By Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

26th Mar, 2023 | 7:15pm

Pete O'Rourke transfer column: Star accepts his Man United career over, Tottenham next manager twist, Chelsea to terminate £300,000-a-week star's contract

Welcome to the latest edition of my biweekly column – bringing you exclusive transfer and contract news, as well as news from the Premier League, EFL, Scottish Premiership and beyond.

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TOTTENHAM

The sacking of Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann was closely watched by the Tottenham board.

My understanding is that Spurs have made the 35-year-old their first-choice managerial target for the summer.

Antonio Conte is on his way out of Tottenham imminently, and Ryan Mason is expected to adopt a caretaker role in the side until the end of the season.

Mason is keen to push for a backroom role under new management at Tottenham next season.

Nagelsmann is at the top of Spurs’ managerial shortlist, ahead of Mauricio Pochettino and Luis Enrique.

Daniel Levy tried to bring the German coach to North London in 2021 following the sacking of Jose Mourinho, but Bayern beat him to Nagelsmann’s signature.

Spurs are keen to avoid paying any compensation to hire a manager and have therefore turned their full attention to managers currently out of work – Nagelsmann, Pochettino and Enrique.

It has ruled Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi out of the running – Spurs are huge fans of the Italian but are not willing to pay a fee to the Seagulls for his services.

The managerial process will be crucial in regard to Harry Kane’s future at the club.

The 29-year-old is happy at Tottenham but will not sign a new deal unless a world-class manager is appointed in the summer.

My understanding is that Kane would be willing to discuss terms and stay if Nagelsmann was appointed, and Pochettino’s return would also tempt the England captain to stay put.

Bayern Munich are showing a strong interest in signing Kane this summer, with new manager Thomas Tuchel a big admirer of the striker from his time coaching in the Premier League with Chelsea.

Man United are also interested, but Spurs are holding out for a £100million fee. If Kane does leave Spurs this summer, he’d prefer a Premier League move to continue pursuing his scoring records.

Tottenham have also started planning for some transfer business of their own, with the board highlighting a left-sided defender as the top priority for the summer.

Levy, Fabio Paratici and Conte were all in agreement that Clement Lenglet has failed to live up to expectations during his loan spell and therefore Spurs have decided against signing him on a permanent basis at the end of the season.

I’m told that Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi is at the top of Tottenham’s list. Paratici in particular views the 22-year-old as a hugely exciting prospect.

Palace are wanting between £50-60million for the young defender if they stay in the Premier League, with that fee set to be slashed if they suffer relegation.

Spurs are also admirers of Josko Gvardiol, but understand that he will likely be the more expensive option with Man United, Man City, Real Madrid and Liverpool all showing interest.

Tottenham are also on the lookout for a goalkeeper, with Hugo Lloris likely to be sold this summer. His contract expires in 2024 and Ligue Un clubs have already registered interest.

David Raya, Dean Henderson, Mike Maignan and Robert Sanchez are the four goalkeepers Tottenham are monitoring. Brentford have demanded £30million for Raya – who enters the last year of his contract in the summer.

READ MORE EXCLUSIVE TOTTENHAM NEWS AND PUNDIT VIEWS

CHELSEA

My understanding is that the Blues are considering terminating the contract of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this summer.

The 33-year-old has endured a frustrating time at Stamford Bridge since joining from Barcelona last summer.

Graham Potter does not see Aubameyang in his plans at Chelsea and has urged the board to get him off the club’s wage bill. Aubameyang currently earns £300,000-per-week.

I’m told that Saudi-Arabian clubs have registered an interest in signing Aubameyang this summer, with many clubs willing to offer him similar wages to his current deal.

Barcelona also remain close to Aubameyang after his departure last summer. Should he be made a free agent by Chelsea then the Spanish giants could make a move to bring him back to Camp Nou.

After all, he was spotted celebrating with their squad after their El Clasico win last week.

With Aubameyang on his way out of the club, Chelsea have set their sights firmly on Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

The Nigerian striker is one of the most in-form players across Europe this season and is being chased by Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool among a host of other European clubs.

I understand that Chelsea are willing to flex their financial muscle and match Napoli’s £100million asking price to sign Osimhen this summer. Chelsea understand they may have to overpay to compete with other clubs who can offer Champions League football.

Todd Boehly is eager to keep faith with Potter and give him a full pre-season and summer window to settle down at the club.

However, the Blues were alerted by Nagelsmann‘s sacking at Bayern and haven’t ruled out a move for him if Potter suffers a poor end to the season.

A lack of Champions League qualification would make negotiations difficult with Nagelsmann, but Chelsea view him as an elite coach.

READ MORE EXCLUSIVE CHELSEA NEWS AND PUNDIT VIEWS

MAN UNITED

Dean Henderson‘s future at Old Trafford is over.

The on-loan Nottingham Forest goalkeeper has accepted that a return to Man United is now extremely unlikely, and the 26-year-old is pushing for a permanent move this summer.

Henderson was upset with his treatment in Manchester over the last few seasons and is now aware that the Red Devils are in the market for a new goalkeeper to provide support for David de Gea.

Not willing to play second fiddle, Henderson wants a new club willing to hand him regular first-team minutes so he can force his way back into the England setup.

Tottenham and Chelsea have already shown interest. Forest are also keen to keep him at the City Ground on a permanent basis but understand it depends on their Premier League survival.

Man United have been keeping a keen eye on Gvardiol as a potential defensive target, with Erik ten Hag keen to improve his defensive depth for 2023/24.

READ MORE EXCLUSIVE MAN UNITED NEWS AND PUNDIT VIEWS

BRIGHTON

Brighton are confident of keeping De Zerbi at the Amex Stadium over the summer.

Tottenham have dropped their pursuit of De Zerbi in favour of Nagelsmann, Pochettino and Enrique, and the Brighton boss is pleased that a number of contract situations have been handled well by the club.

My understanding is that De Zerbi is very happy at Brighton and is willing to stay with the Seagulls and be part of a long-term project.

Brighton have promised De Zerbi financial backing in the transfer window.

READ MORE EXCLUSIVE BRIGHTON NEWS AND PUNDIT VIEWS