Tottenham Hotspur fell to yet another disappointing Premier League defeat yesterday, as Cristian Stellini oversaw a miserable afternoon against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

It marked their third league game without Rodrigo Bentancur, who was ruled out for the foreseeable future following his injury against Leicester City. The Uruguayan will undergo ACL surgery, thus leaving a gaping hole in the engine room alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The Denmark international had struck up a fine partnership with the 25-year-old, so to break them apart will only scupper their top-four hopes further.

This defeat to the Old Gold represented a missed opportunity to capitalise on Newcastle United’s loss, and they must find a solution for their midfield vacancy to avoid dropping more points in their race to retain Champions League football once again.

Who could replace Bentancur at Spurs?

Whilst Oliver Skipp has deputised over the last few games, Pape Matar Sarr is the outstanding candidate for Stellini and Antonio Conte to be Bentancur’s long-term successor going into the new season.

He boasts the energy and quality that differentiates him from Hojbjerg, whereas the English midfielder does not. The 27-year-old records an 89% pass accuracy per game, and acts as more of a deep-lying playmaker alongside his 80.9 touches per game, via Sofascore.

The Senegalese youngster was thrown into the deep end to face AC Milan last month and showed poise and maturity beyond his youth. He earned a 7.1 rating for that display, making 77 touches, one key pass and maintaining an 83% pass accuracy. This was underpinned by a mammoth five tackles too according to Sofascore.

Journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor was full of expectation for Sarr upon his return from a loan spell, as he took to Twitter to claim: “There’s so much ability there.”

With just eight senior appearances under his belt for the Lilywhites, if he is to replace their injured stalwart then the end of this season represents a fine opportunity to build up his confidence in the first team.

When compared to other midfielders across Europe, the 20-year-old ranks in the top 1% for interceptions and the top 14% for tackles, whilst surprisingly also in the top 15% for assists, via FBref.

All the attributes are there for Sarr to star for Spurs and put to bed their injury woes as they enter the business end of the season.

Real Madrid were imperious yet again as they breezed past Liverpool to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, and one moment stood out in particular.

It was already notable that 37-year-old Luka Modric was starting, and the Croatian superstar rolled back the years with a remarkable bit of skill, almost leaving defender Trent Alexander-Arnold in tears.

Real Madrid’s squad delivered yet another dazzling display, with the likes of Vinicius Junior and Eduardo Camavinga turning on the style, but it was Modric who really had Real Madrid fans off their seats, and the standing ovation he received later on was fully deserved.

The midfielder flicked the ball over the right-back, who was helpless as he watched Modric then put an almost-perfect cross into the box, which was headed over by Federico Valverde. This was the icing on the cake in what was another accomplished performance by the veteran, and fans were quick to highlight Modric’s greatness.

The five-time Champions League winner is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation, and fans are now arguing that he should be placed alongside the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Zinedine Zidane as an all-time great.

Some of the reaction can be seen below…

Manchester United are willing to allow Brandon Williams to leave Old Trafford on loan this summer, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: United career

Williams is a product of the Red Devils academy and enjoyed a breakthrough campaign during the 2019/20 season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The former United boss described the left-back as ‘exceptional’ following a Europa League meeting with Partizan Belgrade, making a total of 36 appearances during that season.

However, since then, first-team opportunities have been limited, with the 22-year-old spending last season on loan with Norwich City in the Premier League.

Pundit Tony Cascarino stated last year that Williams and former Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour had ‘gone backwards’ during their temporary stays at Carrow Road.

“We talk all the time about young lads going elsewhere and improving. [Brandon] Williams as well from United, but they have gone backwards this year. Two players have gone there from big clubs have gone backwards at Norwich.”

It looks as if another loan exit is on the cards over the coming months, potentially to a side in the second tier.

The Latest: Transfer news

Football Insider shared a story regarding Williams in the last 48 hours, claiming there is ‘a growing stampede for his signature going into the main window’ from sides in the Championship.

The report states that ‘United are willing to loan out the defender next season in an attempt to reignite his faltering career’, with Williams missing large parts of the season through injury.

