This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Jose Mourinho is desperate to keep Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur, per The Daily Telegraph.
What’s the word?
Mourinho was appointed Spurs manager on Wednesday morning.
And the report states that the former Manchester United and Chelsea boss is adamant that the striker must not be allowed to leave the club in the coming transfer windows.
He is said to have told Daniel Levy that he will not need to spend huge sums of money in order to win trophies at the club, but is adamant that Kane must be kept at the club.
He rates the 45-cap England captain as one of the best strikers in world football and
A report from Spanish outlet El Desmarque earlier this week had claimed that Real Madrid had entered into talks over a deal for Kane that would see Karim Benzema go the other way, but the Telegraph reports that chairman Levy values the Spurs star at £250m and is also determined to keep him.
An intriguing link-up
It remains to be seen how this will work.
Mourinho has worked with some top forwards throughout his career, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Didier Drogba.
But, as Football FanCast has previously detailed, only two players have ever scored more than 22 league goals in a single league season under his management.
Thus, he may have to change his approach to bring the best out of Kane, though this report will be encouraging for Spurs fans.
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The signs are there that Mourinho believes Kane can be a key player for seasons to come as he bids to bring silverware to north London, in order to maintain his record of winning a trophy at every single club he has managed since Porto.
He will need the England international to hit the net with regularity in the coming weeks and months if he is to have any chance; the pressure is on for the forward but he has been so prolific in recent seasons – winning back-to-back Golden Boots in 2015/16 and 2016/17 – that it is difficult to imagine him wilting.
Tottenham fans have taken to Twitter to discuss the latest update on rumoured transfer target Baptiste Santamaria.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding football at the moment, and whether seasons will end up getting finished, that hasn’t stopped clubs being linked with whole hosts of players ahead of the summer transfer window.
And one man who Spurs have been linked to in recent weeks and months has been Angers midfielder, Santamaria.
Now, according to Italian publication AreaNapoli, he could now be available for just €10-€15m (£8.6m-£13m) this summer, with a switch to England still remaining his “first choice” ahead of potential moves to Italy or Spain.
After hearing the latest update on Santamaria – who has also been heavily linked with Everton and Leicester – Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on a possible swoop for the 25-year-old.
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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
West Brom’s biggest fears have been elevated ahead of the January transfer window as reports have emerged claiming that West Ham are seriously considering the thought of recalling enigmatic star Grady Diangana.
Football Insider suggests that Manuel Pellegrini has been keeping a close eye on the 21-year-old’s progress at the Hawthorns, so much so that they now regard the winger as a ‘genuine’ option given that the Hammers have struggled to find the net this season.
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The Premier League outfit have scored just 12 goals in ten matches while their young loanee has netted four goals while providing three assists for the Baggies.
West Ham are potentially playing with Diangana’s career if they pull the plug on his loan deal as the prospect is gaining valuable game time each week under Slaven Bilic.
Even if Pellegrini sees him as a possible solution to their goalscoring woes, is he really going to break into the starting XI? Probably not.
That’s even if he has hyped him up to be similar to ‘Santi Cazorla,’ someone he managed at Villarreal once upon a time.
At the Hammers, Diangana would presumably be simply needed to make an impact off the bench, considering they have Felipe Anderson (£35m), Andriy Yarmolenko (£17.5m), and summer signing Pablo Fornals (£24m) ahead of him in the pecking order.
Therefore, the decision will only stall the amount of competitive game time he receives, and as a consequence, his development will also be halted.
Bilic is the perfect man to breed him in preparation for the future too.
The Croatian was the man to bring Declan Rice to light at the London Stadium, handing him his professional debut aged just 18 in 2017.
Look at how far he has come as he is now regularly linked with moves to Manchester United.
In addition to that, you only have to look at how the club has developed its own over the last few years. Case in point being both Kyle Edwards and Nathan Ferguson, who have broken into the first-team this season making over 12 appearances each in the Championship, per WhoScored.
The defender’s performances this season has attracted interest from some European giants in Atletico Madrid and Juventus as well as Tottenham Hotspur.
Diangana should be looked at in the summer by the Hammers’ management staff as then he can be fully integrated amongst the first-team setup, even more so after a fruitful season at Albion, which hopefully results in them gaining promotion to the top-flight.
