All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur are back at square one in their search to find Jose Mourinho’s successor.

Their quest to find a new manager has taken longer than expected, with it currently set to move into a second month, and in that time, Daniel Levy and co have been dealt plenty of setbacks.

After Julian Nagelsmann, Brendan Rodgers and Erik ten Hag all rejected the north Londoners’ advances, former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was the latest name to give Spurs the cold shoulder.

According to The Telegraph, there were concerns from both parties over a potential relationship. The 51-year-old believed the Lilywhites couldn’t match his ambitions, whilst the club’s hierarchy doubted his ability to progress their emerging young talents like Oliver Skipp and Ryan Sessegnon.

It’s not going to get any easier for the Spurs faithful either as the remaining names are quite worrying – even more so when there’s the future of Harry Kane on the line.

Sky Sports revealed last month that the 27-year-old had expressed his desire to leave his boyhood club as he looks to add silverware to his goal-laden career.

Manchester United, Premier League champions Manchester City, and Champions League winners Chelsea are all interested in signing the England captain, and all three made their respective European finals this season, so you can’t argue against those being a better destination than Spurs right now.

Graham Potter, Scott Parker and Roberto Martinez are just three names thought to be in the running but none would be as bad as controversial former Blues manager Maurizio Sarri, who has emerged as a potential candidate this week.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-manager-gossip-transfer-rumours-team-and-injury-updates-and-much-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, manager gossip, transfer rumours, team and injury updates and more!”]

According to Italian news outlet Il Messaggero, the 62-year-old is stalling over the Lazio job in case Spurs approach him over their vacancy.

As we’ve previously outlined on Football FanCast, this move would have the potential of being an unmitigated disaster at the hands of Levy, but how would this impact Kane?

It’s hard to argue against Sarri’s Serie A and Europa League triumphs but Jose Mourinho arrived in north London with an even more polished track record and he could not steer them to glory.

It’s thought that the dressing room at Stamford Bridge turned against the Italian very quickly and it even led to third-choice goalkeeper Rob Green confronting him in front of the whole squad, as revealed in The Athletic.

“‘You have no plan B. You’re a transactional kind of manager,'” the former England international said, before later adding: “He is an ex-bank manager and manages a club like one.”

That’s not the first time that someone criticised Sarri’s tactics either, as former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot blasted him as “very stubborn” to talkSPORT for never changing up his system when required, echoing those thoughts from Green.

This was certainly a problem under Mourinho, as it was reported that the players were unsure of how to attack thanks to his largely negative and defensive tactics – Sarri isn’t dissimilar to that.

It means that, if the 62-year-old were appointed, it would almost certainly push Kane one step closer to the exit door as it would seem far from the sort of inspiring arrival which could motivate him to stick around for at least one more campaign.

If Levy considers Sarri, then he might as well wave goodbye to his superstar striker.

AND in other news, Journo reveals fresh twist in Spurs’ manager search that’ll surely leave fans thrilled…

Celtic are reportedly interested in Fleetwood Town defender Josh Feeney, according to the Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Feeney fits Celtic’s transfer strategy

Feeney, who only turned 16 on Thursday, is wanted by both England and Scotland at under-16 international level. He has been on the bench in three recent first team games under Simon Grayson and appears to fit one of two Hoops transfer strategies.

The Athletic revealed back in January that Celtic are looking at ‘young-ish, UK-based prospects with high upside potential who are available either on a pre-contract, or for a nominal fee’.

Feeney appears to fit that mould, and the Hoops may hold the advantage over English suitors due to cross-border compensation fee rules.

The Latest: Hoops not the only side interested

As mentioned, a number of English clubs are also keen on the teenager. The likes of Aston Villa, Leeds United, Leicester City and Wolves have all contacted Fleetwood in recent months regarding Feeney.

Therefore, if the Hoops wish to get a deal over the line for the young talent, they may have to act fast.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-2/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Could work out with club’s Lowland League plans

Celtic and Glasgow rivals Rangers are thought to be in discussions for their respective Colts teams to join the Lowland Leagues, which in our view could help the Hoops in their pursuit of Feeney.

Should a deal be reached where Celtic’s Colts side can play in the Lowland Leagues, that would give the Hoops the opportunity to lure Feeney to Parkhead with the appeal of senior game-time.

That could help his development, along with several other Celtic youngsters, which could then have a positive impact on the first team in the long run.

In other news: Source shares big Celtic transfer development; ‘magnificent’ star seems to have chosen new club, find out more here. 