The Verdict: Good decision

It looks set to be an extremely busy summer at Old Trafford in the transfer window, potentially under new owners. Williams may not be the only defender to depart, though, with the club open to moving on Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof after receiving the green light from manager Erik ten Hag.

Another loan move for Williams seems to be the best for all involved, with the player struggling to feature with Ten Hag having Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia to choose from.

He has featured in just five minutes of EFL Cup action under Ten Hag, so allowing him to play regular first-team football elsewhere next season seems to be what is needed.

Should a loan move to the Championship materialise, Williams may need to star in the 2023/24 campaign, with his contract at Old Trafford set to expire in 2024. There is an option for a further 12 months, though, so it could be a crucial 18 months in regards to the player’s long-term future in Manchester.

Liverpool are interested in signing Gavi from Barcelona, with the Spanish La Liga giants facing uncertainty over the signatures of several first-team stars following their financial struggles.

What’s the latest on Gavi to Liverpool?

According to The Times, Liverpool are joined by Premier League rivals Manchester City in standing to attention following La Blaugrana’s strife, with Gavi possibly becoming available for a free transfer at the end of the campaign as a result of the club being unable to afford to register him.

The prodigy has burst into prominence over the past two years, playing at a level that calls his 18-years-of-age into question, such is the quality of his play.

At the start of the current term, Gavi signed a new long-term deal with his Catalan club, boasting a reported €1bn (£865m) release clause, which appeared to end the Reds’ former interest, but the new revelations mean an audacious swoop could now be forthcoming.

Should Liverpool sign Gavi?

Having made 42 appearances in La Liga and the Champions League last year, scoring two goals and providing six assists, one of football’s brightest diamonds was unearthed, with the phenom already valued at £90m by Football Transfers.

This season, Gavi has been integral in his resurgent side’s success, forging 35 displays and scoring two goals and five assists from his robust central role, with Barcelona currently nine points clear atop the division.

Once hailed as an “erupting volcano” by former Barça boss Luis Enrique, the 17-cap Spaniard certainly brings the fire to his game, ranking among the top 15% of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 17% for progressive carries and the top 2% for touches in the attacking box, as per FBref.

Such impressive statistics are an illustration of the prowess laying at the precocious talent’s feet, with an almost intrinsic transitional and combative nature perfectly suited to Klopp’s system.

Indeed, Liverpool have fallen by the wayside this season, languishing in fifth place in the Premier League and facing a Herculean effort in defeating Real Madrid in the Champions League after succumbing to a 5-2 Anfield mauling in the first-leg of their last-16 tie.

Gavi’s dynamism and energy could pay dividends in ensuring a return to former vigour is achieved, mirroring the impact of fellow 18-year-old compatriot Stefan Bajcetic, who is already making waves at Anfield despite his outfit’s turmoil.

Bajcetic has been a revelation, making 19 senior appearances across all competitions this term, scoring one delightful surging goal against Aston Villa, and is now a regular presence in Klopp’s match-day squad.

Dubbed an “incredible prospect” by journalist Tom Barnes, Liverpool’s shining starlet could find the perfect partner in Gavi, who possesses so supreme a skill set that the red half of Merseyside would be roaring in adulation for many years to come.

The cohesive partnership that the Reds could craft in the future by succeeding with a swoop for Gavi is tantalising in its entirety, and Klopp must throw the kitchen sink at securing the maestro's signature.

Klopp might even unearth his own Federico Valverde with a successful swoop, with Gavi listed as a comparative player to Madrid's Uruguayan star on FBref.

Valverde has been a revelation for his outfit over the past several seasons, ranking among the top 8% of positional peers for goals, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 18% for shot-creating actions per 90, as a market of his Gavi-like qualities.

With Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti dubbing the 24-year-old as "untouchable", the Reds' German boss might be prudent to clinch a coveted gem of his own to turn the tide on the club's fortunes.

It might just pave the path for a silver-laden future…

Newcastle United have reportedly had an approach blocked by Brighton and Hove Albion to sign winger Solly March in the summer.

The Lowdown: March signs new contract

Brighton confirmed on their official website on Friday that March has signed a new contract that will keep him at the AMEX Stadium until June 2026, with an additional option of a further year.