For now, it’s better for all parties if he remains in the Midlands.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Tom Davies has become an integral part of Aidy Boothroyd’s England U21s over the past year. The Everton man wore the captain’s armband for the Young Lions back in September and he now has 16 appearances and one goal for them.
Now, with the Boothroyd putting together another star-studded squad – one which Davies has been included in – the Everton academy product has the chance to catch the eye of Gareth Southgate. The likes of Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden are just a few names on the list who the England boss will surely be watching.
However, with 95 appearances for Everton under his belt now, Davies is the one Southgate should be keeping a close eye on. The 21-year-old has an opportunity to enjoy a long spell in the Everton team after the injury to Andre Gomes.
Plus, despite the club’s poor form, the Toffees man has a chance to prove his worth to both the England boss and Marco Silva over the coming months.
Over the past few years, England youngsters have flourished and made the step up from U21 to senior level, with Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham some recent examples of players who have stepped up in class.
Those players all graduated from Boothroyd’s squad and it’s fair to assume that the youth team manager is constantly in communication with Southgate regarding players he believes have the potential to play at the elite level.
Should Davies, who is valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, put in a shift and impress with the Young Lions, he could put his name into the back of Southgate’s mind.
Now, he also his chance to take the opportunity to become Everton’s main man in the absence of Gomes and that will only bolster his international aspirations.
And a string of fine performances could well put himself into contention for Euro 2020, even if he is an outside shout at this stage in the season.
The midfield spot has become an area for England where the coaching staff have chopped and changed. Harry Winks, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley and Declan Rice are just a few who have stepped into the centre lately.
Now, with Fabian Delph also receiving a call-up, there is no reason why Davies cannot make his stamp on the squad as well.
Tottenham Hotspur currently face a big issue with their squad. Both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are slowly but surely entering the last phase of their contracts and according to the Daily Star, they are likely to let their deals expire next summer.
If that ends up being true, Spurs would be in dire need of a new centre-back to reinforce their backline. With that in mind, here are three options Daniel Levy should pursue in the not so distant future should they end up losing both Alderweireld and Vertonghen at the same time.
Daniele Rugani – Juventus
Rugani is currently not enjoying his best days at Juventus with only one game under his belt in the ongoing 2019/20 Serie A campaign. But Rugani is still a player that has attracted a lot of attention from the Premier League in the past, with the likes of Arsenal and Everton linked in the past.
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At 25 years of age, he is yet to enter the prime years of a defender but already has some experience on his side, having mustered a total of 89 games for the Bianconeri in his career, even bagging seven goals and one assist in the process, and represented his country on seven occasions.
His £19.8m Transfermarkt valuation puts him in a reasonable price range and even though Juventus declined a reported sum of £25.5m in 2016, the reluctance of Maurizio Sarri to actually use him could play right into Levy’s hands.
Lewis Dunk – Brighton
Brighton & Hove Albion’s captain is a well-known name to most Premier League fans and the 27-year-old could definitely be an option for Tottenham Hotspur if they wanted someone who’s experienced, well-rounded and also familiar with the English league.
Dunk ticks all the boxes and has been solid this campaign as well. A quick look at his stats suggests as much as he’s averaged 1.3 tackles, 2.2 interceptions and only 0.8 fouls per game, while completing 87% of his passes and even grabbing two assists.
Having been previously linked with the likes of Leicester for a reported sum of £40m, Dunk could prove to be a pricey option but one worthy of replacing Vertonghen or Alderweireld.
Samuel Umtiti – Barcelona
Finally, probably the biggest name on this list is Barcelona’s out-of-favour French defender, Umtiti.
Even though he used to be a rather important piece of the Blaugrana puzzle, recent injuries have unfortunately dropped the 26-year-old down the pecking order behind Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet.
Nonetheless, he has continued to provide strong performances this season when given the chance to play.
And with big-stage experience, World Cup and La Liga crowns on his CV, Umtiti would be a name that pleases the fans as a direct replacement who is already established at the top level.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Daily Mirror, Ed Woodward has given the “green light” for Manchester United to sign Kai Havertz.
What’s the word?
The Red Devils made just three permanent signings in the summer transfer window, bringing in Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire. Despite letting Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez go, the club failed to bring in any any attacking reinforcements.
