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Tottenham Hotspur defender Juan Foyth is set to leave north London ‘imminently’, according to reports from Italy. 

Leeds United are interested in signing the 22-year-old defender, who was once considered a Mauricio Pochettino prodigy. Foyth has fallen out of favour with his successor as he has featured just twice for Jose Mourinho since the Portuguese took over from Pochettino in November.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, both clubs are hoping to reach an agreement of a fee somewhere in the region of £10m-£12m and are confident that they can agree terms for the Argentine in the coming days.

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa is keen to bolster his squad as he prepares for the club’s return to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years and it seems that he is one step closer to getting his wish as regards Foyth.

Bielsa feels that his fellow countryman can strengthen his newly-promoted squad and he is keen to sign the versatile player this summer as it is unlikely that the Lilywhites will stand in his way, so the defender could be set to leave north London.

Mourinho wants to replace Foyth with Freiburg’s Robin Koch and the Argentina international is considered surplus to requirements as a result.

Bielsa wants to recruit his compatriot as he believes he can get the best out of him, which is something Mourinho has failed to do so far. The maverick Leeds manager has earned a reputation for turning young talent into top-class players and Daniel Levy may decide to insert either a buy-back or sell-on clause into Foyht’s contract.

The Spurs chairman should sell the Argentine to raise funds for other summer signings after he failed to register a goal or assist in the Premier League last term.

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should let Foyth leave for Elland Road? Let us know your views in the comments below!

A number of Liverpool fans have vented their unhappiness over an update from Fabrizio Romano on the potential transfer of Thiago Alcantara to Anfield.

Writing for The Guardian, the journalist reported that the Reds are keen on the Bayern Munich midfielder but have told the German champions that they are unwilling to pay their asking price of €30m (£27.2m), from which Bayern are not wavering. The update was later shared on Twitter by @LFCTransferRoom.

Romano added in The Guardian that Thiago is keen to join Liverpool as he admires Jurgen Klopp’s style of play, with the Premier League champions waiting to see if Bayern will soften their stance on the 29-year-old Spain international.

Earlier this week, the journalist tweeted (via @FabrizioRomano) that personal terms would not be an impediment to the potential transfer but the Anfield club are reluctant to spend €30m (£27.2m) on him now when they can sign him for free in January, as he is into the final year of his contract at the Allianz Arena.

Liverpool’s reported issues with Bayern’s asking price has infuriated quite a few of their fans on Twitter. One supporter has urged the club to “pile the pressure on FSG”, with the Reds investing little more than £20m on new signings since June 2019, while one Kopite fears “another Werner moment” after the Merseysiders lost out to Chelsea in the transfer race for long-time target Timo Werner.

Check out some of the feedback from the Anfield faithful below:

Liverpool fans, are you frustrated by the club’s reported reluctance to meet Bayern’s asking price for Thiago? Comment below with your views!

For the third successive season, Celtic will not be competing in the Champions League, which must come as a bitter blow to all those concerned and as Neil Lennon said himself post-game: “I’ll have to carry the can, and take the responsibility for it.”

Indeed the blame should fall at the feet of the Hoops boss as in the absence of injured talisman Odsonne Edouard, he selected Olivier Ntcham to play upfront and dropped the attacking Jeremie Frimpong in favour of central defender Hatem Abd Elhamed.

A couple of baffling selection decisions have proven quite costly indeed.

They’ll now enter the Europa League’s third-round qualifying stage but don’t raise your hopes of going through in that either after the defeat to Ferencvaros on Wednesday night.

Lennon had summer arrival Alban Ajeti as well as Patryk Klimala on the bench, so it’s rather odd that neither started upfront.

But the problem in their attack could fall out wide. The Bhoys only really have Mohamed Elyounoussi and James Forrest as out-and-out options in the role – and the former is yet to impress after a one-year extension to his loan spell from Southampton.

So maybe it’s time Lennon unleashed one of his most promising youngsters, Karamoko Dembele.

He might only be 17, but the likes of Frimpong, Kristoffer Ajer and Kieran Tierney have all made a serious impact at Parkhead early in their careers.

Lennon himself has described the diminutive 5 foot 3 winger as a “real talent” and also claimed that he’s “the type of player that you want at Celtic. He gets the crowd off their feet with his football intelligence.”

Such praise has even stretched to legendary midfielder Ruud Gullit, who believes Dembele “looks pretty special” and “is exceptionally good.”

