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According to reports, Southampton are considering a move for Hoffenheim winger Jacob Bruun Larsen this summer. The Borussia Dortmund academy graduate could be available for a cut-price, with his current contract set to expire next summer.

What's the latest on Southampton and Jacob Bruun Larsen?

The Saints are weighing up a move for Larsen, as per The Daily Mail, who report that the Championship side have space in their squad for another winger following the departures of Theo Walcott, Mohamed Elyounoussi, and Mislav Orsic this summer.

After a difficult campaign last time out, and with his contract set to expire next summer, the winger could reportedly be available for a cheaper price than previously valued. According to Transfermarkt, Larsen is currently worth €3m (£2.56m). Though, with that said, it remains to be seen how much Hoffenheim might demand for his signature, should Southampton continue to pursue a deal, with his contract situation sure to be a major factor in negotitations.

So far this summer, Southampton have welcomed three players in total, with Shea Charles arriving from Manchester City, Ryan Manning joining from Swansea City, and Mateusz Lis signing from Troyes.

All three signings will be hoping to provide the required impact to get the Saints up to the Premier League next season. Add Larsen to that, and Russell Martin could have himself a side more than capable of winning the title in the coming campaign, clearly using this summer window to add exciting young talent to his ranks.

Should Southampton sign Jacob Bruun Larsen?

Set for at least one season in the Championship next season, Southampton can't afford to get things wrong in the transfer window this summer, as they look to bounce straight back to the Premier League.

Larsen represents a risky move, howeve – the Denmark international struggled for fitness last season, missing a total of 16 games throughout the course of Hoffenheim's season. The last thing that the Championship side need is an injury-prone winger.

Meanwhile, when he did feature, Larsen found the back of the net just once in 15 appearances. That's not to say the 24-year-old doesn't have promise – in the 21/22 season, the winger managed seven goal involvements, in what was meant to be used as a platform for bigger and better things in Germany. It simply hasn't worked out though.

A move to St Mary's would represent a fresh start, and, statistically speaking, he'd be an upgrade on the likes of Walcott. As per FBRef, Larsen made more progressive carries, just one less progressive pass, and attempted more take-ons than the former Arsenal man last season.

So, whilst the move has its risks, the Hoffenheim winger is a player who could really burst into life with his next move. An international too, Southampton would be getting themselves a player with plenty of experience in spite of the fact that he's only 24.

With a long summer ahead, it remains to be seen whether the Saints continue to pursue a move for Larsen, as they hope to return to England's top flight at the first time of asking.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is willing to spend over €40m (£34m) to ensure they win the race for Juventus centre-back Gleison Bremer, according to a recent report from Spain.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Spurs are still keen on bringing in a new defender this summer, with it recently being reported they have joined Levi Colwill's growing list of admirers, despite the fact Chelsea have insisted he will not be put up for sale, instead offering him a new contract.

The same report details that Micky van de Ven and Edmond Tapsoba remain targets for Spurs, however, they have concerns about rivals Liverpool hijacking a deal for the former, as the Reds are believed to be targeting a defender with a similar profile.

In a recent interview with GiveMeSport, journalist Paul Brown claimed that a deal for the Wolfsburg defender is currently more plausible than a move for Tapsoba, saying:

“Spurs seem a little further down the line with Van de Ven. They've met his people. I understand his personal terms won't be a problem. It's purely about agreeing on a fee with his club.

“That one seems more likely to happen at the moment than Tapsoba. But both of them are on Spurs’ list, and it does look like they might try to sign two centre-backs this summer. So, they may sign them both.”

Now, Postecoglou has his sights set on another defensive target, as according to reports from Spain (via To the Lane and Back), Spurs and the manager are willing to pay over €40m (£34m) to secure Bremer's signature this summer.

The centre-back was deemed to be one of the stand-out performers in an underwhelming Juventus side last season, and he may now be given the opportunity to try his luck in the Premier League, having emerged as a potential option for Tottenham.