Now, The Daily Mirror claim Woodward has given his blessing for a double swoop for both Havertz and Thomas Muller, with United supposedly sending their top scouts to watch the former in action against Werder Bremen on Saturday.
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The report adds Europe’s top clubs are in the hunt for the 20-year-old, and that Leverkusen have placed an £85m price tag on his head in order to fend off suitors.
Exciting coup
Make no mistake about it, Havertz’s meteoric rise to the top means the sky is the very limit for him. He is the youngest player in Bundesliga history to reach 50 appearances, and that level of top-flight experience at such a young age only stands him in good stead for a potential move to the pressure-filled environment of Old Trafford.
Germany legend Lothar Matthaus even remarked: “If Havertz can maintain this high standard, with his natural talent, cleverness, presence on the pitch, and goal threat, then he could someday follow me as world footballer of the year.”
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Last season, the 20-year-old prodigy racked up an incredible 20 goals and seven assists in 42 appearances, with former Borussia Dortmund defender Matthias Sammer describing him as an “extraordinary player” and as “something special”.
Understandably, as The Daily Mirror claims, some of European football’s biggest clubs will all be keeping a close eye on Havertz. But if United can pull off a sensational coup by landing the talented midfielder, then the Red Devils could more than safely say that they are back to competing against the best.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Paul Ince believes that the reported price of Declan Rice is ludicrous as he is far from the finished product.
What did he say?
The former England international is an admirer of the midfielder, but given he is only 20 Ince is fair to assume that it is too early to be speaking of prices such as £70m.
He also praised West Ham and the current set-up in place, indicating that it is a good environment for young players to prosper, whilst stating that a few more years of development in east London could really help his career.
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Speaking on talkSPORT, as quoted by Football.London, Ince said:
“Stop quoting these ridiculous prices, it’s madness, it really is. In two or three years time, maybe, but he’s still got a lot to learn, he’s still got to grow, be a lot more powerful and get up and down the park quicker than he does.
“That will come as his body develops more but he’s still got to get himself in the box, got to score goals. That’s going to be worth £80-90m, so if he can learn that as he grows older, why not?
“I think he’s at the right club at West Ham, he’s playing week in, week out, which is important, and I think he’s got the right people around him, like Mark Noble, who has been there a long time, so he’ll learn a lot.”
Been there and done it
Rice could do a lot worse than to listen to and heed the advice of Ince, as he could follow in his footsteps if he makes the right decisions.
Like the current Hammers man, Ince came through the academy at West Ham and went on to make 72 appearances in three years, before he couldn’t resist the call of Manchester United.
That means he had more experience of being in and around the first team at the time of his move and likely was in a better frame of mind when deciding to move, as well as being older than Rice currently is.
The England international only has one full season under his belt playing in his current position of defensive midfield and though he has impressed and is improving, as shown in his interception and tackling stats – which he ranks fourth and third amongst Premier League midfielders – there are still areas to work on, as Ince points out.
Ince is, therefore, probably correct in his assessment that he could do with a few more years learning the trade from the likes of Noble, particularly as the Red Devils are currently in a slump in 12th place.
Some Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have been left unimpressed by a report from CalcioMercato saying they are interested in Ajax winger David Neres.
The Italian media outlet says Spurs are monitoring the Brazilian attacker, rated at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, and there is no doubting his ability given he has scored 31 goals and provided a further 33 assists in 113 matches for the Eredivisie giants.
However, the north London outfit appear to have more pressing concerns at the moment from a defensive point of view, as shown by the seven goals they shipped at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League this week.
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That is one of the major bugbears of the Tottenham supporters commenting on the reported interest in the South American, who would likely be fighting with the likes of Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela for a spot in Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI if he arrived at the club in the near future.
While one individual asked “are we turning into Arsenal?”, in relation to the Gunners buying attacking players rather than sorting out their backline, another said “we need defensive players more”.
Jonny Evans helped Leicester City record a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday’s Premier League clash at the King Power Stadium.
According to WhoScored, the 31-year-old won two aerial duels and four tackles during his 90 minutes on the field.
Whilst James Maddison’s wonderful winner late on took the majority of the attention, a number of Leicester fans were keen to pay tribute to Northern Ireland international Evans.
