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Former Premier League player Danny Mills has claimed Tottenham could face a shock departure in the summer. 

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Mills believes veteran defenders Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld could leave the club in the upcoming transfer window.

While Vertonghen has long been linked with a summer exit, the pundit’s prediction for Alderweireld might come as a bit of a surprise to Spurs fans.

Last week, Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports that Tottenham “are not going to spend rivers of money” in the transfer market due to the economic uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.

Indeed, Daniel Levy has told the Portuguese he will have to offload players to fund a move for stars like free agent Willian, and Mourinho will have to rely on reduced fees and loan deals as he looks to overhaul his squad.

Mills told football writer Dylan Childs “It is going to be very, very difficult. Spurs’ biggest problem is who they lose. Vertonghen, Alderweireld could well go and they have already lost Eriksen.

“It is going to be interesting to see what happens in the transfer market and who is prepared to spend money with everything that is going on.

“There is always a spin and an argument to justify spending but it will interesting to see how that dynamic fits with fans.”

As it stands, it is hard to argue with the pundit here, as Vertonghen is likely to leave as he has already rejected an offer on the table.

The Belgian duo were favourites of Mauricio Pochettino, yet the 33-year-old has lost his place in the starting lineup under the Argentine’s successor.

Although Vertonghen has only played 19 games in the Premier League this season, he has shown no signs of slowing down, making 2.1 tackles per game, averaging 1.6 interceptions and completing a staggering five clearances on average (WhoScored).

He is reportedly considering an offer from Real Betis, amid interest from former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, who is now in charge of Serie A giants Inter Milan.

On the other hand, Alderweireld signed a contract extension in December, keeping him at the club until June 2023.

Furthermore, he recently revealed the appointment of Jose Mourinho had a major influence on his decision to extend his contract.

However, Alasdair Gold has highlighted the importance of Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga and Davinson Sanchez at the back over the course of the season.

Moreover, Mourinho is well aware he will have to work with a limited budget, and he may be tempted to sell the £21.6m-valued veteran if an offer arrives to spend the profits elsewhere.

Tottenham fans, do you think Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld will leave the Lilywhites in the near future? Let us know down below!

Norwich’s chances of Premier League survival are not impossible, with eight matches still to play, although time is certainly running out for them to haul themselves off the bottom and out of the relegation zone.

This evening the Canaries host Everton at Carrow Road five days after they were thrashed at home by Southampton and Daniel Farke must be hoping that the additional two days of rest for his team compared to the Toffees will stand in their favour.

Norwich have only three more home games after today and still have to travel to Chelsea and Manchester City (as per TransferMarkt), so we are at a point in the season where wins become imperative and gallant draws aren’t of much benefit.

That is why Farke is defiantly insisting that he will set up his team with an attacking mindset, although his to 4-4-2 from the 4-2-3-1 that he had employed all season did not have the desired effect against Southampton.

With the need for wins growing by the week, though, Football Transfer Tavern predicts that the manager will stick with two up top this evening, with a slight alteration in midfield from last week.

No prizes for guessing that Tim Krul will again be in goals, while Farke’s defensive options are severely limited by the injury absences of Sam Byram, Grant Hanley and Christoph Zimmerman. Even though the Canaries shipped three goals on Friday, they could line up with the same back four of Jamal Lewis, Timm Klose, Ben Godfrey and Max Aarons given the lack of viable alternatives – there wasn’t one defender among their nine substitutes against Southampton.

In midfield, the wide duo of Todd Cantwell and Emiliano Buendia didn’t manage a single shot between them last week but, with a combined tally of six goals and nine assists for the season, their ability to unlock opposition defences will be crucial to Norwich’s hopes of Premier League survival.

Kenny McLean will likely retain his place in the middle of the park, although there could be a different man alongside him. Tom Trybull was poor on Friday, being dribbled past no fewer than eight times and losing 10 of his 15 duels, so Farke may opt for Alexander Tettey in his place. Marco Stiepermann has returned to training after previously testing positive for coronavirus (as per WhoScored) but this game could come too soon for him.