Peterborough United Director of Football has told Football FanCast that he doubts West Ham manager David Moyes will spend £40m on Tammy Abraham.

The Chelsea striker is reportedly available this summer, with the Blues willing to cash in should they receive a big bid.

The Daily Telegraph has reported that he would cost around £40m, and there is said to be interest from both West Ham and Leicester City.

Abraham has scored 12 goals in all competitions this season but he has struggled for minutes at times, particularly under the management of Thomas Tuchel.

Indeed, he was not even included in the squad for the FA Cup final against Leicester, a game the Blues lost 1-0.

Fry, though, wonders just how much Moyes will have to spend this summer and, as such, doubts whether he would be willing to splurge on one player.

The Irons are currently seventh in the Premier League and are not guaranteed qualification for Europe this season despite flirting with the top four throughout the campaign.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Fry said: “If the manager wants him, I can see them trying to back the manager.

“It depends what sort of kitty Moyes has got. If he’s got, say, £60 million to spend I don’t think he’ll spend £40 million on one player.”

Former Tottenham Hotspur captain Graham Roberts has warned Ryan Mason and Chris Powell that they “can’t have mates” in the Spurs squad, and has told Football FanCast that he hopes the club return to their ethos of attacking football.

Mason has been placed in charge of the first-team on an interim basis and is being assisted by Powell.

That decision came on the heels of Jose Mourinho being sacked last Monday.

Roberts is hopeful that the two can help return Spurs to their attacking roots, especially given that he believes that in recent weeks, the side have been appalling.

Indeed, Spurs have won just two of their last eight games, which includes the 3-0 humiliation at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb and a 1-0 Carabao Cup Final defeat to Manchester City, where they didn’t show too much attacking intent.

Roberts believes Mason and Powell will reassess the squad and pick those who deserve to play, while also hoping that the tactics change.

Speaking to FFC, he said: “I think Mason and Powell will have a massive, massive job on their hands now. You can’t have mates, you’ve got to pick the right players. I think every player now should be looked at differently.

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve been in the team, to be honest the team has played absolute garbage, we haven’t played well for a long, long time, and I’m just hoping that he takes the shackles off of them.”

Leicester City should repeat the trick that they successfully used in 2018 to sign Ricardo Pereira with a move for Robin Gosens.

The Foxes have been linked with a switch for the Atalanta full-back in recent days, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that he is their “main option” should Jon Rudkin elect to sign a left-back this summer.

However, the East-Midlanders reportedly face competition for the £31.5m-rated German international, with Manchester City having also been linked in the past.

With current Leicester defender Pereira also being linked with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur ahead of his move to the King Power Stadium nearly three years ago, the Foxes swooped by securing a deal early.

The Portuguese international, who was signed from FC Porto, was announced as a Leicester City player on the 19th May 2018 – just six days after the final Premier League fixture of the season.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leicester-city-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more-abraham-demrial-maddison-rodgers-mckennie” title=”Latest Leicester City news, transfer rumours and more…”]

Whilst he did not officially sign his Foxes contract until the following month due to international clearance, the early deal allowed the East-Midlanders to steal a march on their rivals and sign Pereira.

He has certainly been a welcome addition at the King Power Stadium since, making 86 appearances for the club and winning the Player of the Season award in his debut campaign.

So, with Gosens interesting a number of clubs around Europe, it would certainly be useful for Leicester to tie up a deal relatively early, especially with the UEFA European Championships set to take place this summer, an event which could make any transfers later in the window a little more difficult to complete.

Having successfully completed the deal to bring Pereira to the club in 2018, Leicester should certainly take inspiration from that and beat the competition to the signature of the Atalanta man.

AND in more news, find out which former Tottenham starlet Leicester must also secure in the summer…

When Scott Brown announced he’d be leaving Celtic at the end of the season last week, it marked the end of an era.

It’s a timely one too, especially after a season where so much has gone against the Bhoys. Though, as the campaign climaxes, we can begin to appreciate everything Brown brought to Parkhead.

A dogged and determined midfielder, his leadership has been second to none throughout his 14 years in Glasgow. Brown has led the Hoops to ten league titles and to 12 domestic cups; it has been a period of unparalleled success with him in the middle of the park.

Thus, when he does depart for a player-coach role with Aberdeen, it will leave a pretty glaring hole in their side.

Celtic could find solutions from a variety of places; namely Ismaila Soro. However, they also have plenty of midfielders at reserve level currently coming through the ranks.