There may be some competition for the Brazilian's signature, with a number of other top European teams said to be interested, although none of these are named.

How good is Gleison Bremer?

Lauded as a "monster" by members of the media, the 26-year-old was one of Juventus' best players in the Serie A last season, averaging a 7.11 SofaScore match rating, the third-highest in the squad, and a higher figure than any Spurs defender averaged in the Premier League.

The Juventus star is a very assured passer of the ball, ranking in the 87th percentile for his pass-completion rate per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, while he also places in the 88th percentile for blocks in the same timeframe.

At 26-years-old, the £154k-per-week defender is more experienced than Van de Ven, and he has performed better than the Dutchman on a number of key metrics in the past year, including interceptions, clearances and aerials won per 90.

As such, Bremer could be a solid alternative option to the Wolfsburg man, and he could also come in alongside the 22-year-old, if Postecoglou is keen to add a more experienced centre-back to his squad ahead of his first season in charge.

Journalist Conor McGilligan is not worried about Maximilian Wober's potential Leeds United exit and believes the club already have a capable replacement in Pascal Struijk.

Is Wober leaving Leeds?

Having been omitted from Leeds' squad to face Monaco in the club's 2-0 pre-season friendly defeat, new boss Daniel Farke admitted that Wober's absence was due to a potential departure.

The German coach stated after the match: "Max Wober (absence) is to do with the transfer situation and also the contract situation and we will wait and see what the outcome is over the next days."

Despite having only arrived from RB Salzburg in January last season, a move that set Leeds back approximately £11m, the Austrian may already be leaving Yorkshire having failed to help keep the Whites in the Premier League.

The centre-back has been linked with Farke's former club Borussia Monchengladbach, a move that may be too tempting for Wober to turn down given Leeds' Championship status.

However, despite the reaction of some supporters, journalist McGilligan is not "bothered" by Wober's exit and believes that current Leeds defender Struijk is a better long-term option anyway.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, McGilligan said: "Someone like Wober at Championship level, he's only been at Leeds six months, £10m – I think he will attract attention.

He added: "Am I bothered about Wober in the Championship? No. Am I bothered about losing him? No.

"What we need to understand is that now just because he's potentially leaving Leeds United, and this is off the back of Daniel Farke saying yesterday that he's involved in some transfer thing at the minute hence why he wasn't involved yesterday, which is evidently him paraphrasing him saying he's leaving the club, you know was he good enough before you found out, in your opinion, that he was potentially leaving yesterday?

"You know, was he good enough for the Championship? Of course he's good enough, but is it just this transfer now that suddenly now everyone's turning around and going he's not good enough? I've sort of stayed consistent constant with Wober, he's alright, he's a decent player. He's hyped up way too much."

McGilligan went on to voice his opinions when comparing Wober to Struijk, the latter currently looking set to stay with Leeds, and he believes that Struijk has a much higher "ceiling" than Wober.

"I've always said this one here, Pascal Stuijk, it's been such a shame with what's happened to him as a left-sided centre-back because the ceiling that he's had.

"Struijk's ceiling, if you can get him playing, if you can get Pascal Struijk with that mentality that he had under that period under Marcelo Bielsa for around about 12 to 18 months, if you can get him playing like that again, if you're able to beef up some of his attributes when it comes to his mentality, his physicality and his leadership skills as well if he's got some locked down there, he's a much better player in my opinion [than Wober]."

Wober managed 19 games for Leeds last season and made a positive impact in an albeit leaky defence, impressing supporters with his attitude and commitment to the cause. That commitment looks less significant now with the 25-year-old set to call time on his short stint at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Struijk has been at Leeds since 2018 and has risen from the U21s into the first team. He made 31 appearances in all competitions last term for the Whites and has been used as both a left-back and centre-back by the club, often failing to find consistent form.

Who is better – Wober or Struijk?

When comparing the two in the Premier League last season, it's obvious that Struijk has a lot more experience at the highest level despite being two years younger than Wober, although he did feature mainly at left-back last term. He played 29 matches to Wober's 16 – just under two times as many.

