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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks has taken to Instagram to provide a response to comments that he recently made on his parent club.

What did Harry Winks say?

The Englishman is currently spending the final few months of his season-long loan deal in Serie A with the Italian strugglers, Sampdoria.

Winks has become a regular in their starting XI having started the last eight of Sampdoria's league games following a lengthy injury which kept him sidelined (via Transfermarkt).

However, did recently comment about his time away from north London and suggested the club had not been in contact with him:

"I can only focus on the next match, but I am proud to have made this choice. Nobody from Tottenham has contacted me, not even the coach. I was and am fully focusing on Sampdoria," he said.

But on Thursday afternoon, the 27-year-old posted on his Instagram story to clarify his comments, claiming he had not heard from Spurs on their plans for next season:

"I just wanted to clarify [that] my comments about no contact from Spurs were in regards to plans for next season. There are still plenty of games left this season for both Sampdoria and Spurs and this has to be the full focus for both.

"Having been at Spurs since the age of 5, I have nothing but respect for everyone at the Club."

Will Spurs sell Winks in the summer?

Winks will arrive back in north London with just one year remaining on his current deal with the Lilywhites having spent the year away in Italy.

But as aforementioned, it has been a difficult campaign for the Englishman on the whole having suffered from an ankle injury which had kept him out of action until January.

The injury was so severe that the midfielder was forced to undergo surgery back in November to help rectify the issue.

As a result, Winks has missed the majority of the season in Italy which has meant his opportunity to leave Spurs for the season and show them what he can do has been hindered.

And in a side which look destined for relegation, it has not been an easy environment for the 27-year-old to return to considering they have only won two games all season.

Spurs are expected to look for a new midfielder in the summer but considering the difficulties Winks has endured, it is difficult to imagine him returning to the fold ahead of next season.

West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca is likely to leave the London Stadium during the summer transfer window, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Scamacca disappoints at West Ham

The 24-year-old moved to the Hammers from Sassuolo last summer, coming in as a big-money addition who would hopefully add real firepower to the attack.

Scamacca has been a disappointment in east London, however, scoring just three goals in 17 Premier League appearances and netting only once in the competition since early October.

Recent speculation suggests a summer departure could be on the cards for the striker, as West Ham look to recoup some of the money they paid for him.

The Latest: Summer exit predicted

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor reacted to the exit rumours surrounding Scamacca, revealing he actually ‘expects’ a departure to happen:

“I feel like it would be quite easy for him to potentially leave because I don’t think he’ll be short of suitors.

“Obviously, PSG were sniffing around and top Italian clubs would definitely take him. I don’t think his value would have decreased too much.

“I’m interested to see how it works out. If I had to make a call on that, I’d say that I would expect him to leave.”

The Verdict: One that didn’t work out

So much was expected of Scamacca last summer, but as can be the case with so many signings from abroad, the pace of the Premier League has seemed to have got the better of him.

The nine-cap Italy international did make a promising start, actually scoring in three matches in a row in October, in all competitions, and Declan Rice called his ability ‘crazy’ at one point.

A knee injury suffered in January certainly hasn’t helped Scamacca’s plight, keeping him largely out since then, but the summer does feel like the right time to make a swift change, in terms of having a chance to get a good fee for him.

Leeds United’s season has gone far from how they would have wanted it to, especially after avoiding the drop last season and investing heavily in Jesse Marsch.

The American had replaced the legendary Marcelo Bielsa, who was reluctantly dismissed after an abysmal run had the Whites cruising towards relegation. 

However, many fans would likely have welcomed the Argentine back with open arms before Javi Gracia was decided as the man to rescue them from another upcoming dogfight.

Whilst he faces many trials to get this great club back on track, arguably the most immediate is to inject some confidence into a side that cannot find their cutting edge in the final third, having scored just once in their last five matches in all competitions.