Luca Connell is a name hotly tipped at Parkhead but another is Kerr McInroy, a young midfielder currently out on loan at Dunfermline.

The 20-year-old has played 13 times in the Championship this term but is yet to make his senior debut for the Hoops. McInroy has had a difficult few years, a period where it’s been pretty impossible for him to breakthrough.

During the 2018/19 campaign, he was in promising form for the Bhoys, scoring a hat-trick in the first half of the season against Ayr United. However, his season and indeed his chances of breaking into the senior side were struck with a devastating blow when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury that required surgery.

Disappointingly, McInroy then missed the next ten months of action, suffering immensely in his development. However, once he got the all-clear to play again, the midfielder was back among the assists during a 3-0 win over Queens Park.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-roy-keane-nicky-butt-jesse-marsch-scott-brown” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

The midfielder has bounced back since that injury and has shown a strong-willed mentality. His first piece of senior football has been highly rewarding this season and he is very highly rated by those at Dunfermline.

There’s a very particular quote that stands out when assessing whether he can take on the mantle from Brown; “Physically you can see that he is not frightened of the game,” Dunfermline boss Stevie Crawford said.

“He has a cultured left foot,” Crawford added. “He is very very good on the ball in terms of weight of pass, vision and things like that,” the manager concluded.

Also possessing an eye for goal, something he’s shown during his time in the Celtic reserves, he could bring even more to this Hoops midfield than Brown did.

At the age of 20, McInroy clearly has plenty to learn. That being said, if he’s afforded a chance by any new manager that walks through the door, he’ll show he has what it takes to play a leading role in the Celtic team.

He has a strong mentality, is composed on the ball and matches up the opposition physically.

AND in other news, Big twist emerges in Celtic manager hunt, Desmond is surely buzzing…

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Steve Bull, who made 561 appearances for Wolves, has claimed that if his former club signed Oli McBurnie from Sheffield United, it could be a smart signing and not a waste of money.

The £20,000-per-week striker has been linked with a £15 million move to Molineux this summer despite being part of a poor Sheffield United side and contributing just the one goal this season.

Wolves may not be in a position to sign players immediately, as The Athletic have reported that Fosun International will not be offering as big a transfer budget as usual for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Speaking on why McBurnie would not be a waste of money for Wolves and what he could bring to the side, Bull told The Transfer Tavern:

“I wouldn’t say he would be a waste of money because he’s a decent striker who will score goals, and he might turn out to be a vital player that comes off the bench and scores.

“I think chairman and owners have got money coming out of their ears and they just seem to always find money from somewhere, so if they want to pay it then they’ll find money from somewhere and get him on board.”

The Transfer Window podcast also reported that Fosun International are also willing to listen to reasonable offers for Pedro Neto, Ruben Neves and Adama Traore as they look to sell before they buy this summer.

Since 2016, Fosun International have spent a total of £235 million on bringing permanent signings to Wolves which may have forced them to take a step back this summer.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes Ross Barkley would be a good permanent addition to Dean Smith’s squad.

Barkley, who reportedly earns £96,000-a-week, is currently at Villa Park on a season-long loan from Chelsea and was able to make a huge impact earlier in the campaign.

The 27-year-old scored on his debut for the club in that incredible 7-2 win over Liverpool and managed to net the winner the game after, a 1-0 victory against Leicester City. However, since picking up a hamstring injury, Barkley’s form has dipped drastically, with Smith leaving him out of the side for trips to Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Leeds United and the visit of Wolves.

Nevertheless, Hendrie is still keen to see Barkley’s loan move become a permanent one, confident the England international has a lot to offer. He told FFC:

“Ross came into the club and he really hit the ground running. He got the fans onside straight away and he had a great connection with Jack. You know, there was a great little bit of balance in that team, he was scoring goals and then he picked up his injury.

“Ross Barkley is a fabulous player, that’s for sure. And, at this moment in time, because Villa are not playing well, it’s hard for him to really stand out and be that attacking threat and [have] that confidence that oozes out when you play well. So, for me, to keep Ross, I think it would be a good addition.”

Barkley has been one of Villa’s biggest attacking threats this season, bringing creativity to Smith’s side.

The attacking midfielder is currently averaging 1.7 key passes per league game, the second-highest average in the Villans’ squad (via WhoScored). Averaging 3.4 key passes per league game, only Jack Grealish is outperforming him in that area. Ultimately, buying Barkley outright from Chelsea is an avenue probably worth exploring.