The Foxes sold arguably their best centre-back during the summer with Harry Maguire completing an £80m switch to Manchester United.
Evans is in his second season with the club following a 2018 switch from West Bromwich Albion, and it is worth remembering that he played 198 times for Man United earlier in this career – including 131 outings in the Premier League.
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The Leicester fans absolutely loved his performance against an off-colour Spurs on Saturday afternoon – and a selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
In today’s Newcastle United roundup, we take a look at what news has been doing the rounds for the Magpies. 16-year-old Luke Matheson has been linked with the club after scoring at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup, there is a fresh takeover bid from Peter Kenyon, and Rafael Benitez has named the best players he signed for the club.
Kenyon launches fresh takeover bid
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Report: According to Sky Sports, Kenyon’s new American investment fund GACP Sports is trying to buy Newcastle for £300m which will be paid in installments over three years. A detailed 46-page brochure has been sent out to potential investors, explaining their plans for the club, states the report.
Verdict: No doubt this will be music to the ears of anyone who follows the Toon Army. For over a decade now, fans have been desperate to see the back of Mike Ashley, with the Sports Direct owner refusing to delve into the transfer market enough, and thus having played a huge role in the club being relegated twice during his reign.
Kenyon’s GACP Sports also owns French side Bordeaux, whilst the man himself has been chief executive of both Chelsea and Manchester United and clearly knows how to run a football club as a result.
As has been the case in previous bids from Kenyon, there needs to be a large sum which Ashley would fancy or it is unlikely he will sell the club. Indeed, in recent times Amanda Staveley’s PCP Partners, the Bin Zayed Group as well as Kenyon have all attempted to purchase the club, with Ashley turning down each offer.
It seems it is going to take a bid in excess of £350m, as Sky Sports reports, and Newcastle fans will be hoping and praying this comes sooner rather than later.
Benitez on his best signings for the club
Report: In a Q&A with The Athletic (as quoted by Shields Gazette), former Magpies boss Benitez revealed who were his best signings during his time at St James’ Park. The Spaniard was asked ‘who would you say was your best value signing at Newcastle (Fabian) Schar, (Florian) Lejeune, (Martin) Dubravka?’, although Benitez was quick to point out Solomon Rondon as a name he never forgot during his time in the North East.
He replied: “I agree the three of them are quite good signings for the money we paid. Also I would add Rondon was good value as a loan.”
Verdict: Dubravka has turned himself into one of the better goalkeepers in the Premier League over the last few years, keeping 17 clean sheets and making 139 saves in 56 appearances. Although the Slovakian has conceded 67 times, only five of them have come as ‘errors leading to a goal’, according to official statistics of the Premier League.
Schar is continuing to prove his importance for the club this season, averaging a 7.16 performance rating and playing a huge role in Newcastle conceding eight goals in six games – only Crystal Palace boasts better in the bottom half.
As for Rondon, he has linked up once again with Benitez, joining him at Dalian Yifang in China. During his time at Newcastle, however, the Venezuelan finished as the second top scorer for the club, bagging 11 goals and seven assists in 31 Premier League appearances.
Lejeune is currently out injured, but the Frenchman did average a 7.05 performance rating with the Magpies in his first season under Benitez.
Bruce keeping tabs on Matheson
Report: According to the Chronicle Live, Newcastle have been scouting the Rochdale teenager even before his heroics against Manchester United. It is reported that the Magpies have kept tabs on the defender ever since he made his first-team debut in the Checkatrade Trophy last year.
Verdict: 16-year-old Matheson has jumped into the limelight after scoring the equaliser in the Dale’s Carabao Cup tie at Old Trafford. The right-back has been involved heavily for the League One side so far, playing all three of the EFL Cup games until Rochdale were knocked out. Matheson has also played twice in the league for his boyhood club this season and has even stepped out for the England U17’s on one occasion.
It is always wise to keep tabs on the younger guys around because clubs can never know what youth teams are prizing away the best young talent in the country – sometimes it is not always the Premier League teams who acquire the best young products from around England.
If Newcastle were to sign Matheson, it would be highly doubtful he would see first-team action more than a handful of times in a year. Nevertheless, if his performance at Old Trafford is anything to go by, it is a good idea to keep an eye on his progress.