkably, it’s just four weeks since Conte won his fourth Serie A title and guided Inter Milan to their first since 2010.

However, following problems with the owners, the Italian left his role at the San Siro by mutual consent, but is on the verge of making a sudden return to management, which would see him back in England just three years after he was sacked by Chelsea.

Conte’s first spell in England saw him win the Premier League and FA Cup, but his failure to qualify for the Champions League proved costly when he was sacked and replaced by Maurizio Sarri.

But a return to the capital is now on the cards, although Clancy fears for Levy dealing with someone as intense as the Italian.

He told The Transfer Tavern:

“Conte is one of the, if not the most demanding man that has ever lived, and I don’t see how it would possibly work for him with a club like Spurs with someone like Daniel Levy above him. That relationship, I don’t think Daniel Levy would come out alive because Conte would probably kill him.

“He demands backing, he demands signings, even with Inter he was given signings like Stefano Sensi and Nicolo Barella in his first year, and they were Inter’s two best players, and even after three months he was complaining.”

Manchester United have been linked with Pau Torres as a potential new signing this summer, and now Fabrizio Romano has dropped a fresh update on their pursuit for the player.

What’s the latest?

The Italian journalist and transfer insider took to his Twitter account to confirm the club’s pursuit of the Villarreal centre-back.

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Romano tweeted: “Pau Torres is attracting interest from top clubs again as his release clause will be valid this summer: €55/60m, available until the end of the market.

“Manchester United and Manchester City are both interested – Chelsea have also sent their scouts to follow him.”

Supporters will be excited

If the appointment of Erik ten Hag wasn’t enough to excite supporters of Man United, the opportunity being explored to improve the defensive system in the team will surely leave fans even more excited.

One of the biggest problems that have been identified at the club is the poor defensive play in the team, with the side conceding the most goals of the top eight in the league which has contributed to their struggles this season.

With that being said, the £50m Torres could be a huge breath of fresh air for the club, proving how influential he can be in the back-line for Unai Emery’s side, leading them to success.

Last season Villarreal won the Europa League with the 25-year-old playing a key role, and now the team have qualified for their first Champions League semi-final since 2006 which is an impressive achievement for Torres who has been an important part of the process playing every single game in the European competition.

The 6 f00t 2 star has tallied up impressive statistics this season in La Liga too, proving successful in 80% of his dribbles, winning the majority of his duels (67%), making 4.5 clearances on average per game and has a 94% pass accuracy in his own half, proving that he has an influential presence and is progressive on the ball.

The Red Devils have crashed out of every competition squandering their chances of winning a trophy, and their problems extend to the Premier League too as the side is struggling to qualify for the Champions League with just four games left to go, and six points adrift from the top four.

Acquiring a signing like Torres to improve the defence at Old Trafford could make a huge difference to the team next season and could put Manchester United in a better position to make progress in the league and cup competitions going forward.

AND in other news: Ten Hag now personally asks Man Utd to sign £111m “diamond”, major coup is inbound

Sunderland will be looking to all but secure a League One play-off spot on Tuesday evening in their clash with fellow promotion hopefuls Blackpool.

Having been on an excellent run of form since the appointment of Lee Johnson back in December, with the 39-year-old guiding the Black Cats to a run of 16 league games without suffering a single defeat between January and April, things have taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks at the Stadium of Light.

Over their last six League One fixtures, Johnson’s side have now picked up a shocking totla of just three points, losing to Charlton Athletic, Wigan Athletic and Blackpool, as well as drawing with Peterborough United, Hull City and Accrington Stanley – with the club conceding a whopping 11 goals in this run.

The Black Cats’ leaky defence has coincided with the loss of the Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee centre-back, Dion Sanderson, to a back injury, and the versatile central midfielder, Luke O’Nien, filling in at the centre of defence.

However, with the 26-year-old making a number of costly mistakes in recent weeks, as well as averaging a disappointing WhoScored match rating of just 6.3 over his last four appearances, it would be advisable for Johnson to move O’Nien out of the middle of his defence for Sunderland’s must-win clash with Blackpool on Tuesday.