Jack Harrison in particular has disappointed, with many likely wishing his deadline day move to Leicester City had gone through now. However, under Gracia’s regime, there is reason to believe he could be reborn. 

How has Jack Harrison played for Leeds this season?

The 26-year-old, who joined the club permanently after several loan spells under Bielsa, has become a mainstay in the team across various managers now.

He has often offered a constant threat, with goals and assists coming from the dynamic winger who is not afraid to do the dirty work.

However, after 22 league games this term, he has just one goal to his name. This is a far cry from the eight he managed last campaign, which proved integral in their survival.

Having since lost Raphinha, who was their top scorer during that season, Harrison has wilted when they needed him most.

It is this quality that shone through last year that gives hope that he truly could be revitalised under a new regime, especially Gracia’s, who has been known to prioritise a 4-4-2 system in the past. Harrison is certainly an old-school winger, who thrives when his prerogative is to find the byline and dig out a cross. He boasts a wicked left foot for such a moment.

The £50k-per-week speedster has been a “hero of Leeds” in the past, as sports podcaster Chief noted. But as recently as last month, journalist Jake Winderman outlined how “awful” he had been under Marsch, as he was “getting the ball taken off of him way too easily.”

It will not be an easy task to resurrect his form, but doing so could be integral in Gracia securing safety for another season and making the English attacker a hero once again.

Newcastle United’s Matt Ritchie is fully expected to leave Tyneside in the summer despite some reports suggesting he could take working towards a coaching role.

How long does Matt Ritchie have left on his contract?

The 33-year-old is now playing into the final months of his deal with the Magpies which does leave his position at the club hanging in the balance.

Ritchie has now been playing his football at St. James’ Park since 2016 having made a £10m move from Bournemouth to the other side of the country.

However, there is a sense the veteran will not be handed a new deal with the Toon looking to take huge strides forward under the ownership of PIF.

And speaking on The Toon Review YouTube channel, Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has suggested there is no chance Ritchie will be staying at Newcastle for next season:

(25:40) “No chance of him staying, no.”

“I would be majorly surprised if he doesn’t move further south to be nearer his family. I think Matt Ritchie and Jamaal Lascelles have been there for a while now. And I think both of them wanted to be around for the likelihood of Newcastle getting into a cup final.”

Could Ritchie go into coaching at Newcastle?

Earlier in the season Ritchie took charge of a number of training sessions for the Toon’s academy with the 33-year-old looking to work towards his coaching badges.

And having spent so long on Tyneside, there has perhaps been a belief that Ritchie could well take up a role within the club’s set-up as a result of his knowledge of the cub.

But this does not seem to be the case with Downie fully expecting to see Ritchie depart Newcastle in the coming months.

The report from The Chronicle which highlighted the player’s involvement in the academy sessions did suggest the Toon would have been open to allowing Ritchie to depart in January had the right offer landed.

Now, Ritchie is set to have his pick of clubs when he becomes a free agent and it is probably the right time for him to move on from the Magpies.

Since Eddie Howe’s arrival on Tyneside in 2021, Ritchie has only featured 12 times for Newcastle across all competitions.

And only five of them have come from the starting XI which is a damning indication that his chances of game time are simply not there at St. James’ Park.

But there is still a lot to play for at Newcastle this season and it would be a stunning way to bow out by lifting the Carabao Cup and potentially even securing Champions League football.

Aston Villa have now made Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a transfer priority, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Busy summer

Villa haven’t wasted any time in preparing for Steven Gerrard’s first full season in charge of the club.

Four new signings are already through the door at a cost of just under £50m, while Matt Targett has sealed a permanent move to Newcastle. [Transfermarkt]

Gerrard is on the hunt for more additions, though, and it looks as if Oxlade-Chamberlain is a real target over the coming months.

The Latest: Villa interest in Oxlade-Chamberlain

Football Insider shared a story on Saturday afternoon regarding Villa and Oxlade-Chamberlain. They claimed that Gerrard is a ‘huge’ admirer of the midfielder and has made him a top priority.