After four senior appearances already, the Celtic Park chief should call upon the young sensation a little more from the bench and then perhaps, he’ll show exactly why he should be featuring more often.

AND in other news, Celtic consider La Liga man as Edouard replacement…

Liverpool are set to host their first match of the 2020/21 season as they try to secure back-to-back Premier League titles.

The Reds haven’t been able to strengthen as much as they may have liked this window, but they still boast one of the best squads in the league. Jurgen Klopp and his men will be hoping to turn their Anfield fixture into a statement win to set the campaign up.

The likes of Manchester City and Chelsea will be breathing down Liverpool’s neck this season. They simply cannot afford to put in anything other than superb performances as the games go by.

Championship winners Leeds will make the trip to Merseyside in hopes of also starting their term off on the right foot. Here’s how Transfer Tavern has predicted Klopp to field his eleven this afternoon…

After playing the majority of last season with his trademark 4-3-3 formation, the Liverpool gaffer may be inclined to recreate his side from last weekend. The Reds played Blackpool in a preseason friendly and stormed to a huge 7-2 victory.

Gini Wijnaldum did not feature, instead Naby Keita and Fabinho operated in deeper-lying midfield roles whilst Takumi Minamino shifted behind Roberto Firmino. The former Red Bull Salzburg man – who is usually deployed on the wing – put in a terrific performance in midfield, bagging a goal and an assist (via Sofascore).

With Jordan Henderson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both still out with injury, this could be Klopp’s preferred midfield.

Joel Matip similarly grabbed himself a goal against Blackpool and made only his second start in Liverpool’s last ten fixtures. The manager may opt to try him with another run out before reassigning Joe Gomez to his usual role alongside Virgil van Dijk.

A usual front three of Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah should allow Liverpool to place their mark on the game early on. They’ll be looking for nothing less than three points on the opening weekend.

How do you think the Reds will set up against Blackpool? Join the discussion in the comments below!

Speaking exclusively to the Evening Standard, ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards has claimed that summer signing Joe Hart is ‘exactly’ what Spurs need ahead of the upcoming Premier League season, going on to state that he is an ‘inspirational’ character who could motivate the dressing room. 

Hart has gone to enjoy an illustrious career with plenty of highs and lows since he signed for the Sky Blues from Shrewsbury Town back in 2006, winning five major trophies, including two Premier League titles, and making 348 appearances for the club before parting company in the summer of 2018 (Transfermarkt).

After being deemed surplus to requirements by manager Pep Guardiola upon his arrival in 2016, who was after a sweeper ‘keeper who could help implement his tiki-taka philosophy, Hart suffered through a less than impressive spell at Burnley before being allowed to leave the club as a free agent.

Pleading to new clubs in a BBC interview, Spurs opted to give Hart a chance, snapping him up on a free deal.

Richards, who helped City to their first Premier League triumph in 2012 along with Hart, has now stated that he is ‘exactly’ what the club need if Tottenham are going to cement a top four place and challenge for silverware.

“He won’t be going as a No3 [goalkeeper],” Richards explained to Standard Sport.

“He knows he’s going to be No2, that’s the reason he has gone there. Joe is an inspirational character. I couldn’t speak any higher [of him]. When he was England keeper he was always knocking on your door.

“When I was at City, there were big characters. For Spurs, that is exactly what they need. Every time they get to a big game they freeze a little bit.

“They have the quality but it is just the characters to get them over the line. Joe Hart, whether playing or in the dressing room, is a massive character.”

Whether or not the 75-cap international proves to be a coup remains to be seen, but signing an experienced motivator like Hart on a free transfer could be deemed a good bit of business from Levy.

Spurs fans, is Joe Hart ‘exactly’ what you need? Have your say in the comments below…

Sheffield United are still very much in the hunt for a new forward and this is understandable as they are yet to score their first goal of the Premier League season after their first two games.

This has seen the Blades look abroad for possible options which might be easier to attract to Bramall Lane.

According to Spanish media outlet Marca, the Blades, as well as fellow Premier League side Aston Villa, are believed to have enquired about the availability of Real Mallorca forward Ante Budimir.

The forward has a €15m price tag, which is around £13.7m, on his head and La Liga side Villareal are also keen on signing the 29-year-old.

Despite currently playing in La Liga 2, Budimir has definitely shown his quality throughout his career as he has managed 87 goals and 30 assists in 272 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

He has had his best goal-to-game ratip at his present club Mallorca as he has scored 19 in 57 appearances, which works out at a goal every three games. He also scored 13 goals last season and this is a very good tally, especially compared to the Blades’ strikers  as Oliver McBurnie and Lys Mousset were their joint-top scorers with just six goals each.