Farke broke with convention to field a two-man attack last time out, handing Josip Drmic a first Premier League start alongside top scorer Teemu Pukki. Neither man got on the scoresheet but the Canaries’ need for wins should see the same attacking duo being deployed. The manager might also take a punt on youngster Adam Idah, who showed how potent he can be with an FA Cup hat-trick against Preston.

Maybe the 4-4-2 isn’t to everyone’s liking but Norwich need results swiftly and the deployment of as many attacking options as reasonably possible is what they require in their current predicament.

Norwich fans, can you see this being the team chosen by Farke or should he revert to 4-2-3-1? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

The Athletic journalist Phil Hay has said that Liverpool are genuinely interested in on-loan Leeds United defender Ben White.

What’s the story?

The 22-year-old moved to Elland Road from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer on a short-term basis, and he will return to the AMEX Stadium at the end of this current campaign.

Now, it appears the Reds are “genuinely interested” in White, according to Hay. They are not the only club to be looking at him though, with Manchester United also mentioned.

Liverpool were reportedly first interested in the defender last month.

Perfect long-term van Dijk companion

Virgil van Dijk is the undisputed main centre-back at Anfield. His arrival in January 2018 has helped galvanise Jurgen Klopp’s side, with the Merseyside outfit reaching two Champions League finals in that time, triumphing in one of them. Not only that, but they had the best defence in the Premier League last term, conceding just 22 goals in 38 matches.

The place alongside him, though, is up for grabs. Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez have all started matches there in the league so far this campaign and, although the former appeared to be making the position his own with seven starts, his recent injury has prevented him from consolidating a place.

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As such, a new addition would surely be welcomed as long as they are up to the required standard. Fortunately, White is in terrific form. He has been a rock at the heart of the defence for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, playing in all 16 Championship matches as Leeds have shipped just nine goals. For context, no other side in the division has conceded less than 13.

He has impressed in a number of different areas. He has 1.9 tackles per match, which is the second-most amongst his teammates, whilst his 2.9 interceptions are more than any other player in the league. On top of that, he also has 3.6 clearances per match, and has been dribbled past just 0.2 times per game.

Interestingly, White is also comfortable on the ball. His 85.5% passing accuracy puts him in the top 20 in the second tier and third amongst his teammates, while an average of 59.5 passes per match is enough to put him eighth amongst all of the footballers from the 24 teams competing at that level.

This has all contributed to an average WhoScored rating of 7.22, which is just behind Kalvin Phillips for Leeds and in the top 20 overall in the league.

With a current Transfermarkt value of £2.25m, he could be an absolute bargain and one that Klopp and co might not be able to get their hands on again. Although it is only in the second tier, he has shown himself to be a stand-out performer for one of the best teams in the league, one that plays in front of pressurised crowds at Elland Road.

Considering the uncertainty surrounding the position next to van Dijk, White could be the long-term answer for the former Borussia Dortmund manager.

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…

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has told The Mirror that there are four leaders in the Liverpool dressing room.

What did he say?

The England international was talking after the Reds’ 2-1 win over Brighton at the weekend, which now puts them eight points ahead of Leicester City in second and 11 above Manchester City in third.

Speaking about the dressing room and the standards required at Anfield, he said: “The mentality in the team, and that winning culture – it just spreads throughout the team and that’s the sort of mindset that you go into.

“The manager, he insists that the players the leaders in our team, Jordan, Milly, Adam, Virgil, they’re all boys who demand the most of all of us – themselves first and foremost and then the rest of us.

“It’s the sort of expectations that we have on each other and I think that’s the mentality you need to be successful, to have those high standards that nothing else is acceptable.

“Then you’ve got to let history take its course.”

Next older head

Indeed, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Adam Lallana and Virgil van Dijk are all players that have years of experience behind them at the highest level, and you can see their influence on the pitch. Every team needs leaders beyond just the captain, and the Anfield outfit do have that in abundance.