As for his replacement, Oliver Younger would appear to be the ideal candidate to step in, as, while the 21-year-old does not have much first-team experience under his belt, the defender was impressive on his debut against Fleetwood Town in the EFL Trophy, as well as convincing Johnson that he was ready for a league start against Rochdale back in March.

And, despite Younger’s relative inexperience, his natural ability as a centre-back would likely benefit the structure of the Sunderland backline more than with O’Nien at its core.

Furthermore, considering O’Nien’s performances in recent weeks, there does not seem to be a great amount to lose in replacing the midfielder with the young defender, but there is very much plenty to be gained.

In other news: £382,000 a goal: Sunderland simply must axe “humble” flop, he’s cost them for years – opinion

Liverpool have been dealt a late injury setback ahead of their upcoming Champions League meeting with Benfica this evening.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Dylan Terry, with the Independent journalist revealing in a recent article that, despite returning to training ahead of the Reds’ trip to Portugal, Nabby Keita remains a doubt for the quarter-final first-leg tie on Thursday night.

In his piece, Terry writes: “Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to return for Klopp’s side after missing the win over Watford on Saturday. Curtis Jones and Joe Matip are set to be available, but Naby Keita remains a doubt. The rest of the Liverpool squad are all fit and ready for the game.”

Klopp will be gutted

While it is true that Keita has not exactly been a first-team regular at Anfield this season, the fact that the midfielder remains a doubt for the trip to Benfica is nevertheless sure to have left Jurgen Klopp gutted.

Indeed, despite having missed a host of games already this season due to injury, the £27m-rated dynamo has still managed to impress over his 15 Premier League outings, scoring two goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.7 key passes, 0.7 interceptions, 2.5 tackles and winning 3.7 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per game.

These returns have seen the £130k-per-week Guinea international average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as Klopp’s ninth-best performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, the news that the 27-year-old could well be set to miss out once again on Thursday evening is sure to have caused the German coach and his backroom staff a great deal of frustration – as it is clear that a fit and firing Keita is a fantastic option for Liverpool to be able to call upon.

AND in other news: Liverpool now plotting bid for “unplayable” £58m machine, it could be bye-bye Salah

Former Leeds United man David Norris insists that the club will not be looking back regretfully over their failure to sign Ben White from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer.

White spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Elland Road as the club won promotion back to the Premier League, making 46 appearances in the Championship.

Leeds then made a major attempt to bring him into the club, making a total of three bids for the player.

Their last offer totalled £25m, per Sky Sports News, but he remained with Brighton and made 36 appearances last season, even forcing his way into Gareth Southgate’s England squad, for whom he has won two caps.

It was Arsenal, though, who eventually secured White’s signature with a £50m deal last month.

But Norris does not think Leeds will hold too many regrets over their inability to get a deal over the line.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “I think when it’s situations like that, I don’t think it’s too much massive disappointment.

“I think it’s like, we went as far as we could with it, we went in three times, that’s it, we move on. And then you don’t really look back so much even if the player kicks on. At that moment in time, that wasn’t the right move at the right price.”

After making his return from injury last time out in the Premier League, Jack Grealish must surely make Dean Smith’s starting line-up for Aston Villa’s clash against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

The England international had missed the last twelve games in the top-flight with an injury, and given the number of weeks it took to see him finally back on the pitch, there would have been understandable fears about him missing the entire season.

But, the 5 foot 10 star came on for the final 18 minutes of the 0-0 draw against Everton, and while he couldn’t help inspire a late winner, should start from the off when Villa take on Roy Hodgson’s men.

Speaking after that Toffees game, Smith said: “I think (Grealish) had one mesmerising run where he had five or six Everton players chasing him and you thought it might be one of them days where he comes on scoring the winner.

