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Tottenham Hotspur have refused to follow up on interest in Hull City midfielder Jarrod Bowen, according to Football.London’s Alasdair Gold (4.19pm).

Gold claims that Spurs decided at an internal meeting not to pursue a deal for the 22-year-old. He added that the club watched him in every game he played over the past month, as Spurs look to return to a transfer model of signing English players.

CheekySport’s Joel claims Spurs badly need to invest in January after not having “the balls” to beat Arsenal. Check out his uncensored opinion in the video below…

Bowen has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Hull, per Transfermarkt, scoring 14 goals and providing three assists in 29 Championship appearances thus far this season.

Tottenham appear set, however, to again fail to make a signing in this transfer window.

Chairman Daniel Levy also failed to sign a single player in the summer, leaving Lucas Moura as the last player to move to Spurs, when he joined from PSG in January 2018.

And Spurs fans have been left fuming as they face up to another transfer window of disappointment.

Man Utd are doing brilliantly at the moment, with the Red Devil almost unrecognisable from the side that was struggling under Jose Mourinho. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was tasked with rebuilding morale and the form at Old Trafford, and he’s done better than anyone could have expected in pursuit of that aim.

Now, it’s all about him leading his team through the rest of the season with an eye on the future. There’s always a chance that he could stay, but he was brought in with one simple remit – to steady the ship – so it seems likely, at this stage at least, that he just needs to leave the team in a great position for the next Man Utd manager.

He’s done that on the field, and now matters off the field are being sorted too. Indeed, according to the Telegraph, Man Utd have opened talks with Marcus Rashford over a new contract, with the club eager to keep him at Old Trafford long-term.

Rashford has emerged as a player of the utmost importance under Solskjaer, with the Englishman featuring more prominently through the middle. He’s enjoyed a fantastic season, scoring frequently and generally being more influential than he has been previously. He’s bagged 5 goals in his last 8 games, for example.

Solskjaer’s influence in keeping him at the club can’t be underestimated. Sure, he won’t be the one negotiating terms, but his use of the Englishman – and the forward’s fine recent form – is sure to have an impact on Rashford’s plans.

At just 21-years-old, it’s clear that Rashford is a player for the future at Man Utd, and so this is as much about preparing for the next manager as it is about keeping the current squad happy. He’s going to be crucial for years to come, and he could perhaps be the player to define the next decade at Old Trafford. In helping to secure him a new deal, Solskjaer will be doing his eventual successor a huge favour.

Thoughts?

[ad_pod ]Earlier this month, Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech announced that he hasÂdecided to call time on his career and will no longer represent the North London club – as a player, at least – when he hangs up his gloves at the end of the season.

The former Chelsea shot-stopper will go down as a Premier League legend but under Unai Emery, Cech has lost his starting spot to summer signing Bernd Leno and featured just seven times in the Premier League this season.

Without his services to bank on for much longer, Arsenal will have to start plotting potential additions to fill Cech’s void next season. With that in mind, Football FanCast provide four suggestions on who should become Cech’s successor at the Emirates Stadium.

Pl>ymaker FC believes Arsenal fans won’t have to wait long to see Unai Emery’s long-term ambitions for the club come to fruition. Watch the video below to find out why…

Radoslaw Majecki

Legia Warsaw’s Radoslaw Majecki may be a fairly unheard of name but not amongst the scouts at Arsenal, with the Gunners sending their men to watch the teenager’s progress throughout the current campaign – as reported by London Evening Standard in December.

The 19-year-old only broke into the senior side this year in Poland, but is currently being assessed to determine his suitability to the English game. He would certainly need further time to develop, but with Leno the current number one Arsenal are able to afford him it.

Jan Oblak

While Leno may be the first choice at the moment, the summer signing has not been a terrific acquisition. In fact, the 26-year-old has only managed three Premier League clean sheets so far.

An option to consider if Emery wishes to bring in an immediate first-choice goalkeeper is Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak.

A move for the 26-year-old would be expensive, to say the least, with the Slovenian unlikely to leave the Spanish capital for anything less than his £90millionÂrelease clause – as documented by FourFourTwo. After that, Arsenal would have to impress Oblak enough to convince him to join.

Thomas Strakosha

Given the Gunners’ need to strengthen across the pitch, Emery will likely shy away from splurging the budget on one marquee addition this summer.

Albanian international Thomas Strakosha, however, would unlikely break the bank but still offer a decent alternative to Leno, provided Lazio remain willing to sell as Calcio Mercato claimed during the summer.

The 23-year-old has been the established first choice for Lazio since the 2016/17 season, and has made 20 Serie A appearances already this term.

