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Speaking to Football.London, Jermaine Jenas has urged Tottenham to strengthen at full-back this summer.

What did he say?

With one game remaining in the Premier League, the north London side can still qualify for the Europa League next season, provided they get a result against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

And with Jose Mourinho no doubt keen on shaping this squad in his own image, Jenas believes that bringing in two dynamic full-backs could drastically change how Spurs perform on the pitch.

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He said: “I personally would be looking at two full-backs if I was Jose. If that’s all the money I have to spend this summer, that’s where I’d spend it because I’d be saying I’ve got Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen, give him at least until January or next year, and then I could start working on my defence.

“They need more security in the wider areas, something a little bit stronger and on the front foot to cause problems. At the minute they don’t have that in those areas and that is where I’d start. I do think that would change Tottenham and their style of play drastically if they get two new full-backs. Spurs don’t have anywhere near enough quality or the dynamic element that they need in the league right now. That’s where I would start right now.”

Transformation

When Spurs were in their pomp under Mauricio Pochettino, both Kyle Walker and Danny Rose offered the Lilywhites the kind of attacking intent that made them such an exciting team to watch.

The pace, the overlapping runs, the dangerous deliveries into the area. It’s things they have well and truly lost in these past couple of years, and as Jenas points out, there’s a major absence in quality in the full-back positions at Spurs.

You only have to look at Premier League champions Liverpool to just see the kind of effect two world-class full-backs can have on a team, with both Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold providing a shed-load of assists between them – this season alone has seen them combine for 26 assists across all competitions.

So whilst on the surface, claiming that he would invest all of his money on two full-backs seems like a strange thing to say, Jenas certainly has somewhat of a point.

Tottenham Hotspur are close to completing a deal for Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer, according to reports.Â

According to Fabrizio Romano, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, theÂ33-cap Denmark international is now ‘one step away’ from leaving St Mary’s for Spurs.

Romano revealed that the two clubs have to sort out the last few details but claimed that a deal is almost done.

Once both sides have reached an agreement, Hojbjerg will be able to complete his transfer to north London. Spurs have agreed to spend £15m for the Danish midfielder, who has one year remaining on his current contract.

The Lilywhites have been leading the race to sign Jose Mourinho’s top target for several months and it appears that the manager is close to getting his wish in the transfer window after The Telegraph revealed that progress has been made in talks between the two clubs.

Southampton received a bid from Everton but the ex-Bayern Munich ace made it clear that he would prefer a move to Spurs for the opportunity to work with head coach Mourinho.

Personal terms are not expected to be a problem and he is set to sign a new deal with the north London club in the coming days.

Inter Milan are still interested in signing Tanguy Ndombele despite Daniel Levy’s insistence that the club’s record signing is not for sale and they are believed to be working behind the scenes to try to sort out a deal.

However, everything hangs in the balance as whether or not Inter will make an official bid depends entirely on Antonio Conte’s future at the San Siro.

Hojbjerg’s imminent arrival is bound to cause upheaval as Spurs could see a changing of the guard, with Kyle Walker-Peters poised to head in the opposite direction, and Harry Winks seemingly set for a shock exit.

The Dane should be an upgrade on the midfield options available to Mourinho at the moment, as he received a higher WhoScored rating than Winks last term. Furthermore, he will cost a fraction of the price for which the Saints were originally asking, so this looks like quite a coup from Tottenham.

Tottenham fans, do you think Hojbjerg will be a good coup if the deal is completed? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Lots of Manchester City fans revelled in the club’s Twitter throwback to a “sublime” Kevin De Bruyne moment from 2017.

The club tweeted footage from the 7-2 win over Stoke in the 2017/18 season (via @ManCity) which showed the Belgian at his best, threading a perfectly-weighted diagonal ball through a gap between four opponents to pick out the onrushing Leroy Sane, who coolly slotted it to the net.

That was Manchester City’s sixth goal of a memorable afternoon at the Etihad Stadium and De Bruyne’s second assist of the day, having earlier set up Gabriel Jesus for his goal. Such was his performance that day that then-Stoke manager Mark Hughes said afterwards: “For me he is the best player in the Premier League by a country mile”. [via BBC]

De Bruyne ended the 2017/18 Premier League with eight goals and 16 assists as City racked up a record points total of 100, with the Belgian being named the club’s Player of the Season and being included in the PFA Team of the Year.

These Manchester City fans on Twitter loved looking back at his magnificent assist for Sane from October 2017:

Man City fans, is De Bruyne the best player in the Premier League right now? Comment below with your views!

Arsenal can get one over their bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur by signing Willian after Le 10 Sport reported that European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are also interested in signing the Chelsea ace in the upcoming summer transfer window.