This comes off the back of a very impressive season with the Seagulls so far, where he has managed to score a total of eight goals and make a further five assists in 30 games over all competitions, with 11 of those goal contributions coming in the Premier League alone.

March has been a key part of guiding Roberto De Zerbi’s side up to seventh place in the top-flight table, where they are just seven points off of the UEFA Champions League places, with as many as three games in hand on fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

The Latest: Newcastle approach blocked

As per Football Insider, Brighton have blocked an out-of-window move from Newcastle to try and sign March ahead of the summer.

The St. James’ Park outfit have been ‘keeping tabs’ on the Englishman, as they look to improve their attacking output, but will now find it ‘incredibly hard’ to sign him after he put pen to paper on a new deal at the Seagulls.

Brighton made the new contract for March a ‘top priority’ after learning of Newcastle’s interest in him, and the North East club still remain ‘big admirers’ of his, despite it now looking ‘increasingly unlikely’ that they will be able to sign him.

The Verdict: Would be an exciting addition

Given March’s Premier League experience on top of his fine form this season, he would be a great addition to the Tynesiders’ ranks for next term.

Aside from his goals and assists, the 28-year-old ranks highly in terms of most dribbles completed in the top flight this campaign, and thus would add another dimension to the Magpies attack.

March’s performances have also caught the eye of England manager Gareth Southgate, but not quite to the extent of calling him up to the Three Lions squad for their upcoming fixtures for Euro 2024 qualification.

Nonetheless, even though it would be a much tougher deal to get over the line in the summer, the Toon should still try and do all that they can to bring March in through the doors.

Everton have become renowned for their transfer disasters under Fahad Moshiri’s ownership with over £500m spent and little to show for it.

The Toffees are enduring another relegation scrap this season with Sean Dyche the seventh permanent manager appointed by the unpopular owner challenged with the task of turning things around at Goodison Park.

In more recent transfer windows, Everton have found themselves having to tighten their belts due to financial concerns after the reckless spending on numerous transfers took its toll.

Indeed, at the rate that the club were turning over players Moshiri was bound to get it right at some point and the controversial sale of Lucas Digne back in January last year is the perfect example.

It was a troubling time at Goodison Park with Rafael Benitez struggling to get the best out of his squad and with every game came another protest against both the manager and owners.

Behind the scenes, it was quickly revealed that Benitez had fallen out with Digne as the pair disagreed on the training pitch which led to the Frenchman being isolated and dropped from match-day squads.

Ultimately this fractured relationship would be the end of Digne’s career with Everton and the player was sold for £25m in the January transfer window to Aston Villa.

Ironically, it wasn’t long before the former Real Madrid boss followed Digne out of the door as he was sacked just five days later, nevertheless Moshiri surprisingly still had the last laugh on the sale.

How much is Lucas Digne worth now?

The move to Villa Park was a great opportunity for Digne to have a fresh start and move on from the seemingly sinking ship he was leaving behind under Benitez.

Under the management of one of Benitez’s player prodigies, Steven Gerrard, at first it looked like Digne was a key player in the young manager’s set-up playing 90 minutes in 13 of the remaining 18 games of the season.

However, shortly into the current campaign things began to unravel for Digne when he suffered an ankle injury in September 2022 that left him side-lined for 40 days.

During that time Villa found themselves edging closer and closer to the relegation zone and when the left-back returned in late October, Gerrard had been sacked.

With a new manager comes a new perspective, a fresh style of play and commonly a change of favour when it comes to selection and under Unai Emery, Digne has become a fading feature.

Digne has not played a full 90 minutes since New Year’s Day and the arrival of Spaniard Alex Moreno has only added insult to injury as the former Villarreal boss clearly doesn’t see the player in his future plans.

In fact, there are claims that the 29-year-old – dubbed "poor" by Luis Miguel Echegaray – could be on his way out this summer and with his market value plummeting 72% to (€8m) £6.9m compared to what they paid just 16 months ago – as per CIES Football Observatory – it’s safe to say Everton hit the jackpot.

With that being said, although the sale of Digne was met with fury from supporters, in hindsight, Moshiri made the right decision at the right time in a very rare transfer masterclass.