Emiliano Martinez

There may be a magnitude of potential goalkeepers in world football that could be brought to North London to fill Cech’s void, but one man already at the club will certainly be hoping the veteran’s retirement gives him the chance to become a first-team regular.

Emiliano Martinez joined Arsenal back in 2010 and has been on the fringes of the first-team ever since his debut in the League Cup two years later.

Unfortunately for the Argentine, he has never featured in more than six games in a single season for the Gunners, yet has kept a clean sheet on seven occasions, including against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

So, Arsenal fans, who do you see as the perfect Cech successor? Let us know by commenting below…

After a good spell of defensive solidity, Chelsea’s defence has absolutely crumbled in recent weeks. 

Humiliating 4-0 and 6-0 defeats to Bournemouth and Manchester City have seen many eyebrows raised over Maurizio Sarri’s defence, and failure to improve could now see the Blues spend heavily in the summer to improve that area of the squad.

The Breakdown

Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness) reports that Chelsea are keen on signing Ajax central defender Matthijs de Ligt in a move that makes perfect sense, though it could be a deal that proves extremely difficult to pull off.

The likes of Juventus, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also said to be interested in de Ligt, according to the Spanish outlet, leaving Chelsea with some serious competition if they do intend on making an offer for the 19-year-old.

The Blues, however, must do all they can to see off rival interest; de Ligt is exactly the kind of player they need at the back going forward.

David Luiz has been an absolute shambles in defence at times this season and, at 31 with his contract set to expire in the summer, his long-term future does not look to be anywhere near Stamford Bridge.

Meanwhile, Antonio Rudiger, who started off the season well, has also been poor of late, constantly committing silly fouls and failing to win simple headers.

By no means will de Ligt solve all of the problems at Stamford Bridge, but signing a defender with his potential would definitely be a good start and a step in the right direction for the west London club.

Southampton must target a new right-back when the summer transfer window opens in a few months time.

Ralph Hassenhuttl faces a real battle to save the Saints from relegation following their dreadful form in the Premier League this season. Should the Austrian manage to save his side from the drop, he absolutely has to target a new right-sided defender in the transfer window. With Cedric Soares joining Inter Milan on loan in January, it’s unlikely the Portugal international’s long-term future is at St. Marys.

The Italian giants have the option to make his stay in Italy permanent for just £9.5m which would leave the Saints short of options at the back. Landing a new right-back should definitely be a priority in order to add some stability to their leaky back four.

One man Hassenhuttl should be looking to sign is Nantes youngster – Enock Kwateng. Valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt, the 21-year-old was part of the France side which won the won the European U19 Championship in 2016 alongside superstars such as Kylian Mbappe. Kwateng has been ever-present for his current employers this season but could be set to depart his homeland with his contract due to expire at the end of the campaign.

Kwateng is a fantastic defender who would finally give Southampton some solidity on the right flank. The Frenchman loves to get stuck into a challenge, averaging an incredible 2.8 tackles per game in Ligue 1. Despite his young age, he reads the game expertly, allowing him to make an impressive 3.8 interceptions per game this season (WhoScored). Kwateng also tends to get forward to help out the attack without neglecting his defensive duties.

Available on a free transfer, this move should be a no brainer for the Saints.

Southampton fans, thoughts?

كشف نادي بايرن ميونخ بطل دوري أبطال أوروبا عن غياب مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، عن تدريبات الفريق الجماعية صباح اليوم، الأثنين.

ويستعد العملاق الألماني لمواجهة إشبيلية في بطولة السوبر الأوروبي في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءًا يوم، الخميس المقبل، في العاصمة المجرية بودابست.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فليك يرفض مقارنة نجمي بايرن ميونخ بـ روبن وريبيري

وأفاد الموقع الرسمي لنادي بايرن ميونخ بأن ليفاندوفسكي يعاني من إجهاد، وفضل الجهاز الفني إراحته من التدريبات الجماعية حتى لا يتعرض للإصابة قبل مواجهة الخميس.

بينما عاد ظهير أيسر الفريق، ديفيد ألابا، إلى التدريبات الجماعية بعد تعافيه من إصابته العضلية في فخذه الأيسر والتي كان يعاني منها طيلة الفترة الماضية.

وكان بايرن ميونخ قد استهل مشواره في الدوري الألماني بفوز كبير على شالكه يوم، الجمعة الماضية بنتيجة 8-0.

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Callum Slattery made his full Premier League debut for Southampton in their 1-1 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon.