However, both Lallana and Milner are out of contract in the summer, meaning that Jurgen Klopp’s side could be without two of their elder statesmen in the dressing room, and players who have 713 Premier League appearances between them.

Their knowledge and leadership will need replacing, certainly in the centre of the midfield, so that Henderson has someone to share that vocal burden with, and the former Arsenal man can be the player to step up in Lallana’s and Milner’s potential absence. Injuries have prevented him from featuring in more than the 176 top-flight matches he has done so far, but he has been around Premier League squads since the age of 17.

Should the former Leeds man leave the club in the summer, only Henderson will have spent longer in the Premier League than the 26-year-old. Even though the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah may be better players than him, as the Ballon d’Or rankings show – they finished fourth and fifth respectively – the length he has spent in English football’s highest level will make him a valued voice both in the dressing room and on the field of play.

He has come a long way since those early appearances for the Gunners. But now, the 35-time England international is ready to make the next step, and he can be the man that others in the Merseyside club’s team look up to.

In other news, this stat is the biggest proof of Liverpool’s title credentials.

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…

Leeds United may not have had the most successful of transfer windows this summer in terms of incomings, but they undoubtedly did a great job of shifting some of the deadwood within the squad.

They managed to get the likes of Vurnon Anita, Yosuke Ideguchi and Caleb Ekuban off the books, but there is still one player who seemingly has no future at the club who remains.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Indeed, Leeds haven’t been able to get Eunan O’Kane off the wage bill, but an update from Phil Hay indicates that the Irish midfielder will be leaving sooner rather than later.

What’s been said then?

The journalist was answering questions in a Q&A session with The Athletic and one fan asked for an update on O’Kane, to which Hay replied:

“He’s working on his fitness and should be ready to play in January. But it won’t be for Leeds. He’s surplus and will be leaving.”

Why being the away goalkeeper at Leeds is the toughest job in football in the video below…

Great news

With FFP still being quite a factor for Leeds at the moment, it’s great to hear that the club have plans to shift a player they seemingly have no use for.

Of course, in an ideal world, the 29-year-old would have the right attributes at his disposal to be an asset for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, but that’s unfortunately not the case, especially after suffering a horrendous double leg break while out on loan at Luton.

Having O’Kane depart in January is the best-case scenario for United, and this update should buoy a number of supporters as it’s clear that the club will be trying to get him out of the door as soon as possible.

Simply shifting players off the wage bill will be particularly welcome. Andrea Radrizzani stated in a recent interview with The Times that the current level was at a colossal £40m.

This is unlikely to shift too much of that but it’s encouraging they’re still actively trying to push surplus players out the exit door.

Real Madrid and Wales forward Gareth Bale has struggled with multiple injuries over the last few years.

Since joining the Spanish giants in 2013, he’s only managed to make 30 appearances in a league season once, and that was in 2014/15.

According to the Sun, Bale, 30, suffered yet another injury while on international duty last month, sustaining a torn calf in Wales’ 1-1 draw with Croatia.

Since that game, the Welshman hasn’t made an appearance for Real, with Zinedine Zidane having to look elsewhere in his squad to replace Bale’s goal output.

Despite a lack of game time and fitness, Wales boss Ryan Giggs named his superstar winger in his latest squad for the crucial upcoming European championship qualifiers.

He faces a race against time to be fit for his country amid claims from the likes of Guillem Balague that he’s unhappy in the Spanish capital. With this report suggesting the former Tottenham ace tore his calf, a look at his injury history documented on Transfermarkt shows just how familiar a problem this is.

According to them, the Welsh superstar has missed 184 days of action since joining the La Liga giants with calf problems alone.

While Bale is back in training, it looks unlikely he’ll have any game time before he meets up with the national team.

Los Blancos manager Zidane said: “He’s here and back out on the pitch working to get fit again.