However, both defenders share similar numbers when it comes to blocks, interceptions and clearances, despite Wober playing far less. The Austrian also boasts a 1.4% better successful tackle percentage and looks the more developed player at present.

Struijk does pose a more attacking threat though, scoring twice and getting one assist, while Wober failed to register any goal contribution in the top flight. The 23-year-old also has a superior pass accuracy (79.2% to 70.6%), showcasing that he is more comfortable with the ball at his feet and progressing play.

Given his age and more modern defensive style, Struijk is perhaps the better long-term option for Leeds to invest in.

A major update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their attempts to add a third new centre-forward to the squad ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership season…

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

According to the Daily Record, Feyenoord have decided to accept an offer of around £6m from the Light Blues for their striker Danilo.

The report claims that the Gers sent the bid in with the intention of it being their final effort to sign the 24-year-old ace, which potentially pressured the Dutch side into striking an agreement with them.

It states that the Eredivisie team are now expected to give the player permission to travel to Scotland, where he could complete a medical and put pen to paper on a contract with the club.

He could arrive as Michael Beale's eighth signing of the window; following Kieran Dowell, Abdallah Sima, Dujon Sterling, Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Jack Butland, and Leon Balogun.

How many goals did Danilo score last season?

The Brazilian marksman plundered 14 goals across all competitions for Feyenoord last term and could arrive as the head coach's next version of English poacher Danny Ings.

Beale worked with the current West Ham United centre-forward during their time together at Liverpool, when the 42-year-old tactician was their U21 manager, and the 31-year-old star has gone on to enjoy an impressive Premier League career.

Ings plundered 46 goals and 10 assists across 100 matches in all competitions for Southampton after joining them from the Reds. He then managed 13 goals in 30 league starts for Aston Villa before a move to join David Moyes' team in January.

Legendary Newcastle striker Alan Shearer praised the former Burnley man's excellent 'instincts' in front of goal for the Hammers earlier this year and the talented forward ended the campaign with two goals and two assists in seven top-flight starts for his current club.

Danilo was recently described as an "amazing instinctive finisher" by Eredivisie expert Melvin Dupper and this suggests that he could be a similar type of player to Ings in the sense that they are both instinctive goalscorers who boast impressive records in front of goal.

The Brazilian dynamo scored ten goals in 14 Eredivisie starts last season, which came after a superb return of 15 goals in 26 matches for Ajax's first-team and U21 side combined during the previous campaign – with two goals in one top-flight start.

He also showcased his goalscoring talents whilst on loan at FC Twente during the 2020/21 season as the talented gem scored 17 times to go along with five assists in 30 Eredivisie starts. For context, no Rangers striker scored more than 14 Scottish Premiership goals last term.

This means that the possible Gers signing has scored 29 goals in 45 Dutch top-flight starts over the last three years, which works out as a strike every 1.55 starts on average.

Therefore, the potential is there for Danilo to be an outstanding addition to Beale's squad as a reliable scoring option through the middle of the pitch, as he can use his instinctive finishing – in the same way that Ings did for the head coach and throughout his senior career – to be a focal point for the Scottish giants.

Aberdeen are close to sealing yet another bit of transfer business this window, with an agreement reached over a deal for Slobodan Rubezic.

Who is Slobodan Rubezic?

The 23-year-old currently plies his trade for FK Novi Pazar in Serbia, the country that he originates from. He has spent almost the entirety of his career there, with the exception of a brief spell in Bulgaria with Arda, and has now racked up 44 league appearances in the Superliga despite his age.

He originally emerged onto the scene with Cukaricki when he was just 18 years of age, although he didn't make his debut during that initial season with them. Instead, he had to bide his time and sit on the sidelines before eventually exiting the side as minutes became hard to find. It was his spell in Bulgaria that actually helped him to show what he was capable of.