As per the report, with coronavirus affecting the transfer market, it could be difficult for clubs to spend millions to strengthen. Therefore, attracting players at a lower cost is the ideal aim and some of them are affected by this situation.

Step forward Willian, whose current contract at Stamford Bridge expires at the end of June and an extension does not seem to be on the cards at the moment, so the Brazilian could be available on a free transfer.

The report also claims that the Gunners as well as Spurs remain very interested in him. Indeed, the fact that Willian would be available on a free transfer is already an incentive for the Emirates Stadium outfit to go out and sign him, therefore getting one over on the Lilywhites.

Based on his stats so far this season, the 31-year-old still has plenty to offer, scoring seven goals and making six assists in 37 appearances in all competitions, according to website).

Having a player of his experience in the dressing room could be vital for Mikel Arteta’s side, with the added bonus that the Brazilian international has shown that he can still perform in the top flight. With no transfer fee to be paid, Willian provides an option of minimal risk who could thrive at Arsenal.

Gooners, does Willian still have what it takes to perform? Comment below with your views!

Manchester United are determined to sign Jadon Sancho and have offered Alexis Sanchez in exchange for the Borussia Dortmund star, according to Mundo Deportivo. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made it clear that Sancho is at the top of his shortlist after missing out on the England international last year. The Red Devils have been interested in the youngster for a long time, stemming back to Jose Mourinho’s infamous time in charge.

Earlier this year, The Telegraph revealed that United are leading the race to sign the 20-year-old in the summer and David Ornstein recently confirmed that this remains the case, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

As a result, this latest development could be bad news for Daniel James.

Ever since he arrived at Signal Iduna Park from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for a mere £7m in 2017, the Englishman has dazzled for Lucien Favre’s Borussia Dortmund, scoring 14 goals and creating 16 assists in the Bundesliga this season (WhoScored).

Furthermore, Sancho is the club’s top goalscorer, ahead of the likes of Erling Haaland and Marco Reus (BBC).

On the other hand, it is fair to say that James hasn’t enjoyed the same levels of success as his English counterpart. Indeed, the 22-year-old has struggled for consistency so far, only finding the back of the net on three occasions in the Premier League up until now, although it is worth highlighting that he has registered the highest amount of assists in the English top flight out of all of his Old Trafford teammates.

The Welsh international has netted four goals in all competitions, taking 1.3 shots per game, averaging 0.5 key passes and completing 1.3 dribbles on average in the Europa League (WhoScored).

Solskjaer is prepared to offer Sanchez as part of a deal for the starlet as the Chilean is deemed surplus to requirements.

Although Dortmund are best known for signing young players, United are optimistic that the Yellow and Blacks could be interested in Sanchez. It is worth pointing out that the German club have rejuvenated plenty of inconsistent stars in the past, including the likes of ex-Barcelona forward Paco Alcacer.

The Red Devils have set their sights on bringing Sancho to Old Trafford at all costs, which will surely have an impact on the Welshman. Evidently, if the City academy graduate moves to the Theatre of Dreams, it is highly likely that he will replace James in the starting lineup.

Solskjaer has given the winger lots of opportunities to prove himself and he has largely failed to deliver, so if Sancho returns to Manchester, it is the former Swansea ace who will probably suffer the most.

United fans, do you think Jadon Sancho should start instead of Daniel James? Let us know down below!

After arriving from Fulham last summer, Ryan Sessegnon perhaps hasn’t enjoyed the amount of first-team football at Tottenham that he may have originally hoped for.

The England U21 international has only featured 12 times across all competitions for the first-team, with his only goal in a Spurs shirt coming away against Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stages.

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The north London side have had a mixed season as a whole too, with Mauricio Pochettino’s sacking leading to Jose Mourinho’s arrival as the club’s manager.

And despite them currently finding themselves in eighth place in the Premier League, Sessegnon has revealed his optimism for next year. He said: “The gaffer wants to push on next year, I can’t see why we won’t be pushing for the top 2 or 3. We’ve got a very strong squad. If we can add some bits to it we can go all the way and I know the gaffer is looking to win title.”

After hearing about Sessegnon’s comments, Spurs fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

One fan in particular felt that Sessegnon’s ambition seemed slightly far-fetched given that the club may not be able to spend big-money this summer.”Stop talking”, “Bless him” – Sessegnon’s “deluded” comments has many Spurs fans shaking heads

It’s certainly an ambitious statement to make.

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The Lilywhites have had a fairly tumultuous season both on the pitch and off it, so it will be a real test of Mourinho’s credentials if he really can turn things around and get Spurs to challenging for the league title.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans react to their interest in this 15-goal striker.

The 1985/1986 season is celebrated at West Ham as being one of the best campaigns of the club’s existence.