Liverpool are willing to cash in on the 28-year-old as he enters the final 12 months of his Anfield contract, with the Villa manager keen to use Oxlade-Chamberlain in an advanced midfield role.

The Verdict: Interesting…

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has been dubbed ‘unreal’ by journalist Joel Rabinowitz in the past during a reasonably prolific 2019/20 season, has lined out in a number of midfield and attacking roles throughout his career, so he would bring plenty of versatility to Villa Park.

He has been compared stylistically to Philippe Coutinho, although the Englishman has featured as an attacking midfielder on just 17 occasions throughout his career. Most of his displays have either come as a central midfielder or on the right, so it will be interesting to see how Oxlade-Chamberlain copes at Villa Park, should a move go through.

A transfer may not be too expensive due to the player’s contract situation at Anfield, and with Gerrard a ‘huge’ admirer of the 28-year-old, this appears to be one to watch closely.

In other news: Gerrard set to axe £18m-rated Villa pair next after Targett; ‘very important’ Smith star may go

Everton are said to be looking at signing Manchester City man Oleksandr Zinchenko in the summer transfer window, and the Ukraine captain could be a superb addition to Frank Lampard’s side.

What’s the word?

According to journalist James Benge, a number of Premier League sides including Arsenal and Everton have the 25-year-old on their radar ahead of next season.

Since joining City from Ufa in 2016, the versatile midfielder has gone on to make 128 appearances for the Citizens, contributing two goals and 12 assists, predominantly from left-back.

However, Zinchenko is equally adept in midfield and showed his quality with a superb performance in Ukraine’s 3-1 win over Scotland on Wednesday night.

As per SofaScore, he earned an 8/10 rating for his display, which ranked him as the best player on the pitch from both sides.

The City star registered an 87% pass accuracy and played three key passes, one of which found Artem Dovbyk who scored Ukraine’s third goal with the last kick of the game to seal a World-Cup qualifying showdown with Wales on Sunday.

Lampard would love him

According to WhoScored, last season saw Zinchenko register an impressive 7.05/10 rating for his performances in the Premier League, as he helped Pep Guardiola’s side to the Premier League title.

As regular captain of Ukraine, the £22.5m-rated man would offer Lampard some vital leadership, while his versatility could also be significant for the Toffees next season as they look to improve on what was so nearly a catastrophic 2021/22 campaign.

Although he has often been a bit-part player for the Citizens in his time at the club, his influence cannot be underestimated, and he played a key part in City’s final day turnaround against Aston Villa.

The Athletic’s Villa correspondent Gregg Evans was full of praise for his performance on Twitter, writing:

“Zinchenko has been so good for MCFC since coming on. The composure he shows in the final third is frightening.”

Not only would the 25-year-old offer Everton plenty on the pitch, but he could also be a great mentor for fellow Ukrainian Vitaliy Mykolenko, who was a regular starter for the Toffees at left-back towards the end of last season.

Therefore, this is a signing that would make a lot of sense for Lampard, and if Everton can prise him away from Manchester City, then he could be a superb addition at Goodison Park.

And in other news… Moshiri heading for transfer disaster deja vu with 5 ft 6 weakling

Recent reports have seen Arsenal heavily linked with re-signing Germany international Serge Gnabry from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, the 26-year-old having initially joined the Gunners’ youth ranks in 2011, before departing five years later after failing to establish himself in the first team at the Emirates.

With just ten Premier League appearances for the north Londoners under his belt, the Stuttgart born gem joined Werder Bremen on a permanent deal in 2016 after a disappointing season-long loan stint at West Bromwich Albion.

The 31-cap speedster was famously deemed not good enough for the Baggies by then-boss Tony Pulis during his dismal period at the Hawthorns, although has since made that assumption look truly ridiculous, having gone on to win a plethora of major honours at the Allianz Arena.