He made his league debut as a professional with Arda, featuring five times for them in 2020/21. It was only a handful of appearances for the defender, but it was enough to catch the eye of his current club FK Novi Pazar, who opted to take him back to Serbia. They continued to build up his minutes, handing him nine league games when he arrived there in the SuperLiga. He even rewarded them with one goal.

With Rubezic now established as a valid squad option, he really took his opportunity with both hands in 2022/23 and became a key member of his side's starting eleven. He played 35 league games for them in the last campaign and even popped up with two goals despite featuring in the backline.

He couldn't help his team any further up the standings than sixth, but he showed how reliable he was when you look at the amount of minutes he featured in. The player went from barely featuring to having the second-most amount of minutes of any player in the Superliga with 3150 minutes in total. It showcased how he has become an invaluable member of their team and someone they continually depended on.

Are Aberdeen signing Slobodan Rubezic?

Now, according to a report from The Daily Record, he has caught the eye of Aberdeen, who are now set to wrap up a permanent transfer for the defender. A move is not quite over the line – he still needs to undergo and complete a medical and there will be a work permit application – but it is as close as ever for Rubezic, and it appears as though barring any last-minute twists, he could be a Dons player in 2023/24.

In terms of a fee, the report doesn't mention a specific amount but does state that he has cost the club "six-figures."

Even though he has yet to experience Scottish football and the Scottish Premiership in general, the 6ft 4 giant has proven to be a steady presence at the back in Serbia and could look to continue to intimidate opposition strikers with Aberdeen, should the move be completed, and by the looks of things, he will be the next through the door at Pittodrie.

West Ham United are finally beginning to make some headway in the transfer market.

The Irons have made a combined £60m bid for Manchester United’s Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay, whilst they have also agreed a £32m deal to sign Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez.

One of the other names at the top of the Hammers’ agenda is Ian Maatsen.

What’s the latest on Ian Maatsen to West Ham?

According to Evening Standard journalist Nizaar Kinsella, the Irons are 'considered frontrunners' to sign the Chelsea youngster, should he leave Stamford Bridge.

It's thought that the young full-back is keen to stay at the west London outfit but wants assurances over his development plan and long-term prospects at the club before agreeing to a new deal.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

The Netherlands U21 international has just one year left on his current contract, leaving a host of clubs keeping a watchful eye over developments, including West Ham.

Eredivisie giants Ajax and Ligue 1 side RC Lens are also thought to be in the race to land Maatsen, whilst another loan stint away from the Blues hasn't been ruled out yet.

He is currently valued at around £20m.

Would Ian Maatsen be a good signing for West Ham?

In Mauricio Pochettino’s short reign at the Chelsea helm, the 21-year-old gem has been described as “exceptional” by Kinsella due to his performances in pre-season. Across five games, he notched two games and an assist, whilst being forced to play out of position due to the more senior figures of Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella.

If he opts to stay at Stamford Bridge, the Argentine coach is set to play him as a winger or an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 system.

This creates an interesting conundrum for Maatsen, as West Ham’s interest would likely see him deployed in his more conventional left-back role. Moreover, long-serving servant Aaron Cresswell has been linked with a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers, which would seemingly create space for the youngster at the London Stadium.

Whilst on loan at Burnley last term, Clarets boss Vincent Kompany described Maatsen as a “very versatile full-back with lots of energy and great potential."

This versatility has stemmed from his adaptability to differing positional demands.

At Turf Moor, he recorded the joint-second most assists (6) and the third-most interceptions per game (1.4). This blend of defensive solidity and attacking verve means he is capable of across the left-hand side, a trait noted by Pochettino and Kompany.

Therefore, Hammers boss David Moyes would likely view Maatsen as competition for Emerson, who endured an inconsistent debut season in east London.

Over the past 365 days, the Dutch outranks the Italian for a number of metrics including shot-creating actions per 90 (2.38 vs 1.98), progressive passes per 90 (6.21 vs 3.07), progressive carries per 90 (3.36 vs 2.59), tackles per 90 (2.18 vs 1.77), and interceptions per 90 (1.51 vs 1.02), via FBref.