Sheffield United are seemingly lacking some quality upfront, and a signing like Budimir could be a decent one as the Croatian looks to be an ideal option to pursue. The one question mark may be whether he could perform in the Premier League after playing in the second tier in Spain, but a lot of Wilder’s current squad are from the Championship and they excelled last season by finishing in the Premier League top 10, so maybe the Blades manager is the ideal person to get the best out of the Real Mallorca forward.

Sheffield United fans, would you be happy with this signing? Comment below with your views!

Tottenham’s official Twitter account has dropped an intriguing two-word teaser over Gareth Bale and his impending Premier League return.Â

Bale, who returned to north London in a sensational loan move over the summer window, is yet to feature for Tottenham but has been widely tipped to make his debut this weekend.

Tottenham’s Gareth Bale teaser

Jose Mourinho’s men face West Ham United in their first game back since the international break and they’ll be looking to build upon their head-turning 6-1 victory against Man United at Old Trafford.

As the Welshman’s second club debut nears, Tottenham have dropped a two-word teaser coupled with Bale in training action, with the caption of ‘preparations continue’.

Given this latest update on the superstar’s progression, Lilywhites could have reason to get excited with the club’s hint that he may well feature against the Hammers.

After the domestic transfer window shuts tomorrow at 5pm, Tottenham will know the make-up of their squad for certain until the market reopens in January, with both Bale and fellow arrival Carlos Vinicius now ready to make their first appearances since signing.

Transfer Tavern take

Lauded as ‘spectacular’ by Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, even despite their alleged fall-out, pundit Danny Mills has also suggested that Bale ‘wants to play for Mourinho’ – potentially a key reason why he rejoined Tottenham.

It’s no secret that many supporters have been eager to see him return and this hint from the club suggests they could see Bale back in action for Spurs very soon.

As explained by reliable Football.London correspondent Alasdair Gold, a front three of Bale, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min certainly bodes well for the upcoming season.

Lilywhites, are you excited for Bale’s potential debut against West Ham? Have your say in the comments down below…

Michael Brown has made a rather big claim that Duncan Ferguson has been key to the transformation of Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Everton.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Tottenham and Leeds midfielder talked about the positive impact that the former Toffees striker had on Calvert-Lewin when he was briefly in charge at Goodison Park before the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti, saying:

“I must say, when Duncan Ferguson was the boss he sort of stood up for him in times of difficulty, backed him and now that bit of confidence has certainly looked good.

“I think it was a big turning point. There was that uncertainty whether he played, whether he didn’t, what type of role – Duncan Ferguson just said this is where you are, you’re my man up front, give him that confidence by coming out and saying it.

“He’s not looked back, has he?”

Calvert-Lewin was not prolific before Ferguson

Prior to 2019/20 when Ferguson took charge midway through the campaign after the sacking of Marco Silva, Calvert-Lewin only managed to score 17 goals in 93 games in all competitions for the Merseyside club (Transfermarkt).

However, in Ferguson’s first match in charge of the Toffees against Chelsea last December, the future England international scored twice, suggesting that the 48-year-old had an immediate impact on Calvert-Lewin.

Calvert-Lewin is now more prolific

Indeed, Calvert-Lewin has now showed himself to be a prolific striker since the appointments of Ferguson and now Carlo Ancelotti.

Under the Italian so far, the 23-year old has scored no fewer than 18 times in 28 appearances in all competitions (Transfermarkt), proving to be far more prolific than he had been before Ferguson took temporary charge towards the end of 2019.

Calvert-Lewin has now been capped by England

Indeed, Calvert-Lewin has also now been capped by the senior England national team, and if that was not already enough of an honour, he scored on his debut for Gareth Southgate’s side against Wales in a friendly for the Three Lions at Wembley this month.

Nonetheless, he has certainly had a transformation at Everton since playing under Ferguson, as Brown claims.

Evertonians, find out which European giant has been linked with a move for Calvert-Lewin here and don’t forget to comment below with your views!

West Brom could be in the market for a new central defender this January following the shock departure of Ahmed Hegazi last week, though the latest name mooted with a switch to the Hawthorns is cause for concern…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Baggies have set their sights on a winter window swoop for relegated AFC Bournemouth captain Steve Cook with Slaven Bilic’s former club West Ham also in the race.