West Ham United fans have been left fuming by David Moyes’ treatment of Gianluca Scamacca after the striker was once again benched against Aston Villa at the weekend.

The Lowdown: Scamacca struggling

Despite recovering from a knee injury, Scamacca has been unable to break back into the West Ham starting XI, being benched by Moyes for the last four Premier League games.

The manager explained the striker’s absence by claiming that his ‘physical data’ is not at the level required, while also adding that Maxwel Cornet is able to ‘get in behind’ the opposition more often.

It remains to be seen whether the forward is able to force his way back into contention, but in the meantime West Ham fans have not reacted well to Moyes’ latest decision…

The Latest: West Ham fans react

Taking to Twitter after the latest snub, the West Ham faithful pointed out their manager’s disappointing record with strikers, with the likes of Sebastian Haller also failing to be a success at the London Stadium.

They said:

“Moyes has zero excuse with Scamacca. He was inactive for 2/3 windows when we were desperate for a striker because he wanted the “right” one. He got his man & doesn’t know how to use him, or man manage him. Haller at least wasn’t his signing. Scamacca is all on Moyes.” – @ben_personal

“Problem with Moyes is he’s now had Haller & Scamacca both 40m pound strikers & he doesn’t know how to use them, you need to play higher up the pitch & get players around them, that’s how they played before we bought them. So frustrating.” – @WayneBarwick1

“It’s the same old story with Moyes. Scamacca isn’t going improve and get up to scratch w/o the game time to do so, he’s shown glimpses but that’s all.” – @joeydbo_

“My only analysis of the Scamacca situation is that he’s probably told Moyes his playing style doesn’t work when he’s isolated up front on his own. So instead of trying to adapt, he just leaves him on the bench. Just like he did Haller! If you don’t play Moyesball, you’re out.” – @northwesthammer

“Haller and Scamacca notice a trend here with Moyes? He ruins every striker that comes to our club who were proven elsewhere.”  – @justinmortlake1

“As soon as Moyes gets the chop, he will flourish. Once again we bought a player without actually understanding what type of player he is. If you stick Scamacca and Ings together and we would not be in our current situation…but Moyes would never do that.” – @WestHamViews09

The Verdict: Must improve

While it is true that Moyes does not have the best of records with strikers, the 24-year-old was struggling even when he was given a consistent run in the first team, scoring just three times in 16 Premier League appearances.

That said, Danny Ings is hardly setting the world alight either at the moment, registering just ten touches of the ball despite being on the field for 86 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.

Scamacca has undoubtedly failed to live up to his £35.5m price tag up to this point, but with Ings offering very little in the way of attacking threat, he should be given another chance to prove himself.

Celtic are confident that manager Ange Postecoglou won’t leave the Scottish Premiership to join Tottenham Hotspur, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Spurs interest

The Australian’s contract at Parkhead is set to expire at the end of the season as he’s on a 12-month rolling deal and he’s already been linked with an exit on several occasions given his level of success.

Premier League clubs Leeds United, Brighton and Hove Albion and Leicester City have all previously been credited with an interest in the 57-year-old and Spurs are the latest club to join that list.

Speaking to beIN SPORTS, journalist Gary Jacob claimed that the N17 outfit are looking at the Hoops boss as a potential replacement for Antonio Conte who seems set to leave following an outburst during his post-match interview on Saturday.

The Latest: Celtic’s stance on Ange

According to Football Insider, Celtic are ‘confident’ that Postecoglou won’t leave the club for Tottenham or any other team in the English top flight during the middle of the season.

The Bhoys reportedly ‘do not expect’ to lose their manager at this unusual stage of the term and feel ‘convinced’ that he will decide to stay in charge until the summer at the very least.

Glasgow supporters have experienced ‘fear’ that the coach could jump ship but it was just last month that he reaffirmed his commitment to the club amid exit links.

The Verdict: New deal deserved

Postecoglou has been an absolute revelation since joining Celtic so it’s no surprise that clubs are looking at him, and it would be a massive boost if he was to sign a new deal.

The 4-3-3 attacking boss has an unbelievable record north of the border having won 76, drawn ten and lost just 16 of his 102 games in charge, averaging 2.33 points per match (Transfermarkt).