Perhaps Emerson is a victim of Moyes’ rigidly unattractive style of play, but ultimately the 29-year-old dud only managed 16 Premier League starts without any injuries, so he looks easily replaceable.

After Maatsen’s glittering showings in the Championship and in the early stages for Chelsea this summer, it could well be a commendable coup for the 2023 Europa Conference League winners and one that spells trouble for the West Ham full-back.

Leeds United completed their fourth signing of the summer transfer window on Thursday as they officially announced Joe Rodon's arrival at Elland Road.

Who have Leeds signed this summer?

The Wales international has joined the Whites on a season-long loan from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and comes in after the signings of Ethan Ampadu, Sam Byram, and Karl Darlow on permanent deals.

Daniel Farke was also closing in on the signing of his former Norwich City right-back Max Aarons in a transfer that would have been worth up to £12m. However, top-flight outfit Bournemouth swooped in at the last minute and have since completed a move for the England U21 international.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

The pursuit of a deal for the Canaries academy graduate shows that the German head coach is in the market for a new full-back and Manchester United's Brandon Williams is another name on his radar, as it was reported earlier this month that the club are keen on the versatile defender.

How good is Brandon Williams?

Farke could land Leeds their next version of Stuart Dallas by securing a deal for the 22-year-old battler as he is a fantastic competitor who can play at left-back despite being right-footed.

Upon signing the English dynamo on loan for Norwich in 2022, the ex-Borussia Monchengladbach chief hailed Williams as an "exciting" addition who is "full of potential"

The Red Devils youngster went on to play 26 Premier League matches for the Canaries and all bar one of his appearances for the club came as a left-back.

He made an eye-catching 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game that season as the talented warrior showcased his ability to cut out opposition attacks on a regular basis to regain possession for his team.

The Manchester United outcast, who won 56% of his individual battles for the Yellows, also made 0.8 key passes per match, which is 0.3 more per outing than any Leeds defender managed last term.

Williams could be Dallas 2.0 for Leeds as a right-footed left-back following his success the last time that the Whites were playing at this level.

During the 2019/20 title-winning season under Marcelo Bielsa, the Northern Ireland international played in 45 Championship matches and predominantly featured as a left-back, whilst also being deployed at right-back at times.

The 32-year-old ace made 3.1 tackles and interceptions and chipped in with one key pass per match throughout the campaign as he displayed his qualities in and out of possession.

These statistics suggest that Williams has the ability to offer a similar level of quality to Dallas on and off the ball, whilst potentially being able to make more defensive interventions per clash to stop teams from troubling Illan Meslier's goal with regularity.

The Leeds transfer target, whose attitude was once hailed as "unbelievable" by his former teammate and current Whites winger Dan James, could be an excellent left-back option for Farke in spite of the fact he is naturally right-footed.

Therefore, the £65k-per-week gem could be a superb addition to the squad if the club are able to secure a deal for his services after missing out on Aarons' signature.

Southampton boss Russell Martin could be about to sign a talented Premier League midfielder who could be joined by another star of a 'similar mould' at St Mary's Stadium, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

What's the latest Southampton transfer news?

As per Transfermarkt, Southampton have brought in three signings this window in the form of Shea Charles, Ryan Manning and Joe Lumley as their return to the Sky Bet Championship gears into full swing.

Acquiring a striker is high on Martin's list as he aims to add more offensive depth and Swansea City striker Joel Piroe is a name of interest to the former Scotland international; however, it is said that he will cost in the region of between £15-20 million, as per Football Insider.

Presumably, Piroe could be drafted in on the South Coast as a potential replacement for Che Adams, who is garnering attention from Crystal Palace amid reports that Roy Hodgson could be set to submit a £10 million offer for the 27-year-old, according to The Evening Standard.

In terms of midfield targets, West Ham United star Flynn Downes is reportedly close to sealing a loan move to Southampton and will undergo medical examinations later this week, as per TEAMtalk.