Having joined his current side in 2017 – initially spending the first campaign on loan at Hoffenheim – Gnabry has gone on to score 64 goals and register 40 assists in 174 appearances in all competitions, notably winning four successive league titles as well as the Champions League in 2020.

Once moved on by Arsene Wenger for just £7m, the latest indication is that the £115k-per-week menace could now cost as much as £34m, with that figure having only been reduced due to his contract expiring next summer.

There is, as expected, a great deal of excitement regarding a potential return to English football, although one club that will no doubt be fearing the worst is rivals Tottenham Hotspur, with the Lilywhites having been on the wrong end of a Gnabry masterclass a few years ago.

Then Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino saw his side completely dismantled by Hansi Flick’s rampant Bayern outfit in a brutal Champions League group stage mauling back in October 2019, with the hosts suffering the further ignominy of being torn apart by the aforementioned former Gunners gem.

In a scintillating showing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Gnabry hit four in a remarkable 7-2 victory for the eventual tournament winners, with the result seemingly contributing to Pochettino’s sacking just a month or so later.

The encounter had been relatively even heading in at the interval as the visitors led 2-1, before a blistering second period saw Flick’s men surge to victory in ruthless fashion, with the former Arsenal man becoming the first player to hit four second-half goals in a Champions League game.

His first illustrated his lightning speed as he tore past a lunging Davinson Sanchez before cutting onto his right foot to unleash a remarkable precise finish past Hugo Lloris, before bettering the Frenchman again with a composed finish off the post with his weaker left foot.

The £63m-rated man then put the game out of sight late on with another quick-fire double, wrapping up his hat-trick after racing clear to again slide the ball past a helpless Lloris, before completing his haul with a divine strike across goal that gave little chance to the flailing ‘keeper.

In truth, his greatest impact for Arsenal did in fact come in the red of Bayern, as the Gunners supporters revelled in that display, before he again punished a London outfit by netting twice against Chelsea in the last-16 a few months later.

Not living on past success, however, he has again impressed in the most recent campaign, netting 17 goals and ten assists in all competitions for the German champions, while he also compares remarkably well to those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, ranking highly in a string of attacking metrics as per FBref.

Once described as “magic” by Transfermakrt’s Stefan Bienkowski, the lethal forward has that rare quality to make an impact at the highest level on a consistent basis, with his arrival only set to bolster Arteta’s hopes of returning to Europe’s premier competition.

If not to aid them in getting back into the top four, Arsenal simply must sign Gnabry so that he can torment their north London rivals once again.

In other news, Arsenal eye bid for £76.5m-rated “fighter” who “always creates”, he’s better than Saka

Newcastle United’s potential swoop for Leeds United star Raphinha has now been deemed ‘unlikely’ by the Telegraph, who claim that Leeds’ Premier League survival has made a potential deal trickier to complete.

The Magpies also have enquired over the availability of Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby with deals for both the Frenchman and the Brazilian unlikely.

Having joined the Yorkshire side from Stade Rennais in 2020, Raphinha has become one of the Premier League’s most talked-about stars, having been deemed as “magic” by Leeds ambassador and ex-striker Noel Whelan.

The 25-year-old’s first season in England saw the winger score six goals and provide nine assists as Leeds finished ninth.

However, despite his side battling relegation until the final day of the season, the £40.5m-rated Brazilian has been impressive once again, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists.

Although he would have been an excellent addition for Newcastle, Eddie Howe’s side can afford to miss out on Raphinha.

It’s not all doom and gloom for Newcastle

Already, the Magpies have a winger who can marvel supporters in Allan Saint-Maximin whilst also having incredibly deep pockets.

This summer transfer window is the first under the ownership of PIF and big signings are certainly expected to be made by the North-East outfit.

The January window saw statement additions come through the door in Bruno Guimares and Kieran Trippier, giving supporters. a taste of what can be expected now that Newcastle is the richest football club in the world.

Therefore, Howe and the Newcastle hierarchy will most likely have put together a mouthwatering wish list meaning that if they are to miss out on one target, they have a suitable alternative to swoop for.