Having finished 16th in the First Division the season before, John Lyall’s Hammers were not expected to compete in the way that they did, as they mounted a serious title challenge alongside Liverpool and Everton, which went down to the penultimate weekend of the season.

It was a title bad akin to Leicester City’s in 2015/2016, although West Ham were unable to do what the Foxes did and end the season as Champions. However, it remains a fond memory for the fans who experienced that season and the players who made it happen.

That squad, which included the likes of Tony Cottee, Frank McAvennie, Tony Gale, Alvin Martin and Alan Devonshire, are often invited back to the club as guests of honour and will forever be known as ‘The Boys of ’86.’

But how much do you remember of that season? Or, if you’re too young to remember it, how much do you know about one of the best seasons in West Ham’s great history?

Test your knowledge in the quiz below and don’t forget to share it with our mates…

Rangers advanced to the third round of the UEFA Youth League after a 2-1 win away to Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday completed a 4-1 aggregate victory over the Slovakian club. [via The Scottish Sun]

Two goals from Nathan Young-Coombes fired Graeme Murty’s young charges to victory in Bratislava, with the 16-year-old scoring either side of half-time after the home side had taken the lead. [via The Scottish Sun]

The teenage forward had also scored in the first leg against Slovan Bratislava three weeks ago, as well as netting what proved to be a vital goal in the previous round against Young Boys when Rangers advanced only on away goals (as per rangers.co.uk).

It isn’t just in the UEFA Youth League that the youngster has been on the goal trail, either – he found the net in the Light Blues’ 2-0 win over Wrexham in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Challenge Cup recently, citing a pre-game talk with ex-Rangers striker Peter Lovenkrands as beneficial in helping him to get into goal-scoring positions. [via Evening Times]

These Rangers fans on Twitter were getting quite excited about Young-Coombes after his double against Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday:

Do you think Young-Coombes could be fast-tracked into the Rangers first team before the end of the season given his recent form? Have your say by commenting below!

With another January transfer window on the horizon, it’s that time of year where Manchester City are once again linked with a move for Spanish playmaker Isco, but now it looks like there could be another name about to be consistently tipped for a switch to the Etihad. 

Particularly during City’s newly-found defensive crisis, with first-team stars Ederson, Aymeric Laporte and Oleksandr Zinchenko out for the foreseeable future, the club have been repeatedly linked with a move for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) has been the latest source to link the centre-back to a move to Manchester – but these fans clearly don’t fancy Pep Guardiola adding him to the team.

The Senegalese international has been one of Europe’s top centre-backs in recent seasons and a top ball-playing defender, exhibiting a 91.2% pass success rate in the 2017/2018 season for Napoli, highlighting why he may be so sought after at Eastlands.

Regardless of the credibility of some rumours, City supporters seem to prefer a range of alternatives to the Napoli defender, making their views clear online.

Here’s what they had to say on Twitter:

City fans, which defender would you sign for the club? Let us know below!

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…

Writing in his Team of the Week column for BBC Sport, Garth Crooks has lambasted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for his use of Marcus Rashford.

What did he say?

The Manchester United forward has struggled to carry the burden of being one of the side’s trusted goal-scorers, going on a run of one goal in seven in Premier League games earlier this season.

After appearing to turn the corner in recent fixtures (the England international struck four times in the space of ten days), the 22-year-old produced a below-par display against Bournemouth on Saturday.

As per Sofascore, he managed just one shot on target, with United old boy Josh King scoring the match-winner for the Cherries. And now, Crooks has compared how Bournemouth have been able to rely on more than just one man to lead the line, whilst the Red Devils have seemingly increased the pressure on Rashford.

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He said: “Manager Eddie Howe does not have to rely on (Callum) Wilson to produce the goods all the time for the Cherries and can occasionally rely on King, as was the case against United. It would appear, however, that there seems an over-reliance developing by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Marcus Rashford. Solskjaer needs to be reminded that Rashford is only 22 and Manchester United one of the biggest clubs in the world.

“To ask such a young man to carry so much responsibility, often on his own, is bordering on carelessness. Fortunately, King doesn’t need to worry about such matters at Bournemouth.”

Burden

Make no mistake about it, the moment United gave the green-light for both Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to make their Old Trafford exits, it was clear they trusted in their young forwards to fire them to success. Instead, Anthony Martial’s untimely injury back in August led to Rashford having to carry the burden all on his own, and he struggled to do so.

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His mini-revival appeared to hint he had overcome it, but his tame performance against the Cherries at the weekend proved that he hasn’t quite escaped his slump. Solskjaer desperately needs to add reinforcements in the January window, or else he risks his stars hitting a mental block in their efforts to lead the line.