Downes, who earns £25,000 per week on the books at the London Stadium, is available to move elsewhere following news that the Hammers have completed deals to sign James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez.

Last term, the 24-year-old was utilised mainly as a squad rotation option for West Ham and racked up 35 appearances across all competitions.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones thinks that Downes is the archetype of player Martin will look to bring to Southampton this window and he has also hinted that another arrival could be on the way to strengthen Saints' midfield.

Jones stated: “I think they can find players that have been well prepared to get to this level of football and that’s from coming through good academies and being on the verge of making a big breakthrough in the game, that’s the kind of player that they want.

“Obviously Downes, we know enough about him by now to know that he could do that. But I think that he’ll be joined by somebody else at that similar mould.”

What else could occur at Southampton this window?

Telegraph reporter John Percy has issued an update on Twitter X regarding Southampton's interest in Manchester City youngster Taylor Harwood-Bellis, stating: "Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis is a loan target for Championship clubs including Leicester, Leeds and Southampton. City are also open to selling the England under-21 captain at the right price before the window closes."

According to Sky Sports Transfer Centre, Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund are keen on Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap; however, it is unlikely that the 21-year-old heads to Signal Iduna Park this summer.

The outlet claim that Bella-Kotchap has 'reservations' about moving to the German giants as he may not play regularly between now and EURO 2024.

As per The Evening Standard, Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy is being eyed by Premier League duo Everton and Crystal Palace as they aim to strengthen their respective goalkeeping options.

It is hard to judge Burnley on the basis of their game against Manchester City.

When faced against the robotic inevitability of Erling Haaland and his all-conquering treble-winning companions, the Clarets unsurprisingly crumbled.

There will be many far more winnable games as Burnley attempt to consolidate its top-flight status. But, they need to keep pushing for arrivals to compensate for the holes left by loanees and create the right amount of squad depth.

Vincent Kompany has been dealt a blow in his feverish pursuit of Dodi Lukebakio, but Burnley remain in the race…

What's the latest Burnley transfer saga?

According to reports in Germany, the Hertha Berlin forward had agreed to a four-year contract with the newly-promoted side, who were to pay £9m for his services.

However, in an untimely development, Sevilla have intervened and are keenly tracking Lukebakio.

Although the Spanish outfit possesses the added incentive to offer Champions League football, it has been suggested they have ‘significant’ financial problems, and have incurred a debt of £77m.

But, in another twist, 777-Partners, Hertha’s investors, are also involved with Sevilla, and it's suspected they could help provide funds to get Lukebakio.

It will be interesting to see how this saga develops, but Burnley still very much remains a possible destination.

How good is Dodi Lukebakio?

The 25-year-old has been at Hertha since 2019 and has established himself as one of the club’s most valuable and high-yielding assets. Across 100 appearances in all competitions, the Belgian has registered 46 goal involvements.

However, this commendable record, including 11 goals and three assists in last season’s Bundesliga, couldn't prevent his side from suffering an unfortunate relegation.

Nevertheless, Lukebakio combined this impressive productivity with a creative attacking threat, averaging the second-most dribbles per game (2.1), and key passes per game (0.9), as per WhoScored.

The 6 foot 2 livewire also ranks admirably across the continent, sitting within the highest 14% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for successful take-ons per 90.

His former Fortuna Düsseldorf teammate Oliver Fink described the attacker as “incredible”, highlighting his “speed” and “ball skill” as two of his most eye-catching attributes.

Adam Bodsek echoed this sentiment, labelling Lukebakio as “incredibly valuable.”

His directness and output mean he has been likened to Jarrod Bowen, via FBref’s player comparison model.

The two players rank very closely for a number of offensive metrics, including total shots per 90 (2.19 vs 2.20), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.17 vs 3.20), progressive passes per 90 (1.58 vs 2.06), progressive carries per 90 (3.65 vs 2.44), and successful take-ons per 90 (2.44 vs 1.14).