It’s claimed that the 29-year-old is out of contract in the summer and seems willing to let it run down, opening up the prospect of him leaving for free come to the end of the current campaign.

They also suggest that Cook’s experience and potential availability is of great interest to the Croatian.

Massive lack of ambition

It’s no secret that Albion have struggled defensively in the top-flight, leaking an average of 2.3 goals per game from six outings. No other Premier League side has conceded more so far this season.

However, a move for Cook fails to make much sense, after all the 6 foot 1 colossus was relegated with the Cherries last season – they had the third-worst defensive record and with the long-serving centre-back featuring in 29 matches, he clearly was part of the problem.

His average of 0.8 tackles per game is hardly inspiring nor is his 6.72 average for the campaign, per WhoScored.

Calamitous.

Both Dara O’Shea and Branislav Ivanovic are averaging at least two tackles per game, so he wouldn’t be an improvement on either.

Cook’s former boss Eddie Howe believes he’s a “model of consistency,” also adding: “I think Cookie has had a very good season. He’s been consistent. Like most of our defenders, he’s improved through time, through repetition of work. Technically, I think he’s excellent. Athletically, he has come on this season from last season. And he’s shown a really good mentality every day in his training” (Daily Echo via Tribal Football).

Given that the Baggies were linked to Kristoffer Ajer and Shane Duffy, as per The Athletic’s Steve Madeley, a swoop for the £6.3m-rated defender would be one major lack of ambition for the club.

If they want to stay in the division, then signing someone, who is on £45k-per-week, with a relegation to his name is perhaps not the ideal remedy for their problems.

Dowling must steer well clear this January.

AND in other news, West Brom must rue not signing £80k-p/w “game-changer” performing BETTER than Diangana…

Grant Leadbitter smashed Phil Parkinson’s criteria for what the veteran midfielder can offer Sunderland this season with an instrumental display at home to Ipswich Town.

The 34-year-old opened the League One clash on Tuesday night in the core of Parkinson’s engine room beside Lynden Gooch and Josh Scowen, and offered the Black Cats a superb enforcer as he held down duties on the half-way line to protect Tom Flanagan, Bailey Wright and Connor McLaughlin.

Leadbitter kept his cool in the closing stages to convert from the spot after Mark McGuinness was penalised for a handball, too, striking what proved to be the match-winning goal for his second of the season to move Sunderland to within a point of the automatic promotion places.

Sunderland have now won back-to-back League One fixtures following their first defeat of the season at home to Portsmouth and a draw with Rochdale, keeping the Stadium of Light natives inside the Play-Off positions and with the division’s joint-best defensive record after allowing just seven goals in 10 games.

Leadbitter re-joined the Sunderland first-team for pre-season training this summer having left the group for personal reasons earlier in the year, and delighted Parkinson with what he brought to the field when the 34-year-old made his first competitive appearance of the campaign against Aston Villa’s U21s in the EFL Trophy in September.

“He’s a big plus for us from pre-season because he’s come back in great shape, both mentally and physically. He’s a good player, we know that, he’s played to a very high standard in his career,” Parkinson said, via quotes by the Sunderland Echo.

“He’s got a desire to be in and around the team. He wants to play and that’s great to see. I do feel there’s a really important role for Grant to play as club captain as the young players will look up to him.”

Parkinson opted to leave Leadbitter among the substitutes in Sunderland’s following League One meeting with Bristol Rovers, but has since started the £1.44m-rated veteran in eight of the Black Cats’ subsequent nine third-tier fixtures.

Leadbitter’s importance on the field was on full display at home to Ipswich on Tuesday night, as the Chester-Le-Street-born midfielder dictated the flow of proceedings with Sunderland’s most passes completed (46) and most interceptions (three), per SofaScore.

Only centre-half McLaughlin attempted a greater number of passes (53) than Leadbitter (52), who further won a ground duel and aerial contest, found teammates with three of five long balls, made one clearance and took his side’s third-most touches (58).

He may have been dribbled past twice and committed two fouls but, along with slotting home the decisive penalty, Leadbitter also drew the foul that saw Peter Wright show Andre Dozzell a straight red card, while making a goal-saving interception on the stroke of half-time and only losing possession six times.

Leadbitter’s performance smashed Parkinson’s criteria for setting an example for young players to follow, and solidifying the veteran enforcer’s place in the starting line-up ahead of facing Mansfield Town in the FA Cup this Saturday.

AND in other news, a Sunderland ace Phil Parkinson labelled as “accomplished” has delivered the Black Cats a fraught reminder.