The Nea Filadelfeia native has also led his side to plenty of silverware, twice bagging the Scottish League Cup trophy and once the Premiership, while he looks set to secure a second consecutive one of those very soon.

Liverpool will hope to pick up from where they left off in the Premier League this afternoon, with a trip to the Vitality Stadium to contest against relegation-threatened AFC Bournemouth preceded by an incredible evening at Anfield last Sunday, Jurgen Klopp’s outfit mauling Manchester United 7-0.

The resounding, record-breaking result has left optimism emanating around Merseyside once more, but the Reds will know that there is plenty of work still to be done in order to rectify the woeful campaign that has left the club fighting to secure a place in next season’s Champions League.

Against the Cherries, Klopp will be unlikely to make wide-scale changes after such a fluid and cohesive win, but with one eye on overturning a three-goal deficit against Real Madrid in midweek, a couple of alterations might be made.

Thiago Alcantara and Joe Gomez are still sidelined, while reports that Luis Diaz could be included are wide of the mark; the Colombian winger will return after the international break, with Liverpool not in action next week due to the FA Cup quarter-finals.

What will Liverpool’s starting XI be vs Bournemouth?

Considering this, here is how Football FanCast expects Liverpool to line up at the Vitality Stadium this afternoon, looking to build upon the magnificent victory over the Red Devils.

We predict there to be as many as three changes from the team that left Liverpool in joyous rapture last time out; the Reds’ German manager will be wary of damaging the balance of the outfit, but will consider a few fresh faces with Los Blancos indeed looming.

In goal, Alisson will retain his position between the sticks, while left-back Andy Robertson might be handed a rest in the stead of Kostas Tsimikas, who has been a fine stand-in for the distinguished Scottish marauder since his £12m arrival from Olympiakos.

The midfield looked far more robust against Erik ten Hag’s United, but the “outstanding” – as lauded by Jamie Carragher – teenager Stefan Bajcetic might return in place of Fabinho, who has looked more like himself over the past few weeks after struggling for much of the term.

Mohamed Salah will be joined on the wings by Diogo Jota, who will provide a rest for the “chance magnet” – as dubbed by Mark Goldbridge – Darwin Nunez, 23, after his imposing offensive display last week, while Cody Gakpo will be offered the chance to continue to grow his burgeoning talismanic aura up front.

Tottenham Hotspur now want Burnley boss Vincent Kompany as a potential replacement for Antonio Conte, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs manager search…

Spurs have drawn up a shortlist of managerial candidates to take Conte’s role with many names currently being considered by chairman Daniel Levy.

Fabio Paratici is apparently leading the Spurs succession plan with some big names like Mauricio Pochettino, their former boss and fan favourite, standing out as perhaps the best candidates.

Other than the Argentine, Roberto De Zerbi, Luis Enrique, Thomas Tuchel, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank are also in the frame.

Abroad, Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner has also been linked with the Spurs job, coming after Conte’s astonishing post-Southampton rant last weekend.

“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart (in),” said the furious Italian.

“Why? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.

“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stays here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.”

The Latest: Spurs target Kompany…

According to journalist David Hytner, writing for The Guardian, a new name has now come to light as Spurs target Kompany.

The Clarets head coach is apparently ‘of interest’ to Tottenham now following his brilliant full debut campaign in charge at Turf Moor.

Kompany has taken Burnley to the Championship summit and his high-flyers could even become one of the few second tier winners to surpass 100 points.

The Verdict: Left-field option…

Bar his spell at Anderlecht after leaving Man City in 2019, Kompany has little experience outside of Burnley and he could be seen as a risky move.

The Belgian does have his credentials as a natural born leader and he cemented himself into City folklore following a fantastic decade at Eastlands.

The ex-Blues captain has also been praised for his ‘miraculous’ job at Burnley this season by Tony Cascarino, who went on to say Kompany would be an ‘excellent appointment’.

However, despite Cascarino’s praise, we’re in slight disagreement,

The 36-year-old could be seen as one of football’s most promising up-and-coming managers but his huge potential right now is perhaps not enough to make him a top Spurs candidate.