“It’s really good to have him back. It’s small steps at the moment but it’s great to have him back out there. We’ve got three games now in the next 10 days and we’re hopeful Jack will play a part in all three of them games. Whether it’s Tottenham or Chelsea, we’re hoping to get 90 minutes out of him.

“He’ll be as fit as can be. He’s a naturally fit player anyway. He’s continued to work on his CV (cardiovascular) with a little bit more off feet and, in training, you don’t see a lack of fitness in him, that’s for sure.”

If Grealish is fit, then there’s no questioning he simply has to start against the Eagles, with the influence he has on this Villa side untold – in the 12 games that he missed, the side won just three games, and have completely fallen out of serious contention to finish in a European place.

Former Villa player Paul Merson raved about the kind of quality Grealish brings to the table, saying: “He’s a special player. He’s the best three or four-yard passer I’ve seen in the game for a long time. People will go ‘three or four-yard passes’, but you watch football when it comes back and see how many people roll the ball to a full-back and they have to take a touch or someone goes on the overlap and they kick it out of touch.

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“It is always a pitch perfect ball, that three or four-yard ball and for me he is a special player. Very comfortable on the ball, very gifted.”

Given their recent form, bringing Grealish back into the starting line-up could well be a real game-changer for Villa.

Meanwhile, Dean Smith must never play this Villa star again…

According to Football Insider, a Tottenham Hotspur source has told the outlet that former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Nuno Espirito Santo has ‘made it clear’ he is keen on taking the job in north London.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing Nuno…

Tottenham fans have watched a host of different managers come in and out of the frame since the Lilywhites opted to sack former boss Jose Mourinho in late April.

Indeed, the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Brendan Rodgers were touted as early frontrunners only for Spurs to move and hold talks with Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte, Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gattuso in that order (BBC).

Now another coach appears to be in pole position for the role at Tottenham in Nuno, who guided ex-club Wolves to Premier League promotion.

The Latest: Nuno has ‘made it clear’ he wants to join…

As per a Lilywhites source speaking to Football Insider, the 47-year-old has now ‘made it clear’ he is ‘keen on taking the post’ at Tottenham with discussions going well during the subsequent period.

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There is apparently a ‘growing confidence’ among both parties that a deal can be finalised for his appointment and he could even be appointed the club’s new manager by the end of this weekend.

Nuno and Spurs have also agreed salary terms with only a few issues left to be ironed out, namely the makeup of his possible backroom staff.

The Verdict: Coup for Tottenham?

This comes as a pretty big development in the Tottenham manager hunt and one that could see their long search for a Mourinho heir finally reach it’s conclusion, but is Nuno the right man?

He doesn’t exactly fit chairman Daniel Levy’s original requirements for a free-flowing, attacking-minded coach – as outlined in his end of season letter to supporters.

Nuno does meet the standard when it comes to nurturing young talent and developing players, though, which is said to be another major pull for the role when it comes to Levy (football.london).

Lauded as a ‘genius’ by Matt Murray (This is Futbol), the Portuguese certainly has his credentials, like guiding Wolves to successive seventh-placed Premier League finishes and the Europa League quarter-finals before his underwhelming final year at Molineux (BBC).

He comes as a pretty mixed bag but could maybe steady the ship, with new managing director Fabio Paratici said to be a big admirer.

In other news: Journalist says Tottenham now want ‘magical’ man as ‘official contacts’ begin, find out more here.

A source from Tottenham Hotspur has revealed that Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso and Emerson Royal all flew up to Newcastle for today’s Premier League clash.

The Lowdown: Uncertainty

Nuno Espirito Santo revealed to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match that he would make a late decision on the selection of Romero, Lo Celso and Emerson, as well as Davinson Sanchez, following their exploits during the international break with their respective South American countries.

They had reportedly been expected to miss out because of the travelling involved, and the fact that some of the games in which they played were in the early hours of Friday morning UK time.

The Latest: They travelled

Speaking to Football Insider, a Spurs source has revealed that Romero, Lo Celso and Emerson all flew up to St James’ Park with the rest of the squad on Saturday evening.