The pair, therefore, are impeccably progressive footballers who provide a high level of creativity from the flanks.

The 26-year-old finished the 2021/22 Premier League season with 12 goals and 12 assists, becoming the first West Ham player to hit double digits for both metrics in a single campaign since Paolo di Canio in 1999/00.

In the most recent season, the former Hull City phenom netted the winner in Europa Conference League Final. In doing so, he became the first Englishman to score the winning goal in a major European final since Arsenal’s Alan Smith in 1994.

If Lukebakio can even partially emulate that impact on Burnley, in the same manner that Bowen has done for West Ham, he would be an inspired addition to Turf Moor.

Mike Dean has admitted that he opted not to call referee Anthony Taylor to use VAR for a bizarre reason during a Chelsea match against Tottenham Hotspur last season.

What did Mike Dean say about Chelsea vs Tottenham?

The PMGOL has already been at the centre of attention in the new Premier League campaign. After all, new rules on timewasting have led to elongated matches with long spells of injury-time played in games, while that also played a part in Takehiro Tomiyasu being harshly sent off in a recent Arsenal game.

On top of that, a big mistake was made when Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana avoided punishment for one of the most blatant fouls you will ever see inside a penalty box.

Ultimately, what it shows is that despite now having the technology on hand to help reach decisions, referees are still human and humans are prone to making bad judgment calls in the heat of the moment.

Proving this with a simply astonishing admission this week, former referee Dean has claimed that he once failed to intervene on a major VAR call because he didn’t want to cause his friend Anthony Taylor any "grief".

Speaking on Up Front with Simon Jordan (via The Telegraph), the 55-year-old referred to the well-known controversial incident from last season when Spurs defender Cristian Romero violently yanked Marc Cucurella’s hair but somehow avoided punishment, only for Harry Kane to then net a 96th-minute equaliser.

“I missed the stupid hair pull at Chelsea versus Tottenham which was pathetic from my point of view," Dean admitted.

“It’s one of them where if I had my time again, what would I do? I’d send Anthony [Taylor] to the screen. I think I knew if I did send him to the screen … he’s cautioned both managers, he’s had a hell of a game, it’s been such a tough game end to end.

“I said to Anthony afterwards: ‘I just didn’t want to send you to the screen after what has gone on in the game’. I didn’t want to send him up because he is a mate as well as a referee and I think I didn’t want to send him up because I didn’t want any more grief than he already had.

“Anthony, he is big and bald and ugly enough to know if he is going to the screen he is going to the screen for a reason. If someone pulls their hair now it’s dead easy. It’s just a brainwave by me, a really bad call by me, and it kind of affected me as Var going forward.”

Sky Sports have a replay of the moment on their website. While can also see the incident in this fan footage below:

What's been said about Mike Dean?

Unsurprisingly Dean has been slammed in the media for his shocking admission. For instance, Dale Johnson of ESPN, who often writes about VAR decisions, took to Twitter to say: "A bizarre statement, and probably tells you the kind of reason why Mike Dean was jettisoned from his VAR role within two months of Howard Webb arriving as the new head of refs."

While well-known YouTuber Mark Goldbridge said: "Mike Dean admitting he didn't do anything as VAR ref last season for the Chelsea hair pull vs Spurs as he didn't want to cause his mate Antony Taylor grief confirms everything fans moan about every week. Arrogant, biased, incompetent officiating to look after your mates"

Journalist Layth Yousif added: "Mike Dean and @FA_PGMOL are not fit for purpose in any way, shape or form. Incompetence bordering on impropriety."

In the same interview, Dean continued as he spoke about the immediate fallout of his mistake, saying: “Probably I missed a few games because you get taken out of the limelight.

“That was a major error. If they don’t score from the corner it is not as big an issue. But I knew full well then I would be stood down the week after. I asked to take a bit of time off because it wasn’t for me.

“I used to get in the car on a Friday and was dreading Saturday. I was thinking, ‘I hope nothing happens’. I used to be petrified sitting in the chair.”