Slattery had appeared off the bench in the league against Leicester City and Crystal Palace earlier this year, before being named in the XI against Burnley.

The 19-year-old certainly held his own against the Clarets and played a big role in what was another impressive performance under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

There is no question that the Austrian manager has improved matters since replacing Mark Hughes, and the Saints boss has shown his faith in a number of youngsters.

Southampton will be looking to make it six Premier League matches unbeaten when they host fellow strugglers Cardiff City this weekend.

Fans of the south coast outfit are hopeful that they will be seeing much more of promising teenager Slattery in the remainder of the 2018-19 Premier League campaign.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Tottenham have seen their title challenge typically ripped apart over the last seven days, and it proves why their biggest stars need to move on before they win silverware.

Losses to Burnley and Chelsea and a draw against Arsenal on Saturday took them from being almost two points behind then leaders Man City to now being 10 points behind them. It’s been followed by an exclusive in the Sunday Mirror claiming Real Madrid are prepared to use Gareth Bale as a makeweight to brink Spurs maestro Christian Eriksen to the Bernabeu.

This move would be ideal for the Dane, who must be getting rather disillusioned at spending the prime of his career at a club who can’t even organise the building of a stadium, nevermind win a trophy. This is probably the reason he’s reportedly stalled on signing a new deal at the club, and who could blame him if he leaves?

Harry Kane is the other star who simply needs to be playing for one of the best clubs in world football and not one that can’t even mount a challenge of a domestic trophy. In the opinion of most, he’s the best striker in the world at the moment, but the game is fickle and he could quickly be overshadowed by another fresh talent in the years to come.

He, like Eriksen, needs to make a move now.

Madrid would be ideal for both considering the club are going through what they’d probably deem as a crisis at the moment, because they’re not in line for any trophies the way they’re playing. However, it just proves the difference between them and Manchester United compared to Spurs who are applauded when they come close to challenging.

The gap is huge, and it’s too huge for even those two great players to fill.

It would be a huge shame if they both wasted their careers merely competing in competitions rather than challenging to win them, but that appears to be what they’d be resigned to if they stay loyal to Spurs.

What do you think is the next best step for Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane?

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According to respected journalist Alan Nixon, Aston Villa are eyeing up a move for Swansea defender Mike van der Hoorn, who will be available on a free in the summer when his contract expires.

What’s the word, then?

The Dutchman has started all 30 of the Swans’ Championship games this season, scoring two goals and recording an assist as the Welsh club sit 13th in the table.

Swansea got rid of Jefferson Montero, Tom Carroll and Wilfried Bony on deadline day, and also came close to selling both Daniel James and Leroy Fer as the recently relegated side embarked on a fire sale, much to the disgust of the club’s supporters.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Chairman Huw Jenkins also resigned just days after deadline day, which suggests all is not well at the Liberty Stadium – by the sounds of things, 26-year-old van der Hoorn may be the next key player to leave the club.

Where would he fit in at Villa?

The Villains managed to sign Tyrone Mings from Bournemouth on a six-month loan on deadline day, although a permanent deal for the Englishman could be too far-fetched as he appears to be well thought of at the Vitality Stadium.

In that respect, if the Cherries do decide to keep Mings and refuse to sell him to the Midlands-based side, Dean Smith may potentially be eyeing the move for van der Hoorn as an option to compensate for the loss of Mings.

The aforementioned report from Nixon states that Villa were priced out of a move for the former Ajax defender earlier in January, so it is possible that they signed Mings instead with a view to getting their first choice target in the summer.

Loan star Axel Tuanzebe is also set to return to Manchester United in the summer, so a move for another centre-back would be a wise one for Villa.

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Loads of Southampton fans have been having their say on the 1-1 draw at Burnley, and they’re absolutely ecstatic with the form of Nathan Redmond.

It feels like we have been waiting for Redmond to realise his potential for years, as the 24 year-old has consistently shown glimpses of world class ability without ever adding the necessary end product.

That has all changed since the arrival of Ralph Hasenhuttl though, and St. Mary’s is finally seeing the player they thought they were getting when they splashed out £10m (BBC) back in 2016.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Redmond has now scored six goals and added two assists in his last 11 games in all competitions, per Whoscored, and he was at his brilliant best again on Saturday.

Deployed as a second striker alongside Danny Ings, the former Norwich ace scored the game’s opening goal with a stunning strike, a strike that came at the end of a lung-busting burst from midfield in which he skipped past several Burnley players.

He registered three key passes and a whopping five successful dribbles in the game, per Whoscored, and the Twitter reactions down below are full of praise for both the player and his new boss…