That now puts them in contention to play against the Magpies when the fixture kicks off at 4:30 this afternoon.

The Verdict: Big boost

It will certainly be a big boost for Spurs to have all three players available, especially if they can play from the start.

Emerson is currently averaging the most tackles (three) per Premier League game out of his teammates, while he also averages a mammoth five clearances per match, exceeded only by Joe Rodon (seven) in his one appearance so far (WhoScored).

Romero also ranks highly in terms of tackles (1.7) and clearances (2.7) (WhoScored), and the Lilywhites will no doubt be eager to see more of their summer signings in action.

Lo Celso offers a creative spark in midfield, averaging one key pass per game and an 81.5% passing accuracy rate (WhoScored), and he could well be the difference in unlocking what may be a stubborn Newcastle defence.

In other news, find out who has called Daniel Levy ‘pathetic’ after one recent development

According to a report in the paper edition of Record (via Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur and chairman Daniel Levy have been told the exact fee needed to sign Sporting Lisbon ace Joao Palhinha this summer.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites join Palhinha race…

Tottenham have apparently joined the long list of clubs eyeing Palhinha after his impressive Euro 2020 campaign with Portugal.

A previous report from A Bola (via Sport Witness) cited Spurs among a plethora of interested sides, which included Atalanta, Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Napoli.

The 26-year-old midfield maestro is reportedly a wanted man, with another update now surfacing from the continent.

The Latest: Spurs told fee needed…

As per Portuguese newspaper Record, shared by Sport Witness, Levy has been told the Spurs fee needed to snap up Palhinha for new manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

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However, it won’t be cheap, with Sporting apparently setting a firm stance.

It is believed that the Liga NOS giants won’t sell for any less than his €60 million (£51.1m) release clause with only that amount being enough to secure any agreement.

Record also say that Spurs and Wolves ‘best have’ Palhinha as a target this summer among other interested parties and the player previously revealed his dream of playing in England.

The Verdict: Avoid…

The 6 foot 2 tough-tackler has also impressed at club level, averaging a mighty 3.3 successful challenges per 90 over 2020/2021 – more than any Tottenham ace managed in the Premier League (WhoScored).

He has also been described as a ‘special player’ by Sporting boss Ruben Amorim (MaisFutebol via Manchester News Today), but we believe £51.1m is too steep – especially considering Spurs already have Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp for defensive midfield roles.

Tottenham have glaring weaknesses in other parts of the squad like centre-half, and amid this difficult financial climate, Levy and managing director Fabio Paratici must use any transfer funds accordingly.

In other news: Tottenham chiefs perform Harry Kane U-turn as report shares behind-scenes developments, find out more here.

Many Wolves fans have been left fuming as some news emerged on Morgan Gibbs-White.

As per the official website of the Midlands club, the central midfield player signed a new long-term deal before signing for Sheffield United on loan for the rest of the 2021/22 season.

Gibbs-White had already made a good impression for the Molineux faithful this season, scoring one goal and making one assist in three games in total over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt).

However, his loan departure has now left Bruno Lage a little light in midfield, with their being a question mark over why he was allowed to go without a suitable replacement lined up.

Nonetheless, the Wanderers will have to stick with what they have got until the January transfer window comes along.

Wolves fans on Gibbs-White news

These WWFC supporters fumed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ‘shocking’:

“We went into this window to look for a midfielder and came out with less. Jeff Shi out”

Credit: @PedroBackOfNeto

“Fosun have well and truly shafted Lage………3 midfielders now might as well throw the white flag in, toxic Twitter and toxic Mol, it’s just not fun anymore!”

Credit: @ebanks_brook9

“Shocking decision. 4th choice centre mid Cundle not good enough. Got a 35-year-old having to play 38 games this year. Not good enough”Credit: @Nichoox”Absolute mess”Credit: @WittoWWFC”Embarrassing”Credit: @H_WolvesYYA”I’M NOW AN ALBION FAN!”Credit: @FinsabuIn other news, find out who Wolves were linked with a late swoop for here!