According to 90min, Tottenham Hotspur have already begun searching for a successor to Jose Mourinho, as the Portuguese isn’t likely to last past the end of the current campaign.

After a hot start that saw them sit top of the table at the start of December, Spurs have crumbled to sixth place, with the top four looking out of reach.

That makes their chances of qualifying for the Champions League – one of Daniel Levy’s key requirements – seem rather unlikely, having embarrassingly crashed out of the Europa League to Dinamo Zagreb last week.

As per the report, Spurs have compiled a long list of potential replacements.

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is thought to be the front-runner but names like Carlo Ancelotti, Julian Nagelsmann, Massimiliano Allegri and Nuno Santo all feature, too…

On the Chalkboard

Aside from the obvious impact on the struggling fortunes of Matt Doherty – a £15m summer arrival from Molineux – it’s hard to see the fellow Portuguese making much of an impact in north London, especially given Wolves’ own problems this season.

The 47-year-old gem has had the most success at the Midlands outfit when deploying a three-at-the-back system, and that is something that could be a recipe for disaster at Spurs.

Of course, Nuno should be lauded for transforming the Old Gold into a stable Premier League club. The Athletic’s Tim Spiers claimed that he had done “special things” and that it was “unbelievable” and a “miracle” to see them in Europe.

A lot of Mourinho’s problems have come through defensive individual mistakes, with his usual culprits being his only options in the role. Indeed, the Spurs boss has struggled to cement down a proper partnership in his backline.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-spurs-news-mourinho-levy-gossip” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs news, rumours and more!”]

Eric Dier (21 league starts), Davinson Sanchez (15 starts) and Toby Alderweireld (18 starts) have frequently rotated throughout the Premier League season, whilst Joe Rodon’s rare start last Sunday saw him throw his name into the equation.

The former two have been particularly calamitous.

Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara dubbed the duo the worst partnership in the Premier League and urged the club to get rid of both of them. He said to talkSPORT:

“I look at the team and the back-four is just an absolute shambles. I don’t know why Jose keeps playing [Davinson] Sanchez and [Eric] Dier because it’s probably one of the worst partnerships in the Premier League.”

A three-man defence requires a perfect mix of pace, ability on the ball and an excellent reading of the game. This is something lacking at Spurs right now.

Only Sanchez (85.4%) has a better passing accuracy rate than any of Wolves’ current backline of Conor Coady, Max Kilman and Leander Dendoncker.

An ageing Alderweireld and Dier isn’t the fastest defence by comparison, nor is the England international on the same wavelength for defensive ability, sitting behind the lot for tackles (0.8) and interceptions (0.9) per game, via WhoScored.

Despite taking Wolves the Premier League, and then the Europa League in the space of just two seasons, Nuno just isn’t the right fit for Spurs at the minute.

AND in other news, Alli’s transfer value continues to plummet under Jose Mourinho

Former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor believes ex-Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner would be a “poor” choice for Celtic as the club’s next manager.

Wagner to Parkhead?

The American tactician was recently sacked as the boss of Bundesliga side Schalke after going 18 games without a win, which spanned a timeframe of eight months (via ESPN).

Wagner accumulated a points-per-game average of just 1.20 from 40 games in Germany – the worst of his career. While he guided Huddersfield to the Premier League, his record with the Terriers was 1.23 points a game from 154 outings (Transfermarkt).

With Neil Lennon walking away from Parkhead following his unsuccessful pursuit of 10-in-a-row, Agbonlahor urged the Hoops to steer away from Wagner, who was one of the first names to pop up as a target (Daily Record).

When asked by Football Insider whether Wagner would be a good fit for Celtic, he said: “Not really, no. I think he was poor at Huddersfield and had a poor record.

“I think Celtic fans would be angrier at that appointment than Kennedy.

“I think Celtic are going to take their time and wait for the right manager who has got the right vision for the club and a manager who knows he doesn’t have millions to spend and knows he has to get more out of the squad he’s got.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Wagner’s record is far from pretty, which makes it difficult to disagree with what Agbonlahor is saying here.

Sky Sports’ Jim White previously suggested that Steve Clarke, Rafael Benitez and Roberto Martinez are all candidates to inherit Lennon’s position. In our view, these three would be better options than Wagner.

With Dominic McKay taking his seat as the club’s new chief executive in the summer, there is huge pressure on his shoulders to select the right man for the job and regain the Scottish Premiership crown at the first time of asking.

In other news, Celtic approach ‘fantastic’ manager as Hoops source emerges.