This is exactly the case with Raphinha, with the Magpies now reportedly making an enquiry over Diaby, who actually provided more goal contributions than the Brazilian with 17 goals and 14 assists across all competitions.

Signing Raphinha would’ve been a seriously impressive feat from the Toon Army, however, missing out on a deal certainly isn’t doom and gloom with the Magpies already benefitting from the talents of Saint-Maximin whilst also targeting numerous other quality wingers.

AND in other news: Howe can ruthlessly axe £63k-p/w deadwood as PIF plot “insane” £40m Newcastle signing

The Chronicle journalist Charlie Bennett has revealed what he has now been ‘told’ from Newcastle United in relation to Dean Henderson.

The Lowdown: One to watch

With the Premier League season now completed, transfer rumours are already heating up for the summer, none more so than at St James’ Park.

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One player who has been strongly linked with a move to the northeast recently is Manchester United goalkeeper Henderson, and an update has now been given on that situation.

The Latest: Henderson deal ‘close’

Taking to Twitter, Bennett has revealed that Henderson is ‘keen’ on a move to Tyneside and would ‘prefer’ to sign permanently than on loan. The 25-year-old’s camp believe that a deal is now ‘close’ after meeting representatives of Newcastle in Northumberland last week.

Bennett tweeted: “Understand Dean Henderson is keen on a Newcastle move and has made it known he prefers a permanent transfer to a loan deal.

“Also told player’s camp believe a deal is “close” after meeting club representatives in Northumberland last week.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Given Henderson’s desire to move to the Magpies, and a seemingly positive meeting with their representatives, one would suggest that the Toon shouldn’t have to do too much more to get this deal over the line.

However, given his reputation in the top flight after keeping 13 clean sheets while on loan at Sheffield United in the 2019/20 season, and having played for England at international level, Henderson is likely to be a man in demand this summer.

Therefore, the Newcastle board need to wrap up this deal as soon as possible in order to fend off any other potential suitors.

In other news, Newcastle have now scheduled a meeting over signing this transfer target

Leeds United’s failure to bolster the playing squad in January was down to former manager Marcelo Bielsa, according to journalist Beren Cross.

What’s the word?

During a recent Q&A on LeedsLive, the reporter was asked about the club’s decision-making during the winter transfer window and in particular, why they did not sign a new striker, given Patrick Bamford’s troubles.

He responded:

“Only the people party to those conversations will know for sure who said what when it came to January recruitment, but sources have continued to say Bielsa had the final say and he said no to reinforcements like [Donny] van de Beek and [Harry] Winks in that window.”

Indeed, both the Everton loanee and Tottenham Hotspur outcast were linked with moves, as per the Yorkshire Evening Post, but it is in attack where the Elland Road giants have suffered most.

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Bielsa’s big mistake

Heading into the final game of the season against Brentford, the Whites occupy the final place in the relegation zone, tied on points with Burnley, who face an in-form Newcastle United side, albeit one with nothing to play for.

A whopping difference of 20 goals is what keeps them in the drop over the Clarets and in the far weaker position heading into the weekend. Only five teams have scored fewer goals than Leeds throughout the course of the 37 games played.

Meanwhile, only Raphinha (ten goals) has hit double figures in the Premier League this term, following on from Bamford’s 17-goal feat in 2020/21. This term, the 28-year-old has only managed nine top-flight appearances, scoring twice.

You’d imagine that if he had been available for even double that number of matches, they’d be out of sight of the drop zone by now. Even if that’s in hindsight.

The Elland Road faithful have long rued their unrelenting injury crisis throughout the season but this latest claim from Cross will do nothing to alleviate the negativity.

If anything, they will be furious to learn that Bielsa is said to have rejected reinforcements, a decision that is now looking very catastrophic indeed.

AND in other news, Jesse Marsch dealt fresh blow in relegation fight…