“We’re behind him, trying to get him back with the team as soon as possible, but he’s still not available for selection.”

Giggs’ men need wins over Azerbaijan and Hungary, as well as other results going their way to have a chance of qualifying for the Euros next summer.

Bale will be key to Wales getting there, he has 33 goals in 81 caps, making him the nation’s all-time leading goalscorer.

He’s joined in the squad by Juventus’ Aaron Ramsey and Manchester United winger Daniel James.

Will Bale ever get over his injury problems? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Manchester United shot-stopper David De Gea was taken off in the second half of Spain’s clash with Sweden on Tuesday after injuring himself taking a goal kick. Reports from Sky Sports have stated that he will miss the Liverpool showdown as a result of his groin injury.The Spaniard seemed to sustain the problem in the first half of the game but demanded he carried on playing with the pain in his ‘abductor muscle’, said Spain’s head coach. De Gea would later take the goal kick and immediately gesture to the bench to be substituted off, before being replaced by Chelsea man Kepa Arrizabalaga.The 28-year-old would no doubt be a miss for United regardless of who they are playing. But as it is Liverpool up next for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, the four-time Player of the Year will be needed more than ever. The Red Devils’ bitter rivals are top of the table and will need all hands on deck to stop Jurgen Klopp’s men and their 20 goals in the league so far.Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

As for his replacement, should De Gea be sidelined, Sergio Romero will most likely step in for the number one spot.

Romero has been a class act for United since signing from Sampdoria and has proved to be one of the best back-up keepers around over the years. The Argentine has played 46 times for the club and kept a very respectable 28 clean sheets and let in just 23 goals.

However, here’s what the fans have had to say about De Gea’s worrying injury…

تقدم فيل فودين بهدف ثانِ لفريقه مانشستر سيتي أمام بوروسيا دورتموند في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وجاء هدف فودين في توقيت قاتل بالدقيقة 90 بعد تمريرة من جوندوجان.

وكان دي بروين تقدم لمانشستر سيتي في الدقيقة 19 وتعادل ماركو رويس لدورتموند في الدقيقة 84.

ويحل دورتموند ضيفًا على مانشستر سيتي في ذهاب ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا بملعب “الاتحاد”.

هدف فودين في مباراة مانشستر سيتي ودورتموند

جاري تحميله.. 

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.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

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”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Many Leeds United supporters were left questioning Marcelo Bielsa’s call to name Helder Costa on the bench against Barnsley, as the two Yorkshire outfits met in the Championship on Sunday.

Leeds went into the encounter at Oakwell vying for a spot at the top of the Championship table after Swansea City failed to take a point at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, when Alfa Semedo struck the back of the net in the 85th minute to win the game for the visitors.

Marcelo Bielsa looked to do so without Costa at first, however, with the one-time Portugal international named on the bench for his seventh successive league game (WhoScored), before being introduced to proceedings at half-time.

Leeds were level with Barnsley at the break despite enjoying almost twice as much possession as the Tykes, with which the Whites fashioned one fewer effort on goal and only registered two shots on target, per WhoScored data.

United maintained their dominance in the latter 45, too, as Bielsa’s side laid claim to an even greater share of possession, attempted 16 shots on goal to Barnsley’s 11, and found the back of Bradley Collins’ net twice through late strikes by Arsenal loanee Eddie Nketiah and a penalty converted by Mateusz Klich.

Costa’s introduction in place of Jack Harrison at half-time failed to affect proceedings a great deal, though, as the Portuguese winger attempted the same number of shots as the Englishman on loan from Manchester City and attempted fewer key passes, although he did enjoy better success when it came to dribbles.

Harrison’s struggles will only help to feed the supporters calling for Bielsa to bench the 22-year-old, as many voiced their hope in seeing Costa named in the starting line-up and not the Manchester United product when Leeds announced the team to face Barnsley on Twitter.

Here are a few of the messages shared by Leeds fans longing to see Costa start a Championship game for their side…